Arizona Golf News

New club-fitting facility helps golfers discover the best clubs for their swing for $225

Raven Golf Club - Phoenix and OB Sports recently announced the opening of The Perfect Fit, a new golf-club-fitting facility headed by long-time Arizona PGA Professional, Al Murdock. The outdoor facility allows Murdock to assess a golfer’s ball flight while also considering data collected by Foresight GC2 Smart Camera System to fit them with the best equipment for their individual swing. The fitting service which costs just $225, includes putter through driver, and also include ball fitting if so desired.

“Every golf swing is different,” said Murdock. “The technology available today allows us to merge the art of club fitting that I’ve practiced over the years with the rapidly emerging science of club fitting to find the best equipment match for each swing. And it’s not just for the expert; in fact, high handicappers benefit from this service just as much as low handicappers, maybe even more.”

Prominent Arizona golf industry leader, Ed Francese was recently inducted into the Southwest Section P.G.A of America Hall of Fame. Francese joined four other 2012 Hall of Fame inductees who were recognized at the recent Southwest Section Awards Dinner held in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Southwest Section PGA Hall of Fame Committee, comprised of prominent section professionals and other industry leaders, selects Hall of Fame award winners.  The inscription on the plaque for the Hall of Fame winners reads:

"The highest honor the Southwest Section PGA can bestow. This faithful PGA Professional will be forever remembered for his significant and endearing contributions to the game of golf and the Southwest Section PGA."

While kids all over the Valley of the Sun are starting to make their camp plans for the summer, there's another group of kids who can't make the same kind of plans so easily.

These kids can only imagine the hikes, horseback riding, jumping in the pool and late night stories around the campfire. These kids have chronic and serious illnesses that prevent them from enjoying these traditional activities. These are the kids of the Camp Soaring Eagle Foundation.

Camp Soaring Eagle's mission is to give kids with serious illnesses and their families a chance to discover the healing power of laughter and the sheer joy of play, that sickness has too long denied them. Camp Soaring Eagle Foundation's is proud to partner with Legend Trail Golf Course in Scottsdale, Arizona, to hold "Tee It Up For Children's Laughter" golf tournament on Saturday, April 28, 2012 proudly sponsored by American Kiosk Management and Longboard Asset Management.

Camp Soaring Eagle Foundation's generous supporters and participating golfers will help give children from Arizona, ages 7 - 17, with serious illnesses, the opportunity to attend overnight camp. Camp Soaring Eagle provides these year round, medically safe camping programs completely free of charge to the campers and their families.

3-DAY TOURNAMENT FEATURES 16 COLLEGIATE WOMEN'S TEAMS FROM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY

The 2012 Rio Verde Invitational a 54-hole golf tournament featuring 16 collegiate women's teams from across the country, will be held at Rio Verde Country Club, March 8-11.

Practice rounds will take place on Thursday, Mar. 8, while tournament play will run from Friday, Mar. 9 through Sunday, Mar. 11.  Competition will take place on Rio Verde's Quail Run Golf Course, with shotgun starts set for 1 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

This is the 10^th edition of the Rio Verde Invitational, and once again will be hosted by Western Michigan University, the host team for all 10 of these tournaments.

Nine courses at eight golf facilities managed by Scottsdale-based OB Sports Golf Management made the ranking of 2012 Golfweek's Best Courses. The courses were listed among the top 100 nationwide in two categories: Resort and Residential. Both courses at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club made the Resort ranking (Saguaro No. 19 and Cholla No. 50). The other two were Lodestone Golf Club (No. 37) and Sandia Golf Club (No. 100). In the Residential ranking, five OB Sports-managed clubs were listed in the top 100: The Rim Golf Club (No. 24); Tetherow Golf Club (No. 55); S omerby Golf Club (No. 56); Dalhousie Golf Club (No. 71) and Victory Ranch Club (No. 94).

By Mike Malaska – Nicklaus Academies’
World-Wide Director of Instruction

We can all agree that in this great game, perfection is simply unattainable. There are a million and one variables involved in this sport. However, the pursuit of perfection in your practice habits may very well make you more consistent, and consistency is the second most frequent request we hear from my students (right behind “I want to hit it farther!”). In 1998 Jack Nicklaus said “You don’t have to hit the ball long and perfect. You have to hit the ball long enough and in play.” So, let’s look at some ways to help make your practice time more beneficial so your ball is consistently long enough and on the short grass. Below are a few very important tips to help you maximize your return on investment.

In late 2010, the Amateur Association of Arizona Golfers (AAAG) was developed to protect and grow the game of golf in Arizona.

The AAAG services its members on a local level in the area of handicapping and playing opportunities. The association will expand its programs in many areas to fully service amateur golfers in the months and years to come.

Mike Malaska, the PGA Director of Instruction at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club in Superstition, Arizona, who pioneered a standard of physical fitness evaluation for all golfers that evolved into today's model program, is the recipient of the PGA Teacher of the Year Award. The award was established in 1986, honoring outstanding teacher of golf among the PGA of America membership.

Malaska, 57, is a 31-year member of the PGA of America, oversees the development, implementation, training and certification of all professional instructors at Jack Nicklaus Golf Academies and Golf Centers around the world. Nicklaus Academies has facilities in the US, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Denmark, China, Korea and Japan with planned expansion in the coming years in India, Canada, South and Latin America, South Africa and Russia. Back in the 1980's, Mike spent 3-years in Japan opening the successful Jack Nicklaus Golf Centers. Upon his return, Malaska spent 16-years as a Senior Instructor alongside Jim Flick with the Nicklaus-Flick Golf Schools.

SWING FOR SNAG RAFFLE GRAND PRIZE WINNER ANNOUNCED

United States Army Veteran and Purple Heart Recipient Wins Dream Vacation

Michael Leibold, a United States Army Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, current program training coordinator in Kabul, Afghanistan and avid golfer, was awarded the grand prize in the recently held Swing For SNAG raffle in support of The First Tee of Phoenix and Mesa Public Schools (MPS).