SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – When it comes to American golf, it doesn’t get any more historic than Shinnecock Hills.

Founded in 1891, it’s the oldest incorporated club in the country. Three years later it became one of the five founding members of the USGA. And in 1896 it hosted the second U.S. Open, which was won by James Foulis, by three shots over defending champion Horace Rawlins. That same year it also hosted the second U.S. Amateur, which saw H.J. Whigham beat J.G. Thorp in the final match, 8 and 7.

It would take nine decades for the national championship to return. But it certainly was memorable. In 1986, there were nine players tied for the lead at one point in the final round. Ray Floyd wasn’t among them. But he was the guy who wound up lifting the trophy. It was his fourth and final major win (to go with two PGAs and a Masters), 17 years after he got his first.

In 1995 Corey Pavin won his only major, by two over Greg Norman. He started on Sunday three off the lead, playing in the next-to-last group. By the time he reached the 18^th he was one in front. And his 228-yard approach, with a 4-wood, just cleared the rough in front of the green and rolled to within 5 feet of the hole. Even though he didn’t make the birdie putt, it was enough. And his shot will forever remain of the more indelible in Open lore.

In 2004, Retief Goosen finished first for the second time in four years, holding off Phil Mickelson by two. Goosen needed just 11 putts over the closing nine holes. He led by two entering the last round. But Lefty, who had just won his first major at Augusta two months earlier, had tied things up going to the 17^th. But Phil three-putted the par-3 for a double bogey, which proved to be the difference.

So Shinnecock, on the eastern end of Long Island, has produced some worthy snapshots. And it will try to do so once again when another Open is held there starting on June 14.

“Shinnecock Hills is indeed one of the most important places in all of golf in the United States,” said Mike Davis, the USGA’s Chief Executive Officer, at the recent media day. “It’s magnificent. Its influence on golf is certainly almost unparalleled. It’s a national treasure here.

“We love the place so much we’ve already announced we’re coming back for another U.S. Open (in 2026). It has the oldest golf clubhouse. It’s been welcoming, and accessible, really, from day one … The architecture is just marvelous. I dare say that in terms of where elite golf is played, I can’t think of a better golf course in the world. There’s just so many things that are great about it. And it keeps evolving.”

There is no water. Ditto the trees. It’s a par 70, playing at just over 7,400 yards. The previous three modern Opens were in the 6,900 range. Bunkers come into play, both off the tee and into the greens. The rough doesn’t seem too penal, at least in many places. But it is an Open, so that’s always a relative term. The wind will be a factor, just because everything is so open and you’re near the ocean. And the fairways aren’t nearly as narrow in the current setup. It almost reminds you of something you would find on the other side of the Atlantic. Nothing wrong with that. Just different is all. Remember when our Opens meant footlong rough right off the fairway. Well you don’t see that anymore. Same for around the greens. Doesn’t mean it’s any less difficult.

The USGA will tell you that par doesn’t matter. Don’t believe them. If that were true, why would they change par-5s to 4s? Just saying. They can’t do that here, since there are only two 5s. Nonetheless, expect something around par to get it done. Last year, of course, that wasn’t the case at Erin Hills, where Brooks Koepka led the assault on the longest course ever to host this Open. Why ask why. It was almost like watching a PGA. And if we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that when the USGA gets “embarrassed,” the next year somebody pays for it.

Hey, Johnny Miller shot 63 in the last round at Oakmont in 1973, and the next year you had the so-called massacre at Winged Foot. There are other examples. And that’s OK. I just wish the USGA would come out and say one time that they want their Open to be the hardest tournament to win all year. Which obviously it is. Instead they’ll only maintain that they’re trying to identify the best golfer, which every other major is trying to do too. Anyway, people look exhausted by Wednesday. It’s the longest week in the game. But the survivor won’t care. He’ll spend the rest of his life being introduced as a U.S. Open champion. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?

 In 2004, there was one problem. On Sunday the green at the par-3 seventh wouldn’t hold any shots. So the USGA opted to hose them down between groups, which kind of boggled the mind. It wasn’t a good look, and it cost some people their jobs. That, not shockingly, was one of the first things Davis chose to address when it was his turn to speak.

“We had a situation where you were watching well executed shots not being rewarded,” he explained. “In fact, you saw some actually being penalized. I can assure you that is not what the USGA wanted. I would just say that it was 14 years ago. It was a different time, it was different people, and we as an organization have learned from it.

“When you set up a U.S. Open it is golf’s ultimate test. It’s probably set up closer to the edge than any other event in golf, and I think that the difference then versus now is we have a lot more technology, a lot more data in our hands. And frankly, what really happened then was just a lack of moisture. There just wasn’t enough water put in and essentially the grass itself kind of went dormant. There wasn’t enough friction on the greens.

“Nowadays we have got everything from firmness meters … (to) moisture meters. Obviously we can tell how fast a green is running. The meteorology is better. So we not only know where the winds are coming from but the velocities. And frankly there’s better communication between the USGA and the grounds staff.”

So …

“I feel comfortable,” Davis went on. “Looking back, even though there were part of that final day (that didn’t go right), it was a magnificent day coming down to the end. There are parts that I think we learned from. And I think we’re happy that we have a mulligan this time. It was certainly a bogey last time. In fact, maybe even a double bogey. And equitable stroke control perhaps kicked in. But it’s great to be back. We are incredible excited.”

Two of the last three Opens were held at Erin Hills and Chambers Bay, two new public facilities. The reasons were twofold: to take the event to areas that don’t usually get it, like the Pacific Northwest and Wisconsin, and to try to do what they did by going to two other daily-fee places, Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines. But Opens just seem like  a better fit when they’re played at traditional venues like Oakmont or Olympic Club, to name just two of the usual suspects. While I’m all for inclusion, maybe that’s just the way this goofy sport was mean to be. At least on the grandest stage.

So by all means enjoy/savor this one, either for those fortunate enough to be going or for the majority of us who’ll be watching on FOX. And in case you hadn’t heard, this will be the first year that a playoff would be decided over two holes (and then sudden death) instead of another full round. I guess nobody wants to stay until Monday. But I always thought it was kind of cool that the USGA was the only one of the four majors that hadn’t gone shorter. Oh well. That’s progress. For the record the Masters is sudden death, the British an aggregate four-hole and the PGA a three-holer.

It happens.

“It’s been a long debated subject,” Davis said. “And we recently came to a conclusion, after really talking to the stakeholders in the U.S. Open. So who are the stakeholders? They’re the players, they’re the fans, and it’s the vendors. It’s really the club itself. And we came to the conclusion that what people wanted, assuming Mother Nature’s cooperative, people wanted the U.S. Open to finish on Sunday. Wouldn’t say it was unanimous. So we started with that premise.

“I would also say there is no right or wrong way to (break) a tie. We felt on balance the stakeholders just wanted us to finish. So we have made that change. We still use a three-hole playoff for the U.S. Women’s Open. So why do it there? It’s pretty hard to answer that question.

“You go way back and we used to have 36-hole playoffs. In fact there was a year in the early 1930s where they were tied after 36 holes. Guess what? They went another 36 holes. We thought that by having two holes, there would be more excitement. It wouldn’t necessarily be one shot (and it’s) over. Think about it. If we have a tie we’re going to play the par-3 17^th. Wonderful par-3. And then the great finishing 18. Next year, 17 and 18 at Pebble Beach. How iconic are those holes?”

Next year can wait. The 118^th Open will soon be upon us, in all its glory and torturous nature. That’s its identity, and it’s not likely to change any time soon.

By the way, in case you were wondering, there hasn’t been a playoff since 2008, when Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate over 91 holes. I was there, and walked much of it. Who can forget Tiger, playing on a knee that would require major surgery not long afterward, coming to the 18^th three straight days trailing by one. All he did was make eagle on Saturday to take a 1-shot lead into the final round, putting him into a situation where he’d gone 13-0. On Sunday he had to make a bumpy 15-footer for birdie to force extra holes with Mediate watching from the scorer’s tent. And on Monday he made a two-putt bird to extend the playoff. Great stuff.

Now, it could all be over with one well-struck 4-wood from 228 yards out. All we know for sure is that some kind of history will be made.

“We are blessed here in the United States to have more golf courses and more great golf courses than anywhere in the world,” Davis said. “We’re lucky enough as the governing body to get invited to come to some of these great courses like Shinnecock Hills. So in so many ways what we just try to do is showcase those courses, set it up in such a way that the best players in a given group, whether it’s the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur or whether it’s the U.S. Open, that it really allows them to determine how exciting the championship is.

“To me, (it’s) just get this golf course setup properly and then sit back and watch the 156 best players in the world compete for that silver trophy and that Nicklaus gold medal.”

Have a happy Father’s Day.

TAP-INS: This is the first Open on Long Island since 2009, when rain was the main story at Bethpage Black. It didn’t end until Monday. And it ended with Lucas Glover outlasting Phil Mickelson, who got the fifth of what would become a record six runnerup finishes (he would follow with a second at Merion four years later). The Open will return to the Northeast in 2020 when it goes back to Winged Foot, where of course Phil infamously made a double bogey in 2006 on the 72^nd hole to turn a 1-shot lead into a 1-shot loss when he was trying to win his third major in a row.

Other venues in place are Torrey Pines in San Diego in 2021, The Country Club in suburban Boston in 2022 (for the first time since 1988, if you don’t count the unforgettable Ryder Cup in 1999, at least from the American perspective), Los Angeles Country Club (North Course) in 2023, Pinehurst in North Carolina in 2024, Oakmont near Pittsburgh in 2025 and Pebble in 2027. We can only hope that Merion gets another one in 2030, when the club and the USGA will be celebrating the 100^th anniversary of Bobby Jones completing the grand slam on No. 11 at the U.S. Am.

Because history never gets old.

By Mike Kern

For years golfers have been crying out in anguish – from the desolate stretches of the waste areas, from the swamp-like muck of the wetlands, from the dark recesses of the woods and the opposite side of the OB stakes.

They battle the frustrations of the world’s most difficult sport. They try all of the new swing techniques. They listen to all of the mumbo-jumbo from the mental gurus. They try to buy a game at the golf shop.

Occasionally – very occasionally – there comes a light at the end of the tunnel. The invention of the metal wood was one of them. The average golfer quickly embraced that new bit of technology. The introduction and quick proliferation of the hybrid was another.

These inventions all started new trends on the equipment side of the golf industry.

Often, these new trends make their debut at the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. This year’s 65th PGA Merchandise Show was no exception. More than 1,000 exhibitors greeted visitors from all 50 states and from 90 countries around the world. While the show is put on by the professional golfers who make up the PGA of America, the latest trend seemed to be increased attention on the average golfer – the ones who make up the overwhelming majority of the world’s 60 million golfers.

A number of the products that caught the eye of our roving research team serve the specific purpose of making the very difficult game of golf a bit easier for the average player. And easier is a good thing.

Of special note this year was the Busiest Booth at the Show designation, which went to Cleveland/Srixon. The biggest crowds seemed to be around the new Cleveland CBX wedge.

Cleveland’s John Rey explained, “Our new CBX wedge is really the first wedge designed for game improvement golfers, who are buying game improvement irons. In the past they were forced to buy either a blade wedge, which didn’t match the weight and feel of his irons or a set-matching wedge, which was basically a 10-, 11- or 12-iron.

“Now, with our CBX wedge, golfers can get all of the spin performance of a tour caliber wedge, due to our Rotex face and dual V-sole design, but they also can get the feel and forgiveness of game improvement irons due to the cavity back shape and some of the weighting features we put into it.”

Other noteworthy products merely attracted attention because of their amazing style. Even if your score on the golf course is not good … at least you can look good.

Antigua Anchorage Pullover

One of the great success stories from the world of golf apparel in recent years is Antigua. The Phoenix area-based company has been around for 36 years but the last 10 years has seen a quantum leap across the board – especially in women’s golf apparel.

While function has always been a keystone of the company – manufacturing clothing that is meant to be worn while playing the game – a bit more fashion can be seen in the line this year.

Most notably, the new line of Anchorage men’s pullovers, is an item that looks equally appealing on the golf course or for an evening on the town.

This 100 percent polyester double knit solid ottoman texture pullover has a rich look, while maintaining a bit of give in the fabric to aid performance. It is accented with dyed-to-match double knit large ottoman quilt pattern sleeve insets. It has a quarter-zip stand up collar and open bottom.

“The Anchorage pullover is receiving a lot of attention because, not only is it designed for golf, but it is a lifestyle piece,” says John Anderson, Antigua’s national sales manager for the golf division. “This is our best-selling fashion outerwear piece. It comes in five great colors and is already the hit of the new golf season.”

Despite the rich look, Anchorage pullovers are reasonably priced at $84.95. www.antigua.com

Club Champion

Sometimes, in order to find the best discoveries during PGA Merchandise Show week, it is necessary to move out of the huge Orange County Convention Center. In this case, the move was just a few blocks down International Drive to the Orlando site of the Club Champion fitting center.

Club Champion — with 26 locations across America and soon to be 36 – is the fastest-growing premium club fitter in the country. With all of the high-tech equipment on display at the PGA Show, it was necessary to find someone who could provide a roadmap to success for serious golfers who were looking to take advantage of the advances.

“What makes us unique is we’re a brand diagnostic fitter,” says Nick Sherburne, founder and master fitter for Club Champion. “What that means is, you’re going to come in, we’re going to see how your existing clubs perform on the Trackman launch monitors and you will be working with a full-time certified fitter who is one of the best in the industry.

“We have 200 different shafts for woods, 200 different shafts for irons and all the different heads on the market, from all the major manufacturers. We have a connector that allows every shaft and every head to go together. What our fitters are going to do is see where the leaks are in your bag, see where they can make you better, and they are going to tackle it using the technology – and not just a brand name — to improve your game.”

High tech equipment requires high tech club fitting. That’s where Club Champion excels. www.clubchampiongolf.com

Copper Tech Plus Golf Glove

When the Copper Tech golf glove first hit the market, it was immediately seen by many as the best overall glove on the market. Not only was it infused with copper, to help circulation, but it was a great everyday glove that was durable and provided excellent feel.

Standing pat might have seemed to some like a good strategy, but the research team immediately went to work on improving the product.

“The glove initially attracted attention because it works,” said Copper Tech Founder Lloyd Cohn. “If you have muscle pain, joint pain, arthritis pain, the Copper Tech glove has been an excellent choice.

“Now, the Copper Tech Plus has twice the copper, it’s got better trim and it’s even got a stronger magnet. People are finding that they get better relief.”

Copper Tech Plus comes in one-size-fits-all and is available in either white or black. It is quickly making its way into national stores such as PGA Tour Superstore and Walmart, or it can be purchased on the website for less than $20. www.coppertechglove.com

High Heat 257+

The High Heat driver, fairway woods and hybrids have been a hot item at the PGA Show the last few years. Designed by Dean Knuth, the man who devised the USGA’s slope and rating system, the clubs are another example of a product marketed to the average golfer. They have won awards for their ingenuity and versatility.

Now the new 257+ technology has been added to the face of the entire line.

The number – 257 – refers to the USGA’s maximum allowable measurement for trampoline effect. It refers only to the sweet spot on the face of the club. Now, there is an increased number allowable for the heel and toe of all clubs … and High Heat is taking dead aim at that number.

“Players actually will be able to get increased distance from heel and toe hits,” explains Knuth, who has made this line of golf clubs his passion. “This greatly impacts and helps amateur golfers, who don’t hit it on the center of the clubface all of the time.

“Almost all major manufacturers are at or near the 257 limit on the sweet spot,” Knuth continues. “However, they all drop off significantly outside of the sweet spot. We actually increase the trampoline effect outside of the sweet spot. This is the only club where golfers can actually gain distance on off-center hits.”

The new 257+ clubs also come with a re-designed top face that aids in alignment. www.knuthgolf.com

Nexbelt’s Rowland Thomas Luxury Belt

Ever since taking the PGA Merchandise Show by storm in its debut year of 2013, the Nexbelt story has gotten better and better. Known as “the belt with no holes,” the belt that first became famous for its ratchet fit system has become a leader in style.

Colors, different buckles and different textures have been introduced each year, leading to a huge assortment of options.

What next?

The Rowland Thomas Luxury Belt is the newest item from Nexbelt and it is an unrivaled piece of high fashion. Now there’s a Nexbelt model that can be worn confidently along with the most expensive imported suit … or the flashiest golf course combination.

“These belts use calfskin leather, imported from Italy, and are hand-made in America,” explains Nexbelt CEO Eddie Rowland. “They come in five different models, including the serpent belt, which looks like a reptile, even though all of the styles are made from calfskin. These are the first luxury ratchet belts in the U.S. and we just felt there was a calling for something really elegant.”

The retail price for this new line of luxury belts is between $180 and $230, a big jump from the reasonably priced line of Nexbelt products – but well below other imported and hand-made luxury belts from designers such as Gucci, Armani and Luis Vuitton. www.rowlandthomas.com or www.nexbelt.com

Pyramid Putters

Equipment scouts at the PGA Show had to venture to the New Product Section to find the new Pyramid Putters.

The debut/fail rate for putters is always very high. But this new putter has a very good chance to stick around.

The Pyramid Putters feature Pyramid© grooves on the leading edge that help center the ball on the sweet spot of the putter face. The grooves that make up the pyramid create a visual tracking line directly to the target. When the ball is struck in the sweet spot of the putter face, the horizontal-milled grooves provide the ball with top spin, preventing the ball from skidding or bouncing off the line, and tracking toward the target.

The Precision Grooved Face© of the Pyramid Putter consists of the horizontal sweet spot milling described above. The tow and heel are diagonally milled so the same result is achieved on off-center hits.

“Pyramid Putters give you the tools to sink more putts, plain and simple. We took a holistic approach to improve scoring on the greens,” explains Colin Callahan, Creative Director of Pyramid Putters. “The Pyramid Putter features a unique milled face that reduces skid when hit off the sweet spot and provides a gear effect to keep your ball on

line for putts that are hit off the toe or heel. The putter features a superb alignment triangle on the leading edge that helps the player imagine a tracking line to their target.

“In addition, the flange features a target line, that when aligned with the leading-edge pyramid, lets the golfer know that their lie angle is correct. Pyramid Putters also come standard with a parallel width grip to keep the wrist action to a minimum. The current Aztec series has the option of blade or mallet.”

The putters are available in a blade or mallet style and are priced at $279.95. www.pyramidputters.com

Srixon Q-Star Tour

Paying $50 a dozen for a premium golf ball is a tough pill to swallow for some golfers. But many are willingly pay the price … hoping for the same excellent performance that the world’s best golfers get from their golf ball.

However, what happens when the majority of golfers discover, through ball-fitting and the detailed statistics now provided by launch monitors, that the high-priced ball is not helping them? In many cases, it is hurting them.

Golfers with swing speeds in the 80s and 90s cannot benefit from the design of most top-line golf balls. That’s why Srixon produced the Q-Star Tour golf ball.

It has all of the technological developments and high-quality components of the best tour golf balls – but with engineering designed to make the ball respond well to slower clubhead speeds.

“The Q-Star Tour takes all of the technology of our multi-piece golf balls for tour players but we use a lower compression so that average swing speed golfers are able to compress it,” explains Jeff Brunski, Srixon’s director of research and development. “They will get better launch conditions for their game, but still get the tour caliber greenside control. It’s all about getting a golf ball that is designed for your game.”

Now, not only are the majority of golfers able to play a ball that will help their game, they can play a ball that will help their bank account. The Q-Star Tour golf ball sells for around $29. It is currently available only in white, but optic yellow is said to be on the way. www.srixon.com

SuperSpeed Golf

Training aids are the residue of over-imaginative inventors. They lie awake at night dreaming of new gimmicks that will turn Joe Shankchop into the next coming of Jordan Spieth.

Basements, garages and closets are full of these devices. Some are too complicated. Others too time consuming. And others just don’t work.

Now there is one that is simple, easy and makes so much sense. It works for everyone from the beginner to the touring pro.

Super Speed Golf is a system of three weighted “clubs” that train the golfer to attain a higher club speed. They are not actually clubs, used to hit a golf ball. The grips and shafts are the same … but at the end of the shaft is a small weight. Two of the training clubs weigh less than a normal golf club, and one weighs slightly more.

Going back many years, golfers would swing two golf clubs, or a heavy weight … trying to hit the ball farther. While the weighted instrument might build strength, it actually teaches the golfer to swing slower. Counter-productive.

This new system of swinging a much lighter club, then a slightly lighter club, before advancing to a slightly heavier club, has been proven to increase clubhead speed in a very short time.

“If you just swing a heavy club by itself, your body is going to rotate slower and the club is going to move slower,” explains SuperSpeed president Mike Napoleon. “Neurologically, this actually creates a slower reaction speed when you stand up on the tee and pull the trigger with the driver. The way you actually train for speed is to move faster. With SuperSpeed’s lighter clubs, you move faster first and this creates a re-set of how fast your body is able to respond, when you pull the trigger.”

SuperSpeed is now used by more than 350 touring professional golfers. The set sells for $199.95 and comes with a series of training videos. www.superspeedgolf.com

Survivor Tour Golf Tee

When performance golf tees first hit the market, they were perceived as a novelty. But, then again, isn’t every new golf product considered a novelty until it becomes proven?

The Philadelphia-based Greenkeepers company, led by brothers Frank and Jim Carroll, has been manufacturing injection-molded plastic golf accessories for more than

20 years. They have successfully introduced – and improved – a number of products over the years. The performance golf tee is a prime example.

First there was the Four Yards More Tee, with a flexible cushion atop a solid plastic tee. Then there was the Survivor Tee, a one-piece tee with a height indicator on the shaft.

Now, there is the Survivor Tour Tee.

“Performance, durability and the fact that the professionals in the game are using performance tees are the keys to success,” explains Frank Carroll. “All of our tees give the golf less ball spin. You have less golf-ball-to-tee-surface contact, which provides longer distance and less ballooning in heavy wind. Performance tees are becoming an instrument of the game. They are no longer just a piece of wood that you pick up for free in the pro shop and put in your pocket. It’s actually something that enhances your ability to play the game.”

Tour Edge CBX Fairway Woods and Hybrids

Why do most Tour professionals play a particular brand of club? Because they get paid to do so.

Why do most of the Tour professionals playing Tour Edge Exotics clubs play the clubs – especially fairway woods and hybrids? Because they perform so well.

After making performance-based decisions, professionals on the Champions Tour chose Tour Edge Exotics in alarming numbers. The Exotics CBX fairway woods and hybrids ranked in the top eight models in play in both the hybrid and fairway wood model counts over the last four events of the 2017 season.

Tour Edge had the fifth-most metalwoods in play among active manufacturers over the last month of 2017 on tour, according to the Darrell Survey. Even when the stakes were highest at the end of the season, five new players that had never played a Tour Edge club in a professional event changed to the new Exotics CBX over the last four weeks of the Champions Tour.

Exotics CBX clubs earned three Top 5 finishes, four Top 10’s and five Top 20 finishes in the 2017 Champions Tour despite only being introduced to players at five total events during the season. And the results continued at the start of 2018, with the winner and runnerup at the Chubb Classic using Exotics CBX clubs.

The Exotics CBX features a higher Center of Gravity, located slightly forward in the club head through the use of a carbon fiber in the sole, which is significantly lighter than stainless steel. This helps to increase ball speed and reduce spin, which makes for less dispersion. Tour Edge’s extremely thin Beta-titanium cup-face enlarges the ideal hitting area on the clubs. It is brazed to stainless steel behind the hitting area which allows the face to flex more at impact.

This has led to independent robot tests that have shown the Exotics CBX to average more than 16 yards longer in distance than several of the best-selling fairway woods on the market. The Speed Ramp sole design on the Exotics CBX products provide reduced turf interaction so the club can maintain its speed through the hitting area.

“It’s really exciting because the success is a product of breakthrough technology,” says Tour Edge founder Dave Glod. “It’s not because of hy

So what do Lorena Ochoa and Inbee Park have in common? Other than, of course, the fact that they’re two of the greatest players of the LPGA’s modern era. Well, before they became who they were, or on the way to doing so, they both played on the Symetra Tour. And they’re hardly the only ones. So have Nelly Korda, Gerina Piller, Mo Martin and Madelene Sagstrom, who’ve now all made it to the top level of women’s golf. Everyone has to start somewhere. That’s what the Symetra Tour is about. It’s the proving ground, the Triple-A of the LPGA, the women’s equivalent of what is now known as the Web.com Tour on the men’s side, one step short of making it to the majors. And this year the Symetra Tour will be making its first appearance in the Philadelphia area when the inaugural Valley Forge Invitational is held at Raven’s Claw golf course in the western suburbs of Pottstown on May 24-26. Not a bad way to start the Memorial Day weekend.
“We see a lot of opportunity for the area,” said Lisa Karl, Vice President of Sales and Strategic Partnerships for Valley Forge Tourism, at the introductory media conference. “There’s the potential for up to $1 million in economic impact. So we definitely wanted to make this happen. We feel it’s the right fit.”

Montgomery County, with 53 courses, likes to think of itself as a golf destination. And Raven’s Claw is considered one of the best public facilities in the state. Soon 144 extremely talented wannabes will put it to the test. And vice versa.

“We are looking forward to finding out what these players can do here,” said course designer Ed Shearon, who’s done a whole bunch of quality work in the tri-state region and beyond. “From Day 1, we wanted to make this a players’s course. There are great shot values, and great shot balance. We want to make sure this tournament is successful. Obviously having this can only elevate the (stature/perception) of the course. We feel like it’s right up there with what you would face at many private courses. It’s going to be fun to watch.”
This is one of three new events on the 2018 Symetra schedule. It’s not easy to make something like this go from a concept to reality. And the following week, the LPGA’s annual Shop-Rite Classic will take place once again at the South Jersey shore. So consider the VFI a preview/prelude.

For those who maybe aren’t as familiar, the Symetra Tour has been in existence for nearly four decades. It’s graduates have gone on to post over 400 LPGA wins. That includes 10 majors. Not overall but just since 2013. The top 10 finishers at the end of the season will receive their LPGA cards for 2019. That’s the ultimate incentive.

You might not know who some of these female golfers are at the moment. But there’s a good chance that at least some of them will turn into household names at some point. Perhaps even soon.

“The Symetra Tour has experienced tremendous growth, with schedule increases of 50 percent and (purse) increases of over 100 percent,” said LPGA Commission Mike Whan. “The women that have (moved on) … have consistently proven they belong among the elite in the world. It is very likely you are watching the next breakout stars. (They) are the future. The Symetra Tour does an excellent job of giving the players that platform to showcase their skills, as they continue to strive for their dreams.”

You can say you saw them when. Never a bad thing. Sort of like getting in on the ground floor.
There are many ways for people to get involved in making this a week to remember. Let’s start with sponsorship. There are packages in place ranging from $50,000 to $4,000. So every budget or interest level can be accomodated, from naming rights to the Meet Your Pros party (which will be held at the ballroom at nearby SunnyBrook Ballroom) and the Pro-Am to golf carts, caddie bibs, trackerboard and leaderbord, driving range and putting green to hole signs. There is also a Junior Clinic and VIP Hospitality. It’s pretty much up to the individual or company, but getting involved is certainly a viable option for most interested parties. Even if you simply want to be part of the Pro-Am, where you could get paired with the next big thing. You never know. For more information contact Dean Schneider at dean.schneider@lpga.com. 

Valley Forge is the sixth event on the schedule, which will end in early October at the Tour Championship in Daytona Beach. There are 21 stops in all, with Philadelphia being by far the largest host venue. There are tourneys in Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Daytona Beach, as well as Rochester, Albany, South Bend and French Lick, where they play a Donald Ross layout that was the site of the 1924 PGA won by Walter Hagen. But there’s little doubt that if the community gets behind this in terms of support it could be among the ones the players will be talking about most.

Emily Gimpel grew up around here, playing at Whitemarsh Valley CC. While learning to play the game at her home course, she met Shearon, and then-head pro Jim Bromley, who is now head pro at Raven’s Claw. She’s also played Raven’s Claw in the Montgomery County Amateur (she won the junior championship twice). Needless to say she can’t wait to come back home to compete.
“It means so much to me, that my friends and family are going to be able to come out and watch,” she said. “It’s definitely hard to be away from them. But it’s a sacrifice I have to make for my career. I’m chasing my lifetime dream, and I’m loving every minute of that. But it will be nice to sleep in my own bed.”

Especially if she picks up a nice payday. Or maybe even gets to hoist the trophy. Now that would be a story.
Shearon thinks the eventual champion will be someone who can think their way around the property. Yes, you have to hit shots. That goes without saying. But Raven’s Claw is a strategic examination. There are places you don’t want to be, and places you need to be to score. It’s not just hit it and hit it again. You have to have a plan.

“It’s not just the most powerful player who will win,” he stressed. “We’re very proud and honored. We tried to design it for all playing abilities. It has some great features. Plateaus, bluffs, wetlands. The best architecht is God. Just about every shot has some kind of hazard to go with it. I’m anxious to see how it stands up.”

It took a lot to even get this far. But the work has really just begun. You only get one shot to get it right. And if they do, this could become a fixture on the Symetra Tour for years to come. At least that’s the hope. And goal. And why not? Philly probably should have more events. It’s that good of a golf locale. But it takes effort, and commitments. In this case they appear to be in place, to everyone’s satisfaction.
“This has been an eye-opening experience,” said Mike Nichols, the Symetra’s Chief Business Officer. “This area is golf heaven. And we are very fortunate to be bringing one of our events here.”

Added Ed Harris, the Chief Marketing Officer of Valley Forge Tourism: “We had a mission. We knew we had great golf to promote. We just needed some good partners.”

That’s often the way it works. Maybe because of this newly-formed affiliation, Montco golf won’t be so much of a hidden gem any longer. It’s been known to happen.

“There is a natural connection between our passion and what is being done for the sport and the economy in Montgomery County,” said Raven’s Claw owner Bob Davis. “This event shows the area’s focus and commitment to the game, and especially its involvement in women’s golf.”

It’s a showcase. And in a sport that’s trying to attract newer, younger blood for the next generation, that’s a huge positive. And the female market remains largely untapped. Maybe not so much going forward. Not after these girls come in and do their thing. It could inspire some in the galleries to want to be like them. The process has to begin somewhere.

And by the way, for those of you so inclined, you will actually be able to play Raven’s Claw right up until the start of the tournament. But you might want to get your tee times early. And you can play the day after, mostly likely with the same pin positions they used in the final round. So how many times do you get to do that?

Just another reason to check it out before all those picnics or trips to the beach get going. And for all of mid-handicappers out there, we might actually learn something by watching some of the swings that will be on display.