By Kayla Champagne

Optimism — a strong central theme of the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show — was especially evident throughout the Apparel Hall, where the industry’s leading apparel, accessory and footwear companies showcased all the latest trends. Special events such as fashion shows and celebrity appearances produced a lot of excitement around the apparel exhibitors. A newly added fashion E-studio provided an interactive stop for PGA Professionals, golf shop buyers and fashion fanatics to check out all the new styles for spring and summer.

All of the leading brands were in attendance, including Nike, Puma, adidas, Antigua, Abacus, Cross Golf USA, Cutter & Buck and an entire show room floor of others. The traditional emphasis on functionality took a turn this year, combining function with eye-catching fashion. Bold and bright colors were featured in the more traditional garments as well as in all the outerwear pieces. Many of the merchandisers expressed the importance of layering, putting basic pieces with fleece full-zip jackets, wind jackets and vests.

Abacus, a leading retailer of leisure clothing with golf at the heart of its inspiration, introduced its 2012 spring and summer collections, designed for active lifestyles. “We are promoting the idea of freedom of movement with this year’s collection,” explained Lauren Dimen, Brand Manager in Toronto, Canada. Many of the garments have sewn in material with stretch properties, which the company feels is important to golfers.

Puma is brighter than ever, with youth-driven colors and patterns that the company has ingeniously used in dressing young professionals like Ricky Fowler and Lexi Thompson. The booth located in the center of the room was among the brightest and biggest of the show. The new line introduced included Duo-Swing golf polos, track jackets, quarter-zip wind jackets and fitted hats along with a handful of other pieces.

By far, the largest booth at the show belonged to the TaylorMade, adidas, Ashworth Company. Apparel filled a large part of the booth. This year adidas is launching its Fashion Performance line, again incorporating a lot of bright colors and patterns. Featured in the adidas apparel area were the Climalite Polo in solid colors and patterns, the half-zip and full-zip training tops, the fashion performance sweater, pants and shorts and of course the wall of shoes.

Making a strong impression at the show was local company, JoFit in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. The company creates performance athletic apparel for women with a focus on golf and tennis. Three new collections presented at the show are set to come out in May, June and September. The clothing, designed to perfectly fit every shape, will have sleeveless and regular polos, contoured wind shirts, Bermuda shorts, ruffle bottomed skorts and a four-way stretch golf pant among many other pieces. “We always say JoFit clothes are for women 18 to 80,” said Betsy Barnett, Chief Operating Officer for JoFit. “You can tone the look down or brighten it with the patterns and colors.”

Also attracting attention on the just-for-men side of apparel, was in fiamme golf shirts. The line specializes in hand-cut, hand-sewn golf shirts made in Italy. The company prides themselves on having the finest Italian golf apparel, with double stitched seems, the finest double mercerized cotton fabric and genuine mother of pearl buttons. The booth at the show was simple and elegant, drawing in the customer with an eye for detail and a high end product.

For all apparel exhibitors, small or large, the PGA Show brought plenty of eager buyers and golf industry leaders to view and inspect their new merchandise.

“The apparel side of the PGA Merchandise show has seen the largest growth in recent years,” said Tony Leodora who has attended the last 21 years of the PGA Merchandise Show. “There is golf attire to be worn on the golf course; just as well as golf attire to be worn off the course, it has become a very important part of the golf industry.”

By Tony Leodora

BRADENTON, FL. — There are a certain few golf courses in America that hold a special status — both as being exclusive havens and championship venues. They immediately set themselves above the rest of the country. They are spoken about in terms of reverence. The opportunity to play these courses often turns mature adults into giddy children.

The Concession Golf Club is quickly earning status as one of these courses.

That fact became very evident to five teams of veteran players from the Greater Philadelphia area. They traveled to Concession to challenge the home team in at three-day event in November. It should come as no surprise that a team which has played together and travels throughout the United States and in Ireland and Scotland, used their experience to win the 2nd Concession Challenge at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida.

Members of the team included captain Ed Shearon, Jim Macallister, Charlie McGill and Bob Davis. In a series of five 9-hole matches they compiled a total of 64 points. The defending champion host team from The Concession Golf Club finished second with 56 1/2 points.

The event was played over three days at The Concession Golf Club, a five-year old course that has been dedicated to commemorating the memory of the 1971 Ryder Cup Matches, which ended with U.S. Captain Jack Nicklaus conceding a putt to Great Britain and Ireland Captain Tony Jacklin. That gesture of sportsmanship allowed the matches to end in a tie.

"The Concession Golf Club is all about the spirit of the game, the camaraderie that exists among the players and friendly competition," explained owner Bruce Cassidy, who captained the defending champion Concession team. "That’s why we host events like The Concession Challenge."

The matches were played on a very challenging layout co-designed by Nicklaus and Jackin. From the back tees the course carries a slope of 155, the highest slope available under the USGA rating system.

"I read in Links Magazine recently that this course was chosen as one of 10 courses that could host a U.S. Open," commented winning captain Shearon, a golf course architect of renown in the Greater Philadelphia area who produced award-winning designs at RiverWinds GC, Vineyard Golf at Renault Winery and Raven’s Claw GC.

"This course separates the better players from the mediocre players," continued Shearon. "The better players can find a way to manage their way around the course. The players with flaws in their games, of which I am one, find those flaws exposed at every turn when they play The Concession."

The other four teams that competed in The Concession Challenge include returning teams from Blue Bell CC and Cedarbrook CC, plus newcomers from Squires GC and North Hills CC.

The Blue Bell team was captained by Joe Sosnowski and included Mike Trachtenberg, Bill Mikulik and Jules Quinones. The Cedarbrook team was captained by Jim Davis and included Joe Wolff, Sandy Reagan and Rich Green. The Squires team was captained by Dr. Brian Carp and included Steve Kay, Jim Marks and Brett Turner. The North Hills team was captained by Harry Donahue and included Pete Mimmo, Jim Coffey and Rick Forbes.

North Hills captain Donahue, who is host of the weekly Inside Golf television show on Comcast SportsNet, recorded an episode of the show during the weekend of competition at The Concession.

"When the viewers see that show, I’m sure their eyes will pop out." said Donahue. "This was the most spectacular venue we have ever visited for the show. Not only is the golf course among the finest in America, but the entire staff blows you away with service from the moment you arrive until the moment you walk out the door."

The weekly GolfTalk Live radio show on WNTP 990-AM in Philadelphia (www.golftalklive.net) also broadcasted a show from The Concession GC and had Tony Jacklin as one of the live guests on the show.

"It does my heart good to see a competition like this taking place here," said Jacklin. "This is what I envisioned all along for this course — the finest possible venue leading to the finest possible friendly competitions."

Concession owner Cassidy added the definitive closing comment to the competition when he said, "Putting together what we believe to be the finest club in America isn’t quite enough unless you share it with fellow golfers."

By Tony Leodora

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA — You might think there are not too many eye-opening golf experiences left in this world for someone who has played 718 golf courses in 14 countries.  But, as often happens in life, just when you think you know it all, you receive a surprising education.

That was the case with my first trip to Jamaica, to play in the 6th Jamaica Invitational Pro-Am, known as "Annie’s Revenge." I had often heard about the event — produced and run by Tom Jaronski and The Golf Connection, an event-management company out of Royersford, Pa. — from a number of the Philadelphia Section PGA professionals who play in it. The advance reviews were strong. The actual experience was much stronger.

After increasing the personal tally with courses No. 719 and 720, in a 15th country, it was safe to say that the experience ranked right up there with some of the best ever.

Jamaica has a wonderful natural topography for golf, with manageable coastal mountains rising right out of a narrow seaside plateau. The vistas are almost so magnificent as to distract from playing golf.

The golf courses used for the tournament are The White Witch and Cinnamon Hill. They both make an immediate impression all who competed in the event — including local golf professionals Patrick Shine of Commonwealth National GC, Jim Booros of Southmoore GC and Jeff Breiner of Carlisle CC.

"I have to say that White Witch and Cinnamon Hill are among the most memorable golf courses I have ever played," said Breiner.

The White Witch, designed by the late Robert von Hagge. It was built in the mid-’90s and is as much a testimonial to engineering as it is to creating an artistic and challenging championship golf course.

The White Witch is located completely in the hills, with elevation changes of more than 200 feet on a number of holes. The azure blue Mediterranean Sea is visible from 15 of the 18 holes on the course. And one of the holes that does not afford a look at the Sea is one of the most spectacular on the course — a 164-yard par 3 with a 150-foot drop to a green fronted by a pond.

"The White Witch provides all of the eye candy you could ever want," said Booros, who spent many years on the PGA Tour, before returning home to his native Lehigh Valley. "It’s a challenging course because of all of the elevation changes. I don’t think you can find a flat lie on the entire course." White Witch plays to a slope of 139 from the back tees, which measure 6,758 yards. There are also tees at 6,365, 5,893 and 5,397 yards.

Cinnamon Hill, a much older course that was designed by architect John Smedley in1974, was renovated by von Hagge around the same time he was building  White Witch. The combination of a more traditional golf layout and modern technology made it the favorite of many who played it during the Pro-Am.

Situated on property that was once an old sugar and molasses plantation, Cinnamon Hill combines some of the same mountainside holes as White Witch but also adds five holes directly along the shore of Montego Bay. Those five holes add a stunning quality to the layout, as well as a superb golf challenge. The 5th hole, a 453-yard par four that starts with a downhill tee shot directly toward the Caribbean, takes a dramatic turn when the fairway doglegs left to reveal a long, skinny green that has large humps to the left and is guarded by the rocky shoreline on the right. It is the ultimate nerve-testing second shot.

Of the more than 12,900 golf holes I have played in my career, the 5th hole at Cinnamon hills stands as one of the best and most memorable.

Robert Ames, brother of PGA Tour star Stephen Ames, is the head professional at Cinnamon Hill. His ever-present attention to the guests who play his course is a pleasant addition to the atmosphere. He has a very pleasant way of making the guests feel welcome and stewards Cinnamon Hill with a loving touch.

Another memorable part of Cinnamon Hill are the ruins of the working parts of the old plantation that remain. The old aqueduct, which used to convey water to the processing areas of the plantation, form an eerie outline along the right side of the 7th fairway. Large pillars from the aqueduct also form the backdrop to the green on the par 5 17th hole.

But nothing is more eerie than the cemetery that stands alongside the 4th hole. It gains added effect when told that is where the cemetery scenes in the James Bond thriller "Live and Let Die" where filmed.

Make no mistake about it … the golf is reason enough to come to Jamaica. In fact, Deputy Director of Tourism Donnie Dawson stresses to everyone he meets, "We don’t want you to come to Jamaica and play golf. We want you to come to Jamaica to play golf." Dawson and his team are hard at work convincing the golfers of the world that Jamaica is a first-class golf destination.

In case they fail at that task, they have nothing to worry about. Jamaica has plenty else to offer. They could get by very well surviving on golf as by-product of traditional tourism. The beaches are beautiful. The water is calm and warm. The mountains are full of wonderfully adventurous tours. And the hotels are spectacular.

Headquarters for "Annie’s Revenge" was the three-year-old Iberostar Grand Hotel — part of a three-hotel, 1,000-room complex that caters to differing tastes. The Iberostar Grand is a five-star adult-only, all-inclusive resort where outstanding service and lavish comfort are the norm.

There are five restaurants, a multi-themed pool with swim-up bar, a Las Vegas-style theatre with nightly shows, an exceptional spa, and a beach that features every imaginable water sport. The rooms are massive, with large covered decks that look out over the pool and the Caribbean.

"I know, when I take my members from Commonwealth to this event and this hotel, that I am not going to have to worry about anything," said Shine, who as making his third appearance in the tournament. "It’s impossible to find anything to complain about."

Each night of the event features lavish parties, organized by Jaronski and his Golf Connection staff. Many of the players bring their wives, so they can enjoy the amenities at the Iberostar … and they seem to be happy doing just that.

"We try to provide something for everyone," said Jaronski. "But the main emphasis is putting on a first-class tournament and experience for the professionals and their amateurs. We want this to be the golf experience that they remember all year long."

Without a doubt, "memorable" is the active word that is generated by a golf experience in Jamaica — especially when the Iberostar Grand is part of the experience.

By Tony Leodora

You’ve had a tough year. You’ve worked your fingers to the bone, battling against the effects of a miserable economy.

And, whenever you did find time to play some golf, it rained. It rained record amounts throughout the spring. That was followed by the hottest July on record — with temperatures reaching 105 degrees for a stretch of days in parts of the region. Then we had an earthquake and a hurricane in August, followed by another rainy September. To top it off, we got an all-time record snowfall in October. That is a synopsis of golf in the Mid-Atlantic region during 2011

You deserve a break. You deserve a golf trip. You deserve a few days of golf on extraordinary golf courses — the kind that will make you forget all about what a miserable golf season 2011 was.

That kind of unforgettable trip could be as easy as hopping a flight to Tampa and enjoying some the great golf that can be found along the central west coast of Florida.

No matter where you travel within an hour and a half of Tampa’s airport (one of the finest in the country) you will find a huge quantity of golf courses. From New Port Richey and Brooksville in the north to Sarasota and Venice in the south, there are hundreds of courses available to the public.

But, what separates this region from just about anywhere else is that, within those boundaries, can be found three of the best golf properties in the state — and the public has at least some kind of access to them.

The three all-stars being singled out are Southern Hills Plantation in Brooksville, Innisbrook a bit further south near Clearwater, and the Ritz Carlton Members Club near Bradenton. The quality of golf on the courses at those locations is world class.

Southern Hills Plantation
This Pete Dye Signature Golf Course was originally planned to be an exclusive private club and residential community when it opened in 2006. The economy of the last few years has seriously delayed much of the expected home building (all of it located away from the playing area) but the golf course has thrived. It has matured into one of Dye’s finest creations — a rare departure from the torture tracks he often designs.

Don’t take Southern Hills Plantation to be a creampuff. From the back tees, almost 7,600 yards, it is the longest course in Florida and provides plenty of challenge. It recently hosted the second stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School.

But, with six sets of tees and very few forced carries, Southern Hills Plantation can be enjoyed by all levels of golfers. And the rolling hills, with elevations of close to 250 feet, make this course so different from the rest of Florida.

When Mike Kern of the Philadelphia Daily News played Southern Hills Plantation for the first time he said, "I can’t believe this is a Pete Dye design. There are no elements of torture involved. I could play this golf course every day for the rest of my life."

While Southern Hills Plantation is still listed as a private club, the effect of the economy has opened windows that allow visiting guests access. Better yet, the costs hover in the $85 range — making it the best golf bargain in Florida.

Innisbrook Resort
There are actually four golf courses at the sprawling Innisbrook Resort, which also doubles as a nature preserve. While all are nice, it is the Copperhead Course (home of the PGA Tour’s Transitions Championship) and the Island Course that get all of the attention.

Many members claim that the Island Course is their favorite, but Copperhead is the one with the national reputation. People get to see it on television during the PGA Tour event, they hear so many PGA players rave about the layout, and they want to test their mettle against it.

Like Southern Hills Plantation, the courses at Innisbrook are very hilly by Florida standards. They wind through this beautiful nature preserve, protected from all the Highway 19 sprawl just outside the gates, and provide a secluded but convenient respite.

To make things even better, Innisbrook is located just a couple of miles north of Bright House Field, spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Booking a golf vacation in conjunction with the spring training schedule could be the perfect way to put 2011 in the rear view mirror. The walk-in price to play is near $200 but special spring training packages are available at Innisbrook, that will put you in beautifully remodeled accommodations and drastically reduce the price per round. And the staff can even help with tickets to the ballgames.

Ritz Carlton Members Club
Drive an hour south of Tampa Airport on I-75 and it will bring you to one of the most peaceful and serene golf settings in the state — the Ritz Carlton Members Club. And they just happened to build a spectacular Tom Fazio golf course on it.

Built on 315 acres, just east of I-75, there is not a house in sight on this lush tropical landscape. Although it stretches to 7,415 yards, there are six sets of tees and  it is very playable thanks to a minimal number of forced carries.

Don’t let the "members" part of the name scare you. Anyone who stays at the beautiful Ritz Carlton in Sarasota becomes a member for a day at the Members Club. Also, while the membership is still building on this four-year-old club, other visiting players also can get a tee time.

The regular price to play at the Members Club is $225 and one of the treats is that each foursome goes out with its own forecaddie, who are among the best-trained caddies in America. If more exercise is preferred, walking with caddies is allowed.

"This will be a terrific walking course," said Fazio, during his design work. "It has very reasonable connections between the greens and tees."

Again, the playability of the course makes it so attractive to visiting golfers who don’t want to spend all of their time looking for golf balls and want to enjoy themselves during a golf vacation.

A golf vacation … that sounds like a pretty good idea for 2012.

By Tony Leodora

RIO SAN JUAN, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC — When Christopher Columbus first set foot on this beautiful tropical island in 1492 he said, "I claim this land in the name of the Queen of Spain and name it Espanola." Later it became known as Hispanola and now the eastern two-thirds of the island stands as the Dominican Republic.

Little did he know that he was introducing the world to the greatest golf location in the Caribbean … and one of the greatest locations in all of the Western Hemisphere. If he did, he would have brought his sticks. Certainly there was a cubby hole where he could keep his clubs and his golf shoes dry on the Santa Maria.

What he didn’t know was that almost 500 years later a man named Robert Trent Jones would make an even more startling discovery in this magical island paradise. Jones, the prodigious and heralded golf course architect who brought the game of golf to the entire Caribbean area, would discover the perfect piece of property on which to build a golf course.

And on it he would build his masterpiece. Playa Grande.

Playa Grande exists in a very remote area of the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, almost 90 minutes east of the city of Puerto Plata. The natural piece of ground has been described as the ultimate golf course site — an elevated plateau of rolling sandy dunes, perched high above the Atlantic Ocean on one side, with the lush tropical mountains serving as a picturesque backdrop on the other side. Golfers can see the Atlantic Ocean from all 18 holes. Eleven of the holes are directly on the ocean, playing along or across the spectacular network of cliffs.

But this piece of golf heaven has been pure hell — in terms of developing it into the international golf destination that it deserves to be.

You see, Jones actually designed and built the golf course in the early 1970s … but it didn’t open for play until 1998. During that time the project was abandoned, then re-discovered twice. When the word finally reached an elderly and wheelchair-bound Jones that the course was opening, he cried. He knew that his greatest creation was ready for the world to see — even if he would not admit it publicly.

Jones always answered the question about which was his greatest golf course with the standard reply: "My golf courses are like my children. I could never pick one over the other." However, privately, he confided to his closest friends, that nothing could top Playa Grande.

Unfortunately, not many golfers got to see his creation. The only accommodations available close to the course were at a low level all-inclusive resort that fell on hard times following 9/11. After a couple of owners and a lack of attention, the resort finally closed in 2008 — and Playa Grande started earning the title of "the greatest unknown golf course in the world."

Noted travel writer Brian McCallen made a trip to Playa Grande and reported, "I had heard the claim that this was the greatest unknown golf course in the world. I was skeptical until I walked onto the first tee. Then I played 18 holes that were as spectacular as anything I had played in the world — known or unknown."

Playa Grande came under a number of management plans throughout the first decade of this century — but none of them offered a way out of the downward spiral. Finally, word came that a group of Americans out of New York had made a deal with the Dominican government to turn the property around.

It was also reported that Rees Jones had been hired to do a major renovation to his father’s course — changing a couple of holes, adding fairway irrigation, re-grassing the course and bringing the 1970s layout into the 21st century.

A trip to inspect the property showed favorable signs. A trio of high-end lodges had been built along the sixth fairway, supposedly to offer first-class accommodations to special visiting guests — and to serve as models for housing that might be built on the other side of the course. The old resort looked like it was being gutted. Construction trailers were in place.

But nobody was talking about the project.

"It all has been quite secretive," said Brian Shipley of Sunshine Services of Pennsylvania, a company that supplies luxury villas to visitors in the Playa Grande area (www.sunshineservices.net). "I imagine there are still details remaining between the new owners and the Dominican government. In the meantime, we are all hoping that the golf course makes a big turnaround."

The golf course is the major draw for Shipley, who custom designs golf vacations and places groups of people in a number of luxury accommodations that he controls in the area. He also supplies a staff of skilled people who attend to every need of the guests. From gourmet meals, to entertaining, to world-class spa services, Shipley and his staff create a lifestyles of the rich and famous experience.

"Our goal is to create a vacation experience that will be remembered for a lifetime," stressed Shipley. "Having a golf course nearby that is equally as memorable is critical to the entire equation."

Signs point to evidence that Playa Grande might finally be dropping the word "unknown" from the title: Best Unknown Golf Course in the World.

Westwood’s record-breaking round is somewhat of an early
Christmas gift for a local Inventor.

By Kayla Champagne

For the second year in a row Englishman Lee Westwood won the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa. Westwood joins only five others in the 31-year history of “Africa’s Major” to win back-to-back titles. Westwood closed the final round on Sunday with a one-over-par 73 to win by two shots over Swede Robert Karlsson.

However, the more important story—especially for Jim Rosa, local inventor of The Balanced Golfer, is Westwood’s record breaking third round. Westwood, who endorses The Balanced Golfer, had quite the accomplishment on Saturday as he finished the round with a course-record 62.

“I am so proud to have Lee Westwood endorsing The Balanced Golfer, especially with a record breaking round and a win like that,” says Rosa.

Rosa hopes that Westwood’s amazing 10-under-par third round will be attributed to his seemingly perfect drives. The very straight and powerful drives that Rosa believes could be credited to The Balanced Golfer training plane.

The Balanced Golfer, a golf swing training plane designed to help golfers emulate perfect balance was GolfTalk Live’s November Product of the Month. The product is gaining momentum and has been a hot item in the golf scene lately.

Westwood can be seen on The Balanced Golfer’s website and on YouTube demonstrating the positive effect the product can have on a golfer’s swing.

With Westwood’s attachment to the product and his recent success on the golf course, Rosa feels he has gotten a bit of an early Christmas gift. Rosa is hopeful that his product will continue to do well and help many more golfers over the holidays and into next golf season.

By Kayla Champagne

Hopeful inventor brings a new product to the table for golfers everywhere.

Golf is often known to be a difficult, inconsistent game, leaving golfers constantly trying to improve their golf swing.  Research tells us, every good golf swing is the result of great balance. A new product, The Balanced Golfer, is designed to help golfers achieve just that—great balance. Jim Rosa, product inventor who is based in Bucks County, believes his swing training plane can help golfers achieve the balance needed to produce more accuracy and distance in their shot.

“Balance means control; the best golfers in the world make consistent swings because they are in control of the club,” says Rosa “To have control you have to be balanced because you are connected to the club. If you are off tempo and balance, then the club your holding will be to.”

Like a game of golf, Rosa’s story started with a few difficult rounds. Before getting into golf, Rosa enjoyed boxing. As part of his training routine, Rosa would jump rope each day. This got him thinking about a jump rope that no one could trip over. Rosa decided to try his luck at making a jump rope that split as it hit the ground. Unfortunately for him, the jump rope didn’t take off.

A few years later Rosa saw the jump rope he had tried to produce emerge under a new name. “The jump rope had been knocked off,” says Rosa. “The people who were selling the product, made millions off of it.”

Then after some time had passed Rosa got into the game of golf and began researching what makes a good golf swing. This was a turning point. “I got up and dusted myself off,” said Rosa, talking about the failed attempt at the jump rope invention.

Researching for years, Rosa knew that a good golf swing couldn’t have much to do with the actual club, “It had to be the body,” he said. Going with the theory that the body did all of the work to control the club, Rosa knew he wanted to make a product that would show golfers how to properly balance their body to control their swing.

Taking his idea to a friend, Tom Kaechelin, who has a workshop in Levittown, the two worked on the balance board together. Rosa says Kaechelin would put something together and come back to him, but he would turn it down saying it wasn’t right. Finally, about five or six years ago—it was right.

Now for the past few years Rosa has been working to promote and sell this new balance training system. With growing success The Balanced Golfer now retails for $49.99 and is in stores such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Golfsmith, and Edwin Watts Golf in addition to being available on the company’s website (www.thebalancedgolfer.com).

So perhaps for golfers, Rosa’s previous setback is a positive gain for their game.

Former tour professional, Michael Wargo attests that The Balanced Golfer does in fact help produce a balanced swing. “I, like millions of other golfers understand that good balance is at the core of every good golf swing, and for me every bad golf shot is the result of a swing not in balance,” says Wargo. “I have yet to see another product out there that is able to keep my swing in balance like this one.”

Saturday, November 5, 2011
Black Cat Cigar Company
Germantown Pike, East Norriton

By Kayla Champagne

If you have ever been to a GolfTalk Live party before, then you can guess that the wine and cigar party at Black Cat Cigars was nothing short of an extravaganza. The wine was flowing, the cigars blazing and all in attendance enjoyed delicious tomato pie from Mama Venezia in Norristown.

However, it wasn’t what at the party, but who that made this GolfTalk Live event stand out from the rest. Our four experts in the categories of cigars, wine, golf and food graciously shared with us their advice on what to indulge in this holiday season.

So… as a holiday gift to you, the GolfTalk Live listeners— from our “Show of Lists” we have put together the top five must have cigars, wines, side dishes and of course, golf tips to get you through the season.

Top five cigar buys for the holiday season –
from cigar aficionado, Sam Driban:

1. Nick’s Sticks- A favorite of the Cuban Community in the mid 1990’s , this cigar is by Nick Perdomo. Retails for about $65.00/Box.
2. Pinar Del Rio Cubano Especial- The PDR 1878 is a medium-bodied, aromatic, and extremely flavorful boutique brand by Abe Flores. Retails for under $100.00/ Box.
3. Montecristo Operation Hope Gift Sampler- A portion of each sale is donated to the Montecristo Charitable Foundation, which provides housing and builds schools and infrastructure in parts of the Dominican Republic. The set includes 6 Toro-sized cigars and a Cigar Savor torch lighter. Retails for only $49.95/Box.
4. Black Cat Prive Rouge- Black Cat’s No.2 selling cigar is made by Julio and Christian Eiroa of Camacho and Baccarat fame. Retails for $42 - $60/Box.
5. Aging Room- The “Aging Room” cigars are part of Oliveros’s “small batch” line. These cigars are full, rich and hearty; just as the finest Cubans are. Retails for about $150.00/Box.

To find these cigars and more stop in Black Cat Cigars on Germantown Pike in East Norriton and talk to Sam Driban and his knowledgeable staff, or visit their website at www.blackcatcigars.com.

Top five golf tips to take you into next season—
from GolfTalk Live Director of Instruction and Top 100 Instructor in America, Lou Guzzi:

1. Putting- Always evaluate the situation, taking your best guess of what the putt will do. Visualize the putt in your mind. When set up, keep your head completely still until the putter has made a complete stroke.
2. Pre-shot routine- Decide where to start the ball based on your personal shot shape. Once you are lined up visualize field goals—aiming for those field goals, knock it through.
3. Bump and Run vs. the Lob Shot- Keeping the ball on the ground as much as possible, bump and run into the hill and let the ball roll onto the green.
4. Bunker Shot- This is usually a full swing with acceleration three to four inches behind the ball all the way through the shot.
5. Buy Ben Hogan’s Book- Purchase “Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf” a book that has been around for 40 years and is sure to help your game.

 To find out more about Lou Guzzi, official Director of Golf Instruction for GolfTalk Live visit his website at www.louguzzi.com.

Top five wine buys for the holiday season—
from award-winning wine maker, Sam Marino:

1. Allegrini Palazzo della Torre- A ripasso wine from Verona, Italy, made by passing the wine for a second time through Amarone squeezings. Retails for $19.99/Bottle.
2. Beaujolais- Try any of the Beaujolais varieties. These are wines from Beaujolais Villages in France. Retail for between $15.29 and $17.79/Bottle.
3. Gallo Family- Look for the White Lable from the Gallo Family Vineyards in California. Retails for 13.99/Bottle.
4. Casa de la Ermita- Wines from the Region of Jumilla, Spain. Retails for $15.99/Bottle.
5. Chateau Frank Blanc de Blancs- This wine is out of Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Retails for $29.99/Bottle.

Top five side dishes for the holiday season—
from GolfTalk Live’s official gastronome, Nick Giovanangelo:

1. Fennel salad with a blood oranges-This is an Italian style salad with a little purple onion, hot pepper flake, olive oil, and salt to the thin sliced fennel and pieces of blood orange. The must-have secret ingredient for this salad is fresh mint.
2. Roasted Beets- Use a little goat cheese, purple onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley. Makes a fabulous appetizer.
3. Pineapple Stuffing- Bake dry wheat bread cubes with pineapple, eggs, butter, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Goes wonderfully with ham.
4. Creamy Potato Bake- Use cheese, eggs, and butter. Similar to au Gratin Potatoes. 
5. Warm Crab Dip- Serve with french bread or triscuits, this dip makes a great holiday appetizer.

Not only is Nick Giovanangelo a fabulous cook, but he is also in the business of making people look fabulous.  Visit him at his home away from home, Inside Jewelers on West Chester Pike in Broomall. http://mysite.verizon.net/insidebroomall/

Sixth in a series of daily stories from the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship

By Tony Leodora

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — One in a million might be short when calculating the odds of winning the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap

Championship in back-to-back years. For one thing, nobody had ever won the event twice in 28 years of bringing thousands of golfers to Myrtle Beach. Now, Bobby Perkinson, a wily 75-year-old veteran of Tennessee’s golf wars has pulled off golf’s greatest trick.

Shooting his age for the second year in a row in the final at the TPC of Myrtle Beach, Perkinson pulled off a one-shot victory. He shot a 74 gross, getting four strokes due to his 3.9 index, for a winning net 70 — two under par.

“I felt extremely lucky to win this event last year,” the native of Alcoa, Tennessee said. “I can’t even tell you how it feels this year. It hasn’t sunk in yet. But I will tell you one thing — I will be back next year.”

That spells trouble for the rest of the field.

Fifth in a series of daily first-person stories from the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship.

By Tony Leodora

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Golf has an amazing way of continually humbling you. Every time you think you see the light at the end of the tunnel, you discover it is the headlights of an oncoming locomotive.

In Thursday’s final round of the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship in Myrtle Beach, that oncoming locomotive was the Heathland Course at Legends. Generally known as one of the most difficult courses in Myrtle Beach, the P.B. Dye creation was on its worst behavior for the competitors in Flights 23 and 24. The 92 players in these two Age 50-to-59 Flights saw Heathlands with its fangs sharpened.

For one thing, we played a course about 400 yards longer than any other course during the week. Then, we were faced with a procession of Sunday hole locations on wind-slickened greens. As the announcer said as the Hindenburg exploded, “Oh, the humanity of it.”

Scores for the day were extremely high and those of us whose game was in disrepair came out battered and bloodied. The scores in my threesome – Tom the retired commercial real estate broker from St. Petersburg and a return engagement with Gary from Punta Gorda – were a pair of 95s and a 102. Nobody shot in the 70s, only a few shot in the 80s, most were in the 90s and there were five scores over 100.

I didn’t think I was headed anywhere near a dreadful 95 until I hit a tee shot into deep underbrush. I tried to hack out by taking a mighty swing but one of the branches I tried to smash my way through was actually part of a root attached to the ground. It felt like someone stuck a knife in my shoulder socket.

That hole concluded with a 7, followed by an 8, a 7 and another 7. I was on the verge of withdrawing, fearing further damage to my shoulder, when I remembered I had a bottle of eMt – Emmortal Magnesium Therapy – in my bag.

This is the new product that former Penn State and New York Jets star running back Blair Thomas and his partner Dave Ritting have been distributing. They had a nightly booth at the World Am’s 19th Hole and have attracted a lot of attention from the many wounded golfers in attendance.

I started spraying my shoulder with the anti-inflammatory product, and massaging it into the injured area. There was some immediate relief, followed by continued loosening of the joint, as I kept re-applying it ever hole. I made three pars in a row (a highlight of the round) before limping home with three bogeys, which probably could have been saved with any semblance of putting competence.

That was the redeeming value of the round, knowing that there is a product available that can become a golfer’s best friend, in a time of need.

Now, if I only could find a consistent swing in my time of need.