Spring is here… and it’s about time!

By any measure, it was a miserable winter. The Christmas weekend blizzard kicked it off, and led to the snowiest January on record; nearly three feet of snow in January alone, erasing all thoughts of playing any winter golf until the snow cover melted – and that took more than two months.

Those of us who didn’t sneak away for a warm-weather golf trip have waited patiently. But now, the new golf season is here. And we’re ready to hit the ground running, with our bag of clubs resting on our shoulders.

Despite a harsh winter, many of our area golf courses are in superb shape to start the season. The credit goes to the unsung heroes of courses public and private: The golf course superintendent. In the cover story in our first issue of 2011, we hear from four course superintendents who are among the best – not only on Long Island, but anywhere in the country. They share their expertise and philosophy on how they manage to meet the challenges and ever-changing conditions each season. For a superintendent, there really is no ‘down time.’ And these four ‘course magicians’ also pass along some advice on how to take care of our own lawns – even if we don’t have a finely manicured putting green in our backyard.

Getting courses in shape is one part of the equation. We also need to get our swings in synch. Our team of local professionals provides tips on everything from swing speed to putting to how to handle defeat in a match – something we hope is only a rare occurrence for you.

In this issue, we also lay out your ‘golfing planner’ for months to come; a comprehensive Charity Outings calendar will take you from spring to summer with a multitude of events to choose from, all for a good cause. You’ll also find the season calendars for the Met PGA and LIGA, as well as important information for those of you considering membership in the EWGA (Executive Women’s Golf Association), of which the largest chapter in the country is right here on Long Island.

On the lighter side, our own ‘resident hacker’, David Weiss, sprinkles in some random thoughts on heading back to the golf course as he confronts the most intimidating sign posted on any course in the world - and that sign is right here in our own backyard.

A final few words to those of you who may face a delay in returning to the golf course as you rehab from off-season surgery. I literally feel your pain. The numbers on back pain are staggering: 80% of all working Americans will be affected by back pain at some point in their lives. Last year, back pain sufferers spent $86 billion dollars looking for relief. In my case, I opted for the ‘last resort’ of surgery to deal with severe disc problems, with four screws and two rods inserted into the bones of my spine.

Recovery is slow, and physical therapy is a must. My goal is to start playing again on July 4th. To all of you who are working hard to swing that club again, here’s hoping we meet on the golf course this summer. In the meantime, let’s keep our heads in the game by doing all we can to prepare for our return – and to a great degree, that’s what this issue of Golfing Magazine is all about.

There’s a phrase commonly used during spring training in baseball: ‘Hope springs eternal.’ In fact, that expression can apply to nearly everything in life as the winter turns into spring… and for us golfers, it means the new season is here.

Give Us Another Major Tournament Already!

A few days back, Mark Hermann of Newsday wrote that Bethpage State Park's Black Course deserves to host another major championship or event. Whether it be the third U.S. Open to be hosted there, or a PGA Championship, or even a Ryder Cup, Hermann believes Long Island's golf gem has earned the right to be consistently recognized at the sport's elite level. I think he’s right.

Personally, I would like another Open to come here. The Black has proven that it is worthy of that—and that it makes a ton of money for the USGA. And just this past week, the New York State Open was played the Black Course. Not surprisingly, nobody in the field of Met PGA pros and top amateurs shot under par in the final round.

Now, I'm not saying that I wouldn't be happy with another event besides the Open happening at Bethpage or Shinnecock. One reason: As we saw at Bethpage last year, a soaked course is either pretty defenseless, or with some wind thrown in, it’s a miserable experience for players and fans alike.

So it seems that a PGA Championship in August, or a Ryder Cup in September—when we historically get very little rain—would be a better fit for a major on Long Island major.

New Yorkers have been spoiled over the last decade. We've seen huge events at great venues located in or around Long Island seemingly every other year. Four U.S. Opens in an eight-year period is unheard of in other parts of the country—nevermind in a 120-mile area from Baltusrol to Winged Foot to Bethpage to Shinnecock.

But don’t wait on pins and needles for next year's announcement for the 2019 Open—it may not be until 2020 or beyond that we get the big one back here. But how about the 2015 PGA Championship, or the 2016 Ryder Cup?

That would be a wise and just decision by the golf powers that be.

Call Golfing Magazine for all your outing needs

The past three weeks the folks at Golfing Magazine have been working at several charity golf outings at courses around Long Island taking foursome photos of all golfers participating. Photos are picked up by individuals usually around cocktail hour or dinner. If you or someone you know is planning an upcoming golf outing make sure to consider Golfing Magazine for the job, the pictures come out crystal clear.

If you have any questions or concerns call Golfing Magazine at (516) 822-5446.

Tribute to the Dads: Feel free to add your personal stories

Since it is Father's Day weekend, let's take a moment to pay tribute to the men who, for most, introduced us to this great game. I love golf because it is an ageless game. Tomorrow, on courses all over Long Island, fathers and sons will go out and enjoy the day together while playing the game they love, which is something you can't say for all sports.If your father played a role in your love for golf, here is your opportunity to honor him. There are no restrictions, I'm looking forward to hearing some of your stories.

U.S. Open Week: Makes Me Miss Being The Host

With the U.S. Open this week, I feel it’s a good time to reflect on how lucky Long Island golf fans have been over the last decade. Since 2002, New York and primarily the Long Island area has hosted four U.S. Opens. We have seen some phenomenal golf and tremendous drama in those four tournaments. Now, with Pebble Beach being announced for the 2019 U.S. Open earlier today, it doesn’t seem that the USGA plans on returning in the near future.

I was rather disappointed when I heard the news today. Don’t get me wrong; Pebble Beach is a gorgeous course with a history unmatched by any other on this continent. However, I can’t help but wonder when the next time a New York course will be awarded the honor of hosting our national championship. We know it won’t be at least for another nine years, hopefully it won’t be much more than that.

One reason why I yearn for another opportunity to see a New York course host a U.S. Open is because of how last year’s will be remembered in the history books. I’m not saying that last year’s Open wasn’t great. I was there for the Monday finish and can tell you as many will attest that there was as much drama down the stretch as any of the classic Opens. The reason why I want another Open is because last year New York got unlucky, and the players got lucky. Imagine how Bethpage Black would have been playing with the dry heat we’ve had this year. Olin Browne said earlier on a telecast that the U.S. Open is the ultimate stress test of a golf tournament. Last year was about as stress-free as a course like Bethpage Black will ever be.

I just watched 60-year-old Tom Watson tee off his first hole with Rory McIlroy, 21 and Ryo Ishikawa, 18. Any one who can’t understand why this game is so great needs to think about that phenomenon and reconsider.

Mark Brown wins Long Island Open

Mark Brown of the Tam O'Shanter Club fired a final round even par 70 to shoot a three round total of 1 under par 209 to win the Long Island Open on the Red course at Bethpage State Park Wednesday, edging Spring Rock Golf Center's Kirk Oguri by one shot.

I spoke to one player's caddy who said the course was playing extremely fast and long. The caddy said except for the 18th hole, every hole for the final two rounds was being played from the tips, the furthest tee box possible. Aside from course conditions, players had to deal with inclement weather throughout the day.

I played Bethpage Red Friday and was very pleased with the conditions of the course. Although the greens were sanded after the tournament to give the patrons a fighting chance, the rest of the course was as usual, up to championship standards.

Be sure to check out the new video link on Golfing Magazine's website tomorrow. Inside we will review the week in Long Island golf and let you know what to look forward to in the upcoming days.

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Interviews with the Head Professionals of Long Island

Last week at the Seawane Club, I interviewed several head pros at facilities all over Long Island and the Metropolitan area. We discussed new programs and clinics at their respective courses, what they do to remain competitive in tournaments while juggling their busy schedules, and what a victory in the Head Pro Championship would mean for them and their clubs.

John Gatta, Middle Bay Country Club (Oceanside)- “It’s very difficult, time management is real important. I try to take care of my job first, my playing comes second and any additional time I have I try to get out there and hit some balls and practice.”

Carl Alexander, Golf Club of Purchase (Purchase)- “Basically you teach a lot, you have a lot of duties so you go into a tournament and play with what you have. You don’t have a lot of time to practice, what practice time I do have which will usually be early in the morning or late in the evening you would focus hopefully on short game because that’s where its really going to matter in a tournament in my opinion."

Heath Wassem, Fenway Golf Club (Scarsdale)- "I mostly teach and manage and then we try to sneak in a little play. Your own game is usually your own priority… I usually play with my members, and hit balls for 30-40 minutes when I have the chance, focusing on short game and putting."

Sean Quinlivan, Piping Rock Country Club (Locust Valley)- "Time management is very important. I only play probably twice a week."

Dave Fusco, Patriot Hills Golf Club (Stony Point)- "It’s always good publicity. Whether you win or lose, when you play well and get your name in the paper its good news for everyone."

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