The Ultimate In Golf Cart (Trolley) Evolution

A few years ago, my doctor ordered me to stop carrying a golf bag. Tood tough on the back, he said. While I hire a caddie whenever I can, there are some courses where they aren't available. The answer? A pull-cart (or trolley, as they say in the old country).

Those contraptions have come a long way since somebody welded a couple of wheels on a pipe frame, though. The current epitome of cart evolution is the Micro-Cart from Sun Mountain.

Micro-Cart from Sun Mountain is a four wheel walking cart that folds smaller and weighs less, tipping the scales at only 13 lbs. and folding down to 52 cubic inches. Micro-Cart’s small folded footprint and light weight make the cart easy to get in and out of a vehicle. Also, due to the patented four-wheel design, the cart has a low center of gravity which results in superior stability on the course. Micro-Cart folds and unfolds in two easy motions and comes standard with the E-Z Latch for hassle-free handle height adjustment.

Uniquely, the inventors at Sun Mountain added a fourth wheel to Micro-Cart. The benefit of the four-wheel design is better stability on side hills and no tracking adjustments required. The four wheels come standard with low maintenance solid foam tires and adjustable front axle to accommodate the largest of golf bags.

Micro-Cart’s lightweight anodized aluminum frame folds and unfolds in two easy motions offering variable handle-height positions and the E-Z Latch; strapless bag bracket; standard Micro-Paq for additional storage; and a console with padded valuables tray, ball and tee holders, magnetic scorecard holder, and a drink holder. The standard Micro-Cart is available in four colors (red, black, blue and silver) and the new Micro-Cart Sport is available in bold color combinations (black/yellow, charcoal/red, black/lime and charcoal/pink). Micro-Cart and Micro-Cart Sport are available now with a retail price of $189.

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

The Cure for Too Much Elvis in Your Golf Swing

Somehow, Anthony Renna's Five Iron Fitness video series with pros from around the Met Section always seems to apply to a swing problem I'm facing at the moment. This one, with Fenway Golf Club's Heath Wassem, shows you how a simple drill can get your hips under control.


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

Casa de Campo Stages Inaugural Dye Hard Cup

Could you overdose on Pete Dye golf? Most of us would jump at the chance to try. Add a $90,000 prize and put the event at one of the Caribbean's premier destinations, Casa de Campo, and the only question you'll hear is "where do I sign up?" (for the answer, see below)

Welcome to the inaugural Dye Hard Cup.

Casa de Campo's Teeth of the Dog

From Nov. 10-15, 2013, 90 contestants will pit themselves against the 90 holes of golf at the Casa de Campo Resort in the Dominican Republic, playing for a winner-take-all prize of $90,000.

Dye Hard, indeed!

Along with Teeth of the Dog—the number-one course in the Caribbean according to Golf Digest—the Dye Hard Cup will be played on the three breathtaking nines at Dye Fore, spread along cliffs high above the Chavon River, and The Links, featuring spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. Also included is the resort’s private course, La Romana, another of Dye’s devilishly beautiful designs.

Just as exciting is the format, which is open to both professionals and amateurs: 90 holes played as an individual gross stroke-play competition with one contestant pocketing the whole $90,000.

The number of holes in each round will correspond to the number of holes at each Casa de Campo course: The opening round is 27 holes on La Romana. The second round at Dye Fore is also 27 holes. Round three is 18 holes on The Links. And the final 18 is on Teeth of the Dog, the ultimate test. But there’s more to the Dye Hard Cup than just great golf. Players also get five nights’ lodging and all food and beverage at Casa de Campo.

“We are looking forward to hosting some tremendous golfers for six days of great competition and camaraderie,” said Peter Bonell, Chief Marketing Office. “Their talents will be challenged by the beautiful but difficult tests that Pete Dye has blessed us with at Casa de Campo.”

The festivities kick off on Sunday, Nov. 10, with a welcome reception at The Beach Club by Le Cirque, the resort’s leading restaurant and lounge, nestled against the Caribbean Sea. (Early arrivals can play practice rounds on any of the courses that day.)

Also included in the contestant’s package:

• Five nights’ accommodations in a newly renovated elite-class room at the resort
• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily
• Unlimited drinks in all resort bars and restaurants, including Oasis bars and beverage carts on the golf courses
• Unlimited use of the driving range
• Complimentary use of a personal golf cart on property throughout the stay
• Complimentary use of the resort’s Sports Fitness Center
• VIP treatment for arrivals at La Romana airport (10 minutes from resort) and at hotel check-in
• Airport transfers, resort taxes, and service charges

The all-inclusive registration fee for contestants is $5,000. Non-golfers are $3,000, and instead of golf have unlimited access to horseback riding, tennis, and non-motorized watersports at the resort’s private Minitas Beach.

If you ever wanted to Dye Hard, this is the way to do it.

For more information, call the golf reservations office at (809) 523-8215 or visit www.casadecampo.com.do/dyehardcup2013.

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

Amazing Wedge Puts Rob Labritz in PGA Championship

In one of the most exciting finishes of his career, GlenArbor Director of Golf Rob Labritz holed out a 95-yard wedge in the second playoff hole to earn a spot in the field for the PGA Championship. The video shows this amazing shot


Labrtiz had edged into the playoff at the PGA Professional National Championship at Sunriver Resort in Oregon with a one-over 288. He was one of six vying for three spots in the major to be played at Oak Hill in Rochester this August. Danny Balin, of Burning Tree in Greenwich, made the playoff as well. Balin dropped a birdie putt on the first playoff hole, as did Bob Gaus, leaving four contenders for the last spot in the major.

On the second playoff hole, the 457-yard par four eleventh on the Crosswater Club course, Labritz had pulled his tee shot into an ugly bunker where he was left with a difficult lie. He gouged it out into the fairway while the other three players put their second shots on or close to the green.

Left with 95 yards, Labritz called on hours spent working on wedge shots with his swing coach Tom Willson, head pro at Bonnie Briar, and took dead aim with a 52-degree wedge for the uphill shot to a pin placed precariously on the upper tier. His hope was to get close enough for a one-putt par to stay in the playoff. The video shows what happened instead.

Standing ready for the post-shot interview was Labritz compatriot at GlenArbor Brian Crowell, head pro at the Bedford club, who was providing on-course commentary for the Golf Channel coverage of the event.

This will be the fourth PGA Championship for Labritz, who was the low club pro at Whistling Straits in 2010.  Oak Hill may be a particularly memorable tournament for another big reason: Labritz and his wife Kerry are expecting a baby girl to be born about that time.

Two other Met Section pros made the cut in the tournament, but finished just outside the line for the championship. St. Andrew's Greg Bisconti was tied for 24th. Metropolis assistant John Guyton finished in a tie for 59th.

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

Videos for the Golf Nerd in You

Golf videos abound online. Lessons, tips, bloopers, course tours....the list is endless. Add to that now a series from NBC News' educational arm, NBC Learn, which teamed up with the USGA and Chrvron Corporation to release the “Science of Golf," an informative 10-part video series narrated by NBC Sports’ lead play-by-play anchor Dan Hicks.  The series explores Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) topics through the lens of the game that brings out the nerd in all of us.

The videos were made especially for students and teachers to use in the classroom but are also available to the public cost-free on NBCLearn.com/Golf. In addition, the three organizations announced they are providing the award-winning “NBC Learn K-12” learning resource to more than 500 middle and high schools in 14 districts across the country. The gift grants schools two years’ worth of access to the rich collection of NBC News videos, primary source documents, images, and resources specifically designed for use in the K-12 classroom. Students and teachers will see how the principles of science affect everything about the game—from a player’s golf swing, to the anatomy of a golf ball, the math behind golf scoring, and the evolution of the golf club.

“In partnering with the USGA and NBC Learn we have been able to develop what we think is a truly unique series of videos – taking a peek behind the scenes at the science of golf and hopefully inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists,” said Glenn Weckerlin, Director, Programs and Partnerships of Chevron. “We have made ‘The science of’ videos as well as the entire portfolio of NBC Learn resources available, to provide innovative content that might not otherwise be available to the schools.”

For each piece of the series, an expert from the USGA scientist explains the selected scientific principle, while the golfers describe how these principles apply to their game. The science is broken down by capturing the golfers’ movements with a state-of-the-art, high-speed Phantom camera, which has the ability to capture movement at rates of up to 10,000 frames per second. These dynamic visuals allow for frame-by-frame illustrations of specific scientific principles such as displacement, buoyancy, kinematics, acceleration and velocity. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) will provide lesson plans for teachers that accompany the videos created by NBC Learn.

"We are proud of our collaboration with Chevron and NBC Learn to use golf as a way to bring education to life,” said Sarah Hirshland, the USGA’s Senior Managing Director of Business Affairs. “The new video series showcases the STEM principles that play a key role in a variety of USGA functions, including equipment testing, environmental research, and scoring.  We hope these videos inspire students of all ages, whether they are enjoying the game or learning in the classroom.”

In addition to its subscription resources, NBC Learn also produces original video collections that are made available for free on NBCLearn.com. These include the Emmy Award-winning “Science of NFL Football,” and “Science of the Winter Olympic Games” collections, as well as “Changing Planet” and “Chemistry Now.”

“Building on the innovative ‘Science of Sports’ franchise, we’re thrilled to partner with the USGA and Chevron to expand the series to include golf, as well as create strategic partnerships that enable our award-winning digital learning content to be used free of charge,” said Soraya Gage, General Manager of NBC Learn. “These one-of-a-kind videos have set a new precedent for teaching science in the classroom, by breaking down difficult STEM concepts and illustrating their real-life application through sports.”

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

Plan Your Golf Week Around the US Women's Open

It's a great week for golf on Long Island. Tickets for the 68th U.S. Women’s Open Championship at Sebonack Golf Club on June 24–30 are still available. You can get them online at www.2013uswomensopen.com.

Ticket options range in price from $20 to $200. All tickets include free parking and free shuttle transportation to and from the admission gate. Daily grounds tickets are also available for practice and championship rounds. Championship-round tickets are $40 per day (Thursday–Sunday) and practice-round tickets cost $20 per day (Monday–Wednesday).

Priced at $100, the 4-Pack includes four good-any-one-day grounds tickets. This is the most flexible option, allowing for tickets to be divided up throughout the week or all used on the same day.

Nicklaus Pavilion tickets provide access to the championship grounds and to an air-conditioned tented facility between the first and second fairways with upscale food and beverages available for purchase. The pavilion is named for Jack Nicklaus, 18-time major champion and co-designer, along with Tom Doak, of Sebonack Golf Club. Daily tickets to the Nicklaus Pavilion are available for $65, while a Nicklaus Pavilion package, which includes seven individual daily tickets (Monday–Sunday), is priced at $200.

Also available is the Weekly Ticket Package, which includes one ticket for each day of the championship (Monday–Sunday) at $125, with access to the grounds and grandstands.

Practice rounds will be held Monday, June 24, through Wednesday, June 26. Tee times will begin at approximately 6:45 a.m. and play will continue through the early evening, with admission gates opening at 6:30 a.m.

First- and second-round play will begin at 6:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 27, and Friday, June 28, with the gates opening at 6:30 a.m. Third- and fourth-round play will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 29, and Sunday, June 30, with the admissions gates opening at 7 a.m. Play will continue until approximately 6 p.m., followed immediately by the trophy presentation on the 18th green.

Throughout championship week, youths 17 and under will receive free admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Youngsters will also receive front-row seating in all on-course grandstands.

There will be two special junior clinics during championship week. On Tuesday, June 25, a clinic hosted by 2010 U.S. Women’s Open champion Paula Creamer and Today show host Matt Lauer will be held at 2 p.m. on the Sebonack Golf Club practice range. Creamer and Lauer will discuss their backgrounds and love for the game of golf, followed by a display of trick shots and challenges.

On Wednesday, June 26, the Dennis Walters Golf Show will take place at 3 p.m., also on the Sebonack driving range. Paralyzed from the waist down, Dennis Walters dazzles with an array of trick shots while sitting in his wheelchair. His dog, Bucky, also plays a prominent role in the show, as he barks out the correct answers to Dennis’s golf trivia questions. Admission to both clinics is free to all ticket holders.

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

Manhattan Woods Rewards The Thinker

Call me a golf snob, but I like strategic courses. Tracks where you have to use your brain more than your brawn to make a par. That's probably why I've always felt refreshed rather than depleted after a round at Manhattan Woods, the Gary Player signature course in West Nyack, NY, which celebrates its fifteenth anniversary this year.

Every hole presents a different challenge from the one before it. A few holes reward a long drive off the tee; most others demand precision. Bomb and gouge won't get you very far here. In fact, most players should hit a driver on only about half the holes if they want to stay out of the fescue, bunkers, or water that pinch many landing areas. Greens are invitingly spacious but yield low scores only to the player who lands his or her approach in the perfect spot. In other words, you have to think your way around the course.

While you're doing all that cogitating, though, don't forget to enjoy the full Manhattan Woods visual experience. Player fit the course into 200 breath-taking acres, which gives plenty of room to make each hole a world of its own. Mature trees, brilliant bunkering, and fescue rough define the route to the green on nearly every hole and water is used judiciously to both challenge your game and please your eye. As the name implies, the Manhattan skyline is visible from several spots on the course, a reminder that the club is just 20 minutes from the George Washington Bridge.

Manhattan Woods offers five sets of tees, well-spaced from 5,090 to 7,109 yards (par 72) so that players of every level can find significant challenge. The slope is high--141 from the blue tees at 6,381 yards--so matches should be carefully handicapped to avoid blowouts. On the other hand, the way Manhattan Woods punishes a blind bomber can give a thoughtfully patient shorter hitter a distinct advantage. Maybe that's why I like the course so well!

Head pro Dick Smith, Jr., points to the fifth hole as an example of a thinking player's hole at Manhattan Woods. It's 384 from the blue tees and still the number one handicap hole. Why? Because there are so many ways to go wrong on the hole. The perfect tee shot is a fade over the yawning bunker that guards the gentle dog leg right. A driver pounded without the proper shot shape, however, will put you in a bunker through the fairway or worse, in the woods behind it. Only a perfect tee shot gives you the right approach line up the hill to the two-tiered green.

The amenities of the club perfectly complement the golf course. Locker rooms are spacious and well-attended. The caddie program provides excellent, experienced loopers whose advice should be heeded even by players with their own solid knowledge of the course. The Grille Room, Oak Bar, and other dining facilities are well-appointed with attentive servers and fabulous cuisine well above the usual boring country club fare.

In need of a lesson or two? How about a few tips from the Golf Channel's own Michael Breed? He opened the Michael Breed Golf Academy at Manhattan Woods this year, so even non-members can book a private session with the energetic, enthusiastic 2012 PGA of America Teacher of the Year right at the club's excellent practice facilities.

Manhattan Woods draws a significant number of members from New York City, but it's just a stone's throw from the Tappan Zee, so it's convenient to Westchester golfers as well. Given the quality of the experience and ease of access, it's no wonder the club continues to grow.

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