After an 18-month wait, the redesigned South Course at Carmel Country Club opens today, giving the Charlotte golf community another outstanding layout.
The membership was given a hole-by-hole guide to the changes Wednesday night by designer Rees Jones, who took the best of what existed on the original Ellis Maples design, tweaked what was there and added a handful of new holes. The result is a layout capable of hosting a major event.
The first and 18th holes are new as are the fifth and sixth holes, carved out of what was once the edge of a forest. The sixth hole, a muscular and intimidating par-4 with water along the right side, will have everyone talking.
Jones, who had done some relatively minor modifications to the course over the years, designed flexibility into the new layout. It can play a comfortable 6,200 yards and it can stretch to 7,500 yards for any new-age bombers who want to show off their length.
Most of the greens have openings in the front to allow players to use the ground, aided by sand-plating beneath the approach areas to help keep the turf firm. A number of trees have been removed, giving the layout a more open, airy feel and its watery four-hole finish is sure to keep the outcome of friendly games in doubt.
It's the finishing touch to a massive project to upgrade the club that has included clubhouse improvements and the creation of a small waterpark. An impressive club just got better.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Mickelson Doesn't Like His Chances -- And That's Just Fine
Phil Mickelson doesn't like his chances in the Shell Houston Open this week and he's okay with that.
Mickelson is playing this week -- paired with Lee Westwood in the first two rounds -- with the intention of sharpening his game for the Masters next week. And while tournament officials have done a good job on selling players to come and play Redstone Golf Club with its firm, fast greens the week before Augusta, Mickelson suggested last week that his focus will be on next week more than this week.
Talking at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, Mickelson said Redstone "is not going to set up well for me," because of how many of the fairways get very narrow around 285 yards from the tee, pushing players to hit more 3-woods off tees than they will at Augusta. Mickelson, though, plans to rip away with his driver, working on shots he'll hit at Augusta, even if it means bringing more trouble into play at Houston.
In other words, Mickelson is all about the Masters and that's okay.
He's at a place in his career where only major championship victories are going to enhance his legacy. He's won four, three of them coming with green jackets, and another major or two puts Lefty is super-select company at the all-time dinner table. Mickelson loves Augusta and talked often last year about the inspiration that came with just riding down Magnolia Lane.
He wants to be ready when the Masters starts. That doesn't mean Mickelson can't or won't win this week at Houston but it means the tournament he's most interested in starts next Thursday, not this Thursday.
Mickelson is playing this week -- paired with Lee Westwood in the first two rounds -- with the intention of sharpening his game for the Masters next week. And while tournament officials have done a good job on selling players to come and play Redstone Golf Club with its firm, fast greens the week before Augusta, Mickelson suggested last week that his focus will be on next week more than this week.
Talking at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, Mickelson said Redstone "is not going to set up well for me," because of how many of the fairways get very narrow around 285 yards from the tee, pushing players to hit more 3-woods off tees than they will at Augusta. Mickelson, though, plans to rip away with his driver, working on shots he'll hit at Augusta, even if it means bringing more trouble into play at Houston.
In other words, Mickelson is all about the Masters and that's okay.
He's at a place in his career where only major championship victories are going to enhance his legacy. He's won four, three of them coming with green jackets, and another major or two puts Lefty is super-select company at the all-time dinner table. Mickelson loves Augusta and talked often last year about the inspiration that came with just riding down Magnolia Lane.
He wants to be ready when the Masters starts. That doesn't mean Mickelson can't or won't win this week at Houston but it means the tournament he's most interested in starts next Thursday, not this Thursday.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Would You Take Nick Watney at 40/1 In The Masters?
Random thoughts while waiting for Masters week:
-- According to vegasinsider.com, Tiger Woods is the betting favorite in the Masters at 3/1. Phil Mickleson comes in at 7/1, Lee Westwood at 12/1 and Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy at 20/1.
Nick Watney at 40/1 caught my eye.
-- There's no good time to aerate greens. I know it has to be done but, like going to the dentist, it doesn't mean you have to like it.
-- In the rush to proclaim the arrival of golf's new generation -- that includes Dustin Johnson, Watney, Martin Kaymer, Rickie Fowler and others -- it's begun to feel as if Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have been marginalized.
Sure, they've won one tournament between them since 2009 but they're not finished. They may not dominate as they once did but they're still going to be formidable. They're going to win more tournaments and more major championships. Maybe as soon as next week.
-- Is any player more fun to watch than Bubba Watson?
I don't think so.
-- While at the beach last week, I got a chance to play Bulls Bay again. It's a Mike Strantz design near Charleston, S.C., with fairways seemingly as wide as the sky and a collection of holes that remind you of how much fun golf can be even when the greens have been double-cut and rolled on a windy day.
If you get invited to play there by a member, don't miss the opportunity.
-- The LPGA's first major is this week -- the Kraft Nabisco. With only 12 events played in the United States, the tour is dealing with an identity crisis almost as serious as the struggle to find tournament sponsors. It's too bad because there's a ton of talent and compelling personalities but the tour is struggling to get noticed.
-- According to vegasinsider.com, Tiger Woods is the betting favorite in the Masters at 3/1. Phil Mickleson comes in at 7/1, Lee Westwood at 12/1 and Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy at 20/1.
Nick Watney at 40/1 caught my eye.
-- There's no good time to aerate greens. I know it has to be done but, like going to the dentist, it doesn't mean you have to like it.
-- In the rush to proclaim the arrival of golf's new generation -- that includes Dustin Johnson, Watney, Martin Kaymer, Rickie Fowler and others -- it's begun to feel as if Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have been marginalized.
Sure, they've won one tournament between them since 2009 but they're not finished. They may not dominate as they once did but they're still going to be formidable. They're going to win more tournaments and more major championships. Maybe as soon as next week.
-- Is any player more fun to watch than Bubba Watson?
I don't think so.
-- While at the beach last week, I got a chance to play Bulls Bay again. It's a Mike Strantz design near Charleston, S.C., with fairways seemingly as wide as the sky and a collection of holes that remind you of how much fun golf can be even when the greens have been double-cut and rolled on a windy day.
If you get invited to play there by a member, don't miss the opportunity.
-- The LPGA's first major is this week -- the Kraft Nabisco. With only 12 events played in the United States, the tour is dealing with an identity crisis almost as serious as the struggle to find tournament sponsors. It's too bad because there's a ton of talent and compelling personalities but the tour is struggling to get noticed.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sergio, Kim Add Names To Wells Fargo Field
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| Sergio Garcia - AP |
They add to a list that already includes defending champion Rory McIlroy, world. No. 1 Martin Kaymer, Dustin Johnson, Nick Watney and Bubba Watson.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are likely to play but neither is expected to make an official commitment until closer to the tournament.
Tickets are now available at a tournament kiosk in Southpark Mall as well as online at http://www.wellsfargochampionship.com/.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
A Sunday Of Almosts For Simpson, de Jonge
Sunday was a day of almosts for Charlotte's Webb Simpson and Brendon de Jonge.
Both almost won their first PGA Tour events.
Simpson, who moved to Charlotte last August from Raleigh with his wife, Dowd, couldn't par the last hole at the Transitions Championship to force a playoff with Gary Woodland and wound up with a solo second. It wasn't the way Simpson wanted it to end but it was another experience of playing with or near the lead on Sunday and that's bound to help down the road.
Simpson was brilliant around the greens in the final round, one-putting 13 times in a 16-hole stretch when his ball striking wasn't particularly sharp. But he couldn't save par from the back of the 18th green when he needed to -- something Woodland did from nearly the same spot to win.
It will sting for a time, knowing there was a spot in the Masters if he won, but Simpson is getting more familiar with the Sunday afternoon heat. He had a chance in Las Vegas last fall, leading with two holes remaining only to hit his tee shot in the water on the 17th hole causing him to miss a playoff by a stroke.
This time, he made things difficult when he pulled his tee shot into a fairway bunker at the 18th hole and it slipped away from there. But he can take plenty of confidence away from Innisbrook, knowing he has the game to win.
It was the first week his wife and new son, James, have traveled with him and it's going to be a week he always remembers for more reasons than the golf.
For de Jonge, it was a discouraging finish. He was tied for the lead on the back nine but made four bogeys in his last seven holes. He had an excellent year in 2010 with three third-place finishes but his final-round scoring average ranked 97th on tour.
He ranked 16th on Sunday scoring average this year until his 73 at Innisbrook. On television, you could see the disappointment in de Jonge's body language. But he has become a very good player, a guy who plays under the radar but who is growing into a really solid PGA Tour player. He'll have better Sundays than this one.
Both almost won their first PGA Tour events.
Simpson, who moved to Charlotte last August from Raleigh with his wife, Dowd, couldn't par the last hole at the Transitions Championship to force a playoff with Gary Woodland and wound up with a solo second. It wasn't the way Simpson wanted it to end but it was another experience of playing with or near the lead on Sunday and that's bound to help down the road.
Simpson was brilliant around the greens in the final round, one-putting 13 times in a 16-hole stretch when his ball striking wasn't particularly sharp. But he couldn't save par from the back of the 18th green when he needed to -- something Woodland did from nearly the same spot to win.
It will sting for a time, knowing there was a spot in the Masters if he won, but Simpson is getting more familiar with the Sunday afternoon heat. He had a chance in Las Vegas last fall, leading with two holes remaining only to hit his tee shot in the water on the 17th hole causing him to miss a playoff by a stroke.
This time, he made things difficult when he pulled his tee shot into a fairway bunker at the 18th hole and it slipped away from there. But he can take plenty of confidence away from Innisbrook, knowing he has the game to win.
It was the first week his wife and new son, James, have traveled with him and it's going to be a week he always remembers for more reasons than the golf.
For de Jonge, it was a discouraging finish. He was tied for the lead on the back nine but made four bogeys in his last seven holes. He had an excellent year in 2010 with three third-place finishes but his final-round scoring average ranked 97th on tour.
He ranked 16th on Sunday scoring average this year until his 73 at Innisbrook. On television, you could see the disappointment in de Jonge's body language. But he has become a very good player, a guy who plays under the radar but who is growing into a really solid PGA Tour player. He'll have better Sundays than this one.
Friday, March 18, 2011
The Luck Of The Irish -- And Then Some
There’s the luck of the Irish.
Then there’s the story of John O’Malley on St. Patrick’s Day.
O’Malley is a 55-year old who relocated to Charlotte just over five years ago and who, if the economy, health and schedules accommodate, gets together with a group of buddies from around the country to play golf and watch basketball together the first week of the NCAA tournament.
This week, O’Malley and seven of his friends are in Charlotte to see Duke, North Carolina and each other.
They’ve already had their magic moment.
Twice.
Playing golf at Ballantyne Country Club on Thursday, O’Malley hit his 6-iron tee shot on the 149-yard, par-3 12th hole and liked it. Looking into the sun, O’Malley and his friends couldn’t see his ball land.
His playing partners, Tom Grimm of Wilmington, Del., and Bill Lee from Cincinnati also hit good shots. When they got to the green, there were no golf balls to be seen.
One was over the green, another was in a bunker.
“I thought mine had probably hit the front of the green and bounced back in the water,” O’Malley said.
In fact, O’Malley’s ball was in the hole for his first ace.
“I was pretty excited,” O’Malley, a 13-handicap who plays mostly on weekends, said.
It was about to get more exciting.
At the 100-yard, par-3 17th hole that plays over water, O'Malley wanted to hit his pitching wedge but realized he’d left it on an earlier hole. So he choked down on a 9-iron, hit a shot past the hole then watched it roll back in the cup for his second ace in one hour.
“I literally fell down on the tee box,” O’Malley said. “It was unbelievable.”
The odds of something like that happening? Golf Digest reported an insurance company put the odds of two aces in the same round at 1 in 9,222,500.
In other words, it doesn’t happen every day.
“I’ve read stories about people who have done things like that but never actually talked to one,” Ballantyne pro Joe Maher said.
He has now.
The buzz rippled through the Ballantyne clubhouse and the bar was open – for an Irishman on St. Patrick’s Day.
“My friend Bill said my wife wasn’t going to believe it but she will when she sees the bar bill,” O’Malley said.
Then there’s the story of John O’Malley on St. Patrick’s Day.
O’Malley is a 55-year old who relocated to Charlotte just over five years ago and who, if the economy, health and schedules accommodate, gets together with a group of buddies from around the country to play golf and watch basketball together the first week of the NCAA tournament.
This week, O’Malley and seven of his friends are in Charlotte to see Duke, North Carolina and each other.
They’ve already had their magic moment.
Twice.
Playing golf at Ballantyne Country Club on Thursday, O’Malley hit his 6-iron tee shot on the 149-yard, par-3 12th hole and liked it. Looking into the sun, O’Malley and his friends couldn’t see his ball land.
His playing partners, Tom Grimm of Wilmington, Del., and Bill Lee from Cincinnati also hit good shots. When they got to the green, there were no golf balls to be seen.
One was over the green, another was in a bunker.
“I thought mine had probably hit the front of the green and bounced back in the water,” O’Malley said.
In fact, O’Malley’s ball was in the hole for his first ace.
“I was pretty excited,” O’Malley, a 13-handicap who plays mostly on weekends, said.
It was about to get more exciting.
At the 100-yard, par-3 17th hole that plays over water, O'Malley wanted to hit his pitching wedge but realized he’d left it on an earlier hole. So he choked down on a 9-iron, hit a shot past the hole then watched it roll back in the cup for his second ace in one hour.
“I literally fell down on the tee box,” O’Malley said. “It was unbelievable.”
The odds of something like that happening? Golf Digest reported an insurance company put the odds of two aces in the same round at 1 in 9,222,500.
In other words, it doesn’t happen every day.
“I’ve read stories about people who have done things like that but never actually talked to one,” Ballantyne pro Joe Maher said.
He has now.
The buzz rippled through the Ballantyne clubhouse and the bar was open – for an Irishman on St. Patrick’s Day.
“My friend Bill said my wife wasn’t going to believe it but she will when she sees the bar bill,” O’Malley said.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Paradise Valley Par-3 To Honor Ratcliffe
Frank Ratcliffe's name may not be the first that comes to mind when people talk about the leaders through the years in the Charlotte golf community but he had a significant impact on the game and the people who play it here.
In celebration of what would have been Ratcliffe's 100th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the opening of the now-gone Paradise Valley golf course, a ceremony will be held Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Paradise Valley Par-3 course to rename the short course in Ratcliffe's honor. The course is located off Highway 29 near UNC Charlotte.
Frank Ratcliffe built the original Paradise Valley golf course -- nine regulation holes and nine pitch and putt holes -- as a place where golfers of all skill levels could come and enjoy the game. It was a place where beginners could come and learn to play and where regulars could gather to play 18 holes and socialize.
The original course closed nearly 20 years ago but a par-3 course sits on a portion of that property and is operated by Ratcliffe Golf Services run his Frank's son, Del, who has been very active in promoting affordable golf.
The ceremony is open to the public.
In celebration of what would have been Ratcliffe's 100th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the opening of the now-gone Paradise Valley golf course, a ceremony will be held Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Paradise Valley Par-3 course to rename the short course in Ratcliffe's honor. The course is located off Highway 29 near UNC Charlotte.
Frank Ratcliffe built the original Paradise Valley golf course -- nine regulation holes and nine pitch and putt holes -- as a place where golfers of all skill levels could come and enjoy the game. It was a place where beginners could come and learn to play and where regulars could gather to play 18 holes and socialize.
The original course closed nearly 20 years ago but a par-3 course sits on a portion of that property and is operated by Ratcliffe Golf Services run his Frank's son, Del, who has been very active in promoting affordable golf.
The ceremony is open to the public.
