Oakland Counties Jewel Golf Course

 Interview with Paul Simpson- PGA Professional
Paul Talks about Oakland County Programs, Lyon Oaks and Junior Golf
Click on the Link Here >>>>  http://youtu.be/MpK7szYF5n8

     Lyon Oaks is an Arthur Hills design where long carries and accurate shots off the tee will help you maximize your golfing experience. Hills is known for the qualities mentioned above and the most recently completed of the five County courses is by far the toughest and best test of your golfing abilities. I enjoy all of the Oakland County courses. Red, White Lake, Glen and Springfield Oaks are all fine courses as well. They play short, scenic and have some very interesting golf holes. Lyon Oaks plays from its longest tees (the black) at 6,837 yards and has tees from yardage at only 4,525 yards.

Lyon Oaks runs along I-96 in Milford and depending on your playing ability, offers five sets of tees that will make you think about where you want to place the ball. The clubhouse is very beautiful. It holds parties and weddings and they had a nice outdoor tent for a wedding that was taking place as we golfed and with the wildlife also in the background, it was a nice place to test my skills.

A View of the 2nd Fairway from the Tee Box. The Sand Bunker Guards You From the Woods 

     Arthur Hills takes good advantage of the terrain in his designs and a tee shot is not just a tee shot at Lyon Oaks. It is a study of golf course management. Take the second hole. It plays only 353  yards from the black tees (the back ones) and looks wide open from the tee box. A pond runs along the left side and a sand trap stares you right in the face. You should figure this into your strategy and even from the black tees it looks like you should carry it easy. It sits around 250 yards from the tee box but with the wind playing in my face, I did not carry it. I landed right smack in the middle of it. This turns the hole into a possible three shot affair to get onto the green depending on your lie and skill. I needed that extra shot to get on the green. The fairway narrows as the hole runs from tee to green. What looks wide open on the tee box narrows as you move to the green like a lane ending on the freeway where you have to merge. The green on this hole is very tough. Really it’s too tough. I have played this course twice and both times I have been bitten by this green. My first fairway iron hit the front left of the green and promptly rolled off the severe sloping green back to within inches of the water. The second time I caught a flyer from the fairway and ended up behind the green and had a downhill chip. I had a nice chip and was happy with my ball strike and then the ball rolled and rolled and thank goodness I had my golf ball retriever as it went into the water.

This View of the Fourth Fairway from the Front Tee Box. Lots of Trouble Here

The Left Side Provides a Good Angle on #4

     The fourth hole 432 yards mirrors the second in that it looks to be wide open from the tee box but as you look over the fescues from the tee box you can see that the woods that line both sides of the fairway demand that you work the ball to a space left center, right center or preferably right down the middle. The woods to the right side are marked with an out-of-bounds fence and the trees that are inbounds may leave you a shot but most likely you will have to chip out of the woods. If you go in the woods left side you will be three off the tee. An iron shot in the fairway will most likely be a low to mid iron (pw to 5 iron). This is assuming you hit it over the fescues. Only a single sand bunker guards the green but the green is very undulating and slopes from back to front and has subtle breaks to read and making a par is a good score here.

Number Five View from the Tee Box

The Driving Area has a Slope from Right to Left with Sand

The Fifth Fairway 160 from the Hole. Notice the Wetlands.
They Love Second Shots

Another view of the Landing Area on Number 5 For Your
First Shot

     The fifth hole is also a tough hole with another long carry. While this par five is only 529 yards, more fescues run a good 100 yards in front of the tee box and depending on your starting place, two huge fairway bunkers look to collect errant shots on either side and the woods will collect any shots that stray right or left. I was lucky enough to be in the fairway both times I played this hole and Paul Simpson, the PGA pro said that this hole is one where you should par or birdie or you will lose a shot to the field. I believe longer players can get on in two but this hole has plenty of risk for golfers going for it in two. First off, the fairway slopes downhill and really narrows about 60-70 yards in front of the green. A sand bunker guards the narrow part of the fairway and a wetlands area guards the front part of the green. I hit my tee shot solid but did not crush it. My second shot both times was hit extremely well but went into the wetlands and this penalty stroke lets you know that the second shot is a layup shot if you are not a really long hitter or miss with the driver. The green is once again severely undulated in spots and is very difficult. Making a par here is a worthy effort and birdie is definitely worth stopping the cart girl for your favorite beverage.

     The ninth hole is a dandy. It plays at 556 yards from the tips and I played it at 540 as a group behind us caught us and we paired up. It plays as a winding par five and for those not familiar with playing the course, aim at the huge tree about 300-325 yards out on the left side of the fairway. Actually, to the right is even better. If you end up in line of the tree, you will either have to hit a draw from right to left or go over it.  The other side of the tree will find both sand and grass moguls and you may have a poor lie. I had to hit over the tree and my second shot was crushed to within 75 yards of the hole. Most golfers will hit a mid to high iron on their third shots after hitting a fairway wood with your second. The ninth green played much slower than the other greens described in this review and with it being in the sun, it surprised me.

Long Carries are Everywhere at Lyon Oaks

     If you have noticed a theme of this Arthur Hills course, its hit your driver over fescues, put a big tree in front of your tee shot and have severely undulated greens with tight driving areas. This is not a pitch and putt course. So is the case with number 11. At 440 yards from the black tee box and 422 from the blues where I played it from, a huge Oak Tree sits right in the middle of the fairway after you pass some fescues that go a good 100 plus yards. The fairway and rough to the left side of the tree is narrow but their is a much larger landing area to the right side. It is still tight though and if you can work a draw you will be in good shape. Those that crush their drives can reach the sand bunkers left and right. The woods to the right side of the hole can come into play if you snap hook it. Your second shot will be a mid-iron for the long hitters but will be a high-iron to fairway wood for the short hitters or for those that catch trouble. My second shot faded into the rough that overlooked the right side of the green. My chip was good but caromed off the dog hair and rolled and rolled and rolled. I did hit a flop shot but once again the greens will let your ball keep going. My playing partner said my ball rolled for several seconds after it initially landed as it just kept trickling.

View from the 16th Tee Box Trees Jut out On the Right but it Opens Up

The 16th Green. Go short Right and Goodbye Good Golf Score

     In my mind, there are many memorable holes but the 16th is the one that will really test your abilities. It really is a three shot par five as it plays from 575 from the blacks to 480 from the front set of tees. Fescues guard the tee box in front as do a line of trees down the right side. A ball driven along the tree line without going in will be rewarded as it opens up. The trees that guard the left side will not come into play on your drive unless you severely pull your shot. The best piece of advice you is to drive the ball down the left side. You have a great angle to play your shots as the hole is a long arching dog leg right. Working your ball down the left will bring the woods into play but any decent shot will keep you moving toward the green. Going right is a very poor idea. The hole slopes with many out of bounds areas and will not give you a good angle to the pin and force you to hook the ball right or leave it short of the green in three. This hole is really a spectacular play. Whatever you do, do not go behind the green, it severely slopes to the cart path about 25 feet below the ball and you could have Shaquille O'Neal hold the flag over his head and you would never have an idea on where the flag is.  
Putting is once again difficult as the green has many subtle breaks.

  The par three 17th hole is a very worthy hole review. At 204 yards from the back and playing at 98 from the very front, you have plenty of options to play the hole from different angles. Whatever the case, watch out. This hole plays much different depending on the location of the flag for the day. It is a two-tiered green and the left side is much higher than the right. Drive it short and a chip is ok and you could still make a par. Drive it to the left side of the green to a flag on the lower tier and a three-putt is likely in order. If your tee shot goes right as mine did, it will go into the wetlands and you cannot play out of there. A bridge where you park your cart and walk to the green will let you know you did a bad, bad thing. You cannot hit your ball on the right side of the cart bridge as it is out-of-bounds.  Take your three or four and get out of here. A birdie is a great score here.

Number 18 is a great finishing hole. Do I need to say any more about fescues? Yes you need to negotiate them as you have all day. This hole really tightens up in the landing area. A huge oak tree to the left side is once again your target. Driving to the right side of the tree is your perfect play. I crushed my driver and was behind the tree where I promptly knew that I had to place my second shot using the sand bunkers to the right of the green as my target. This 510 yard hole has plenty of beauty and trouble to make sure you play your best game. Playing at 510 from the black tees to 401 from the green tee box, a sloping sand bunker is in play for those that miss the fairway and if you reach this bunker, this will be a three shot hole for sure. The woods right side of the tee box will be in play for most of the hole. Golfers will also have to deal with wetlands on their second shot. A wetland fence that runs across the fairway will come into play for shorter hitters on their second shots. Hitting it into the wetlands is basically a lost ball. Now comes another twist. Along the left side of the green is a pond and shots that are not executed correctly will earn you a penalty shot. This hole has a bucketful of trouble and can be birdied but par is a great score and well earned. The clubhouse has plenty to drink and golfers can go there and add up their scores.

From 1-10 with 10 being the Highest Score

Customer Service-10-The make sure you have a good time.

Course Markings- 6- No markings on the golf course. A yardage book is the best thing or a Sky Caddie is needed when playing. A pamphlet is given to golfers to aid them in yardage. I like the yardage books or Sky Caddie best.

Conditions -8 - Plenty of ropes and large  to keep the carts from tearing up the fairways. Golfers need to help them on he greens. A lot of greens had plenty of ball marks where people could use a divot marker to help out the greens keeper. Golfers can also help out by repairing divots. Perhaps some sand containers on the cart would help. The fairways and course did look great.

Playability 7- A very difficult test of golf. Plenty of illusions from the tee box make this course one you need to play several times to begin understand how to manage your game. Driving it over fescues all day does get unnerving. The greens were very inconsistent as some putts were very fast and others were slow.

PGA Pro Paul Simpson His Video Comments will
be Available Later

Course Design-8.0- Hills' uses the natural setting of a golf course to give it unique features. This is easily the toughest course in the Oakland County Parks system. Sometimes a well-struck ball just does not need to be in trouble so much. Golfers do need bailout areas at times and be able to whale away on holes but here you really need to manage your game and sometimes hope for the best.  

Pace of Play 8- The starter said 4 1/2 hours but it was just over five. 

The bottom line is this course is a 9 out of 10. While some scores were lower than the higher score I gave if you average them out, this is a super place to play. Please take advantage of the driving range and practice facilities if you can. Playing this course without a warmup will add strokes to your game. 
http://www.oakmanagement.com/LyonOaks.aspx

From the Website:

This picturesque, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired clubhouse enjoys expansive views of the golf course while accommodating parties of up to 450 for wedding receptions, banquets and meetings. Lyon Oaks preserves 800 acres of environmentally-sensitive wetlands within a natural, 1,043-acre park.

LYON OAKS MENU Lyon Oaks features five specialized menus covering everything from breakfasts to buffets and banquets. There are even two different golf menus! Click here for all the taste-tempting specifics!

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CONTACT US

Call or email us at 248.437.9200 (saleslyonoaks@oakmanagement.com) and let’s get together. You’ll love what we can do for you

Oakland County Golf Tournament Winners and What Happened

Winners and What Happened?

Just Some Observations

Marty Gallaher- Lake Orion Coach Marty did a great job organizing the tournament. He was firm with the players on his expectations and was all over the course to make sure everything stayed fine on his watch. He showed an outstanding touch pairing up the four prep champions on the same tee box and it was fun seeing them enjoy a day that will most likely never happen again. Why? See below.

He Has a lot to Smile About

Brad Kozinski- Novi.  I called the Kid ‘Koz’ and perhaps it will be a nickname that sticks as his teammates laughed affectionately with their teammate who always has a smile. Every time I saw him he had a smile on his face and he used his good attitude to turn around his round and shared the biggest tournament victory of his golfing career. ‘Koz’ started on hole 14 in the shotgun start at Pontiac Country Club and wasn’t sure if it would be his day. By number 18 where he made birdie, it was game on and his 73 helped Novi upset more heralded teams and has a medal for himself to remember this day.

Novi- Yes, the other high school located in Novi often plays as the ’little brother’ in high school sports. Detroit Catholic Central has won countless high school golf championships and has an overstuffed trophy case. Make that cases and will undoubtedly win more, but today the Wildcats beat all comers in a big golf tournament.  Something must be in the water in Novi as they had a great week in athletics. Their  baseball coach Rick Green won his 300th game in baseball, the boys and girls won the KLAA Conference track meets and won the County golf championships. Congrats to Novi... the other high school in Novi. 

The up and coming golfers will take the place of a great graduating class of seniors. Check out these low scores.

Brad Kozinski (Novi) 73; Gavin Garris (South Lyon) 73; Mike Murri (Rochester) 75; Nick Vick (Seaholm) 75; Ryan Dykstra (W.L. Northern) 75; Spencer Lendzion (Stoney Creek) 75; Brandon Barrows (Adams) 75; Ben Stowers (Brandon) 76; Tyler Lewis (Brandon) 76; Joey Henba (Catholic Central) 76; Sean Friel (Brother Rice) 76; Alex Waelchli (Lake Orion) 76; Nick Hocker (Oxford) 76; Johnny Walker (Novi) 76
No former state winners scores are in that bunch.

He's Got Game and Keeps Getting Experience

     Brandon Barrows is a freshman at Rochester Adams and this young man already has a golfing resume brighter than most that are graduating from college as Big Ten Players. He finished tied for third at PCC. He has qualified in many Michigan tournaments and is gaining valuable experience. He did not do well at the recent Horton Smith Tournament, but scored well against his peers at a recent AJGA event at Fieldstone. He is getting experience and eventually if he commits even more to improving his game, he will potentially be lights out over the rest of his high school career. Rochester Adams coach Dan Picot seconds that.

Big Four- I called them murderer’s row and for good reason. Max Kollin, (Defending State Division 1 Champion), Griffen Smith (Defending Division 3 Champion), and Aaron Knudson (Defending Division 4 Champion) were all playing together. They also shared the tee box with Zack Preuss of Oakland Christian who was the 2010 State Champion in Division Four. What makes this extra special is these golfers are all from Oakland County. This is rarer than Haley’s Comet as how often does one county crown this many champions at once and have them golf in a tournament with high school eligibility left? I’m sure Elias Sports Bureau couldn’t find this either as I bet this is the one and only time it will happen. What would have happened if Francesco Ruffino, the 2011 Mr. Golf showed up? I do not think it would have been a five some but wonder if…

The Otherwise

Ruffino Didn't Play at the County Tournament

Francesco Ruffino- He didn’t golf at the County tournament and it was a real shame. Mr. Golf from 2011 as I understand it has golfed in several events outside of his high school schedule and during the season this is a no-no. I hope this is not the case. I truly enjoy watching him play as he is a natural. Ruffino, team needs him. Francesco, do you need them? I hope to see you in the State Tournament.

Pontiac Country Club- I really enjoy this course. It plays short and strategic and has a magical history about it and players come from all around to test their game in the Syron Memorial and other golf tournaments. Saying that, I was disappointed by the number of places in the fairway that players could receive relief from due to bare spots that were all over. I believe this is temporary and hope the course looks tip top for the Syron Memorial coming up in early July.

Video Stories and Complete Standings Oakland County Golf Championship with Highlights

Oakland County Individual Championships- Medalist Video Highlight Story.
http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=7244
Novi Goes Wildcat on DCC and Rice in Prep Golf County Championship. http://youtu.be/8M6nfoxLxHY

Available Online at the Oakland Press and Archived at You Tube.

http://youtu.be/grTRokWdPkk

Oakland County Boys Golf Tournament

(at Pontiac Country Club, par 72)

TEAMS — Novi 309; Birmingham Brother Rice 311; Novi Detroit Catholic Central 312; Stoney Creek 318; Lake Orion 319; Birmingham Groves 320; North Farmington 321; Auburn Hills Oakland Christian 322; Rochester Adams 323; Walled Lake Northern 325; Auburn Hills Avondale 326; Birmingham Seaholm 327; Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 328; Clarkston 329; Troy 331; Oxford 333; South Lyon 333; Rochester 335; Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 335; Lakeland 338; Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 342; Ortonville Brandon 347; Milford 349; Walled Lake Western 354; Birmingham Detroit Country Day 369.

INDIVIDUALS — Brad Kozinski (Novi) 73; Gavin Garris (South Lyon) 73; Mike Murri (Rochester) 75; Nick Vick (Seaholm) 75; Ryan Dykstra (W.L. Northern) 75; Spencer Lendzion (Stoney Creek) 75; Brandon Barrows (Adams) 75; Ben Stowers (Brandon) 76; Tyler Lewis (Brandon) 76; Joey Henba (Catholic Central) 76; Sean Friel (Brother Rice) 76; Alex Waelchli (Lake Orion) 76; Nick Hocker (Oxford) 76; Johnny Walker (Novi) 76

TEAM-BY-TEAM SCORES

NOVI — Brad Kozinski 73; Johnny Walker 76; Garrett Buckley 80; Mike Wenzl 80; Bryan Fegert 83

BROTHER RICE — Sean Friel 76; Jeremy Glod 77; Jeremy Ball 79; Kyle Gaines 79; Lucas Belanger 83

CATHOLIC CENTRAL — Joey Henba 76; Charlie Green 78; Patrick Luther 79; Dominic Scapone 79; Owen Franks 80

STONEY CREEK — Spencer Lendzion 75; Michael Doyle 77; Ryan Jackson 83; Richie Inge 83; Michael Linihan 88

LAKE ORION — Alex Waelchli 76; Casey VanDerGraaf 80; Mason Gorris 81; Tyler Draggoo 82; Griffin Beeler 84

BIRMINGHAM GROVES — Jeremy Reid 77; Calvin Greer 80; Conor Flynn 81; Nick Purjel 82; Jake Wayne 103

NORTH FARMINGTON — Max Kollin 79; Ryan Masell 79; Austin Alexander 81; Matt Goldin 82; Jon Pierret 86

AUBURN HILLS OAKLAND CHRISTIAN — Zach Preuss 78; Tyler Coyne 79; Brandon Delekta 82; John Van Noord 83; Spencer Haupert 96

ROCHESTER ADAMS — Brandon Barrows 75; Eric Busa 80; Jaime Stanton 84; Marcus Robinson 84; Ben Van Orman 88

WALLED LAKE NORTHERN — Ryan Dykstra 75; Michael Collins 81; Alex Watson 83; Max Lowe 86; J.J. Cockels 89

AUBURN HILLS AVONDALE — Spencer Jacobson 81; Troy May 82; Blake Blomberg 84; Steve Carter 87; Nikolas Senkowski 89

BIRMINGHAM SEAHOLM — Nick Vick 75; Kevin Lam 80; R.J. Haley 82; Alex Krivan 90; Will Crimmins 94

BH CRANBROOK KINGSWOOD — Gary Short 79; Griffin Smith 82; Dylan Deogun 83; Michael Ray 84; Kyle He 86

CLARKSTON — Dan Corazza 79; Jack Alli 82; Nick Badgley 83; Alec Genter 85; Jimmy Delnick 86

TROY — Christian Harnishfeger 80; Nick Guzzo 83; Manak Singh 84; Jeff Holmes 84; Zack Bower 91

OXFORD — Nick Hocker 76; Nolan Chapman 83; J.J. Lewis 87; Doug Schultz 87; Matt Prince 96

SOUTH LYON — Gavin Garris 73; Derek Knauss 84; Kyle Koehler 86; Zach Deline 90; Ryan Erdmann 97

ROCHESTER — Mike Murri 75; Scott DiFilippo 84; Ludorie Lachapelle 88; Nic Duff 88; Mike Santavicca 90

ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S — Nathan Zoulek 79; Kyle Rybicki 80; Kitt Koolwick 86; Maaio Damico 90

LAKELAND — Jake Kneen 80; Justin Pahl 80; Alex Kleckner 89; Ian Farley 89; Cameron Craft 89

PONTIAC ND PREP — Aaron Knutson 77; Tyler Jackson 82; Jeff Bullard 91; Ryan Lesser 92; Mitch Wayne 98

ORTONVILLE BRANDON — Ben Stowers 76; Tyler Lewis 76; Bret Louiska 95; Bruce Bayley 100; Jake Selak 105

MILFORD — Carson Virgin 82; Tommy Litteral 87; Pat Golich 87; Pierson Millington 93; Nick Young 95

WALLED LAKE WESTERN — Jack Phillipson 82; Kyle Schultz 88; A.J. Patrick 89; George Lawley 95; Matt Weddell 100

BIRMINGHAM DETROIT COUNTRY DAY — Rishi Patel 88; A.J. Peash 88; Alex Manning 89; Ashwin Nallamothu 104; Prady Modokru 106

The Oakland County Golf Champions has determined their 2012 Medalists and Team Titles and we will have highlights later this evening but do have interviews with the winning coaches and with one of the co- champions below.
http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=7244

Winning Team Interview
 In the Online Oakland Press and Archived @ You Tube.
 http://youtu.be/pKpS3w5ERMk

Coaches Interviews   Nuss (Novi) and Bumpus (Brother Rice)

http://youtu.be/Ks6mvvHq6BI

Written Story of the tournament by Keith Dunlap is below with pictures and can also be found on M I Prep Zone at the Oakland Press.

By KEITH DUNLAP
Of The Oakland Press

Zach Pruess of Oakland Christian, tees off on the 14th during the Oakland County boys golf tournament at the Pontiac Country Club in Waterford. Wednesday, May 16, 2012. The Oakland Press/TIM THOMPSON

Alex Waelchli of Lake Orion, putts on the 13th green during the Oakland County boys golf tournament at the Pontiac Country Club in Waterford. Wednesday, May 16, 2012. The Oakland Press/TIM THOMPSON

Aaron Knutson of Notre Dame Prep, tees off on the 14th during the Oakland County boys golf tournament at the Pontiac Country Club in Waterford. Wednesday, May 16, 2012. The Oakland Press/TIM THOMPSON

Griffin Smith of Cranbrook, tees off on the 14th during the Oakland County boys golf tournament at the Pontiac Country Club in Waterford. Wednesday, May 16, 2012. The Oakland Press/TIM THOMPSON

WATERFORD TWP. — Just like most coaches usually like to do when commemorating a significant anniversary, Novi boys golf coach Brad Huss has been trying to put together a reunion.

It’s been almost 10 years since Novi won its first and only golf state title in school history, but it’s been difficult for Huss to organize a reunion since members of that 2002 team that won the Division 1 state title by one stroke are scattered across the country.

Whether or not he can bring those players back together, it’s likely members of the 2002 team will be getting in touch with the current group of players pretty soon after what they pulled off on Wednesday.

For the first time since that magical year of 2002 that ended in a state title, Novi captured the Oakland County Boys Golf Tournament at Pontiac Country Club, shooting a tournament-best score of 309.

Birmingham Brother Rice was second at 311 while Novi Detroit Catholic Central was third with a 312.

“Some of those guys I’m sure will send some these guys a Facebook note or something,” Huss said. “We call it Novi nation. Like a lot of schools, we still stick together.”

Of course, it’ll be a stiff challenge to duplicate the 2002 team by also winning a state title, but winning the county title can only give a boost to the Wildcats with the most significant tournaments of the season around the corner.

What’s more, Novi outlasted Brother Rice and Catholic Central, two teams it’ll have to beat if it’s to qualify for the state tournament and then do well at should the Wildcats qualify.

“They can beat anybody they play against if they play the way they did today,” Huss said.

Leading the way was junior Brad Kozinski who shot a 73 to share medalist honors with South Lyon junior Gavin Gorris.

Senior Johnny Walker shot a 76, and sophomore Garret Buckley and junior Mike Wenzl each added an 80 to give the Wildcats four scores that no other team could beat.

The scores overall were a bit higher than usual for a county tournament, but that was due to high winds that gave many players some trouble.

“Coming into today, I thought a sub-70 round would win it,” Kozinski said. “But it was playing tricky. The wind was blowing and the greens were tough to putt on. A 73 ended up coming through. It was surprising, but it felt good.”

Gorris shared in Kozinski’s surprise that a 73 was good enough to win medalist.

“I expected some scores to be in the 60’s today with all the good players,” Gorris said. “I didn’t expect 73 to win. I’m pumped about that. It was my best score all year and a great time to do it.”

Five players — Rochester’s Mike Murri, Birmingham Seaholm’s Nick Vick, Stoney Creek’s Spencer Lendzion, Walled Lake Northern’s Ryan Dykstra and Brandon Barrows of Rochester Adams — shot a 75 to tie for third.

Seven players shot a 76 to add to a crowded top of the leaderboard.

In an interesting twist, one foursome featured players that had won individual state titles in all four Divisions over the past two years, those being Max Kollin of North Farmington (79), Griffin Smith of Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood (82), Aaron Knutson of Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (77) and Zach Preuss of Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (78).

Players will now have two more weeks of the regular season before district tournaments will take place around the state. The top-6 teams at districts advance to regional tournaments, where the top-3 teams will qualify for state tournaments in four Divisions that’ll be held on June 15-16.



E-mail Keith Dunlap at keith.dunlap@oakpress.com; Twitter: @kd2578

Last Updated: 5/16/2012 4:34:10 PM EST

Oakland County has Many of the Best Golfers in the State

     The Oakland County Prep Golf Championships will be played on Wednesday, May 16th at Pontiac Country Club (PCC). What holes do golfers and PCC think play toughest? Who might win? The video story will give you all the latest information.
This story is available online at the Oakland Press
http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/
 and archived at You Tube. Click the link below.

I Will Be There and We will have Video and Press Coverage

http://youtu.be/G8jve3jGi6M

 

     Video Story in the Oakland Press. Jamie Stanton Jr. was born with a birth defect but you would never know it by watching him participate in sports for Rochester Adams High School. His inspirational video story can be found below archived at You Tube and at MI Prep Zone of the Oakland Press.
 http://youtu.be/NAg7-nv5CH4

Free Golf and Equipment Contests - Just Like Them to Enter

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Take Advantage of our Great Spring Rates!

Time is running out to take advantage of the best rates all year long. From now until May 16 you can play 18 holes with cart at one of the nation’s top 100 courses for just $59. We are also offering a special rate from May 17 to May 31 of just $89 before our peak rates kick in.

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The 2012 Oakland County MHSAA Golf Championships will be at PCC. Here's a Video Look at 2011

     In one week, The Oakland County Golf Championships will take place at Pontiac Country Club. Can Oakland Christian repeat and beat the larger schools and can Max Kollin repeat as medalist over Francesco Ruffino, Griffen Smith and the rest of the outstanding class of golfers? Here is a look at last years hilights.

2011 Oakland County MHSAA Golf Championships. Video Story.

http://oaklandgolfscene.blogspot.com/

Michigan Golf Club Fitters Say a Proper Fitting and Not New Clubs is the Key to Improving Your Game

The Michigan Golf Club Fitters say a Proper Fitting is Key to an Improved Golf Game and New Clubs will be Maximized by Getting One.

Video Story is archived on You Tube and is on The Oakland Press Website

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/ The Video is also archived on ...http://youtu.be/aFG5SOylLMk

One Year Anniversary of Seve's Death, Bob Krause and a Future Look at the 2012 Oak. Cty Prep Championships

First, off, let me say Happy Mothers Day to all the ladies out there this upcoming week and everyone reading this, at least call your mom, send flowers, spend some time with her and tell her to read this blog. Its better than flowers. Rim shot please.

The world of golf lost a legend a year ago this weekend with the passing of Seve Ballesteros. Ballesteros was simply a golfing prodigy. After turning pro at the age of 16, he first joined the world stage finishing second at Royal Birkdale in 1979 and won five majors by 1988. In my mind, Ballesteros like Mozart, Jimi Hendriz and dozens more who are prodigies at their crafts. Ballesteros showed his maestro talents and won the Master's twice when no European had ever accomplished that feat before him. For me, what made him unique was his ability to almost never be counted out from winning a hole due to his ability to use his golf clubs as a magician's wand. Where most people see a parking lot, Seve saw the chance to think creatively and hit a golf shot from the asphalt that no one else could believe just happened and that includes those that just saw it. He almost singlehandedly created instant replay in golf as the golf audience went into whiplash from shaking their heads in disbelief from what they just saw, and did this over and over again. Seve was known as a swashbuckler as his inconsistent driver made him a known commodity from all over the golf course from many places that most pros did not often play. Here is a video from CBS News and some stats from his play in his career. It is hard to believe he has passed away but Seve was not really a force as a world class golfer since the early-1990's. His bloom ended in his early thirties and served his sport in several capacities until his death.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0sLFZaCeNc

Career
Turned professional	1974
Retired	2007
Former tour(s)	European Tour
Professional wins	91
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	9
European Tour	50 (1st all time)
Japan Golf Tour	6
Other	31
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 5)
Masters Tournament	Won: 1980, 1983
U.S. Open	3rd: 1987
The Open Championship	Won: 1979, 1984, 1988
PGA Championship	5th: 1984
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	1999 (member page)
European Tour Order of Merit winner	1976, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1988, 1991
European Tour Player of the Year	1986, 1988, 1991

Golf Instruction

Lesson Number Two with Bob Krause.

I met with Bob Krause at his Golf Academy this past Friday and it was a real pleasure to see him after I made a mess of a couple of rounds I played the previous weekend. I played poorly at Brentwood and much better at Sanctuary and know from past experience that one lesson will not take care of my ills on a permanent basis. 

After Bob checked my balance and reviewed my swing, he noticed that I was actually taking my swing outside the desired swing plane. We got that straight quickly (you can check because the butt end of the club will point at your belly button or close anyway) and he then checked out the next part of my swing that he felt needed my attention. After my club reached a parallel point to the ground, I cocked my wrist and this created some shoulder turn with my eyes over the ball. I was hitting it much more solidly within a few swings and the ball was exploding off of my seven iron. I know hearing about someone else's golf game is pretty boring so if you are serious at improving your game, you need to give Bob a call. He is awesome! I hope to show you some snippets of my swing. Bob is under contract with some news organizations so after he receives the thumbs up, I will be more than happy to show you the video results. It will make you a believer.

Here is how to contact Bob. He moves for the season to Majestic in Highland and Fieldstone in Auburn Hills but call the number below. You will be glad you did.

Bob Krause Golf
White Lake, MI. 48383
Office: (941) 773-1339

I saw a great deal on a membership in GAM. Besides posting your score online for the purposes of handicap, you will receive 10% off regular prices at Dunham's Sports, discounts at golf courses. You will also receive an annual subcription to Golf Digest Magazine or six months of Golf World Magazine. There are also tournaments, 2 for 1 greens fees and plenty more. The total cost is only $35 and you can go to GAM.org to find out all of the details. You can also call 248-478-9242 ext. 23 and they will walk you through the entire process.

A few of you may know (tell the world and everyone will know) that I contribute video stories to the Oakland Press and MiPrepZone. A feature story on Otto Black from 2011 appeared this weekend and a preview of the Oakland County Golf Championships will appear over the next week. His video story will appear in Mi Prep Zone and in this blog. We also plan on covering his teams golf match against Southfield Christian at Bald Mountain Golf Course in the Lake Orion/ Auburn Hills area.

Finally, the Bridgestone Ball Fittings is in town. Locally they happen all over but appear next on Sat May 14, 2011
Here is where to find them. Contact Santuary Lake below to make sure you get in.

Sanctuary Lake GC
1450 E South Blvd
Troy, Mi 48085
248-619-7671

11:00am - 4:00pm

Here is a link to Bridgestone to receive more information.

http://www.bridgestonegolf.com/

Next time, I will have a course review of Tanglewood-The Lion in South Lyon, Michigan. I golfed 18 holes at the course today and enjoyed the course and the nice day. I will give you details next time.

Otto Black of Pinckney Video Story

     Pinckney High School finished 3rd in the State of Michigan in MHSAA Division Golf. The feature story below is about the lead golfer on the team.

Otto Black is a Golfer who is a Senior at Pinckney HS. This feature story is from 2011 and originally aired in the Oakland Press but is archived at You Tube.

Black is an AJGA Golfer

http://youtu.be/VS4pHYnRsgs

What Do College Golf Recruiters Look for When Signing High School and Junior Players? What Do Players Think Recruiters Want? Many Players Think its Mostly about Scores. Online story Ran in the Oakland Press and is available archived below.

http://youtu.be/elYaYm1eMpc

Video Story: Arimoto Outlasts Field at Fieldstone in AJGA Girls Action
Links via
The Oakland Press and Archived at
http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/

You Tube
 http://youtu.be/QqMAvIvWU6A

Jack Nicklaus 50th Anniversary of Winning his First Major and and US Open Tickets are Available w/o May 1st, 2012

    
   The US Open will be this June at the Olympic Club in San Francisco and tickets are still available. Complete details are available by clicking the link below.

Jack Nicklaus won his first major 50 years ago and the USGA would like you to revisit the moment  when he defeated Arnold Palmer at the US Open at Oakmont. This 3:30 feature will take you to another time when people really reveled in golfers personalities and your woods were made from wood.  http://bit.ly/JnwaJG Jack Nicklaus is not the only one celebrating a 50th golf anniversary. Mulberry Hills has specials from $20 to $29 this week as it continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary of having a good course and great value for the money. This tough economy and spring weather has had one good effect on the golfing industry. Golfing is very inexpensive and what were $50 rounds a few years ago come in at $20 and even less depending on where you look. CELEBRATING OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY 1962-2012 CELEBRATE ALL WEEK SENIORITAS 18 HOLES WITH CART ONLY $20 & 16OZ MARGARITAS ONLY $5 MON-FRI ENTER THIS WEEKS CONTEST TO WIN TIGER TICKETS May 5th & 6th 18 Holes with Cart ONLY $29 BEFORE 9AM ONLY $25 Men are $20 on Friday's. Make your online tee time today.