Fall Is A Great Time For Golf Kids are back in school, days are getting shorter, Labor Day is in the rearview mirror and golf tee sheets finally have some openings. September and October can be the best months of the year to play golf. The temperatures are more moderate, the courses are not as busy, and the feel of autumn brings an urgency to get those extra rounds in before cold and snow make it impossible. High school golf in Ohio also happens in September and October. Matches in August and September get the teams ready for the OHSAA State Tournament. We wish all the teams Good Luck in tournament action this fall. If you ever wondered who drives the bus and helps shape the game of golf in Ohio, we list a few names that top that list. Golf has been an important force in the state for many years and it is as strong right now as it has ever been. In part, thanks to the men and women on this list. We hope you take time to read through the Ohio Golf News section this month. As the summer was winding down in August, tournament action across the nation featured several golfers from Ohio. It’s hard to believe that is has been one year since the Solheim Cup was in Toledo and The First Tee of Lake Erie officially opened their new facility on Hill Avenue. Congrats to all who are making it a success. We hope you get in a few extra rounds this fall and maybe we will see you on the Back 9. FRED ALTVATER PUBLISHER Back 9 Media Group Also Publishes: Michigan Golf Journal Indiana Golf Journal Back 9 Report Ohio Golf Journal
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Ohio Golf Journal is Published By Back 9 Media Group Publisher: Fred Altvater, USGTF Teaching Professional Advertise with Ohio Golf Journal, Contact us for more information Be sure to take advantage of the links to social media, videos and other content provided within the articles 32 FIND INSIDE 16 20 22 35 Most Influential People In The Ohio Golf Industry Buckeye Legend Tom Weiskopf Passes at the Age of 79 Ohio Holds Three AJGA Events 06 10 24 Titleist TSR Drivers Are A BIG Hit on Tour Jill McGill Wins U.S. Senior Women’s Open at NCR The Dana Open: New Name Still Huge Success Ohio Golf News Lingmerth Wins to Make It Back to PGA Tour Golf Phenom: Ohio’s Gianna Clemente Stewart Golf Has Revolutionized The Golf Cart Market First Tee of Lake Erie One Year Later 26 27 30 32 12 20 16 22 Our Contributors Taylormade Hi-Toe 3 Wedges Golf’s Beloved & Beautiful Badlands of Birmingham How is ‘The Penalty Area’ Defined? 40 34 35 39 Our Favorite Videos 41 Ohio Golf Journal
Renee Powell Renee Powell grew up on her father’s golf course, Clearview, in East Canton. She played collegiately at both Ohio and Ohio State Universities, before turning professional. She grew up in a time when women of color were not accepted in the country clubs and junior golf programs, but with the help of her father, she learned the game and was the second African American Woman to compete on the LPGA Tour. Renee competed in over 250 LPGA Tour events before returning to Clearview as Head Professional and now she owns, operates and teaches at the course. She has received numerous awards for her service to the golf industry and is most proud of Robb Schulze The Northern Ohio Golf Association (NOGA) appointed Robb Schulze as their CEO in 2015. Prior to his role with NOGA, he was the Head Golf Professional at Acacia Country Club for over ten years and worked closely with NOGA, hosting numerous events. He works tirelessly with the USGA for the benefit of the 45 member clubs and 8,500 members. In addition, NOGA maintains GHIN handicap service to more than 22,000 golfers at 140 public and private clubs. NOGA Charities & Foundation conducts the Return To Golf® program, whose mission is to serve the physically disabled adults and children at the Wharton Golf Center at North Olmsted Golf Club through the innovative combination of rehabilitation-based golf fitness and recreational therapy. Most Influential People In The Ohio Golf Industry her work teaching the game to women, young girls and veterans. Renee was one of the first women to gain membership into The Royal & Ancient and she continues to work to make golf more diverse and inclusive. In 2022, she received the Charlie Sifford Award from the World Golf Hall of Fame for those efforts. Ohio Golf Journal
Steve Jurrick Steve Jurrick was the first full time staff member hired by the Miami Valley Golf Association (MVGA) in 1997. Under his leadership the association has increased the services and tournaments available to members, plus added the Dayton District Women’s Golf Association and Dayton Senior Golf Association under the MVGA umbrella. Steve had a strong background in golf management before coming to MVGA. He served as Head Professional at Glenview Golf Course in Cincinnati from 1995-1997, and Woodland and Dunham Golf Courses, from 1990-1995. Prior to his Head Professional duties, Steve spent time as an Assistant Professional at Spring Lake Golf Club on the New Jersey coast, and at Manatee Cove Golf Club on the east coast of Florida. He has also served as President of the Southern Ohio PGA (SOPGA), received the SOPGA Horton Smith Award for Education and in 2017 and was inducted in to the SOPGA Hall of Fame. Alan Fadel Alan Fadel is currently the President of the Board of Directors for the Ohio Golf Association (OGA). A longtime member of Inverness Club, he was club champion 11 times. He won the 1995 Ohio Amateur, participated in numerous USGA national events and was the stroke-play medalist at the 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur. Always looking for ways to improve amateur golf, he helped found the Amateur Golf Alliance to conduct high-level amateur events and provide financial help to worthy amateur golfers, in their efforts to make the Walker and Curtis Cup Teams. Matt Lefferts Matt Lefferts became the Executive Director of the Ohio Golf Association (OGA) in 2020 and has been involved with golf his entire life. His father was an active golfer and taught him the game, while still very young. Before he became the Executive Director of OGA, he was OGA’s Rules Director for tournament play. He began working in the golf industry as a teenager and worked former OGA Executive Director, Jim Popa for over 22 years. When Popa retired, Lefferts, who had been serving as the Executive Director of the Columbus Golf Association, was named the Executive Director of the OGA. The OGA conducts five championships annually, the Junior Championship, MidAmateur Championship, Amateur Championship, Senior Amateur and Two Man Best Ball. As an Allied Partner of the USGA, the OGA conducts USGA National Championship Qualifiers and maintains GHIN handicaps for their 187 member clubs and thousands of Ohio golfers.
David Griffith David Griffith was the Tournament Director for the Northern Ohio PGA (NOPGA) for 20 years. It was only natural that when longtime NOPGA Executive Director, Dominic Antenucci retired in 2020, Griffith was named to take his place. As the Executive Director of the NOPGA Griffith manages the NOPGA Section’s operations, programs and services. He along with his Board of Directors help define and guide the PGA’s vision for growing the game throughout Northern Ohio as well as supporting its more than 450 members. Patrick Salva Patrick Salva has served as the Executive Director of the Southern Ohio Section of PGA (SOPGA), since 2020. He returned to Ohio after holding various roles within the Colorado PGA for 12 years. He is an Ohio native, growing up in Fredricktown and receiving both his undergraduate degree in Sports Management, plus a Masters in Sports Administration from Ohio University. His duties with the SOPGA include, tournament management, support for PGA members, plus overseeing PGA Reach, PGA Hope, PGA Jr. League and PGA Works within Southern Ohio. Todd Johnson Todd Johnson was the Greater Cincinnati Golf Association’s (GCGA) Tournament Director for 11 years before becoming the Executive Director, in 2014. Under his leadership the association has grown and continued to improve tournament scoring and member services. The GCGA was founded in 1905, conducts a complete tournament schedule, provides course ratings and works with the USGA to provide the GHIN handicap system to its membership. When he is not involved with GCGA, Todd is the Head Coach for the Lebanon Warrior’s Golf Team. Jack Nicklaus What more can be said about the ‘Golden Bear?’ He is one of the greatest golfers to have ever lived. With 18 major championships and a successful golf design business, he along with his wife have raised millions of dollars for children’s hospitals both in Columbus, Ohio, and Southeastern Florida. His Muirfield Village Golf Club is recognized as one of the best in the country and annually hosts the best golfers in the world for The Memorial Tournament. Jack seems to be always giving his time to a worthy cause within Ohio and the Muirfield development in Dublin has had an enormous positive financial effect on the economy of the entire area. Ohio Golf Journal
Judd Silverman Judd Silverman is responsible for bringing the LPGA to Toledo in 1984 for what was then the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic. Since that time, it has become one of the mainstays on the LPGA Tour, plus has generated over $10 million for Toledo-area children’s charities. Silverman was also the person that created the coalition between the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan business communities to raise the necessary funding from sponsors to lure the LPGA to bring the 2021 Solheim Cup to the Inverness Club in Toledo. Michael Hurzdan Michael Hurzdan, is the head of Columbus-based Hurzdan Design Group. He is a retired U.S. Army Colonel, who served in the Green Berets. His passion for golf and design earned him the distinction as one of the top golf course architects in the country. His courses have hosted major championships and he served as President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. In recognition of his efforts, he received the three highest honors awarded to golf course architects, the Old Tom Morris Award, the Donald Ross Award and Don A. Rossi Award. Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson, Robert Trent Jones Sr, Rees Jones and Pete Dye are the only other course designers that have received all three awards. Editor’s Note: Golf in Ohio requires many hundreds of volunteers and professionals to assure it continues to thrive around the state. We apologize to those we have omitted and promise to try to do better in future issues. Dan Sullivan Dan Sullivan has been the Managing Partner of HNS Sports Group for over 20 years. HNS is a Golf marketing company which focuses on event management, sponsorship representation and hospitality management. HNS works with the Memorial Tournament, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGATour Champions’ Ally Challenge. HNS currently provides total management services for golf tournaments including, vendors, permits and placement of temporary structures, tents, bleachers, electrical and signage, for over 13 golf events around the country.
Over the past two years Tom Weiskopf struggled with pancreatic cancer, but continued to work on course renovations and design, until the very end. Always in the shadow of Jack Nicklaus, his contemporary at Ohio State, as well as on the PGA Tour, Weiskopf was a curious study throughout his professional career. He could be moody and quiet, but when he became a golf announcer, his insight and intelligence was evident. He competed with Jack Nicklaus his entire golfing Tom Weiskopf Passes at the Age of 79 career and sometimes it seemed like being in the Golden Bear’s shadow was a bit too much to bear. He was famous for saying of Nicklaus, “Jack knew he was going to beat you. You knew Jack was going to beat you. And Jack knew you knew, he was going to beat you.” Weiskopf’s golf swing was a thing of beauty. He had 16 career PGA Tour victories, but under the heat of major competition, he failed to produce wins. Tom possessed mental demons that seemed to prevent him from achieving greatness. He won his lone major championship title at the 1973 British Open held at Troon over Johnny Miller, who had just won the U.S. Open one month earlier and Jack Nicklaus, who finished fourth. Ultimately, he became known more for the majors he didn’t win. He By Fred Altvater finished runner-up at the Masters on four occasions. Most famously in 1975, when Jack Nicklaus once again slipped past both Weiskopf and Johnny Miller to don his fifth Green Jacket, while Miller and Weiskopf were to be denied ever experiencing a Green Jacket Ceremony in Butler Cabin. Terrific Tom came close at the other two majors as well, finishing runner-up in the 1976 U.S. Open and third in the 1975 PGA Championship. After his playing days were over, he took to the broadcast booth, but primarily is known Ohio Golf Journal
for his 40 brilliant golf designs. He is credited with adding the Ocean and Cliffs Courses to the Olympic Club in San Francisco. His work at Troon North in Arizona and Loch Lomond in Scotland have been lauded worldwide. In Michigan we are blessed to have Weiskopf designs at both Shanty Creek and Forest Dunes. Both have been recognized as outstanding courses and are must-plays for golfers visiting the state. Tom Weiskopf was somewhat of an enigma as a golfer, but his golf course designs will live on as a testament to his love of the game and appreciation for providing the best elements of golf course design.
The South Course at NCR in Dayton was the site of the 2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Open and Jill McGill became the first American to hoists the trophy. Her final round, level-par 73 was the lowest score of the day and gave her a one-shot victory over Leta Lindley. “That sounds amazing,” McGill said when introduced as the champion. “I love the USGA. I’ve loved it ever since I got spanked in my very first Junior Girls by Brandie Burton. That was a welcome to competitive golf.” First contested in 2018, international players, Laura Davies, Helen Alfredsson and Anika Sorenstam had won the previous three U.S. Senior Women’s Opens. The event was not contested in 2020 due to COVID. McGill is no stranger to USGA championships. She won the 1993 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 1994 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, JoAnne Carner and Carol Semple Thompson are the only other players to ever win three different USGA championships. JillMcGillWins U.S. SeniorWomen’s Open at NCR Ohio Golf Journal
The triumph also earned her an exemption into next year’s U.S. Women’s Open Presented by ProMedica at Pebble Beach. “I’ll have to set my schedule now,” said McGill when told about the exemption to Pebble Beach. “I look forward to it. That place is heaven on earth.” McGill, who was paired with Annika Sorenstam in the final round on Sunday, also played with Sorenstam in the final round of the 2002 U.S. Women’s Open at Prairie Dunes. McGill began that day two strokes off Sorenstam’s lead but started bogey-bogey on her way to a 78 as Juli Inkster closed with a 66 to win by two strokes over Sorenstam. This time, it was McGill who got the best of Sorenstam, the defending champion who was briefly tied with Laura Davies, the 2018 champ, and Helen Alfredsson, who won in 2019, for the final-round lead after a birdie on No. 1. But Sorenstam, who had trouble finding consistency all week, fell back with three consecutive bogeys beginning on No. 3 and shot 77. For much of the day it appeared that Davies would capture this title for the second time. When Davies made the turn at five under par, she was two strokes ahead of McGill and three clear of Alfredsson.
Davies had not made a bogey since No. 8 on Friday – a stretch of 39 holes – when she drove into left rough on No. 12, clipped a tree with her second shot, which went out of bounds, then hit another tree with her next shot. Davies eventually got to the green in 6 and two-putted for a quadruple-bogey 8. Meanwhile, McGill stayed focused on her own game. “I knew at the turn I was a couple back, and from that point on, I really had no idea. I knew that I was close when I made a couple of birdies. I was disappointed with that bogey on 17. I tried not to focus on it. All I could do was what I could do, and whatever everybody else was doing was what they were doing.” Sorenstam, who won by eight strokes last year, came in with high hopes but never found the reliable rhythm that was the hallmark of her World Golf Hall of Fame career. While several of the other contenders succumbed to the challenges of NCR, McGill was more than up to the task. It was a historymaking performance. As the 2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Open Champion McGill receives, the U.S. Senior Women’s Open Trophy for one year, a gold medal, exemptions into the next 10 U.S. Senior Women’s Opens, exemption into the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by ProMedica at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links, plus a first-place check for $180,000. This is how the game should be played. Ambitious challenges. Stunning views. An old-school Donald Ross layout, and Pete Dye’s modern gem. It all comes together at the Midwest’s favorite golf destination. frenchlick.com/golf • 888-936-9360 Just the way golf intended. Management reserves the right to cancel or modify any event without notice. Must be 21 years or older to enter the casino. Gambling Problem? Call 1.800.9.WITH.IT or text INGAMB to 53342! Ohio Golf Journal
Ohio Golf News Rocky River’s Jillian Hollis recorded her first win of the 2022 EPSON Tour season and third career title at the Circling Raven Championship in Idaho last month. Hollis was a three-time All American at Georgia and has played professionally since 2018. This season, she has made 9 of 10 EPSON Tour cuts. The $30,000 first-place check gives her a total of $64,500 and moved her into the top 10 on the EPSON Tour money list. The top 10 players at the end of the season receive LPGA Tour membership for the following year. Miami Valley Women performed well at the U.S. Women’s Amateur held at Chambers Bay in August. Five ladies qualified at Walnut Grove, but Vania Simont did not make the trip to Tacoma and first alternate Savannah Grewel took her place. Four of those women, Annabelle Pancake, Mia Hammond, Savannah Grewel and Aneka Seumanutafa finished inside the top 64 and qualified for the match play portion of the tournament. All four advanced through the first round. In the round of 32 Hammond and Grewel were forced to play each other with Hammond getting the win. Both Pancake and Seumanutafa won their matches to advance. That would be the end of the line for all three as Seumanutafa lost to the eventual winner Saki Baba and both Pancake and Hammond were defeated. Congrats all the qualifiers out of the Walnut Grove for their great showing at the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Jillian Hollis Nears Goal of Making the LPGA Tour Walnut Grove U.S. Women’s Qualifier Sees Four Make it to Match Play Ohio Golf Journal
The Final of the 2022 Northern Ohio PGA Junior League Section Championship was held at Eagle Creek Golf Course in Norwalk. Twenty 13 and under teams played in a stroke play format with three of four scores counting on each hole. The top two teams from the front nine, as well as the top two from the back nine qualified to play each other in the semi-final match. Fox Den & JB Golf shot 98 and Cleveland SE shot 115 to qualify on the front nine. Medina Deegan shot 89 and Medina Union shot 94 on the back nine. Fox Den & JB Golf defeated Cleveland SE and Medina Deegan defeated Medina Union in the other semifinal match. Median Deegan bested Fox Den & JB Golf in the final and earned the right to compete in the Regional PGA Jr. League Championship at Milam Park Golf Club in Kalamazoo, Michigan to be held over Labor Day weekend. Mary Suitca Wins NOPGA’s Ladies Professional Championship For a second consecutive year, Mary Suitca fromTannenhauf Golf Club, won the NOPGA’s Ladies Professional Championship. She won the inaugural event last year at Lakewood Country Club and repeated with a seven-shot win this year at Westfield Country Club. Northern Ohio PGA Junior League Section Championship Jim Troy Repeats as NOPGA Champion Jim Troy spent several years with Honma Golf and is now the Assistant Professional atWindmill Golf Center. Troy proved his golf game can travel as he won the NOPGA Championship for the second consecutive year. He won last year at Beechmont and proved it was no fluke as he bested the field by two shots at Westfield Country Club.
Ohio’s High School golfers have been competing in league action since the beginning of August. The OHSAA State Golf tournament Sectionals are set to begin at the end of September and conclude with the Division I Boys and Girls Finals, October 21-22 at The OSU Golf Course in Columbus. Sectional tournament action for Boys Division II and III, as well as, Girls Division II will begin September 26-October 1. Districts for these divisions will be held the following week October 3-8, with the StateTournament to be held October 14-15 at Northstar Golf Club in Sunbury and OSU Golf Course. Both Boys and Girls Division I Sectionals will be held October 3-8 with Districts October 10-15. The State Championship will be held October 21-22 at OSU Golf Course. For complete OHSAA Tournament details for times and courses visit: https://www.ohsaa.org/ sports/golf OHSAA State Tournament Last year the 2020 Ohio Amateur Champion, Austin Greaser, from Vandalia, finished runner-up in the prestigious Western Amateur and also lost in the final match of the U.S. Amateur at Oakmont to MSU’s James Piot; however, 2022 is a different story. Greaser, who will be starting his senior season at North Carolina this fall, entered the 2022 Western Amateur at Exmoor Country Club in Chicago, as the 15th seed by surviving seven players for two spots playoff in the medal play portion of the event. He then defeated the No. 2 seed, Belgium’s Matthis Besard, the No. 7 seed Kelly Chinn from Great Falls, Virginia, the No. 3 seed William Mouw, from California and the No. 4 seed Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira, from Argentina and a senior at Arkansas, 1 up in the final. “This is what you prepare for, this is what you practice for, this is what you dream of,” Greaser said. “I think I’m going to have to get some sleep before it hits me what happened this week, because I am exhausted.” First played at Glen View Club in 1899, the Western Amateur is the world’s third-oldest amateur championship, behind only the British Amateur (1855) and the U.S. Amateur (1895). It regularly attracts the top players from across the country and around the world. Past champions include, another Buckeye native, Jack Nicklaus, as well as, Tiger Woods. Austin Greaser Wins Western Amateur Ohio Golf Journal
For the fifth time in her amateur golf career, Canton’s Suzi Spotleson qualified for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. However, this time she made it to the round of 16. With scores of 78 and 73 in the 36-hole stroke play, she finished tied for sixth and advanced to the 64-player match play. Suzy defeated Marci Dubois from Scottsdale, Arizona in the first round and slipped by Shelly Haywood of Huntington Beach, California 3 and 1 in the round of 32. “At these events, it is just kind of an endurance test,” Spotleson said. “You just hope you are the one that catches lightning in a bottle. The hard part is the qualifying. Everybody is good so if you can just qualify in one of the 64 spots, it’s anyone’s tournament.” Suzy’s journey ended in the Round of 16, when she was defeated by Sue Wooster from Australia. Wooster made it all the way to the final match but was defeated by the U. S. Women’s Senior Champion, Shelly Stouffer from Canada. Suzy Spotleson Advances in U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Ace for Brian Duffin 71-year-old Bob Fairchild, a former OhioAmateur champion, recorded the ninth ace of his life on the 18th hole of the Lake Forest Country Club in Hudson. This ace was a bit more meaningful for Fairchild, however. PartneredwithDavidGoldense, a former President of NOGA, Fairchild was filling in for Brian Duffin, who was recuperating from complications of a heart attack. EMT’s had resuscitated Duffin, a triple bypass was required and complications from the surgery had left Duffin experiencing a difficult recovery. Goldense asked Fairchild to sub in as both are good friends of Duffin. Duffin had been on both golfers minds all day and maybe this is proof that sometimes God does listen to golfers’ silent pleas.
Once again, the Dana Open presented by Marathon was a success. Sunday’s weather was slightly damp, but golf fans were treated to a quality field and the players put on an exciting show. After the first three rounds 19-year-old Lucy Li held a tentative one-shot lead over veterans, Caroline Masson and Lexi Thompson. Seven more players including, defending Dana Open champ, Nasa Hataoka, 2014 and 2016 Dana Open winner, Lydia Ko, European Solheim Cup star, Leona Maguire and Brooke Henderson, were tied just three shots back heading into the final round on Sunday. On Sunday, however, it was the Gaby Lopez show as she birdied the final three holes to fire an eightunder par 63 and post -18 for the tournament, while the leaders struggled down the stretch. Her birdie save from the greenside bunker elicited a huge fist pump from Lopez. Back 9 Report talked with Toledo-native and U.S. Solheim Cup Captain Stacy Lewis at the Dana Open. For the complete interview watch Back 9 Report TV. Third round leader Li could only manage a oneunder par 70 and fell to a tie for fourth. Lexi The Dana Open: New Name Still Huge Success Ohio Golf Journal
Thompson bogeyed three of her final four holes for a 73 and fell to a tie for 16th. This was Lopez’ third LPGA Tour win and moved her up to 23rd in the Race to the CME Globe. The big winner of the Dana Open, as always, are the Toledo-area Children’s Charities that will benefit from the proceeds of the tournament. Since the tournament’s beginning in 1984 as the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic over $10 million has been generated to benefit area children. On any given day funds donated from the Dana Open touch the lives of hundreds of area kids and help make their lives better. It requires a lot of volunteers to put on an event like the Dana Open and local groups always provide the manpower to control traffic, keep score and serve all the needs to keep the players comfortable. Congratulations to Tournament Director Judd Silverman and his entire team on another successful Dana Open. For full results from the Dana Open visit their website.
Lingmerth Wins to Make It Back to PGA Tour David Lingmerth won the 2022 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship at Ohio State University Golf Course last month. It was the next to last stop on the Korn Ferry Tour’s 2022 schedule and the victory helped propel Lingmerth into the top five on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List. He will head back to the PGA Tour next year. Lingmerth, from Sweden, will forever have fond memories of Columbus, as he became the only player to havewon both theNationwide Children’s Hospital Championship and the Memorial. At the 2015 Memorial Tournament held in Dublin at Muirfield Village Golf Club, just a few miles from OSU’s Scarlet course, Lingmerth beat Justin Rose in a playoff to collect his sole PGA Tour title. Lingmerth is no stranger to the PGA Tour, he has made 113 cuts in his 198 starts with career earnings of $9.2 million. Changes Coming to Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 The Korn Ferry Tour has been visiting the Scarlet Course at Ohio State University for 16 years. It has always been one of the last events of the season and players were under pressure to perform well to move inside the top Top 25 to earn PGA Tour cards for the next year. With several changes on the PGA Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour will be seeing a few changes, as well. One is that the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship will move from its historic late August date to September 18-24. Ohio Golf Journal
JUST ASK OUR COURSE RECORD HOLDERS: PHIL MICKELSON, FRED COUPLES, LEE JANZEN & AN UNKNOWN AMATEUR. (We’re not kidding!) Can’t Top That. WWW.TREETOPS.COM | 81 SPECTACULAR HOLES BY GOLF’S GREAT DESIGNERS. EASY. GOLF IS The 2023 season will culminate with 30 PGA TOUR cards, rather than 25, being awarded to the top players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List. The Korn Ferry Tour Finals will no longer be a competition for TOUR cards between the top 75 on the Korn Ferry Tour and the bottom 75 from the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings. In 2023, Finals will refer to the final four Korn Ferry Tour events of the season, where tour members will compete for increased purses and points allocations. The four Finals event, which will include the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, will feature $1.5 million purses and award 600 points to each winner. The 2023 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship will be third of the four Finals events, featuring a field of 120 players. The fields for the Finals will be progressively reduced, starting with 156 players for the first event, 144 players for the second, 120 in Columbus and finish with 75 players in the final event. All Korn Ferry Tour tournaments will have a minimum purse of $1 million and award 500 points to winners.
Ohio Holds Three AJGA Events What is the AJGA? The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) hosts a series of golf tournaments around the United States that are open to the best junior golfers in the country. There is a qualifying process to become eligible to play in AJGA events and juniors that aspire to play golf collegiately need to participate. Every major college golf head coach follows the results of AJGA tournaments for recruiting. AJGA realizes that junior golfers competing in golf tournaments can be a burden on a family’s budget. Through the generous donations from sponsors, AJGA offers deserving golfers an opportunity to compete in AJGA events and can cover some of the costs associated with travel and lodging for both the player and one accompanying parent. For more information and a registration form visit: https://www.ajga.org/ ace-grant/what-does-ace-grant-cover. In 2022, three AJGA events were held in Ohio, The Memorial Junior in Columbus, The Mercy Health Foundation All-Star, in Boardman and the AJGA Dana Incorporated, in Toledo. The Memorial Junior In June the AJGA hosted The Memorial Junior at the Ohio State University Golf Club. The field was comprised of 72 Boys and Girls aged 12-19. Future Buckeye, Tyler Sabo fired three rounds of 71-71-70 to take a one-stroke win over Cincinnati’s Finley Bartlett. Two shots back of the leader, Bradley Chill Jr. from Columbia Station finished solo third. Topher Reed from Fairview Park and Caden Pinckes from Carlsbad, California tied for fourth to round out the top five. With scores of 70-70-73, Mia Hammond from New Albany ran away with the Girls Division. She finished 12 shots ahead of the second-place competitor, Charlene Chung from Hong Kong and Anna Swan from Northeast Pennsylvania. Canadian Alissa Xu and Cindy Wang from California tied for fourth. Mia Hammond Ohio Golf Journal
Stephen Liu Audrey Ryu AJGA Dana Incorporated Toledo is the home base for the Dana Corporation, and they hosted an AJGA event at Sylvania Country Club July 18-21. Stephen Liu, from New Zealand and Hudson, Ohio’s Ryan Pamer ended the regulation 54 holes tied at nine-under par with Liu winning the playoff. Nick Piesen from Strongsville was solo third with Stow’s Jack Vojtko, fourth and Stephen Ma, from Columbus, fifth. Mercy Health Foundation All-Star The Mercy Health Foundation All-Star was held at the Millcreek Golf course in Boardman. Brayden Miller, from Goshen, Indiana won the title by five shots over Vijay Kumar, from Florida and Mijir Roperia from New Jersey. Shiv Parmar, from Texas finished fourth, while two players, Vibhav Alokam, from Ypsilanti, Michigan and Peyton Blackard, from Indiana tied for fifth. Canada’s Alexa Ouellet also garnered a four-shot win in the Girls Division over Ann-Sophie Bourgault, also from Canada. Michelle Ho, from California, Francesca Choquette, from New York and Shauna Liu, from Canada finished third, fourth and fifth. Brayden Miller Alexa Ouellet In the Girls Division, Audrey Ryu from Dublin took the title by four strokes over three players, Grace Wang, from Rochester Hills, Michigan, Kathryn Ha from Roanoke, Virginia and Elyssa Abdullah, from Hinsdale, Illinois. By winning the Dana AJGA tournament, she is granted an exemption into the LPGA’s Dana Open at Highland Meadows Golf Club inToledo. For more information visit AJGA’s website.
Golf Phenom: Ohio’s Gianna Clemente Gianna Clemente is a high school freshman who will graduate in 2026, but she is already making her mark on the national golf scene. She first picked up a golf club at the age of two and by five competed in her first tournament. By seven years old, she won the U.S. Kids World Championship at Pinehurst and in 2019 at the age of 11, she became the third youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She has garnered 133 victories, as well as three World Championships and still has not turned 15 years old. She resides in Warren and is a member of both Avon Lakes Golf Club, in Ohio and Bonita Bay Golf Club, near Naples, Florida. Both her father and uncle played collegiate golf and were responsible for her early interest in the game. By Fred Altvater In July, she earned a sponsor invitation to the Twin Bridges Championship an event on the EPSON Tour in Albany, New York, where she was the youngest player in the field. “When I found out I got the exemption, I was really excited. I’m really excited about this week, to see the course and have some fun.” Gianna competes regularly in American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournaments. She is ranked No. 3 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings with five top-10 finishes this season. She recorded a solo third at the K.J. Choi Foundation Texas Junior Championship, a sixth-place finish at the KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational, plus she finished second at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship. She made it to the final match of the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur this summer but was defeated 3-2 to finish runner-up. Most recently she Monday Qualified for both the LPGA’s CP Women’s Open, in Canada and the Dana Open, in Toledo. When she graduates from high school, she intends to play collegiately and eventually join the LPGA, as a professional golfer. If you would like to learn more about Gianna and follow her success, check out her website: https://giannaclementegolf.com/. Ohio Golf Journal
Stewart Golf Has Revolutionized the Golf Cart Market Several years ago, while on a vacation in Florida with his family, Mark Stewart, from Great Britain, was still a teen-ager, but with encouragement from his father and grandfather, he began thinking about golf bag designs. “When we got home, I was just curious. We developed prototypes on and off for about three years.’’ By Len Ziehm Stewart went on to earn an engineering degree from Loughbrough University and his curiosity expanded beyond just golf bags. He focused on developing what the British call electric “golf trolleys.’’ “We wanted something remote-controlled, because there were some out there at the time, but they had trouble with balance and stability, plus the steering wasn’t very good.’’ In 2003 Stewart Golf was launched and the following year its X1 Remote model was on the market. Even in America, golf courses and players were very receptive the new carts.
“There was nothing controversial about it, ours just looked different. Trolleys were a huge advantage for playing, but there was a stigma attached to it. They were just for old guys who had a bad knee or some other disability. We were looking for amateur golfers walking the fairways, and if we could make it look different, we had a chance.’’ That chance paid off. Stewart Golf has now sold its products in 50 countries. The first sales in the United States were made in 2008, and they’ve since reached every state except Hawaii and Alaska. another level. It was not just eye-catching, but it was fun to watch something following someone down a fairway.’’ The present version, called the Q Follow, has a futuristic look as it follows automatically down the fairway with full remotecontrolled functionality. The golfer can putt out on a green, then remotely guide the trolley to the next tee without walking back to his bag. Initially golfers could strap their bags to Stewart Golf’s “trolley’’ and then enjoy their walks around the course without carrying their clubs. The bags could move with remote commands that a golfer would make with a hand-held device and could be attached to a belt, or in a pocket. Business really took off in 2015 when the “follow’’ system was launched, which made it possible for the bag to follow the golfer, much like a human caddie would. “It was a big change in our business, because it took us to Ohio Golf Journal
Stewart Golf took a huge financial gamble by introducing the electric caddies at the 2015 PGA Merchandise Show. “Everyone told us that no one walks in America. In the U.K. 98 percent of golfers walk. I’d be surprised if it was more than 20 percent in the United States. Our mission statement as a company is to show people a different way to play golf. The experience of walking a golf course is like nothing else. You get the exercise of walking, plus actually talking with your playing companions.’’ What the company found in America is that golfers will walk if they have the right incentive. Americans love their toys too. “Our business in America is four times what it was in 2019. That’s why it’s now our biggest market, followed by the U.K. and Canada. People were forced to walk during COVID and our demand went up.’’ In the United States, Stewart Golf’s products are called “Electric Caddies’’ rather than “trolleys.’’ They are made at a factory in Gloucester, a twohour drive from London. For their American operations, they also have a warehouse in Clearwater, Florida. “Electric Caddies’’ have one big advantage that might not be obvious, they aren’t affected by “Cart Path Only’’ restrictions, which also improves pace of play. Stewart Golf products can be easily purchased online, with a retail cost of approximately $2,500. Various models and colors are available to match your car, golf club bag, or personal preference. “Continually learning and gaining experience, we will continue make our products even better.’’ Find out more at: Stewartgolfusa.com
First Tee of Lake Erie One Year Later It was just one year ago, during the Solheim Cup, held at the Inverness Club, that the new First Tee of Lake Erie Learning Center opened its doors to area children. Now one year later it is a very active place with kids coming and going. More than 150 children are taking advantage of First Tee’s programs and the instructors hope each child leaves with a life lesson, as well. The First Tee’s mission is to positively impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life values, By Fred Altvater and promote healthy choices. They accomplish this by espousing the ‘Nine CoreValues,” Honesty, Integrity, Responsibility, Respect, Courtesy, Sportsmanship, Judgment, Perseverance, and Confidence. For kids who want to try golf and become involved in The First Tee program but may not have the financial means to cover the cost, The First Tee offers financial support. The Executive Director of The First Tee of Lake Erie, Adam Reny said, “Any kid that wants to come out and try golf with First Tee we’ll make sure that they have a set of clubs to get going. There’s a small registration fee but we waive it if they meet certain financial criteria. We’re really trying to break down those barriers of affordability and accessibility.” Ohio Golf Journal
In addition, the Boys & Girls Club of Toledo share the facility on Hill Avenue and offer various activities in conjunction with The First Tee. The Dattilo Family Youth Leadership Center is the fifth location for Toledoarea Boys & Girls Clubs. This one-ofa-kind learning center is making a huge impact on the future leaders of the Toledo community. This combination of The First Tee and The Toledo-area Boys & Girls Clubs is a perfect partnership to serve children in the area. Kids become members of both organizations and benefit from their combined programs. The facility provides a safe space for children to study, get a hot meal, but also to learn more about golf and how to play the game the right way. There is a driving range and short course on property to help teach the game and provide exercise. One year after the ribbon cutting, the joint First Tee and the Boys & Girls Club is making a real difference in Toledo. Two organizations found a way to work together for the benefit of children and the community as a whole. If you would like to help The First Tee’s continue their work with area youth visit their website.
Titleist TSR Drivers Are A BIG Hit on Tour Titleist debuted the new TSR3 drivers to PGA Tour pros at the Travelers Championship. It was a Big Hit and was quickly adopted by a large number of tour players. In fact, the TSR3 finished the year as the most played driver on tour. TSR is an acronym for “Titleist Speed Redefined.” This new club has some very interesting features. The crown extends to the rear, creating a “boat tail” effect, which performs two functions. It creates a more even air flow over the clubhead on the downswing, not unlike a rear spoiler on an automobile. It also which provides increased ball speed and distance. Stephanie Luttrell, Director of Metalwood Development for Titleist, was quoted, “Titleist TSR represents the deepest, most complete, and most validated understanding of the tee shot ever held within our walls. Every aspect of impact has been considered, constructed and optimized in service of our singular desire to produce more playable distance from every swing. New TSR drivers take everything that made TSi the most played driver on the PGA Tour and pack even more performance into every head. From new face technologies to CG improvements and aerodynamic refinements, TSR helps the golfer unlock more speed.” Titleist’s driver stable still contains the ultralight TSi1 driver from 2021, for slower swing speed players. At provides a low drag location to place the additional weight in the rear of the club. The variable thickness face interior on the TSR2 and TSR4 are built inward in discrete layers to produce similar rebound characteristics over the entire surface. That provides a more forgiving shot value for those of us that don’t always hit the center of the face every time. The TSR3 is targeted for better players that tend to find the center of the club face more often. It has a ‘Speed Ring,’ which yields maximum rebound allowable inside the sweet spot, By Ed Travis Ohio Golf Journal
Fast Facts Titleist TSR Drivers Reshaped head with extended trailing edge Variable thickness face Adjustable hosel Stock shafts: Hzrdus Red CB, Tensei AV Blue Xlink, Hzrdus Black 4G, Tensei 1K Black Stock Grip: Golf Pride TV 360 Titleist TSR2 Driver Game-improvement category Slimmer profile 460cc head High launch low spin Rear 9-gram replaceable weight Titleist TSR3 Driver Better player category 460cc head Mid/high launch low spin Sliding rear 8-gram weight for draw/fade bias Titleist TSR4 Driver Better player category 430cc head Mid/low launch low spin Switchable rear & front weights (3 & 11-grams) $599.00, the TSR is a $50.00 increase over preceding TSi models. The new TSR Drivers will be available in golf retail shops beginning September 23.
TaylorMade Hi-Toe 3 Wedges The latest club enhancements from TaylorMade Golf are the Hi-Toe 3Wedges, which provide a versatile solution for getting up and down around the green. These wedges are designed with a wide four-way cambered sole and aggressive spin generation that features raised ribs between full face grooves. Having the proper wedge in the bag for the required shot is important and can easily make the difference between a par, bogey, or worse. In an effort to avoid the dreaded other, TaylorMade has redone the Hi-Toe line to provide more latitude for various scoring shots. The weight distribution is higher in the head, which helps provide a lower controllable launch. In combination with the raw finish on the face, the groove pattern provides additional spin. The wide sole and trailing edge helps with those scary flop shots and make them more doable with an open face setup. By Ed Travis Fast Facts TaylorMade Hi-Toe 3 Wedges – Made with 8620 Carbon steel – The larger toe design creates a higher center of gravity – Four-way camber sole – Full face grooves on higher lofts – Raised smaller ribs between grooves – Unfinished face rusts for added grip – Aged copper finish – Four bounce options – Stock lofts: 50° to 60° two degree increments – Stock shaft: KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 (115g) – Stock grip: Lamkin Crossline 360 Round (52g) – MSRP: $179.99 Taylormadeisalsoofferingextensivecustomization with three finishes, plus personalized text, logo and paint options. Bill Price, of the Product Creation, Wedges and Putters department said at the introduction, “Our athletes all offered great input individually, but collectively everyone wanted something versatile. They wanted a single wedge that could perform around the greens from deep rough, thick fescue, bunkers with different sands, in wet conditions and from tight lies. That’s a lot to fit into a single design, but with Hi-Toe 3 we’ve done it.” Ohio Golf Journal
Golf’s Beloved & Beautiful Badlands of Birmingham One of the must-play venues on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (RTJ), is the Ridge Course at Oxmoor Valley, just outside Birmingham. It will provide a fair and thorough examination of your entire golf game and physical fitness. The Ridge was designed based on what Mother Nature provided and not what Mankind and a bulldozer desired. As the name of the course indicates, The Ridge offers elevation changes on nearly every hole, which many people are surprised to find in central Alabama. By Mike May Another feature, which adds to its allure, is the distance from the cart paths to each putting surface. These short ‘hikes,’ to the greens are often uphill, and are one of the appealing aspects of the course. Being physically fit pays off at the Ridge. “The Ridge course is, by far, the more popular layout here at Oxmoor Valley,” says Robert Whitt, the head professional at Oxmoor Valley. “The rolling terrain, large bent grass greens and scenic vistas certainly lend themselves to an incredible experience. It is truly a special course that many request on their return visit.”
Ohio Golf Journal
The greens at the Ridge are often bigger than what you normally expect elsewhere. If your approach to the green falls short and the pin is at the back of the green, a two-putt experience will be an adventure. One of the Ridge’s big takeaways is the overall quality of its four par-five holes. Some golf pundits have noted that the Ridge has the finest group of par-fives on the entire RTJ Golf Trail. I have experienced most the courses on the RTJ Trail, and I tend to agree. As expected, the Signature Hole at the Ridge is the par-five, third hole. It is cleverly designed as your tee shot must be hit to a peninsula-like fairway. The green, off in the distance, is raised from the fairway and is supported by a shelf of exposed shale rock and a few railroad ties, a testimonial connection to Birmingham’s historic links to the railroad industry. Another memorable hole is the downhill par-three eighth hole. The tee shot must carry a pond, but because of its downhill nature, you don’t need as much club as the distance would normally indicate. This is a fun hole to play as you watch a well-struck tee shot hanging in the air to go pinseeking. Although a hole-inone is always possible, it is not probable. Whitt is quick to give credit to the exceptional course condition to superintendent Jeff Christianson. “To keep the golf course looking great, his crew does lots of watering on the course with mobile watering systems and the high-powered fans keep the bent grass greens alive in the heat of the summer.” Overall, the Ridge is for passionate golfers who can appreciate the efforts of the course’s design team which has built a golf experience that will create an indelible memory for those who decide to play on what should be considered the ‘Beloved and Beautiful Badlands of Birmingham.’
H ow I s ‘The Penalty Area’ Defined? With the most recent changes to the Rules of Golf by the United States Golf Association, those ponds, creeks and other water related obstacles that golfers find occasionally on a golf course and formerly called hazards, are now referred to as penalty areas. By Mitch Moon were never painted, or had stakes put in the ground, to designate the penalty area, since its inception. Do you really need a painted line, or penalty stake to tell you that your ball has found a watery grave and will never be seen again? If you happen to find an unmarked penalty area while playing, it’s really not an issue. The Rules of Golf tell us, “The edge of the penalty area is defined by its natural boundaries (that is, where the ground slopes down to form the depression that can hold the water.).” The definition also lets us know that any penalty area that isn’t marked is by default a red penalty area and thus the player has a couple of options to choose from, when taking relief, which is something I will expand upon in the September edition of the Indiana Golf Journal. In the meantime, do yourself a favor, try to keep your ball out of the penalty areas and in the fairway! The new definition refers to, “Any body of water on the course including a sea, lake, pond, river, ditch, surface drainage ditch, or other open watercourse (even if not containing water).” It is one of the five defined areas within the Rules of Golf, and they are a common occurrence on golf courses throughout the world. What’s golf without a little water to go over, around, or just to look at. Depending on where you play, the golf course may be marked with red stakes, or paint, may only get marked for tournament play, or the course may never see a can of paint all year. Growing up on a small nine-hole golf course in Iowa, the creek and ponds that dot the course
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