Crowell Exposed on NBC

I'll be glued to the TV screen this weekend, not just to watch Tiger's return to the tour in the Accenture World Match Play, but to see Brian Crowell's new program on NBC, The Golf Digest Equipment Show, which airs at 1 PM Eastern just before the Match Play finals. To show you what a fan of Brian's I am, I'll be tuning in even if Tiger doesn't make it to the final round.

Brian and his co-host, Dottie Pepper, will give us a lighthearted look at the latest in golf gear. All the newest technology--clubs, bags, golf balls, apparel, shoes, gadgets, and training devices--will get the duo's expert once-over, liberally seasoned, I'm sure, with Brian's wry wit. The 60-minute program will show behind-the-scenes footage of testing facilities at Ping, Taylormade, Titleist, Adams, Nike and Cleveland, including unprecedented access to Callaway’s operation.

Crowell is head pro at GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford, NY. Having played a round or two with him, I can attest that his knowledge of the game is tempered by a well-grounded sense of humor about it. The man plays a mean electric bass, too. All in all, Sunday's program should be on everyone's "must see" list.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

The Dowser

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Looks Easy On TV

Golf looks so simple, doesn’t it? The player starts each hole by putting the ball up on a little peg so it’s easy to hit and ends by gently tapping the ball into a hole more than twice as big as the ball. How hard is that?

It's looks even easier on TV. Most of the players look like they never break a sweat and dress like it’s casual Friday at the office.

But golf does make you sweat—-I know.

In between that level, manicured tee and the smooth, carpeted green are nasty surprises like rough grass up over your ankles and moats brimming with water and pits full of sand deeper than the Grand Canyon. You don’t see players hit from those places very often on TV. Most of the coverage is devoted to drives and putts—-swings most average golfers know how to make even if they don’t do it right all the time.

It’s the tricky shots in between where most of us need help. The pros didn’t have a bit of trouble hitting the hardest shots in the game. I guess if you know what you’re doing, it’s easy. Come to think of it, they didn’t break a sweat, either.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Golf In Mickey Mouse Land

For a family-oriented golf vaction, where else would you go but to Orlando, home of more kid-friendly attractions than anyplace on earth. You can do the whole Disney thing (and there are some fine courses in Mickey land), but a destination worth considering is one that’s sort of under the radar in Orlando—-but it shouldn’t be. It’s Championsgate, home to two world-class Greg Norman-designed courses, David Leadbetter’s Golf Academy, a magnificent Omni Resort Hotel, and just fifteen minutes away from the Magic Kingdom et al. There are multiple dining choices, too, including my favorite, David’s Club, an upscale sports bar/steakhouse.

But first things first—-golf at Championsgate. You’ll experience two completely different style courses, both of which are worth your time and attention. The International, which plays host to the Father-Son Challenge in December, carries one of the highest rating and slope of any course in Florida, a whopping 76.8/143 from the tips, which measures 7,363 yards. It’s no pushover from the blue tees, either, stretching 6,792. Norman designed a true links course, with wind-swept, treeless fairways, run-up approaches to hard, fast greens, and a plethora of pot bunkers in truly inconvenient locations.

The National is a (somewhat) kinder and gentler parkland layout. It’s a little shorter at 7,128, but much, much tighter. Spanish-moss-draped trees, thick stands of palmettos, and ball-swallowing waste areas frame nearly every hole—none of which play very straight.

Mom doesn’t have to entertain the kids while Dad plays golf at Championsgate, either. There’s the Omni Kids Club to keep them occupied while Mom joins Dad on the links or enjoys the spa. For whole-family fun, the Omni offers the 850-ft. Lazy River tube-float, a zero-entry family activity pool, lighted tennis and basketball courts, a sand volleyball court, and a really entertaining lighted nine-hole par-three golf course, with holes ranging from 55 to 85 yards. On second thought, who needs to fight the crowds at Sea World?

Championsgate
Orlando
(888) 558-9301
www.championsgategolf.com
Nearest airport: Orlando (30 minutes)
Golf package: $367 per night (for two persons double occupancy) includes room and breakfast, and as many rounds on both courses as you can play in one day. After dark, the lighted par-three course is included, too.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

The C.O.R. Fairy Made Me Do It

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Doral For The Family

Doral Golf Resort and Spa is an oasis of luxury in the South Florida sun for golfers and their families. Guest rooms and suites are in lodges arrayed near the main clubhouse, and the Spa at Doral can only be described as palatial.

There are loads of activities for the family, too, with Camp Doral offering everything from Arts & Crafts to Volleyball. It’s next to the Blue Lagoon, where the whole family can enjoy the beach-entry pool, 125-foot waterslide, and 20 poolside cabanas with amenities. There are eight restaurants on the property, ranging from the Java Zone coffee counter to Windows On The Green, which serves fresh seafood and American cuisine with South Florida and Caribbean accents. There’s also an unheralded but not to be missed sushi bar, too.

There are five courses at the resort, but the must-play track is the Blue Monster. It reminds me of a mugger in a Brooks Brothers suit--it looks harmless but it will hurt you when you least expect it. The 7,288-yard (from the tips) home of numerous PGA Tour events looks benign on paper. From the blue tees, only four of the par fours are over 400 yards and the longest is 416. The 131 slope isn’t even particularly daunting, so you stand on the first tee expecting to put some good numbers on the scorecard.

The gem of the track is the 18th hole, which played to a PGA Tour-toughest 4.625 stroke average at the 2007 WGC-CA Championship. From the mortal tees, it’s only 414 yards! But when you play it into the wind, it’s more like 474—with water on your left all the way until it cuts almost all the way across the front of the green to drown any hope you may have had of getting home in two. Your trials and tribulations aren’t over when you finally make it to the green, either—Mark Calcavecchia putted right off it into the water last year. It makes you wonder how even Tiger Woods won here three years in a row (2005-2007).

Doral Golf Resort & Spa
Miami
(800) 713-6725
www.doralresort.com
Nearest airport: Miami (15 minutes)
Golf package: $594 includes room and breakfast, one round on the Blue Monster with forecaddie for one golfer, and other amenities. Also a one-hour introductory golf clinic at no additional charge.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Jim Nantz Recognized by MetGCSA

Congratulations to Jim Nantz, "the voice of the Masters," who has been awarded the John Reid Lifetime Achievement Award by the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association (MetGCSA). Nantz received the award at the MetGCSA’s Annual Winter Seminar Luncheon at Westchester Country Club in Rye, NY, on January 14, 2009.

Awards committee chairman and past MetGCSA president, Will Heintz says

“Through the years, Jim has been complimentary to grounds crews and superintendents while covering golf tournaments on national television. His impeccable image and reputation, along with his support has helped to promote the professional image of the golf course superintendent, the very premise on which the Reid Award was founded.”

Nantz is the 19th recipient of the John Reid Lifetime Award, which is presented to an individual who promotes the science and art of golf course management and the professional image of the golf course superintendent. John Reid, “The Father of American Golf,” introduced the game to America in 1888, founded Saint Andrew’s Golf Club (America’s oldest enduring golf club) in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, and later assisted in the formation of the United States Golf Association and Metropolitan Golf Association.

Nantz has covered multiple CBS Sports events including NFL football, NCAA basketball, the Winter Olympics and is the anchor for the network’s golf coverage.

“I have always felt that the golf course superintendent is the unsung hero of the sport,” Nantz states. “I am particularly impressed by those who have made golf in the Metropolitan area so special. Here, you deal with all forces of Mother Nature, yet we are blessed with the greatest assemblage of golf courses anywhere in the nation. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the men and women who’ve ensured that golf in the Metropolitan area represents the best of the best.”

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo