Bright Future for Golf Club of Georgia New Owner Returning Club to Lofty Status

« GEORGIAPGA.COM FOREGEORGIA.COM « JULY 2015 Bright future for Golf Club of Georgia New owner returning club to lofty status B y M i k e B l u m Kenny invested millions of dollars in hen the Golf Club of the restoration of Horseshoe Bend, with Georgia opened in the improvements to the course, club- the early 1990s, it house and infrastructure coming in W immediately shot to stages. The same outline for Golf Club of the top of the list of metro Atlanta’s Georgia has already begun, with the finest private golf clubs, with the Creekside course opening recently after Lakeside course selected as the best five months of renovation work by new private course to open in the U.S. Medalist Golf and renowned Atlanta- in 1991. based golf course architect Bob Cupp, The Creekside course followed two who also handled the renovation at years later, giving the club a second Horseshoe Bend. standout layout that provided a Improvements to the clubhouse are to decided contrast in playing style from begin this month and expected to take Lakeside. about a year to complete. The changes In short order, the Alpharetta club will include a reconfiguration of the hosted the Georgia Amateur, U.S. men’s locker room and grille, an Open qualifiers, Georgia PGA tour- Golf Club of Georgia, Lakeside 11th hole updating of the main dining room and naments, a unique pre-Masters event the creation of some meeting space matching the U.S. and British within the existing building. The social Amateur champions, and a Champions prominent in Atlanta area golf circles as sary for the members to sell. aspects of the clubhouse will also be Tour stop for six years. it once was. Businessman Ben Kenny, who also addressed, with a new banquet hall and The Champions Tour event ended in Among the reasons was the departure owns Horseshoe Bend in Roswell, the expansion of the bar to make it an 2000 due to sponsorship issues, and of the club’s original Japanese ownership, acquired Golf Club of Georgia last year, indoor/outdoor operation. other than the Georgia Cup and an which spent lavishly to help create Golf and is early in the process of restoring the Golf Club of Georgia opened as a golf annual college tournament the club Club of Georgia’s lofty reputation. The club’s standing in the Atlanta golf com- club as opposed to a country club, and has hosted for the past decade, Golf membership operated the club for about munity, much as he has done in recent Club of Georgia has not been nearly as a decade, but it eventually became neces- years with Horseshoe Bend. [ See Golf Club of Georgia, page 6 ] .com Crossword Puzzle Page 38 2 F O R E G E O R G I A . C O M J U LY 2 0 1 5 2 0 1 5 J U LY F O R E G E O R G I A . C O M 3 P R E S E N T E D BY Instruction Fore You 3021 Kalah Place, Marietta, GA 30067 770-933-04GA / 770-953-6638 fax FOREgeorgia.com / [email protected] Send all press releases to: [email protected] P U B L I S H E R ALL greens are Golf Media, Inc. / John Barrett E D I TO R Mike Blum W E B S I T E / FAC E B O O K / S O C I A L M E D I A Jason McCullough / Kristen Zeck JUNIOR/COLLEGE GOLF NEWS COORDINATOR the same speed! Samantha Stone M A R K E T I N G & A DV E R T I S I N G By Ted Fort up short. In these pictures, you’ll see that I have National Sales: Ed Bowen/Bowen Group, PGA Director of Instruction So, how did I choose such a created white, imaginary target holes for [email protected] Marietta Golf Center (seemingly) poor title for this my eyes. In the 1st picture, I have found Local & Corporate Sale: John Barrett/Rick Holt, article? For any given length of that the green is rolling 3 feet faster that [email protected] • Brandy Jones, a putt, my speed never my “normal” speed. So, I have created a [email protected] If you’re a great putter, you A R T D I R E C TO R Lori Ors changes. Poor putters are con- new hole at 7 feet, and I can make a understand exactly what I mean C R E AT I V E S E RV I C E S Catalina Montana by the title. If you’re a bad putter, stantly trying to adapt their “normal” stroke to my 7 foot target. When CO N T R I B U TO R S stop buying new putters and speed to the new conditions. I think that it’s going to stop at the 7 foot Ted Fort • Steve Eubanks read the rest of this article. As a For every 10 foot putt that I mark, it rolls another 3 feet to reach my 10 Steve Dinberg • Al Kooistra PGA professional, I’m invited to play have ever hit, my speed has always been foot hole. the same. In other words, I have a “normal” In the 2nd picture, I have found that the G E O RG I A S E C T I O N , in numerous charity events each year and P G A O F A M E R I C A O F F I C E R S speed that I would use to make a 10 greens roll 3 feet slower than my “normal” I have the pleasure of meeting many President new people. The pleasure is meeting footer. When I arrive at a tournament, I’ll speed. So, I have created a new target hole Mark Mongell, PGA / [email protected] the amateurs and getting to know some- make a few strokes from the flattest 10 that is 3 feet past my 10 foot target. When Vice President thing about them. But, many times, the I am preparing for the Brian Albertson, PGA / [email protected] tragedy is watching them putt. Putting speed of my putt, my eyes Secretary John Godwin, PGA / [email protected] is such an easy skill set and many of the become focused on my new, imaginary target Honorary President skills can be learned, but few spend time Brian Stubbs, PGA / [email protected] perfecting the art. instead of the hole. If your One of the biggest problems that I see eyes get distracted by the C H A P T E R P R E S I D E N TS in poor putters is distance control. It’s hole, you’ll lose your dis- Central Chapter President almost impossible to miss a 10 foot putt tance control. Winston Trively, PGA / [email protected] by 5 feet to the right or 5 feet to the left of Additional accommo- East Chapter President dations must be made for Brandon Youmans / [email protected] the hole. But, how many times have you North Chapter President uphill and downhill putts, seen someone hit a putt 5 feet past or 5 Shawn Koch, PGA / [email protected] feet short of the hole? (...maybe a recent but those must be made U.S. Open?) We all know that greens are after you have made your AT- L A RG E D I R E C TO R S very different from course to course, and initial adjustment. Having Billy Jack, PGA / [email protected] many will blame the speed of the greens a downhill 10 footer on Chad O’Dell, PGA / [email protected] for their poor putting. When greens are the fastest greens, the Brandon Stooksbury, PGA / [email protected] Mark Lammi, PGA / [email protected] extremely fast, poor putters will decel- feet that I can find. If I find that every putt target hole could be 3 feet away from you. Brian Conley, PGA / [email protected] erate in an attempt to keep the ball from travels 3 feet past the hole, the greens are I’ll always be aggressive or accelerating to my target hole, although that target may Matthew Evans, PGA / [email protected] going too far past the hole. When they 3 feet faster than my “normal” speed. Todd Ormsby, PGA / [email protected] decelerate, they lose control of the Therefore, every hole on the course just be well short of the hole. When you are able to visualize an imaginary hole and are clubface, making it almost impossible to became 3 feet closer to me. My imaginary S E N I O R D I V I S I O N start a downhill putt on the intended line. hole is now closer on every putt. My target able to distract yourself from the real hole, President When the greens are slow, they never hole changes, so my speed doesn’t have to you will find an amazing ability to control Mike Schlueter, PGA / [email protected] get the ball to the hole. Everything comes vary. distance. A S S I S TA N TS’ D I V I S I O N President Will Bartram, PGA / [email protected] t INSIDE THIS ISSUE s If you have any S E C T I O N S TA F F a c FEATURES: Lee McCoy ponders future . 26 Executive Director Mike Paull e Assistant Executive Director/ r Georgia Open preview .

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