Keegan Bradley Talks About Coach Darby (Frank Darby of St. John's)

During his interview meeting in the media tent at the Barclays Anthony Scorcia, of the "On Par" radio show, asked Keegan, "You mentioned Coach Darby. When you think of Coach Darby now, what's the first thing that comes to mind, and can you talk a little bit about your relationship with him and how it's evolved since you graduated St. John's?"

Keegan replied, "Coach Darby was the perfect coach for me because he kind of let me do my own thing. I think about it if I a coach that was really in my face and and saying you've got to hit 3-wood here, 2-iron here, that wouldn't have worked for me. Coach really let me be myself out on the golf course and at St. John's, and that was what has gotten me to this point. He's great. He gave me four years of education at St. John's , and I'll ever be thankful for that."

Dustin Johnson to host clinic for area youth at The Barclays

The Barclays defending champion, Dustin Johnson, will host a clinic for more than 225 area youth on Tuesday, August 21, at 1:00 p.m. on the driving range at the Black Course at Bethpage State Park. The clinic is part of tournament week, as the top-125 players on the FedExCup points list will play in the first event in the FedExCup playoffs, compete for the opportunity to win the 2012 FedExCup and earn the $10 million bonus. The Barclays will be contested for the first time at Bethpage State Park on August 21–26.

Youth from the following four local organizations will participate in the clinic:
Action Long Island
First Tee of Essex County
First Tee of Metropolitan New York
YMCA Brookhaven/Patchouge

In addition to the clinic, The Barclays will make youth awareness and growth of the game a priority all week, by providing free admission at this year’s event for up to three children, ages 18 and under, when accompanied by one paid adult.
Despite missing nearly three months of the season due to injury, Johnson is currently No. 24 in the FedExCup standings on the strength of his victory earlier this summer at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Johnson, who is not in the field this week at the Wyndham Championship, will look to join Ernie Els (1996-1997) as the only players to win The Barclays in back-to-back years. Johnson’s six career wins on the PGA TOUR are the most by any player currently in their 20s. He has won at least one PGA TOUR event in each of the past five seasons, a streak second only to Phil Mickelson, who has won in each of the past nine seasons (2004-2012).
Daily and weekly grounds tickets are on sale for The Barclays for practice rounds and competition rounds. Clubhouse tickets are also available on a daily and weekly basis. For tournament and ticket information, please visit www.thebarclaysgolf.com.
Round trip tickets on the LIRR can be purchased directly at www.CooCoo.com/lirrtickets or through the MTA web site at www.mta.info/lirr/getaways/LongIsland/BarclaysGolf.htm for the Farmingdale Station stop with free shuttle buses for the short ride to Bethpage.

About The Barclays
The Barclays has been a part of the PGA TOUR schedule since 1967 when Jack Nicklaus won the inaugural event at Westchester Country Club. Since that time, some of the greatest players in the game have earned the title including World Golf Hall of Famers Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Raymond Floyd, Seve Ballesteros, Hale Irwin, Curtis Strange and the new defending champion, Dustin Johnson, 2011 winner of The Barclays. Many of the world’s current top players have won the event as well, including two-time champions Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia, and four-time champion Vijay Singh. As the first of four playoff events, The Barclays plays a leading role in the FedExCup, the season-long competition that is the centerpiece of the PGA TOUR season. In 2012, The Barclays will be held at Bethpage State Park: The Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., Aug. 21-26. For tournament information, please visit www.thebarclaysgolf.com.

Pound Ridge Golf Club, Delamar Greenwich Harbor Announce Stay-and-Play... Package Includes New York’s Only Pete Dye Course, Waterfront Accommodations

Pound Ridge Golf Club, Delamar Greenwich Harbor Announce Stay-and-Play

Package Includes New York’s Only Pete Dye Course, Waterfront Accommodations

Pound Ridge Golf Club – an hour north of Manhattan in Westchester County – and Delamar Greenwich Harbor announce a stay-and-play package combining New York’s only Pete Dye-design with waterfront accommodations.

The package includes a Friday or Saturday night stay at the hotel and one round of golf. Rates start at $550 (single-occupancy) and $729 (double-occupancy). Guests also receive:

          • Golf shoe and club rental, including current model Titleists, Nikes and Cobras
          • A $20 food and beverage voucher for the clubhouse
          • 10% off all golf shop merchandise
          • Continental breakfast
          • A bottle of champagne/wine delivered to their room
          • Invitations to the hotel’s private wine and cheese reception
          • A yacht cruise featuring views of the Greenwich Harbor, its islands and the famous houses lining the shore

“The rolling terrain and tree-lined fairways of Pound Ridge combined with the coastal ambiance of our boutique hotel create the perfect experience for discerning golfers who want to play one of the elite courses in the U.S.,” says Samantha Stout, Delamar Greenwich Harbor’s senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Delamar Greenwich Harbor features 82 deluxe rooms and suites hard on the Harbor. Designed to evoke old world charm, it houses a full service spa by Elemis, 500 feet of private dock and an award-winning restaurant and bar, L'escale.

“This stay-and-play is an ideal one-night escape for those living in the Tri-State area, or an exciting addition to any New York City leisure or business trip,” says Ken Wang, Pound Ridge’s owner.

A strategic blend of challenging driving holes and intriguing risk/reward approach shots have earned Pound Ridge a spot alongside TPC Sawgrass, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, Whistling Straits and Harbour Town in Dye’s pantheon of work.

GOLF Magazine recently named Pound Ridge its “No. 1 U.S. Open-Worthy Public Course,” adding to a list of world-class accolades from Golf Digest, Golfweek, AskMen.com, Rolex and LINKS Magazine.

For reservations: www.delamargreenwich.com, 866.335.2627.

About Pound Ridge Golf Club

Opened in 2008, Pound Ridge Golf Club is the only course in New York designed by the legendary Pete Dye. Located in Westchester County, it is less than an hour north of New York City and less than 15 minutes from Stamford and Greenwich, Connecticut. Pound Ridge Golf Club is the premier high-end, public course in the metropolitan New York area.

Crafted by Dye, his son Perry and long-time Dye construction manager/lead shaper Michael Langkau, Pound Ridge Golf Club is a full bentgrass facility, hewn from 172 acres of magnificent cliffs, streams and wooded hills. Dramatic rock formations and boulders were left on-site, creating one of the most visually stunning settings for golf in the U.S. More than 14,000-linear-feet of rock wall surrounds trees, wetlands and water hazards. These frame contoured fairways which wind through hardwood forests and fescue mounds leading to open meadows with picturesque green complexes.

Pound Ridge Golf Club plays to a par-72 and houses five sets of tees and measures 7,165 yards. It boasts a practice range, short game area and putting green. The property features some of the highest points in Westchester County, with a number of tee boxes offering expansive vistas of the surrounding countryside. Notable holes include the par-5, 13th – home to “Pete’s Rock,” a giant boulder that rests in the middle of the fairway – and the par-3 15th – dubbed “Headstone” – which is flanked on the right by a large rock outcropping that protrudes into the elongated, 9,000-square-foot green.

Recent accolades for Pound Ridge Golf Club include:

          • “No. 1 U.S. Open-Worthy Public Course, 2012” – GOLF Magazine
          • “No. 1 New York City Area Golf Course, 2010” – AskMen.com
          • “America’s Best New Courses, 2009” – Golf Digest
          • “Top Ten You Can Play, No. 2, 2008” – GOLF Magazine
          • “Best New Courses, 2008” – LINKS Magazine
          • “America’s Best New Courses, 2008” – Golfweek

Pine Hollow's Mike Meehan Wins Third Long Island Open at Bethpage Red

With a final round 68 Meehan thought he had won the event (he was told on 16 he had a two shot lead) but it would take a three hole playoff for him to finally capture his third Long Island Open title.
Three times in the past five years (2008, 2009, 2012) Mike has raised the winning trophy.
Nowadays Mike is busy with his Head Professional duties at the Pine Hollow Country Club -- usually waking up at 5am and getting to the course. He beat Matt Dobyns in the playoff who is also taking on the challenges as a first year Head Pro at the Fresh Meadow Club.
Both Meehan and Dobyns finished one stroke ahead of Joe Saladino who was trying to become the first amateur to win the Long Island Open since 1928.
Three's a charm -- congratulations Mike!

Haft2Laugh Comedy Performs at Indian Hills Country Club

It was a packed house at the Indian Hills Country Club as its members and guests enjoyed a night of “Dinner & a Show” presented by Haft2Laugh Comedy Productions. With four of Long Island’s most talented comedians everyone was treated to a night of filled with laughter.
Eric Haft started the night off as the MC and Host. His imitations of Sylvester Stallone, Christopher Lloyd (Jim in Taxi), Marlon Brando, and an unforgettable rendition of dinner specials in an Italian restaurant was a fantastic start to a great night.
Following this opening bit Peter Bales, a long time professional comedian here on Long Island nailed it with his interaction with the crowd. Following Peter was the #1 Long Island Comedian (voted on by Long Island Press readers) Rich Walker. His comic recollection of his trip to Disney World just brought down the house.
Headlining the night was the amazingly talented and witty Carie Karavas. Carie is a comedy superstar in the New York tri-state area and she was shining this night with her fast delivery and family situations that everyone could relate to.
The night was so good Indian Hills is already talking about having another for its members in the fall.
Jeannine Harrington of Indian Hills said this about Haft2Laugh Comedy Productions and the night, ”I didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t sure what kind of response we would get from the members. Well, it turned out great. The comedians were fabulous, the members had a great night, and working with Haft2Laugh was fabulous.”

MOTHER'S PLAY FOR FREE AT TALLGRASS GOLF CLUB

MOTHER'S PLAY FOR FREE AT TALLGRASS GOLF CLUB  



On Mother's Day, your mom plays FREE with your paid greens fee after 12 noon! 

Tallgrass Golf Course Ranked 2nd on Long Island in Golfweek's Best Public Access Courses New York State 2010, 2011 and 2012. 

A Gil Hanse Design. 

For more information or to book a tee time call the pro shop at (631) 209-9359 or visit us at www.tallgrassgc.com

A Pet Project

If you would classify yourself as a ‘dog person,’ raise your hand. I see a multitude of hands in the air. Even if you don’t currently have a lovable canine in your house, most of us can’t help but melt like a snow cone on a warm day at the sight of a cute doggie.

To the right, you can see yours truly and Winston, the second soft-coated Wheaten Terrier we have made a part of our lives. Rescuing two dogs is an incredible experience… The joy they bring to our lives is amazing. One of my favorite memories with Bailey (our first rescue, who is now running around on the golf course in heaven) was when we went to my golf club during the winter, and watched him enjoy all that free space.

Winston has never actually been ON a golf course, but has visited many as I take him along in the car to the multitude of fabulous courses on Long Island. And yes, there is a longtime connection between dogs and golf. Many course pros and superintendents through the years have brought their friendly pooches with them to the course, and found that they can chip in to help as well, whether it be chasing geese or simply entertaining the members. This is our rather unique cover story for the issue you’re reading right now. From the legacy of dogs at Inwood Country Club to the friendly Fido’s elsewhere, these hard-working and precious pups are worth their weight in milk bones.

But there are other things to bark about in this issue of Golfing Magazine. Now that the colder months are here, we daydream about traveling elsewhere to enjoy time on the course. You’ll find travel profiles about places to play and stay in San Diego and Carlsbad, California, as well as a wonderful account of golf in Italy as provided by noted sports psychologist Dr. Tom Ferraro. Even our own “Breakfast Ball” hacker, David Weiss, recounts a memorable winter ‘buddies’ golf trip that included his own Mom.

We also bring you up close & personal to two women of golf – one of whom you’ve heard of, Natalie Gulbis, who spent some quality time on Long Island not so long ago … and someone else you will be hearing more of, Denise Martorana, who is one of the most talented and accomplished golfers on Long Island.

When it comes to on-the-course action, we have highlights of some of the most dramatic events of the 2011 season, including the Carey Cup competition at Bethpage, and the Nassau Invitational at Nassau Country Club – both of which featured incredible performances by the two best amateur golfers in our area, Joe Saladino and Mike Miller.

We also provide a recap of a wonderful golf gathering we called the “Golfing Magazine Extravaganza.” On a beautiful October afternoon at Cedarbrook Country Club, dozens of you joined us for a great day of golf, food, and fun. We plan to hold SEVERAL of these outings in 2012, so stay tuned for more information!

Of course, during the winter months, we’ll need to keep our minds on the game … and to do that, we offer valuable instructional advice from our stable of experts. This includes the importance of being custom fit for the most important club in your arsenal – no, not the driver. We’re talking about your PUTTER. For most high handicappers, it is the most overlooked stick in your bag.

Whatever the winter holds for us weather-wise, we can always stay connected to the game we love. We can start counting the days to the start of the 2012 golf season, with the promise that the best is yet to come.