Arizona Golf News

The 6th Annual The FAN AM 1060 Golf Challenge will be held on Friday, September 11 at Legend Trail Golf Club in Scottsdale.

The cost for the event is just $100 and includes golf, cart, lunch, raffle and mulligan tickets. There will be contests on every hole and each golfer will receive a custom FAN AM 1060 General Dynamics head cover as well as an official FAN AM 1060 cup.

Whether it's a flashy diamond-studded belt buckle, a bright orange camouflage hat or a pair of loud pants, today's image-conscious golfers have fallen in love with products that allow them to express both their personality and individuality on the golf course.

If you're looking to add a new colorful component to your golf bag, look no further than Shaft Skinz - decorative wafer-thin plastic sleeves for your shafts that have the added benefit of protecting the surface from the day-to-day knocks and scrapes that they take. 

Mike Malaska, worldwide director of instruction for Nicklaus Academies, has been ranked by his peers as the 24th Best Instructor in the United States. The complete rankings are featured in the August 2009 issue of Golf Digest.
 
Malaska is a regular contributor for Golfer's Guide Arizona and Golfer's Guide Las Vegas. He is one of TaylorMade-adidas’ lead staff instructors, contributes to The Golf Channel, writes for Golf Magazine and other International golf publications. 

Superstition Mountain is set to host the top juniors in the state at the Arizona Junior Boy’s and Girl’s State Championship, Presented by the Arizona Golf Association and sponsored by the Vogel Family Foundation and Southwest Section PGA. This two round event is set to be played on July 7-8, 2009 on the Nicklaus-designed Prospector Course.

The Junior State Championship is an invitational event for boys and girls ages 13-18 whom are JGAA competition members. The field is limited to only 60 boys and 30 girls whom have qualified for the event via prior finishes and local qualifying events held in June. 

As part of the PGA Tour’s commitment to give back to local communities, TPC Scottsdale “Home of the PGA Tour’s FBR Open” will host the 22st Annual Area Wide Junior Golf Clinic sponsored by PGA Tour Charities Inc.  

On Saturday, June 27, 2009, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., more than 400 local youths are expected to participate in this award-winning junior golf program, which encompasses learning the game of golf and the positive ideals it teaches.

TPC Scottsdale Director of Sales & Marketing Tiffany Nelson will serve as emcee for the day, which will include an exhibition by The Outback Golf Show, staring trick shot artist Craig Hocknull. Please refer to his website, www.theoutbackgolfshow.com to learn more about this amazing show.

The Southwest Section PGA announced that Jimmy Kozikowski of Mesa and Sun Park of Vail, Ariz., have qualified for the 2009 Junior PGA Championship in the 16-18 age division. The prestigious 36-hole stroke play tournament will be conducted July 28-31 at TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio.

Kozikowski shot a 76-65 (3-under par) at local section qualifying on June 18-19 at the par 72 McCormick Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale, while Park shot a 77-67 (even par). Kyle Jones of Snowflake and Anna Kim of Chandler qualified in the 13-15 age division, while Jack McDevitt of Phoenix and Kathryn Ottman of Show Low qualified in the 12 and under division.

Less Time Searching, More Time Playing

With more and more golf courses marketing some (or all) of their tee-time inventory on-line, golfers have been turning to the web in increasing numbers to book their rounds. However, as the number of sites offering tee times has grown, so has time required for golfers to
find the tee-times that best meet their needs. Allow me to introduce, Scottsdale-based, GolfSigma.

“When we asked golfers how many sites they typically search before making their selection, we were not really surprised to find that well over 50% search three or more sites before booking their round,” said Peter Smith, president and CEO of GolfSigma.

For the first time ever, the 2009 Arizona Boys & Girls State Junior Championships, a prestigious event conducted at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club on July 7 and 8, will be organized and run by three state golf associations.

Traditionally hosted by the Junior Golf Association of Arizona (JGAA), the State Junior Championships, open to player’s age 13-18 as of July 8, has become one the most popular junior golf events in the state. Thanks to ongoing support from the Arizona Golf Association and the Southwest Section PGA, the event will continue to grow.

The Arizona Boys & Girls State Junior Championship Qualifying also has a new look this summer.  Because of  the partnership between the JGAA, SWSPGA and the AGA, open qualification will take place at three locations; June 26 at Randolph Golf Complex in Tucson; June 29 at Oakcreek Country Club in Sedona; and June 29 at Kierland Golf Club in Scottsdale. 

Fourteen OB Sports-managed golf clubs (including all three Arizona OB facilities) are participating in the A Dollar for Dads  fundraising drive taking place on this Father’s Day weekend Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21, 2009. 

The participating clubs will add one dollar to their normal green fees (and/or collect additional donations). That extra dollar will directly support research leading to treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. 

“The fact that prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in America should get everyone’s attention. But too many families are still being devastated by this disease,” said Phil Green, President of OB Sports Golf Management. “So we’re trying to raise awareness among all the dads out there while supporting the many organizations already working hard on a cure.”

Sanctuary Golf Club at WestWorld is proud to offer two great Summer Specials. From now until September 20th, golfers can play 18 holes for $29 or 9 holes for just $19!

Wait, there’s more. The $29 rate includes your choice of any lunch item on the menu. You can eat before, during or after your round and there are no restricted tee times. If you don’t want lunch, you may select a sleeve of the following Nike golf balls; Vapor, Juice, Power Distance, or Karma.