Sea Island Sweepstakes!

"I am already sold, sign me up for the free sweepstakes."  

In 2016, I went to my very first Masters and it was an experience that I will never forget.  However, you don't actually get to play golf and since they wouldn't let me out onto Augusta for a quick nine, I had to look elsewhere.  The course that I wanted to play was Sea Island in nearby St. Simons Island, GA.  The course is home to the PGA Tour's RSM Classic and it was time I paid it a visit.  Sea Island has 3 championship courses, The Seaside, The Plantation and the Retreat.  I was after the Seaside course.

The Seaside course winds its way around tidal creeks, marshes, and sand dunes on the southern tip of Sea Island.  Not only is the golf course fantastic, but the entire area and resort has a fabulous five star feel to it.  In fact, it's a Forbe's Five Star resort. 

Top notch conditions!

Basket pins!!

You:  "Patrick, this looks cool.  I also want to visit Sea Island." 

Me:  "But didn't you just lose your life savings on an overly aggressive Nassau last weekend?"

You:  "That son of a bitch!  With those pants he was wearing, it should have been a sure thing!! 

         "But yes... I now have no money."

Me:  "Fret not my friend!!  I have the perfect solution for your woes"

        "Everything you see below can be yours."

• Three (3) night’s stay at the Sea Island Resort located in Sea Island, GA
• Ground Transportation between Brunswick Golden Isles Airport or Jacksonville International Airport and Sea Island Resort
• One (1) $1,000 gift card to use towards travel costs
• One (1) round of golf for winner and one (1) guest
• BMW vehicle for transportation during stay at Sea Island Resort
• $500 Sea Island Resort credit for use at Sea Island Resort

Just click here to make this hypothetical conversation become a reality.  The deadline is December 1st, 2017.

Tathata Golf Launch Party

When Kyle over at Tathata Golf (www.TathataGolf.com) informed me that they were having a launch party to celebrate the new 60-Day Training Program and membership platform, I was excited.  When Kyle mentioned that he was inviting Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, and Annika Sorenstam to help launch the program, I was even more excited... and when Kyle invited me to help celebrate the occasion, I punched a hole in my wall with excitement.  For years, I had watched these legends dominate the sport and now I was getting the chance to meet and photograph them.  

Since Tathata Golf's teaching foundation is based on the movements of the greatest golfers of all time it only made sense to have Jack, Greg, and Annika join in the presentation and launch of the new training platform.  Greg Norman, the best driver of all time, was going to walk us through his approach to driving the golf ball.  Annika Sorenstam, the best female golfer of her generation, was going to demonstrate her wedge game.  Jack Nicklaus, the best pressure putter of all time, was going to share his thoughts on putting.  The evening would conclude with a $1 million closest to the pin competition with the proceeds going to the winner's charity of choice.  The event was aptly titled "A Celebration with the Greats" and it would be streamed on the Golf Channel.

Annika's approach to the wedge game is simple,   Every time she gets a wedge in her hands, she is looking to place the ball inside of 10 feet.  She has created a very repeatable fluid motion that allows her to do this consistently.  

Although it's no surprise, Annika stresses practice and really being able to get a feel for those shots inside of 100 yards.  It is a pleasure to watch as she drops wedge after wedge right next to each other.  Annika was going to be tough to beat in the million dollar closest to the pin competition.  

Up next was Greg Norman and his approach to driving the golf ball.  After twenty or so minutes of istening to The Shark talk about hitting a driver, I came away with a couple of things

• Pick the smallest target you can, every single time.  Small... I mean the leaf on a tree 400 yards away small.
• Try to hit the front of the golf ball and not the back of it.  This is a great way to visualize and feel the acceleration through the impact zone.
• Greg Norman is the man.  Even at 62, with large gaps of time away from the game.  Greg steps up and bombs the driver like a 30 year old.

“I never really got nervous, I would just get excited.”

— Greg Norman

It's not often that Annika or Greg aren't the main attraction at an event, but when Jack Nicklaus is in the building, all eyes are on the Golden Bear.  With 18 major championships to his name, Jack is arguably the best golfer to ever walk the earth.

Jack starts off by highlighting the importance of keeping your eyes directly over the ball and strokes a couple of putts.  It is a surreal feeling to be on the same putting green as Jack Nicklaus and at one point Bryan Hepler, the Founder of Tathata Golf, comments "Isn't this the coolest? Just hanging out with Jack and watching him roll some putts?"  

The biggest takeaway from listening to Jack talk is that he values the mental side of putting just as much as the fundamentals.  Because Nicklaus has built up such a strong mental game, he is much more dangerous when he fully engages his mind on the putting green.  Because of this approach, Jack is a notably better putter when he "needs" to make a putt.  If anybody can will a ball into a hole, it's Jack.  Well, maybe Tiger did it once or twice... (In corner, Michael Jordan raises hand)

Jack's head covers are cooler than yours.

The hands of 18 majors grip the putter lightly

Jack's philosophy on putting centers mostly around the importance of speed.  Three putt avoidance is important to Jack and he likes those second putts to be stress free.  He recalls several seasons when he made it to June or July on the tour without a three putt.  Most of us are lucky to make it to the third hole.

Jack doesn't just stick to the putting stroke and offers up his thoughts on the full swing.  Nicklaus clearly embraces a natural swing that develops from a golfer's own personal style. He also gives a few lines on today's competitive landscape.  "Jordan Spieth will be a much better golfer than he is today."  So Jack is clearly on the Spieth Wagon with the rest of us.

There is even a discussion about the whereabouts of a putter Jack used to win the Masters.  Apparently those things are valuable.  Side note:  If anybody knows where the Lynx putter that I used to win the 1994 Junior Varsity Bruin Invitational is, please let me know.

This quote may NOT have actually happened.

Uploaded by Patrick Koenig on 2017-11-27.

Greg, Annika, and Jack pose along side Bryan of Tathata Golf.

The roundtable discussion on the grounds of the Tathata training facility.

After the roundtable discussion winds up, it is time for the $1 Million shootout.  It's a 60 yard wedge shot and they only get one shot, closest to the pin wins $1 million.  Not to be left out, each runner up receives $200k for the charity of their choice.  The Greats warm up and give the honor to Annika.  Like a champion, she sticks it to 3 feet.  With the pressure on, Jack finds the sand and Greg catches it heavy.  Jack later laughs  "Greg and I couldn't get it over a bunker 40 yards away."  At 77, his game isn't what it used to be, but his mental outlook remains solid and fun.

Annika Sorenstam, Jack Nicklaus, and Greg Norman battle for $1 million at the Tathata Golf Launch Party.

Nice lil' check for Annika

With any luck, you picked up one or two takeaways from this post, I know I picked up 2-3 strokes just by meeting these legends.  It was truly a special treat.

If you are looking to improve your game at all, I would suggest checking out Tathata Golf and their new membership platform. It contains a variety of beneficial features in a Netflix-like user experience; training courses, weekly TV shows, 200+ Video Library, and mobile companion app.  If it's special enough to attract these champions, it is worth a moment of your consideration.

Jack, Greg, and Annika were gracious with their time and met everyone at the party.

The sun sets on Tathata Golf and one of my favorite golf days.

A 3rd Option to Consider

In order to play golf in America, you basically have two options to get out onto the course.

1.) Pay a lump sum of money and monthly dues to belong to a private club.

2.) Pay a daily fee to play public courses.

For the majority of my golfing career, I did not want to be tied down to just one course and If I spent my money on a private club, it would be difficult to justify the cost of paying a green fee elsewhere.  So I have always opted for the 2nd option.  The good news is that there is a 3rd way to go about things.  It may not make sense for everyone but it is a viable option for the passionate golfer who likes to travel.

• A national network, providing full access to each club, all under a single dues structure.

• Access to a network of Private clubs

  • ArborLinks - Nebraska

  • Ballyhack Golf Club - Virginia

  • Briggs Ranch - Texas

  • Dormie Club - North Carolina

  • Victoria National - Indiana

  • Hidden Creek - New Jersey

• Dormie Network members do not pay greens fees or cart fees

Imagine, every time you take a golf trip, being able to visit your own private golf club and not just any private club, but one of the state's best.  If you click on any of the links above, you will get a taste for the high quality of these clubs.

The Dormie Club in West End, NC is a Coore and Crenshaw favorite.

Ballyhack in Virginia

The Dormie Network is always looking for new members and people that are interested in getting in early. Since the network is constantly growing the dues are evolving and typically increasing as the portfolio grows larger. Deals and promotions are available but they come and go fast. Send me a message to inquire about the current special promotions for pjkoenig.com readers.

In addition to the tremendous golf, each course has on site lodging, food, and service that will blow you away. The steaks at Arbor Links were some of the best that I have ever eaten and the lodging at Ballyhack was one of my favorite breaks from life on The RGV Tour.

Briggs Ranch is a Fazio Texas gem.

Palmer's Arborlinks brings the beach and the trees.

The best part about the whole deal is that It's a fairly new organization that is adding clubs at an aggressive rate.  Now with 6 clubs, there is tremendous value here. There are ongoing negotiations with several other well known clubs as I type this.  The goal is to have 20-22 courses in the network by 2022 all scattered across the US.

Since my original post in 2017, The Dormie Network has already added another Top 100 course with Victoria National and another Coore Crenshaw design with Hidden Creek.

PJKoenig blog readers that sign up will have the initiation fee waived. There is also an option for corporations to consider.  Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get in early while these special discounts still exist.

All you need to do is fill out the form to get started.

Comments on the Cleveland VAS Irons

I recently came across an article that mentioned the Cleveland VAS golf clubs and it brought back memories of the 1990's when the clubs were popular.  For those not in the know, VAS stands for Vibration Absorption System.  Which, I am pretty sure was a load of marketing garbage, but people really bought into it back in the 90's.  I did a little research and here are some of the comments I found on the irons. These are real comments from real people.  Well... real internet people.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

• " I was so impressed with these irons that I have already purchased a back up set." - James
• "The looks only a mother could love." = David
• "Easily the best feeling irons I've ever hit. - Mike P.
• "Found the driver on Ebay for $1... Best investment I ever made." - Ty T.
• "I am not convinced that the VAS plate absorbs too much vibration. - Jay
• "Took my Rocket Blades out and put my VAS's in and shot my best round in 10 years." - Mark
• "An incredible damping effect." - Andy M.
• "I love the finish.  I love the matte pewter finish."  - JB
• "I don't think I could commit to the swing, I'd either be laughing or puking." Mikey D
• "I sold them in 1999 and I have regretted it ever since" - Tim
• "Those irons may be even uglier than Corey Pavin's mustache." - BG.
• "It may look unshankable, but trust me, you can still shank it."  Steve R. from Rhode Island

Personally, I never owned a set of the Cleveland VAS irons, but I remember a player in high school who did.  That kid's name is Travis Hampshire, so I decided to google Travis.  As it turns out, Travis is no longer a kid and actually went on to play an event on the PGA Tour, the 2011 Traveler's Championship.  Was it the VAS effect that trampolined him to the PGA Tour?   We may never know.

Alex Dunlop Golf

Over the course of my 25 year golfing career, I have had less than 5 lessons.  At most, I would pick a swing thought that made sense to me and just go with that.  I am a feel player and that works for me.  I always knew that my swing wasn't perfect, but I also knew that it was good enough to break 70.  

However, after playing a round with Golf Teacher Alex Dunlop, I decided to take in a long overdue lesson.  I was actually looking forward to getting some expert eyes on my swing and receiving some feedback on things that I could work on.  As an added bonus, Alex's office has a first class view of Newcastle Golf Club and the City of Seattle.

The view from above the clubhouse at Newcastle and the Rusty Putter; an 18 hole putting course.

Chances are, your office isn't as green.

One of the best parts about taking a lesson with Alex is that he is a straight up cool dude that likes to talk about golf.  We could have hung around and shot the shit for an hour, but we decided to hit some balls as well.  Alex is Trackman certified and immediately as we start the lesson, I am getting feedback in terms of numbers.  Now, these numbers didn't mean much to me at first, especially since I have always played by feel.  The good news is that Alex is an expert on explaining what these numbers mean and keying in on the numbers that actually matter.

For me, it was just one number that we started on with my driver.  That number was attack angle and according to Alex -2.5 was not good.  After a series of interpretations and suggestions that made sense to me, I was able to understand what it felt like to change that -2.5 to a +2.5.  After grooving that feeling over several months, my drives are much longer and there is less dispersion on my tee shots.

On the latest session, Alex and I worked on consistently compressing my iron shots.

Here I am compared to Brooks Koepka.  A model player for shaft lean.

One of the coolest aspects about Trackman is that you get full digital copies of your lessons afterwards.  The photos above are snap shots that I took from the videos on my phone.  If you wanted to, you could pull up a lesson while you are sitting in a staff meeting.  You can literally hear Alex and I discussing things as we review the video and crack jokes about how much better I am at golf than Brooks Koepka.  

My case is nothing special for Alex, it's just business as usual for him.  I had the opportunity to sit in on another lesson and the story was similar with even more measurable success over the past 2 years. 

“When I first started working with Alex 2 years ago, I carried a 24 handicap, now I am a 10.”

— Zander, Student of Alex Dunlop Golf

Alex is the youngest ever winner of the Western Washington Chapter’s PGA Teacher of the Year for 2015 and is generally regarded as one of the best teachers in the state of Washington.  You can find Alex at Newcastle throughout the week or head on over to his website to learn more.  

FedEx Cup Predictions

For years, the PGA Tour and players alike have conceded that the FedEx Cup and the season ending playoffs are not perfect.  However, it is an honest attempt to make the end of the season compelling and interesting.  Here are my projections for the 2017 version.

• Jason Dufner will not win the FedEx Cup.  With 50 billion to 1 odds, don't empty your bank account banking on Duf man going from #30 to #1.  If you decide to bet anyways, here are Dufner's 9 simple check marks to victory.
  • Jordan Spieth must finish 29th or worse
  • Justin Thomas must finish in a 3-way tie for 6th or worse
  • Dustin Johnson must finish T4 or worse and wear blue shoes
  • Marc Leishman must finish T3 or worse
  • No more than 32% of the field can birdie the 3rd hole
  • Jon Ram must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse
  • Rickie Fowler must finish T2 or worse
  • Pat Perez must not have bacon for breakfast
  • Jason Dufner must win the Tour Championship
• "How does the FedEx Cup points thing work?"  will set a new record for number of times googled.
• The Golf Club at East Lake was an amusement park in the 1890's. Tony Finau will make East Lake his own personal amusement park in 2017 and cruise to a 4 shot Tour Championship victory.
• With 24th ranked Finau pulling out the Tour Championship victory, 176 individual alternate victory scenarios will emerge for the FedEx Cup.
• The top 5 (Spieth, DJ, JT, Leishman, and Rahm) will all finish outside of the top 5 for for the Tour Championship, putting their chances of FedEx Cup victory into question and plunging the tournament into chaos.
• Math difficulties and confusion will overtake the scoring booth.  

“Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... Mass hysteria!!”

— Bill Murray - Ghostbusters

• The following flowcharts will serve as the scoreboard during the entire back nine.

Brooks Koepka!?!?!

• World renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will be called in to provide live scoring projections and updates.
• Neil crushes the call and kills it in the scoring booth.

Neil Calls the live FedEx Cup action.

“In 5-billion yrs the Sun will expand & engulf our orbit as the charred ember that was once Earth vaporizes.”

— Neil deGrasse Tyson on Spieth's birdie attempt on the 17th hole

• With Rickie Fowler facing a 5 footer to finish in a 3 way tie for fourth place, Webb Simpson eagerly looks on.  Webb is not sure if a two way tie or 3 way tie from Rickie coupled with his 3rd place finish will be good enough for a first place finish.  If Fowler 3 putts and finishes in solo 5th, would he need a bogie from DJ on 18, or would the 3 way tie from Hoffman give him 2nd place??
• After holing his put for a fourth place finish, Rickie reluctantly fist pumps.  Did he just win $10M or did he just win $1.5M.  Nobody knows!! The excitement and tension is unbearable.
• On his way to the airport, Justin Rose receives a call from tournament organizers letting him know that he has indeed won the 2017 FedEx Cup!!
• The bad news for Justin Rose is that he will get stuck in traffic as he turns his car around and heads back for the trophy presentation.