SPENDING A GOOD CHUNK of my youth in Southern California, I grew up on a steady diet of UCLA Bruins basketball and watching John Wooden’s teams mow through the Pac-8 (yes, it was the Pac-8 before the Arizona schools joined the conference). I saw them win something like five national championships on their run of 10 NCAA titles in 12 years.
So when Lynn Shackelford wrote me the other day, it all came back to me, although Lynn, who played on the Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) teams, was a bit ahead of my Bruins-watching days. (I do remember two things about “Shack”: lefty, deadeye.)
Lynn is the father of golf writer, author and blogger Geoff Shackelford. He contacted me about a seven-day golf trip to Costa Rica in November. Lynn and resort owner Dr. Richard Resnick are looking for six people who are up for a golf and sightseeing adventure in “Central America’s most beautiful country.”
The group will lodge at Hotel Arco Iris, owned by Resnick. Lynn has all the details, including the daily itinerary and golf excursions. If you’re interested, or would like more information, email him at shackgolf@aol.com.
(Image: Bruin805/Flickr)
Golf Briefs
A bevy of golf products, services, destinations, events, news and more. Endorsement is not implied.
• Taking place Sept. 18, 2009, this year’s Shaq’s Mama Said Knock You Out Golf Tournament and new “Soulful Midday Soiree” will feature the golf tournament at Shingle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, followed by a fun-filled and nostalgic afternoon of good food, good music and good friends. Evoking a 1930s-style Cotton Club atmosphere, the “Soulful Midday Soiree” will feature smooth jazz, a hearty buffet of soul food favorites, as well as friendly back-room poker, table games, dancing and more.
• The Folds of Honor Foundation announced a partnership with GolfNow.com—the largest online tee time web site in the United States—to support Patriot Golf Day, the foundation’s flagship event whose mission is to provide scholarships to the spouses and children of our wounded and fallen military members.
• Fine Tune Golf and its RoboCup, an innovative ball-return robot that entered the marketplace in January, 2009 announced they are introducing a Caddy Cord to accompany their product as an overall putting practice solution.
• When the 2009 Open Championship returns to Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland, next week, GOLF CHANNEL will chronicle the story of the epic Tom Watson-Jack Nicklaus battle in 1977 in a special presentation, Duel in the Sun, airing Monday, July 13 at 9 p.m. ET. The half-hour special includes tournament footage from the original broadcast and features recent interviews with Nicklaus and Watson, third-round leader Roger Maltbie, 1977 U.S. Open champion and third-place finisher Hubert Green, and several award-winning journalists.
• Phoenix Environmental Care announced its Name That Super contest. Golf industry professionals are encouraged to enter for a chance to win $1,000 work of Phoenix Environmental Care (PEC) products. To enter, golf course superintendents and assistant golf course superintendents can visit www.namethatsuper.com/nr, complete the registration form and select the correct superintendent.
• While supplies last, golfers who make a purchase of $299 or more at any Golfsmith store across the country will receive a free 30-minute GolfTEC Swing Diagnosis conducted by a GolfTEC Certified Personal Coach. The swing diagnosis, valued at $85, is one of GolfTEC’s most popular lesson experiences as it isolates score-improving opportunities in any player’s swing.
• When Charles Barkley donated $100,000 a year ago to the victims of South Lake Tahoe’s 2007 Angora Fire, City officials officially proclaimed a “Charles Barkley Day.” After they received another check for $90,000 last week from the NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst on the eve of the 20th annual American Century Championship, the nationally renowned tourism destination may have to consider a designation as “Barkleyville.”
• GOLF CHANNEL will provide its wrap-around news coverage of next week’s Open Championship from Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland—the men’s third major championship—dedicating more than 20 hours of news coverage on-air and expanded coverage online.
• Etonic is offering an Internet only special on its men’s Stabilizer and Sof-Tech golf shoes. Now through July 15, 2009, if you purchase a pair of golf shoes online, you will receive a small carry bag (value of $44) free.
• Macali Communications has launched www.patobriengolf.com, a website and blog for golf instructor Pat O’Brien. O’Brien is a protégé of the late Payne Stewart and putting coach for 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson and Ryder Cupper Vaughn Taylor.
• The 2009 PGA Fall Expo will focus on return-on-investment value by offering the event’s popular education conference of some 20 professional development seminars at absolutely no cost for the first time this September 1-2 in Las Vegas.
• TNT and PGA.com will provide extensive television and online coverage of golf’s final two majors for The Open Championship (July 16 – 19) and the PGA Championship (August 13 – 16). In addition to TNT’s exclusive coverage of the first and second rounds and early coverage of the third and final rounds of both tournaments, PGA.com will also provide extensive online offerings and live video coverage to give fans an all-access pass to two of the most prestigious events in golf.
• Walkers Shortbread, the world famous Scottish bakery, is introducing the Turnberry Tin and St. Andrews Golfing Carton. Both packages are filled with award-winning shortbread.
−The Armchair Golfer
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