Crystal Springs Grows The Game

In a major event designed to grow the game of golf, Crystal Springs Resort will debut the first annual New Jersey GolfFest May 16 – 18, 2014. The resort, located about an hour from New York in Northern New Jersey, is home to seven interesting and distinct golf courses.

“The future of golf is now,” enthused Art Walton, Vice President Crystal Springs Resort. “We’re excited to bring the 1st annual New Jersey GolfFest to Crystal Springs Resort, which is already acclaimed for both innovative and growth initiatives.”

The New Jersey GolfFest supports the PGA of America’s "Grow the Game" programming, allowing participants of all ages and skill levels to experience "The Future of Golf" firsthand.  The 3-day festival will span the Resort’s seven golf courses and includes an all-access Expo featuring world-famous golf instructor David Leadbetter, rides on a space-age Hovercraft, demos of the latest equipment, free club fittings and clinics, a 7-Star Membership competition, fun-filled family golf, and the exciting new crossover sport – FootGolf.

In addition, fest goers will enjoy special pricing on top brand clothing, clubs and golf related merchandise, live stage seminars and demonstrations, Beer and BBQ garden featuring a variety of BBQ and craft beers, live entertainment, an amazing golf trick shot artist and more.

GolfFest partners include Adidas, Game Golf, Golfboard, GoPro, Leupold, Neoteric Hovercraft, Nike Golf, Oakley, Orange County Golf Carts, TaylorMade, Titleist, U.S. Kids Golf, Vecci and more.

Apart from the main Expo, the weekend is highlighted by the following key events:

An Evening with David Leadbetter – Saturday, May 17
Enlightenment and entertainment from the man who invented golf instruction schools, David Leadbetter. He will present an up-close and personal perspective of the golf world as seen by a teaching legend. Guests then take a journey of a different kind when Mr. Leadbetter escorts them into the Resort’s award-winning wine cellar to enjoy world-class wines and hors d’oeuvres from 4-Star Restaurant Latour.                

David Leadbetter Experience – Saturday & Sunday, May 17 & 18
Four golfers will relish a personal, once-in-a-lifetime golf experience with David Leadbetter. Guests will enjoy an instructional session with the world’s #1 teacher – then it’s off to play 9 holes of golf with the legendary Leadbetter on the acclaimed Wild Turkey Golf Course, followed by a mouthwatering lunch at the Chef’s Garden.
                                                                                                           
New Jersey Long Drive Championship Qualifier – Friday, May 16
Golfers will have the chance to show off their power, skill and athleticism and qualify for bragging rights and an opportunity to win a 7-course membership.  Guests will enjoy a ceremonial first drive and demonstration by three-time REMAX World Long Drive Championship Finalist Matthew “Hoss” Vilade.

New Jersey Putting Championship – Saturday, May 17
New Jersey’s Top Moss Boss will emerge victorious in this 4th annual championship of the greens. The Grand Cascades Putting Course offers the ultimate challenge of putting skill on a spectacular 18-hole natural grass masterpiece.  The top four qualifiers compete for big prizes and a 7-Course Membership in an 18-hole final.

New Jersey FootGolf Open Presented by the American FootGolf League – Sunday, May 18
Sports enthusiasts will experience the newest and most exciting crossover sport to hit the United States – FootGolf!  A hybrid of golf and soccer, FootGolf is two great sports rolled into one – combining the precision and power of both sports to create one amazing playing experience.

Parent-Junior Golf Tournament – Sunday, May 18
A golf event for all ages as both adults and kids team up to compete for the title of Top Family at the kick-off event for the 2014 season at one of the Top 12 Short Courses in America.  Family-friendly Minerals Golf Club features oversized cups for the kids and has four-seater carts that can fit the whole family.

Kitchell on Kinesiology – Seminars offered Saturday & Sunday, May 17 & 18
Nationally Certified Golf Performance Therapist, Gary Kitchell, brings a wealth of knowledge as to what it takes to prepare for athletic competition. Guests will have access to the training programs of the Pros and learn how to individualize their training to meet the demands of the modern game of golf!

Friday Night Lights – Friday, May 16
This nocturnal event at Black Bear Golf Course features a 3-Club Challenge, Hit the Range Picker, Ultimate Putting Contest, SNAG Golf, and a grand finale competition for which even non-golfers can partake in…the Big Burger Bitedown.

Hickory & Scotch Golf Tournament – Friday, May 16
This amazing Scotch Foursome format event at Ballyowen Golf Course includes a special hickory club competition where participants must navigate an entire hole using circa 1932 hickory shafted clubs. After golf, players enjoy an Irish-style feast and scotch sampling.

A portion of GolfFest ticket sales will be donated to local fire, police and EMT organizations.

For more information and ticket sales, visit www.CrystalGolfResort.com

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Great Spring Stay-and-Play at Crystal Springs

Act now to take advantage of one of the best golf deals you'll get all year, the “Midweek Golf and Stay” special at Crystal Springs Resort, an exciting and diverse mix of seven golf courses just an hour from New York City in New Jersey.

Through May 2, golfers can enjoy 36 holes and comfortably-appointed overnight accommodations at Minerals Resort & Spa. Rates begin at $109 per person (based on double occupancy) and are available Sunday through Thursday. Package pricing includes cart as well as complimentary access to the resort’s indoor / outdoor heated pools, saunas and steam rooms and fitness facilities.

Cascade Course at Crystal Springs

The first 18 holes must be played on the day of arrival after 1 pm on the Cascades course. For the second 18, guests may select from Black Bear, Crystal Springs or Great Gorge courses.

“This package responds to today’s technology and workplace trends that make midweek excursions much more feasible,” says Art Walton, Vice President of Golf Operations at Crystal Springs Resort.

To reserve, call (973)827-5996 x 2 (online booking is not available).

Nestled in the Kittatinny Mountains of northern New Jersey, Crystal Springs is a golf playground for all ages and abilities. Its 117 holes are exceptionally diverse:

• Ballyowen – Irish links-style layout rated state’s No. 2 public golf course by Golfweek
• Black Bear – Inviting mix of tumbling terrain and risk / reward options for players of all abilities
• Cascades – Newest addition stresses playability and features junior tees (nine holes)
• Crystal Springs – Ranked “Top 50 Toughest Course in America” by Golf Digest
• Great Gorge – Vintage 70’s golf on the legendary Playboy course (27 holes)
• Minerals – Family golf at “Top 12 Short Course” in America by Golf Range Magazine (nine holes)
• Wild Turkey – Spectacular resort course with world-class amenities and vistas

Crystal Springs is also a nationally-recognized leader in golf innovation and growing-the-game initiatives. They include family golf on Cascades and Minerals featuring four-person carts and two holes cut on each green (one eight inches in diameter); a “Fast Track” program that guarantees golfers finish in less than four hours; a pay-per-hole playing option; “Lessons and Links for Ladies” and more.

For more information: www.crystalgolfresort.com.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Crystal Springs Makes Golf A Family Game

There are those who talk about growing the game of golf, then there are those who do something about it. Put Art Walton, VP of Golf Operations at New Jersey's Crystal Springs Resort, at the head of the second group. He's led the seven-course facility in a major effort to make golf a family affair, the single best way to introduce new players into the game and increase the fun factor so they stay with it.

The Ultimate Buddy Trip at Crystal Springs. Photo courtesy of the resort.

It all began when they addedd the Minerals Hotel with its par-three nine-hole course to the portfolio a few years ago. The course was specified as a "Family Golf Club" and several features were added to make it more than a slogan. They cut oversize cups into the greens, provided four-seater golf carts, and put peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the snack cart. Similar steps were taken when the full-length nine-hole Cascades Course was opened a couple of years later. When Cascades was built, a special set of tees was built far forward on each hole and second, larger cups are cut into each green. Cascades, a Roger Rulewich design, can challenge golfers at all levels.

“Kids have done a lot to transform our two nine hole facilities,” Walton says. “It makes it more fun, not to mention easier, and certainly different.” Minerals has a full calendar of parent-junior events throughout the year and both courses offer family-friendly pricing, kids rental clubs, and rookie tee times.  “That took off," Walton says, "and each year our percentage of family golf has increased. It feels good and it’s been good from a financial standpoint, too. We’re growing the player segment.”

The resort isn't resting on its laurels. The Minerals course, a Robert Trent Jones design, is getting renovations to make it even more family-friendly. "The second hole has an elevated green with two bunkers in the front guarding the approach," Walton explains. "We took out one bunker and created a play-up area so you can hit it short and play on up. The par four fifth hole is a dog-leg right with a fairway bunker at the turn. We took out that bunker and created a run-up area for the green."

The single most popular innovation? "The four seater family carts are the best," says Walton. "Everyone in the family can ride together and you don’t have to worry about different sets of clubs."

The results have been rewarding, according to Walton, who points out, "The one limiting factor on family golf is the school year, of course, so you have a compressed season.” They still expect to log 13,000 rounds annually for family play on Minerals and a few less on Cascades.

He sums up the Crystal Springs philosophy perfectly: “You have to make it fun. People play for a lot of different reasons. Some are competitive, some aren’t. Some play for business, others to meet people. It makes you feel good when you try something like family golf and it works.”

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Crystal Springs Speeds Up The Game

I confess: I am a speed demon. I abhor slow play. A four-hour round of golf is a snail's pace and four-and-a-half puts me into a serious funk. My idea of a great round is about three hours and I've done it walking--in a foursome--plenty of times.

That's why I'm pumped about the Fast Track initiative at Crystal Springs in Sussex County, NJ. The forward-thinking seven-course resort makes it happen in a player-friendly way without losing any of the pleasure of the game.  “We’ve explored a lot of different methods and programs to make golf more appealing and more fun, inclusive, and more enjoyable,” says Director of Golf Art Walton. “It excites those who really like to get around the course. That gives them time to play another round, get home, or enjoy the many other amenities at the resort.”  They started the initiative at Wild Turkey and then added it to Black Bear last year. According to Walton, it's going well.

Crystal Springs Resort - photo courtesy of the resort

Tee times from opening to 8 AM at the two courses are reserved for Fast Track players, who pledge to finish in four hours or less. To speed up play, “ready golf” is expected rather than following the strict honors order of play and hunts for lost balls are limited to one minute rather than five. The starters also encourage groups to play from the correct tees and players are asked to pick up his or her ball if seven strokes have been played on any given hole. If a group is slow, the course assistants often declare out of bounds to be played as lateral hazards to eliminate re-teeing.

Player assistance on the golf course is key to the system. The rangers police the pace of play with tracking sheets for each group. “When someone is five minutes off, they’ll communicate with them,” Walton explains. "They get a warning to keep up with the group in front of them. If they can’t, we relocate them to their appropriate position on the course. That’s the only way to do it.” He adds that playing through isn’t a time-saving option since it involves waiting six or seven minutes.

“It was not an easy initiative," Walton says. "The communications chain that has to be executed has many steps along the way. Our central reservations department needs to know what the program is and be able to describe it to those booked into that time zone. They must be able to finish in four hours or less. That has to be fortified along the way. When the player checks into the pro shop, the person greeting them has to re-iterate that and make sure they understand. The same with the starter. What you don’t want is a group that says ‘I wasn’t told.’ The burden also extends to the golfer booking the reservation, who has to make sure everyone in their group understands the expectations.”

I applaud Crystal Springs for making a concerted effort to move the game along. Slow play equals bad golf. But the opposite is also true: fast play equals good golf, just like you'll find at Crystal Springs.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Ballyowen Lends A Celtic Flair To New Jersey

photo courtesy of the course

Ballyowen is the crown jewel of the Crystal Springs Resort collection of seven golf courses in the New Jersey highlands. The links-style design by Roger Rulewich has won accolades from Golfweek and many other publications, all well-deserved. You may argue whether it's like playing a links course (it's not), but you can't disagree with the simple fact that Ballyowen is an excellent test of your golf game.

The course sprawls over 250 acres atop a plateau surrounded by rolling farmland and craggy knolls giving it a wide-open, wind-swept feel. It is virtually treeless and fairways are defined by yellow fescue and other native grasses that literally eat errant shots, further giving the course a Celtic feel. Both greens and fairways are generally wide and welcoming, however, so well-played shots are rewarded. Just don't expect much links-like roll from the lush fairways.

Ballyowen measures 6,508 from the gold tees, which is as far back as all but the pros should play. With a 71.5 rating and 130 slope, the gold tees provide plenty of challenge. There are five sets of tees in total, ranging from 7,094 to 4,903 yards.

Birdie opportunities abound for the player who can keep their ball out of the gnarly rough and put it in the right place on the sprawling greens. Only two of the par fours are over 400 yards, two of the par fives are under 500 yards, and the longest par three is 180. It's the accuracy of your approach shots that will make the difference on even the two short par fours (#2 at 312 yards and #12 at 328) since neither one is drive-able.

The longest par five, the third hole clocking in at 546 yards, is a fascinating three-shot test, playing uphill on the approach and generally into the wind. The fairway is serpentine with bunkers guarding every turn and impossible rough lurking not far off the line. Aim right off the tee to bring the landing area for your second shot into view. A massive bunker--nearly fifty yards long--splits the fairway directly in front of the green, so make the right strategic choice on your second shot to set up your third.

The sixth hole, a 174-yard par three, is a card-wrecker that comes early in the round. The tee shot is all carry over water, which also wraps around the right side of the monstrous green. There's not really any bail-out area, either: the left side of the green is home to a huge bunker. Even if you avoid all the trouble, just landing your ball on the wide but shallow green doesn't guarantee a par since you could easily have a first putt of well over 100 feet.

Speaking of demanding putts, watch out for the the eleventh hole, a seemingly benign 161-yard one-shotter. You absolutely must put your tee shot on the same level as the cup on one of the three severe tiers to avoid a near-certain three jack--or worse.

The Back Nine At Ballyowen. Photo courtesy of the course.

Ballyowen's sixteenth hole brings together all the challenges you've faced so far. At 420 yards, it requires an accurate drive with a forced carry over the fescue to a fairway pinched by two gleaming bunkers on the right. Your second shot will be uphill to a long, narrow green guarded by a false front and yet more bunkers on both sides. The green itself is a roller-coaster ride where double-breakers are normal.

Ballyowen may not play like a links course, but it feels like one. Fairways are surrounded by mounds and hillocks and the big, big greens invite long running chips and pitches. The wide-open layout and views of the golf course around you reminded me of Kingsbarns Golf Links southeast of St. Andrews, where every time you look up after your own shot you can see other golfers in the distance. It's a course well worth the day trip from New York or Westchester or even a golf weekend where you can sample some of the other attractions--including the six other courses--within the Crystal Springs community.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

User-Friendly Wild Turkey At Crystal Springs

If you're a fan of spacious fairways, expansive greens, and eye-pleasing vistas, you'll like Wild Turkey, the Roger Rulewich design that opened in 2001 at Crystal Springs in Hamburg, NJ. It's an excellent resort course with just enough bite to give the serious golfer his or her money's worth.

Wild Turkey is routed over two distinct terrains, a ridge that gives you multiple elevation changes and a treeless basin that lends a hint of links to the round. Throughout the course, Rulewich provides plenty of fairway to work with but demands that your tee shot be in the right place for a precise approach to deceptively difficult greens. Many of the par fours have limited aprons to punish a miss as well as multiple pin positions on seemingly acres of putting surface to command pinpoint accuracy on your approach. The course measures 7,202 yards from the tips, but is a good round from the blue tees at 6,555 with a 71.4 rating/131 slope. Four sets of tees are available in total.

Wild Turkey Hole #7. Photo courtesy of the course.

Still, aside from a few exceptions, most of the holes are fairly forgiving as long as you observe and play to some of their design features. The 450-yard par four fifth hole, for example, has a green that runs away from a straight-on approach. The seventh, a 181-yard one-shotter, plays over a quarry lake. There's a minimal bail-out area left and out-of-bounds right, so the hole deserves your full attention.

As you make the turn, stop on the tenth tee to enjoy the view of three states, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, on the horizon at Port Jervis. You'll get another view worth pausing for at the fourteenth tee, where you overlook the entire basin from the twelfth to the seventeenth hole.

Wild Turkey shows its teeth on the finishing holes, beginning with the 392-yard fifteenth where you face a long forced carry over water, a menacing bunker complex on the right side of the fairway, and a difficult elevated green where the surface is hidden from view on your approach. You'll also have to contend with water on the sixteenth hole, a 170-yard par three, as well as on the tee shot for the seventeenth, a seriously-long 577-yard par five that looks like a Cape hole, but isn't unless you can safely carry the ball 270 yards. The better play from the tee is to aim at the right-side fairway bunkers, which are barely reachable by the average player but will put you in a position to avoid the cross bunkers on your second shot.

Wild Turkey is a user-friendly golf course, but certainly not one on which you'd be ashamed of posting par or a little over. Like all the courses at Crystal Springs, the amenities are excellent, the conditions good, and the staff welcoming and helpful. Greens fees are reasonable, too, so consider squeezing in a second round during the day.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

A Ten Minute Lesson From David Leadbetter

David Leadbetter delivered some solid advice during a recent session at his academy at Crystal Springs in Franklin, NJ. The well-known guru has coached dozens of tour stars around the world who have amassed over a dozen Major Championship titles and over 100 individual worldwide tournament victories. He basically invented the business of golf instruction and today operates 28 golf academies around the globe. His insights into the state of the average player's game are not to be ignored.

"Ninety percent of all golfers have a lousy grip," he said as he started the session. "A lot of swing problems can be traced directly to that." According to Leadbetter, most players hold the club too much in the palms of their hands which restricts hinging of the wrists, adds to tension in the arms and shoulders, and virtually eliminates any chance of a smooth, powerful movement. "The grip should be in the fingers and light enough to take tension out of the swing." Leadbetter laughingly pointed out that he and his staff got so tired of drawing lines on players' gloves to show them where to hold the club that he created the Correct Grip Golf Glove with markings already on it.

The next part of Leadbetter's lesson focused on stance. "Stand like you're ready to move," he said. Weight evenly distributed and knees slightly flexed, arms hanging loose, you'll be ready to make a relaxed but powerful swing.

"Try not to have more than one swing thought," Leadbetter adds. "And none is even better." Over-thinking is the enemy of good golf, according to him. He adds, "You don't have to be dumb to play this game, but it helps."

Finally, complete your back swing with your weight on your right heel, then swing all the way to a finish and hold the pose. "If you can do that, you've accomplished a lot of good things in your swing," he says.

The master teacher's observations on technology were interesting, too. "The biggest difference in teaching now and thirty years ago," he says, "is that now we have the cameras, launch monitors, brain scans, you name it, to prove the average player's swing sucks."  From the positive side of technology, he points out that "The largest change in the game is our ability to improve results by club fitting."

Leadbetter opened his academy at Crystal Springs last year. Golfers in the Northeastern US can now take advantage of a variety of mini schools, players’ schools, retreats, private sessions and improved performance programs.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Lightning? Gimme Shelter!

Photo courtesy of Adam Donlin, Ballyowen Director of Golf

If you have any doubt about what happens when lightning strikes a golf course, look closely at the green in this picture from Ballyowen in Hamburg, NJ. The flag has been replaced since the one that drew the lighting was obliterated, but check out the cracks in the green radiating from the cup. Now imagine the force that created them coursing through your body. Not pleasant, but that's exactly what could happen if you ignore the simplest rule in golf: if there is the remotest possibility that lightning is in the area while you are on a golf course--take immediate shelter!

A few things to keep in mind:

Lightning can strike several miles from the center of a storm and far from the clouds you see. Ever heard of a "bolt from the blue?" They're real! Lightning can strike fifteen miles from a thunderstorm.

You will not always have warning from thunder. Atmospheric conditions can send the thunder sound wave away from you.  On the other hand, if you hear thunder, don't try to second-guess it. There's lighting somewhere in your vicinity so take cover.

Don't trust the "30-second rule." It's widely believed that you can count the seconds between a lightning flash and the sound of the thunder and, if it's greater than thirty seconds, the danger is too far away to be cause for concern. That's dangerous wishful thinking--the next lightning flash you see can easily be the one that strikes your head.

Most lightning casualties occur in the beginning of a storm because golfers tend to try to ignore the warning signs and try to squeeze in just one more hole. Many injuries also come after the storm--lightning can strike up to thirty minutes after the thunderstorm has supposedly passed.

Many golf courses have lightning warning systems, but don't wait for the horn to sound if you see the storm coming. The systems are great, but not always maintained in perfect working order.

The safest place to be is in the clubhouse, so head for it at the first indication of trouble. If you can't make it, avoid the places you want to be like in a course rain shelter, under a tree, or even in your golf cart. All of these actually increase the probability of being struck. Instead, find the lowest point away from things like standing water, fences, or machinery, crouch down, and put your hands over your ears to minimize hearing damage. Don't lay flat on the ground and stay at least fifteen feet from other people--lightning can jump from them to you.

What should you do if someone in your group is struck? Here's what the National Severe Storms Laboratory says:

1. Call 911 and provide directions to the victim
2. Don't endanger yourself or others if the victim is in a high-risk area and the storm is continuing. Lightning DOES strike the same place twice!
3. Victims don't carry a charge after being struck, so it's safe to touch them to render treatment. They also seldom suffer from major fractures or bleeding complications, so it's safe to move them away from a high risk area if you can do so safely.
4. If the victim is not breathing, start mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If you can't find a pulse, start cardiac compression as well. If the ground is cold and wet, put a protective layer beneath the victim to decrease hypothermia.

Literally hundreds of people are killed and injured every year by lightning. While about 10% of strike victims die, the other 90% usually suffer lifelong effects. Don't be one of them.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf