Friday, July 12, 2013

Tanglewood CC in Novi/South Lyon is a Challenging Course


Finally, I had the opportunity to play Tanglewood this 27 hole layout is breathtaking and a lot of fun to play. Interview with Brad Stedry of Tanglewood @ http://www.michigangolfscene.co/course-reviews.html

Tanglewood is one of two courses located near each other on Ten Mile near the South Lyon East High School. The experience is largely a very positive one at this club. Tanglewood, due to its service and proximity to 96/696/275 draws a lot of play and outings but does leave plenty of tee times for daily fee play. 


Here is a map to the course.

     I started out golfing the West course. (3487 yards from the tips). I had time to chip and putt before the round but not enough time to hit driver. The first hole on the west course is long (558 yards) and you will need the biggest clubs in you bag. It is also the number 1 handicap hole on this nine. This hole is a great turn hole if you play the South or North courses before this one. If the first hole you play after you get out of your car is this one, you better bomb your ball and drive it right side. Two bunkers guard the left in the landing areas of a well hit drive and out of bounds stakes line the left side as an errant drive will make you friendly with the neighbors. The green is pretty straight forward as it plays slow and true. (Most of the greens) are fairly easy to read as compared to other courses.

Number two is a 201 yard par three with trouble everywhere. Hit it left and you will be in a picturesque marsh and hit it right and you will be in a sizable pond. Oh yeah, do not go over the green as sand awaits you. I like the hole but take a hybrid or long iron here. Shorter hitters might need a five wood as it depends on how you hit your clubs.

The third hole is my favorite so far. It is only 358 yards and there is trouble for an errant drive. The left side features a sizable bunker and along the right side is a marshy type area. The green is large so you have a good opportunity for birdie or par if you stay out of the trouble I just described.
http://www.tanglewoodlion.com/images/North_Course_Gallery/_0003_n4.jpg
The fourth hole ranges from 325 yards from the silver tees to 449 from the gold tees and it plays much different depending on which tees you decide to play on this par four. A drive from the gold will still give you a look at the pin but a shank will possibly make you unable to see the green and you may get on in three. Trees guard the left side and I hit it there. I could not find my golf ball and this leads to a suggestion. I saw my ball come down from the tree in the rough. I never saw it again. and this happened 3-4 times during the round. I suggest taking the cut in the fairway down a notch as I either just missed the fairway or hit it in the fairway and the slope took me just off and I had to go back and forth in my cart to find the ball. Add the morning glare and I spent 20 minutes on this hole when it should have taken 10. Just a suggestion on an otherwise splendid course.

Number five is a dandy! This 189 yard par three has bunkers guarding it left right and center. The unusual sand trap in front made me get my camera and I enjoyed this hole tremendously. I did hit it in the rough right side and missed my chip and achieved a four here. Hit the green and with these true rolling greens, a birdie or par awaits you.

Click to open image!
Brad Stedry of  Tanglewood said this about the 6th hole pictured above. "Ours signature hole is West 6 which has the green in the shape of the lower peninsula and a replica of the mackinac bridge connects to the next tee which is in the shape of the upper peninsula."

Number seven on the West side is a 434 yard par four from the gold and 345 for the ladies. You can really bomb the ball here. There is plenty of sand on the left side in the landing area of your drives. So what do you do? Go left side. There is not much there and you can see the green and can shape your shot.

Number eight is a 548 yard par five and can you say man up? This hole is really something. A pond guards this hole all the way down the right side from your landing area of your driver to the front side of the green. Big hitters will go for it but the smart play is to lay up. There are two bunkers right side and the pond. A short chip of 50-70 yards (take the pond out of play) and you will see the green as the pond is on the down side of a sloping hill. "The toughest par 5 is West 8.  OB down the entire left hand side and water all the way down the right as well as a creek in front of the green.  Very difficult to get home in 2 for most players," said Stedry.

 
I played the North course next.

Tanglewood is a  heavily played course and Mother's Day is no exception. Plenty of families play outings on this day. As it is Mother's Day I am not sure if this was a special occasion but play is very slow and I jumped around to get this round in.

Number two on the North course is a really fun par 4. The tees range from 429 to 350 and to get your money's worth, play the gold. A well-hit driver (Yes, I did that) gives you a good look at the green. Do not hit it short though. It is well-guarded green and anything short and left will leave you in the beach. The green rolls true so once you are on the green, do not be afraid to hit the ball.




 Chipping before No. 1 West

Isabella discovered the ball washer.
No. 6 Green. Taken by Isabella

 Unknown location-
 Unknown location

 No. 1 North


 This pond guards the left side with geese to the left and a Martin House to the right.
I really enjoyed the nature on the third hole. Turtles were all over the pond that surround the  524 yard par five. A group I joined had trouble on the hole so I had time to look in the water. I bombed my drive (as this hole was really my 18th of the day) and hit a poor second before recovering for a 4-hybrid that I put to within 10 feet of the pin from 185 yards. I lipped my putt here for par. The hole lays out very well. It slopes downhill here and is a good test of golf. There is plenty of  trouble with sand guarding the left side of the hole, around the green and two ponds collect balls left side. I waited to putt and noticed the dozen or so turtles that hopped into the water as I surveyed the green To me, that is the sign of a healthy golf course. Besides the turtles, geese, and plenty of birds and bird houses were around and the real birdies were a great sign of nature and a healthy course.

A really fun hole is the 192 yard par 3 sixth. This hole has water down the left side, in front of the tee boxes with sand to the left. Their is heather to the right of the hole and I hit it there. It is a tough up and down and I spent some time looking for my ball. I did find it. When you hit it here, it is on you as you hit a block or a shank. The first cut of rough just outside of the fairway is another matter. I hit a good chip but 25 feet from the pin and two-putted from there. The pond is awesome and bring you golf ball retriever because missed shots will more than likely end up there.

The par five 9th is a 532 yard  hole that slopes downhill. I hit less than my best drive and it went left side hitting the fairway and rolled off. I never saw my ball after that even though the ball was not hit hot and there was plenty of room to look for a ball. I took a drop in the rough and got caught up in some trees and chipped on the green. I had an eight on the hole including the lost ball. This hole is a good finishing hole. Sand guards the landing areas left and a pond does the same on the right. A series of sand traps awaits those going for the green in two. Can you imagine finishing on this hole and then going to hole one on the West course? That is two back to back tests of golf.

Tanglewood is really a treat to play. The staff is professional and friendly and they have an outside gazebo for those looking to have a wedding or an elegant party. The greens largely roll true and this course makes you think as many of the obstacles are left and right of the fairway in the landing areas. Average players will not have to think of them as much unless you dub your second shots into them.

The South just might be the prettiest nine of the three and with water on six of the holes, you had better be careful where you hit it. For me, a truly enjoyable hole from the beauty side of things is the second. With five sets of tees playing from 112 yards to 207, your tee shot will be over the water all all five locations. Not only do you need to hit it over the water but there is water to the left and a large green that is not an easy ride when putting. The back tees will make you shoot over a weeping willow to the right side of the tee box so many people will adjust for that tree. This is a parable hole if you stay out of the hazards and the lone sand bunker to the right.  

The third hole is deceiving for first time players for what you do not see. Besides this hole being an elongated par five that bends to the right and plays from 427 yards to 520, you do not have a true idea where to hit the ball. You can see two trees a long ways down the fairway and being a dog leg right, you want to go down the center or left center to work your second shot toward the green. For me, this was mission accomplished on the tee shot. The second will make you pull your metal wood out of the bag and you will try to go left of the two fairway trees. The funny thing is, there are woods to the right but more room than you
realize is for golfers that slice it to the right of the tree.  Long hitters can make it in two and for those that come in short, the chipping area in front of the green is more than fair. Putting is tight so watch out as bogey will await those that go above the hole and putt down toward the flag. 

http://www.tanglewoodlion.com/images/South_Course/_0012_s4.jpg   The very next hole with character is the par four fourth. Once again, you cannot appreciate enough that this hole is not only a dog leg left, but snaps left with golfers left with some playable strategies.  You can cut the corner of this 333-456 par four and if you can, great. For those that want to hit driver down the center of the fairway, you have a good chance to go in the water that separates the fourth from the seventh. With fairway bunkers dotting the left side of the bend for those looking to cut the corner and water in the opposite side, you really need to feather the ball in the fairway. The green is brutal with undulations everywhere and putting it on the wrong side of the undulation is an opportunity to three or four-putt. This is one tough hole. Playing as a par five ranging from 408 yards to 540, the fairway is ample and wide with water in two different places. You can miss the fairway and have a fair second shot but going left will bring you in potential contact with the driving range and fairway moguls that separate the two. You want to go left as the approach to the green narrows due to a pond that most golfers will have to fly a third shot over. Long hitters can try to go over the water but it is not a high percentage play unless you are having a great golfing day. Par is a good score but birdies can be had. 

A final hole that will test your meddle and give you eye candy and a tough finish, is the ninth.
Stedry also wanted you to know this about Tanglewood.
-We do have  a Junior Program and we also host Northville V & JV as well as CC JV.
-The toughest par 4 is probably South 1.  A very tough long starting hole with a fairway bunker that is in play and a green that is pretty narrow so if you miss right you have no real chance to get up and down. We are different because we have 27 quality well manicured holes with 5 sets of tees that can give a golfer all the challenge that they can handle.


Call ahead to book a tee time at 248-486-3355

http://www.twoodonline.com/

Map
http://www.twoodonline.com/map

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Will Grimmer of Cincinnati is first junior to shoot 59

     Without a doubt, Will Grimmer has a ton of talent. He shot a final round of 68 at the Coca-Cola Classic at Boyne last week but that score was pretty pedestrian compared to what he did at the North and South Junior. When I watched Grimmer make a sand save at the 16th at the Heather Course holing a downhill 16-20' putt, he fist pumped thinking he might just have the tournament in the bag. Henry Do of Plymouth saw that he didn't but Grimmer is one heck of a player.


Cincinnati teen shoots 59 in North & South Junior

Well, that was some improvement for Will Grimmer.
A day after shooting 74 in the opening round of the 35th North & South Junior Amateur, the 16-year-old from Cincinnati turned around and fired an 11-under 59 Wednesday on Pinehurst No. 1. It beat his previous best tournament score by seven shots.
“It didn’t ever really seem possible until the last hole,” said Grimmer, who holed a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 9, his final hole of the day. “My ball-striking was there both days but I made no mistakes today. I hit the ball really solid and made all the putts. I guess that’s how you shoot 59.”



Starting on No. 10, he went out in 6-under 30, highlighted by a hole-out eagle on the 17th, before making his first bogey on No. 1. He birdied six of the next eight holes – but interestingly, not the 466-yard, par-5 fourth – to shoot golf’s magic number. Pinehurst No. 1 played 6,089 yards on Wednesday.
Considering he was 11 shots behind to start the day, Grimmer, at 8-under 133, was delighted to sit only two shots off the lead heading into the final round of the 54-hole event.
As he ate lunch in the clubhouse, Grimmer was approached by everyone from fellow competitors to tournament officials to college coaches to paying customers at Pinehurst’s other courses.
“To get that kind of attention, it feels pretty good,” he told GolfChannel.com. “But at the end of the day, a score is a score, and I’d love to win this golf tournament, too.”
Wednesday’s 59 caps a memorable stretch for Grimmer. In late June, he won a U.S. Junior qualifier, the Ohio Junior Championship and a Junior PGA sectional qualifier in the span of a week.
“Lately, I’ve been getting a lot more attention from coaches and stuff,” he said, laughing.

http://www.mooseridgegolf.com/rssDetail.html?feedId=583178100

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

AJGA Field for The Tom Holzer Junior All-Star at Forest Lake Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, in August


The AJGA has added an event to the Detroit area and the All-Star classic which will mainly target players that are showing great promise from 8th to 10th grades. The Tom Holzer Junior All-Star at Forest Lake Country Club.
 will host its first tournament with players coming from across the US in order to both test their meddle against top players and in front of college scouts who most likely already know about many of the players. Some of the players from Michigan that could make noise include: Michael Busse, Devon Deogun for the boys and Veronica Haque for the girls. 
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
August 5 - 8, 2013
Tournament Field
Boys field required a status of 3 Performance Stars or more to gain entry; 13 Boys with 2 Performance Stars gained entry via the PBE tiebreaker.
Girls field required a status of 2 Performance Stars or more to gain entry; 2 Girls with 1 Performance Star gained entry via the PBE tiebreaker.


BOYS
Name(Citizenship) HometownResidenceClass
1Joshua Allen Wilson, N.C.NC 2015
2Kitwana Ashford Farmington Hills, Mich.MI 2015
3Alex Bassetto Naperville, Ill.IL 2016
4Brandon Berry Great Falls, Va.VA 2017
5Nicholas Bonema Troy, Mich.MI 2016
6Mickey Brick Frankfort, Ill.IL 2015
7Cullan Brown Eddyville, Ky.KY 2018
8Michael Busse Rochester Hills, Mich.MI 2016
9Varun Chopra Champaign, Ill.IL 2017
10Jason Chan Young Chung Thornhill, OntarioON 2017
11Matthew Clark Westchester, Ill.IL 2016
12Max Clift Kitchener, OntarioON 2015
13Thomas Code Dorchester, OntarioON 2015
14Ricky Costello Homer Glen, Ill.IL 2017
15Jeffrey Cunningham West Palm Beach, Fla.FL 2017
16Devin Deogun Orchard Lake, Mich.MI 2017
17Thomas DePriest III Lake City, Ark.AR 2017
18Ethan Farnam Crystal Lake, Ill.IL 2017
19Matthew Galluzzo Plantation, Fla.FL 2016
20Ryan Gerard Raleigh, N.C.NC 2017
21Zach Gerry Wheaton, Ill.IL 2017
22Salil Ghamande Evans, Ga.GA 2016
23Jake Goldman Leawood, Kan.KS 2016
24Noah Goodwin Corinth, TexasTX 2018
25Kyle Gorospe Mississauga, OntarioON 2015
26Daniel Griffiths Binghamton, N.Y.NY 2017
27Jake Grula Winter Park, Fla.FL 2017
28Will Gunst Elmhurst, Ill.IL 2016
29Allen Hamilton Louisville, Ky.KY 2016
30Austin Hitt Longwood, Fla.FL 2016
31Andrew Huber Winnetka, Ill.IL 2016
32David Keane Wauwatosa, Wis.WI 2016
33Graydon Kent Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.FL 2017
34Brandon Kewalramani Simi Valley, Calif.CA 2017
35Derek Kim Irvine, Calif.CA 2018
36Jay Kirchdorfer Louisville, Ky.KY 2018
37Jake Kuwitzky McKinney, TexasTX 2018
38Gil Lanoue Belle River, OntarioON 2015
39Timothy Lim Hoffman Estates, Ill.IL 2017
40Matthew Liston Louisville, Ky.KY 2016
41Kyle MacDonald Oakville, OntarioON 2016
42Russell Matos Lombard, Ill.IL 2016
43Andy Mayhew Dayton, OhioOH 2016
44Travis McInroe Plano, TexasTX 2016
45Victor Nistor West Bloomfield, Mich.MI 2015
46Jonathan Nocek Bloomingdale, Ill.IL 2016
47Mason Nome Houston, TexasTX 2019
48Michael OKeefe II Olivette, Mo.MO 2016
49Kevin Paek Glenview, Ill.IL 2017
50James Piot Canton, Mich.MI 2017
51Imaad Qureshi Bloomfield Hills, Mich.MI 2017
52John Racciatti Jr Fairhope, Ala.AL 2017
53Quinn Richardson Caledon, OntarioON 2015
54Max Rohwedder Prospect Heights, Ill.IL 2017
55Zachary Rosendale Saint Johns, Mich.MI 2017
56Carson Seals Ardmore, Okla.OK 2016
57Parker Sexton Germantown, Tenn.TN 2016
58Brendan Seys Port Lambton, OntarioON 2016
59Andy Spencer Prairie Village, Kan.KS 2016
60Noah Steele Kingston, OntarioON 2015
61Charles Sun Bradenton, Fla.FL 2016
62Kelly Sun Bradenton, Fla.FL 2016
63Brian Terlesky Youngstown, OhioOH 2018
64Frankie Thomas St. Louis, Mo.MO 2016
65Andrew Walker Battle Creek, Mich.MI 2016
66Liam Warner Barrington, Ill.IL 2016
67John Weiss Columbia, S.C.SC 2017
68Dylan Wojcik Wheeling, W.Va.WV 2016
69Sully Zagerman Windermere, Fla.FL 2016
Girls
Name(Citizenship) HometownResidenceClass
1Abby Burditt St. Augustine, Fla.FL 2016
2Felicia Chang La Habra Heights, Calif.CA 2016
3Megan Chao Fullerton, Calif.CA 2015
4Audrey Clawson Sarver, Pa.PA 2016
5Julia Dean Brighton, Mich.MI 2017
6Megan Furtney South Elgin, Ill.IL 2019
7Madeleine Garay La Jolla, Calif.CA 2016
8Allyson Geer Brighton, Mich.MI 2017
9Veronica Haque Rochester Hills, Mich.MI 2017
10Sarah Kern Springboro, OhioOH 2015
11Jami Laude Ann Arbor, Mich.MI 2017
12Mika Liu Beverly Hills, Calif.CA 2017
13Katherine Muzi Walnut, Calif.CA 2018
14Zaafina Naqvi Sault Ste Marie, OntarioON 2015
15Kory Nielsen Kent, OhioOH 2017
16Eun-Won Park (South Korea) Tenafly, N.J.NJ 2016
17Madasyn Pettersen Rockford, Ill.IL 2018
18Ariana Saenz Porter, TexasTX 2017
19Maya Walton Austin, TexasTX 2016
20Emma Whitaker Wichita, Kan.KS 2017
21Selina Zeng Oak Brook, Ill.IL 2017

Meijer Adams MSU Stop Results: Rochester's Linihan is medalist

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G.O.L.F. - Adams Golf Junior Tour
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G.O.L.F. - Adams Golf Junior Tour - Event #16 Results  -  Powered by BlueGolf
Click here for complete tournament results
Date: Jul 3
Course: Forest Akers - West Course(Lansing, MI)

Par and Total Yardage By Division
Boys 15-19
 - Forest Akers - West Course(Par: 72 Distance: 6810 Rating: 74.0 Slope: 136)  

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RECAP
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Only July 3rd, the Meijer and Adams tour traveled to the home course of Michigan State University to play Forest Akers West. The course played tricky, but good scores were still posted.
In the boys age 15-19 Michael Linihan from Oakland Twp. MI fired a +3, 75 to claim 1st place. Alexander Finsterwald from Grand Blanc MI, Jeff Lewis from Dryden, MI, and Justin Holt of Granger, IN all shot a +5 round of 77. Finsterwald earned  a second place finish, and Justin Holt earned 3rd place on a scorecard playoff.  
In the girls age 15-19 division, Kaitlyn Watkins from Frankenmuth, MI carded a even round of 72 to claim first place. Kelsey Murphy of Plymouth, MI added a +5 round of 77 to earn 2nd place. And Katie Childers of Northville, MI added a score of 79 for a 3rd place finish.
On the Meijer tour, in the boys age 13-15 division, Swade Hall had a +3 round of 75 to claim 1st place. Joseph Hunter of Traverse City, MI and Sean Sooch of South Lyon, MI both carded a +6 round of 78 to force a scorecard playoff. Hunter was awarded 2nd and Sooch awarded 3rd.
In the girls age 13-15 division, Allison Bruett of Grand Blanc, MI shot a round of 89 for first place. Jessica Kim of Okemos, MI added a 93 for 2nd, and Elizabeth Harding from South Lyon, MI came in 3rd with a 95.
In the boys age 10-12 August Meekof from Eastmanville, MI and Peyton Prieskorn from Lake Orion, MI fired a round of 75 to tie for first. After a playoff, Meekhof came out on top for first, leaving Prieskorn with 2nd. Tyler Eedy of West Branch, MI added a 76 to take 3rd place.
In the boys age 7-9, Landon Wanless of Caledonia, MI had a 47 to take first place, Carter Housler of Lansing, MI and Jack Layman of Grand Rapids, MI both added a 50 tying for second.  In a scorecard playoff, Housler came out on top to claim 2nd, and Layman claimed 3rd.
In the girls age 7-12, Taylor Kehoe from Strathroy, ON finished with a score of 42 to claim first place. Lauren Kim of Okemos, MI and Allison Eccleton of Saint Johns, MI both carded a 54 for a tie for second place. Kim was awarded 2nd and Eccleton was awarded 3rd.


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Results for contest Boys 15-19:
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 1   Michael Linihan          Oakland Twp., MI         2014  37-38--75 +3   
 T2  Alexander Finsterwald    Grand Blanc, MI          2015  40-37--77 +5   
 T2  Jeff Lewis Jr            Dryden, MI               2014  39-38--77 +5   
 T2  Justin Holt              Granger, IN              2015  39-38--77 +5   
 5   Collin Kolbe             Muskegon, MI             2015  41-37--78 +6   
 T6  Brad Walling             Big Rapids, MI           2015  42-37--79 +7   
 T6  Nazir Jairazbhoy         Farmington Hills, MI     2015  41-38--79 +7   
 T6  Jordan Mattson           Wyoming, Michigan        2014  41-38--79 +7   
 T6  Arlen Moore              Battle Creek, MI         2015  36-43--79 +7   
 T6  Mitchell Knoor           Grand Rapids, MI         2015  43-36--79 +7   
 T11 Colton Utterback         Mount Pleasant, MI       2014  42-39--81 +9   
 T11 Scott Sparks             Shelby Township, MI      2016  43-38--81 +9   
 T13 Schuyler Werth           Oxford, MI               2015  42-40--82 +10  
 T13 George Cornwell Cornwell Fair Haven, MI           2014  42-40--82 +10  
 T15 Michael Seremjian        Brighton, MI             2015  38-45--83 +11  
 T15 Kevin Kamis              Rockford, MI             2016  41-42--83 +11  
 17  Douglas Schultz          Metamora, MI             2014  43-41--84 +12  
 T18 Austin Harris            Livonia, MI              2013  40-45--85 +13  
 T18 Caleb Wittig             Ann Arbor, MI            2013  41-44--85 +13  
 T20 Trevor Reno              Shelby Township, MI      2014  44-42--86 +14  
 T20 Noah Troyer              Grand Blanc, MI          2016  42-44--86 +14  
 T22 Brendan Campbell         Novi, MI                 2016  44-44--88 +16  
 T22 Nick Dabrowa             Trenton, MI              15    46-42--88 +16  
 24  Pierce Millington        Highland, MI             2014  44-45--89 +17  
 25  Zach Paavola             Alto, MI                 2015  49-42--91 +19  
 T26 James Dubiel             Trenton, MI              2014  51-41--92 +20  
 T26 Joe Clifford             Grand Rapids, MI         2014  49-43--92 +20  
 T26 Jake VanDeVelde          Macomb, MI               2014  45-47--92 +20  
 T26 Walter Felver            Ada, MI                  2015  44-48--92 +20  
 T26 Zach Deline              South Lyon, MI           2014  47-45--92 +20  
 T31 Jimmy Barrett            Troy, MI                 2016  43-50--93 +21  
 T31 Eddie Trudeau            Mt. Pleasant, MI         2014  48-45--93 +21  
 T31 Reed Potter              Grand Rapids, MI         2015  45-48--93 +21  
 T31 Chase Lebster            Grand Rapids, MI         2016  45-48--93 +21  
 T31 Zachary Robbins          Grand Rapids,MI          2016  44-49--93 +21  
 T31 Tad Dobre                East Grand Rapids, MI    2015  49-44--93 +21  
 37  Johnny Sommerville       Mount Pleasant, Michigan 2014  50-44--94 +22  
 T38 Thom Rosely              Rockford, MI             2015  45-50--95 +23  
 T38 Ryan Heileg              Shelby Twp, MI           2014  52-43--95 +23  
 T38 Stephen Seneker          Bloomfield Hills, MI     2014  51-44--95 +23  
 41  Zac Steggles             Ada, MI                  2013  50-46--96 +24  
 T42 Kristopher Sharp         Belleville, MI           2014  48-50--98 +26  
 T42 Grant Goodfellow         Belmont, MI              2014  52-46--98 +26  
 T42 Troy Youmans             Northville, MI           2014  52-46--98 +26 

Monday, July 8, 2013

Waterford's Dovre wins Syron Memorial

Video highlights  By Roy J. "Joe" Akers are below. 

http://youtu.be/RoPoVvFHI8Q


Dovre captures wire-to-wire victory at Syron Memorial

MORE PHOTOS

Click thumbnails to enlarge
WATERFORD TWP. — Eric Dovre stood out from the rest of the field at the 45th annual Frank Syron Memorial Tournament in three ways this weekend.

First, he stood out because Dovre plays a yellow golf ball instead of the traditional white-colored ball.

“I started playing it a couple of years ago,” Dovre said. “I have really bad eyes. I wear glasses most of the time and my contacts get dry. It helps me see it better. When we are identifying balls on the tee, I just say that mine is yellow.”

Second, Dovre stood out because he ended up capturing the tournament title, finishing with at 7-under par to win the tournament by five strokes over the trio of Tom Daigle, Jr. (Wixom), Scott Jaschuk (Milford) and John Wright, who each came in at 2-under.

Finally, Dovre, a 29-year old resident of Waterford and 2002 graduate of Holly High School, stood out because he recorded a wire-to-wire victory.

He led after the first day following a 3-under par round of 69, had a one-stroke lead lead after Saturday’s second round when she shot a 73 and then was on top of the leaderboard again after Sunday, saving his best for last by firing a 5-under round of 67.

“I’m not nervous sleeping on the lead,” said Dovre, whose only previous appearance in the Syron Tournament came as an 18-year old in 2002. “I’d rather be the guy out in front than the guy who has to make up shots. When I got here today, I wasn’t feeling 100 percent. I was just hoping to make it through, but I think the adrenaline of having a lead and playing in front of a big gallery helped.”

After growing up in Holly and graduating from high school in 2002, Dovre moved on to Ferris State, turning professional in 2006 after he graduated from Ferris State’s golf management program.

Dovre became a golf pro and moved to the East Coast, but ended up getting out of that business in 2011 to take a job in the banking industry locally.

He couldn’t play competitive golf for a year in order to regain his status as an amateur golfer, but has since started playing competitively in amateur events.
“I certainly play in plenty of tournaments throughout the year, probably more than my family or wife would like me to play,” Dovre said. “I play a lot of the Publinx stuff and a lot of the Golf Association of Michigan events. It’s difficult having a 40-hour a week job and finding the balance.”

Dovre said he knew halfway through the back nine that he had a multiple-shot lead, but he still didn’t fade down the stretch, even making roughly a 40-footer for birdie on the par-3, 16th hole.

“Before I hit it, my father-in-law, who is my caddie, said to give it a chance,” Dovre said. “I hit it and it never left the center of the hole. It was one of those putts that was kind of meant to be.”

Following pars on the par-3, 17th hole and the par-5, 18th hole, Dovre then celebrated the win, which earned him a $750 gift certificate and the trophy that goes to the winner each year.

45th annual Frank Syron Memorial Tournament

(at Pontiac Country Club, par 72)

Final scores

Eric Dovre, Waterford 209

John Wright, Aurora, Ill. 214

Scott Jaschuk, Milford 214
Tom Daigle, Jr., Wixom 214

Andy Alvey, Milford 215

Larry Sterling, Jr., Shelby Twp. 215

Matt Sheperd, Oxford 216

Greg Davies, West Bloomfield 216

Anthony Sorentino, Rochester Hills 216

Danny Wood, Waterford 220

Gene Gizzarelli, Bloomfield Hills 221

Bill Zylstra, Dearborn Heights 223

Cameron Beeler, Oxford 223
Raymond Emsley, Davisburg 223

Sean Friel, Rochester Hills 223

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Rick Smith Academies Pat Gorman talks about the Pitch and Run drill


Lesson 2

    The Pitch and Run from 50-80 yards gives some golfers the willies and because you can do it by putting the ball in the air, negotiating a grass or sand bunker or running it along the ground. Pat Gorman gives a video tip that has given me another valuable tool in playing this shot. While I will briefly set the video up, to deaden the weight shift from the left to the right, Pat has me doing the flamingo with my right big toe and putting the weight on my left foot. I do take better than a half a swing with a wrist cock in the back swing and chop at the ball and following through. You will take a divot at and past the ball and the ball. See the one minute video and better yet, check out the links below and you can book Pat for a lesson.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zBlWr9lqys

Lesson 1

For a long time I was very good at chipping. The last few years has been a disaster for me. For me this has been a cause of golf stress. For PGA Professional Pat Gorman of the Rick Smith Golf Academy, he has helped me out with a couple of drills. In the video, he will choke down on the club for demonstration purposes only (watch the drill on video) and watch how to get it close to the pin with practice virtually every time. http://youtu.be/F7bhZQOuDb8
        
          
       
 To book Pat for a lesson at the academy where PGA pro's are in sync with Rick Smith, one of the great teachers of golf in the world, click the logo to the left and they will work with you. 248-770-6017

Also, Pat's videos are archived at www.michigangolfscene.co
Go to the instruction page and Pat is there to serve you!