Web Address http://www.gwjga.com/ Grant Waite Junior Golf Academy---a new way to think about junior academies. If you want to train WITH a PGA Tour Champion, then the GWJGA is the right choice for you. Grant has played professional golf for 24 years, and now is ready to help the next generation develop their games. LESS STUDENTS = MORE PERSONAL ATTENTION. This the foundation of the GWJGA, and one of it’s biggest attractions. YOU WILL BE 1 OF 4 at the most. This means when we say you will get lots of attention from Grant, we mean it. No student needs to hope to be with the right coach, they are. A coach/student relationship can really be developed with this level of interaction. Consistency is the key. Grant brings a level of experience and expertise that makes the GWJGA truly unique. Grant knows what it takes to have success at the college and professional level, because he has lived it. He believes golf is a highly individualized sport, but the student needs to train in a systematic manner that continually moves them closer to their goals.

The Winstar Golf Course is located right next to the Winstar Casino that’s sitting on Native America Territories right off I-35 and just north of the Red River that divides Texas and Oklahoma. Depending on what part of Dallas you’re in it’s one to two hours drive, sitting 67 miles north of DFW airport. It’s about two hours south of Oklahoma City.

The course has 27 holes, with 18 being in play at any given time. The par 72 course was designed by DA Weibring and Steve Wolfard, and with five tees on each holes it can play anywhere from 4,900 to 7,300 yards in length.

I played here last weekend for the first time, and I have rarely had such an overwhelmingly positive impression of a course after just one round. All four of us in my usual foursome agreed that everything about this place is just right.

Even in the middle of a drought and three weeks of temperatures in the triple digits both fairways and greens were in great shape. The Grandprix bent grass greens in particular were fast but true and consistent.

The course as a whole looked great, and each individual hole was very appealing to the eye on its own. Sometimes accents were created by elaborate bunkering, and at other times the dramatic effects were increased by vegetation. Around the greens you often found a lot of different kinds of lies that challenged all parts of your short game.

The holes were challenging without being overly punitive; and there was a great sense of variety as we worked our way through the course. From the blue tees Par 5 holes range from 530 yards to 597; Par 4s range from 310 to 444, and Par 3s range from 149 to 212 yards. It’s truly a course for all levels of golfers.

The weekend green fees were only $69, and included a cart, range balls and a cooler pre stocked with water. This is a great value for anywhere close to the Dallas area.

There’s a true Golf Academy, and the facilities include a large putting green as well as a short game green.

The people were friendly and they had a great clubhouse that served an absolutely kick-ass Philly Steak-n-Egg sandwich.

Location-wise you’re less than a mile off I-35 and less than a mile from the Winstar Casino, but it’s very quiet in spite if it’s convenience.

In short, I can’t wait to go back.

Keep’em in the short stuff.

am•a•teur
Noun: A person who engages in a pursuit, esp. a sport, on an unpaid basis.
Adjective: Engaging or engaged in without payment; nonprofessional.

Above is the definition of amateur supplied by Google. Fairly straightforward, unless you are Tom Watson:

The amateurs today are pros; they're not amateurs. They play a lot of competition. They have the trainers like the pros do, they have the coaches like the pros do, they have the video equipment like the pros do.
They're AmNOs - amateur in name only.

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David Feherty has long ranked right up there as one of the most polarizing personalities in golf commentary, along with McCord, Miller, and Faldo. It seems everyone either loves him or loathes him.

Always candid, honest sometimes to a fault, and oftentimes controversial; there’s no denying that he’s one of the true characters in golf. After a long time working for CBS he’s now joined GolfChannel in a dual role. In addition to his typical tournament commentary he’s also hosting his own 30 minute interview show.

I’ve only seen a couple of the episodes, but I think this show is a forum where he can truly blossom. He can be goofy and funny without appearing irreverent to whichever golfer has the unmitigated gall to try to putt while he’s telling a story. He can share his own life’s story, which is very interesting, while also getting to know his interviewees on a very personal level. The show is edited well, moves at a comfortable pace, and is both insightful and entertaining.

I for one am a fan, and I look forward to every new episode.

Even my wife, who at best can be described as a marginal golf fan, will watch this show with me, and this is more than can be said for anything else on GolfChannel.

Feherty can also be reached on Twitter as @fehertwit.

Keep’em in the short stuff.

Ai Miyazato did her country and her profession proud by winning the Evian Masters in convincing fashion a little less than 24 hours ago. Miyazato won the Evian for the second time, shooting a magnificent 15 under with Stacey Lewis a further two shots back. Angela Stanford had her chances, but couldn't quite capitalize due more to a balky putter than poor shot making and finished just one shot behind Lewis. IK Kim and Mika Saiki were also at 12 under tied with Stanford.

Yani Tseng was perhaps a tad disappointing, tied 12th on a course that doesn't seem to fit her eye. A surprising stat from Yani this week - up till this week, she had only broken 70 once before here. As always though, she was at her gracious best and continued to win fans with her winning smile and never give up attitude.

Ai is revered in her homeland and has celebrity status of a level even surpassing Ryo Ishikawa. The Japanese people love their sporting heroes and none more so than their golfers.  She and Tseng are wonderful role models for how the game should be played, both in spirit and endeavor.  There are more than one or two others, both male and female out there, who could take note of that attitude and further boost the game as well as their respective Associations by emulating it. They may even play better golf by doing so.

                                                                       

via t3.gstatic.com

The lucky last of the four of the ladies majors this week. The girls are traipsing off to the wilds of Angus, Scotland to play the revered and at times, downright scary "Carnasty". The LPGA right now i chock full of talent and you could have ten picks and still leave out an "obvious" choice. 

Same format as last week for the WR picks. Pick three players, if you manage to pick the winner as your first pick, then you have a ten shot bonus. If scores are tied, then the winner is determined by whoever picks the highest finishing player. A missed cut is the cut line, plus five shots and you can't do worse than that number if scores blow up over the weekend. All welcome and happy picking to all.

            

via t1.gstatic.com

Stub         -                Tseng   - 26       Lewis   - 7       Stanford    - 3         =    - 36

Easy   -                     Tseng   - 26       Pressel   2        Pettersen   even       =      - 24

Diane    -                  Pettersen   even          Tseng   - 16        Lewis    - 7    =       - 23

Wendy       -              Webb   - 3         Tseng   - 16              Stanford   -  3            =    - 22

Saint     -                   A Miyazato  MC6          Tseng    - 16        Ryu   Kerr -5       =     - 15

Em         -                   Lewis    - 7        Pettersen    even         Stanford     - 3    =      - 10

Gnossos      -          Pettersen    even        Pressel   2         Lewis   - 7          =       - 5

Chip   -                      Pettersen   even          Kerr -5         Creamer   1        =      - 4

Scrums   -                Creamer   1         I K Kim      even           Shin   - 4            =    - 3

Sports         -             Lewis-7          I K Kim    even     A Miyazato   MC 6        =     -1

Evian Masters Waggle Room picks everyone welcome - even those who wear lycra....

Picks for Evian Masters. This time pick three - two picks last week for The Open Championship had  too many with the same picks. Bonus of 10 points for picking the winner. A missed cut is the cut line plus 5 shots and you can't do worse than that if your player makes the cut. In the event of a tie in points, then whoever has the highest ranked player in order - wins in a tiebreaker. Get 'em in for bragging rights and may the best girl win!!

 

via www4.pictures.zimbio.com

Pro   -    Tseng -9  Petterson -11    A Miyazato -  15                  =          - 35

Wendy   -   Tseng -9     Kerr -6   A Miyazato   -15                  =          - 30

Scrums    -   Shin -7    Pressel -11      M Miyazato -10              =          - 28

Gnossos     -   Kerr -6   Pressel -11   Petterssen -11                =            - 28

Charles     -      Tseng -9    Kerr -6 Stanford -12                     =          - 27

Em       -        Tseng -9   Kerr -6   Petterssen -11                       =        - 26

Easy    -    Tseng -9  Petterssen -11   Pak -3                            =        - 23

Chip   -    Tseng -9    Webb 2   Petterssen - 11                         =         - 18

Stub     -      Kerr -6   Petterssen -11   Wie MC6                           =      - 11

Saint      -      Nochera 2     A Miyazato -15    Wie MC6       =        - 7

Diane       -       Lewis -13    Gal 1      M Kim MC6                      =       - 6

Do you still believe this?

"Some players have no chance, until they embrace links golf as it should be. Mickleson never has. He has more chance of playing at my club than winning the Open…none at all". I think at this point we can safely say he's at least got a chance, playing brilliantly so far.

Sorry had to take a poke...lol Crazy game this is, you just never know what can happen.

Go Phil!

Tough day out there today.  You know something's a foot when less than a handful of guys break par and a almost a handful shoot in the 80's... So much is made about golf courses in the British Isles.  The golf snobs always say "Sn. Andrew's"  No question about the historical value of  links golf..... Ask your buddies why it's called "Links golf".....more than likely they'll say because the course is set up like a chain....you know....with links.... The truth is they're cupcake courses and only get huge press because of the weather.  Any golf course architect that designed a course like any in the Open rota would be the laughing stock of his professional organization.  Afterall, the greatest golfer in modern times (the last 10-15 years) only wins there when the weather is nice and calm.  A couple of the stages of the Tour de France have been contested in heavy rains.... The difference: bad weather for a pro cyclist can mean severe bodily injury, even death.  Bad weather in a golf tournament means endless prattle about rain suits and whinning.  Say, did anyone pick Darren Clarke???? Poor Rory is "demoralised".... Oh wait, no problem, he's so young....it's a learning experience.  Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Lucas Glover, Anthony Kim, Phil Mickelson and Davis Love.... What to these men have in common?  They're all AMERICANS and high on the leaderboard..... I know, I know, there's another round to be played, but rumors of the demise of American golf have been greatly exaggerated.... Ta Ta, pip pip, and Cheerio 

 

The guys at the 19:th hole needs to start hitting some of the sponsor’s wares, because they’re stone cold stupid.

Again, talking about Phil, they're running out the old “His game doesn’t fit links golf” because he hits the high ball.  It’s been heard for decades, and it’s been bullshit for decades.

Newsflash:

• Jack Nicklaus – High ball hitter – 3 championships.
• Tom Watson – High ball hitter – 5 championships.
• Tiger Woods – High ball hitter – 3 championships.

If you’re good you’ll win.  End of story.

Keep’em in the short stuff.