May 2014 May 2014FREE May 2014May 2014FREE Keeping Golfers Connected in TN, KY, MS, AL, NCKeeping Golfers Connected in TN, KY, MS, AL, NC

Inside!!

College report: Vanderbilt, Chattanooga women’s teams

again are NCAA bound

A good walk less spoiled: Hermitage now offering caddies

14

18

Scattered, smothered and covered: Bubba Watson’s

low-key Masters celebration4

Play it again, Belle MeadeTennessee Open returns to historic Nashville venuePages 2-3

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014

By Gregg DewaltTee Times Editor

Great golf courses always bring out the game’s great players. They also produce great champions.This year should be no different, as

the Tennessee Open Championship returns to its roots at Nashville’s Belle Meade Country Club. As the Tennessee Golf Association celebrates its centennial, it seems appropriate that the venue it selected for its Open this year is where it was first contested in 1949.Belle Meade has been out of the

Open rotation since 1984, but not out of the spotlight, hosting the Tennessee Amateur as recently as 2007. Pat Abbott, who spent 34 years as the head professional at Memphis Country Club and was inducted into the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame in 2002, won the inaugural Open at the Donald Ross-designed Belle Meade in 1949 and then won there again five years later. By the time his career was complete, Abbott owned four state open title and three Tennessee PGA Senior championships.Mason Rudolph won at Belle

Meade in 1964 and Gary Robinson won in 1984, the most recent time the historic club hosted the event. Robinson is among 14 past champions scheduled to compete.Other noted players who have

won events at Belle Meade include Cary Middlecoff, who won two state amateurs and Emmett Spicer Jr., who also won two state

Tennessee Open returns to where it got its start

amateurs there.Belle Meade head professional

Matthew Swarts said the club is looking forward to hosting the tournament for the fifth time.“This year is special in that we

are delighted to participate in the Tennessee Golf Association’s centennial celebration,” Swarts said. “Belle Meade has a long and storied history with the TGA, as many historically significant moments in Tennessee golf trace their roots back to this property. I find it to be an interesting parallel that there are currently a handful of Burr Oak trees on the property that stood here 1914. The most majestic of these Burr Oaks is behind the green on No. 4, and it predates the signing of the Constitution. If only that tree could talk it could tell some fascinating stories. “No doubt, there are more

stories to be written, and Belle Meade looks forward to building upon the great traditions of the past and to being a part of golf in Tennessee for the next 100 years.”Abbott, who won the

inaugural Open at Belle Meade, probably wouldn’t recognize the course today. Rees Jones made extensive renovations to the course in 2005. Renovations included new greens, tees and bunkers, three holes were rerouted and several fairways were

re-graded. One thing Jones didn’t do was add length. The course plays to 6,885 yards from the championship tees. Think Merion in Philadelphia, which hosted the U.S. Open in 2013.Short, though, doesn’t

necessarily translate to easy. When Belle Meade hosted the 2007 Tennessee Amateur, Bobby Hudson won at 9

under par. He was one of only nine players to finish in red figures.“Belle Meade Country Club is one

of the state’s top courses and we will be able to set it up to challenge the players in this year’s State Open, and ultimately identify the best player in the field,” said Matthew Vanderpool, the executive director of the Tennessee Golf Association.Which of the state’s best golfers

is ready to etch his name alongside the other greats who have won at Belle Meade? That’s to be determined, but the chances are good that whoever emerges as the Tennessee Open champion it won’t be a fluke.

2 TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

The Belle Meade clubhouse was opened in 1916 and the picture is the architectural rendering.

Matthew Swarts, head golf professional at Belle

Meade Country Club

Matt Vanderpool, Execu-tive Director of Tennessee

Golf Association stands between the #18 fairway

and #10 tee box

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014

1949 Pat Abbott Belle Meade1950 Johnny Morris Holston Hills1951 a-Ira Templeton Signal Mountain1952 a-Albert Stone Jr. Jackson1953 a-Curtis Person Sr. Richland1954 Pat Abbott Belle Meade1955 Pat Abbott Chickasaw1956 a-Mason Rudolph Chattanooga1957 a-Curtis Person Sr. Jackson1958 Joe Campbell Holston Hills1959 Mason Rudolph Memphis1960 J.C. Goosie Holston Hills1961 J.C. Goosie Chickasaw1962 Pat Abbott Richland1963 Mason Rudolph Hillwood1964 Mason Rudolph Belle Meade1965 Joe Campbell Richland1966 Mason Rudolph Hillwood1967 a-John Deal Bluegrass1968 a-Bobby Greenwood Old Hickory1969 a-Harold Lane Rivermont1970 Larry Gilbert Jackson1971 Richard Eller Hillwood1972 Mason Rudolph Bluegrass1973 Joe Campbell Windyke (West)1974 Bobby Bray Stones River1975 Greg Powers Old Hickory1976 Larry White Creeks Bend1977 Richard Eller Bluegrass1978 a-Sam Young Temple Hills1979 James Paschal Temple Hills1980 a-Bill Argabrite Temple Hills1981 Mike Nelms Richland1982 a-Kip Henley Valleybrook1983 a-Bob Wolcott Valleybrook1984 Gary Robinson Belle Meade1985 Mike Nelms Stonehenge/Dorchester1986 Gibby Gilbert Jr. Stonehenge/Dorchester1987 a-Rob Long Stonehenge/Dorchester1988 Gibby Gilbert Jr. Stonehenge/Dorchester1989 Gibby Gilbert Jr. Stonehenge/Dorchester1990 Gibby Gilbert Jr. Stonehenge/Dorchester1991 Steve Munson Stonehenge/Dorchester1992 Bobby Nichols Stonehenge/Dorchester1993 Jimmy Ellis Legends Club of Tennessee 1994 a-Chuck Jabaley Legends Club of Tennessee 1995 Jared Melson Legends Club of Tennessee 1996 Walt Chapman Legends Club of Tennessee 1997 Kip Henley Richland1998 a-Richard Smith Stonehenge1999 Loren Roberts GreyStone2000 Garrett Willis GreyStone2001 a-Trey Lewis GreyStone2002 a-Tim Jackson GreyStone2003 a-Rob Long GreyStone2004 a-Andrew Pratt Nashville G&AC2005 Andrew Pratt Nashville G&AC2006 a-Justin Metzger The Golf Club of Tennessee2007 a-Derek Rende Gaylord Springs2008 a-Cody Hale Gaylord Springs2009 Bryce Ledford Gaylord Springs2010 Grant Leaver GreyStone2011 Jonathan Fly Brentwood2012 a-Craig Smith Gaylord Springs2013 Garrett Willis Gaylord Springs

Mason Rudolph (6) 1956, 1959, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1972Pat Abbott (4) 1949, 1954, 1955, 1962Gibby Gilbert Jr. (4) 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990Joe Campbell (3) 1958, 1965, 1973Curtis Person Sr. (2) 1953, 1957J.C. Goosie (2) 1960, 1961Richard Eller (2) 1971, 1977Mike Nelms (2) 1981, 1985Kip Henley (2) 1982, 1997Rob Long (2) 1987, 2003Garrett Willis (2) 2000, 2013Andrew Pratt (2) 2004, 2005

Multiple Winners

3TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

6 WinsMason Rudolph

2 WinsRichard Eller4 Wins

Pat Abbott

CraigSmith Bobby

Greenwood

Cody Hale 2008 State Open

Derek Rende

Past Champions And Sites

4 WinsGibby Gilbert Jr.

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Can pro golf have a better ambassador now than Bubba Watson? Talk about a down-to-earth individual. Who else, after winning $1.6 million and the Green Jacket at the Masters, celebrates his victory at a Waffle House?

Bubba did just that with some friends, ordering his usual double grilled cheese sandwich and hash browns. Not sure what the bill was for the seven people, but considering Waffle House’s prices, the tip Watson left was very generous. Accord-ing to the Augusta Chronicle, it was $148, which the manager said three employees shared.

It brought back memories of the movie Tin Cup, which being a golf fan I have watched numerous times. In the film star-ring Kevin Costner as Tin Cup, he and his friends go to a Waffle House before the final round of the U.S. Open despite one of the women friends calling it a “low rent roadside café featuring waffles.” Another friend, however, said he was dreaming of waffles for 1,800 miles in driving to the tournament.

Being a regular, Watson made all the Waffle House Nation proud. Count me in. I have never tried its grilled cheese, al-though I might have to on my next stop. The breakfast food is great, but I also like its hamburgers and of course the hash browns, and down them with a glass of milk.

The hash browns are a classic. You can order them eight ways: smothered, cov-ered, chunked, diced, peppered, capped, topped or country.

Watson loves Waffle House so much he con-sidered having it cater the Champions Dinner the following year after winning the 2012 Mas-ters. He did not follow through, but even if he wanted to, you can bet the chairman at Augusta National would have stepped in. Not exactly the type food you see at the famed course.

Bubba is not the first Masters champion to give an unexpected plug to a food business. In 2010, Phil Mickelson was caught in a photo

at an Augusta Krispy Kreme drive-thru wearing his Green Jacket.

Watson’s food trip drew criticism from a woman on a talk show who said it was irresponsible for an athlete like Watson not to set a better example for our obese nation than taking his family to Waffle House.

Okay, then how about praising the other things he did after the victory. He visited his old elementary and high schools, giv-ing $35,000 for new computers at his high school and posed for a class picture with every grade at Bagdad Elementary. Bubba also bought 450 pizzas for all the students, but don’t tell that woman. In ad-dition, he took time to throw out the first pitch at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos base-ball game.

Need more proof of his character? He went back to the University of Georgia in the summer of 2008 to get his college degree without letting his fam-ily and friends know.

Watson’s next test in the quest for a Grand Slam will be the U.S. Open in Pinehurst, N.C., June 9-22. Get ready Waffle Houses in the area. Bubba and friends are com-ing to town.

By David WidenerMember Golf Writers

Association of America

Opinion

Waffle House perfect place for a Bubba

celebration

TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

Rules of Golf Q and A

A player strikes his ball from the teeing ground towards out of bounds. He plays a provisional and hits the ball

in the same general area as the first. He then plays a second provisional and hits the ball with the same result as the first two. When asked how he identified the balls, he responds, “They were Titleist 3’s.” Upon reaching the area the player finds two balls. What stroke is the player playing?

A Second

B Fourth

C Siixth

D Seventh

Answer: C

Q:

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May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014 5TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

Hillwood Country Club to host2015 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur

Tee Times report

A USGA national championship is coming to Nashville in 2015.The USGA awarded Hillwood Country

Club the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. The tournament is scheduled for Sept. 26-Oct 1, 2015“The USGA is proud to bring

the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship to Hillwood Country Club,” USGA vice president and chairman of the Championship Committee Daniel B. Burton said. “In welcoming Hillwood to the fold of USGA host sites, we are confident that it will provide the stern and complete test of the players’ games found at all of our national championships.”Dick Wilson designed the course

at Hillwood Country Club, which opened in 1957 under the direction of architect Bruce Crabtree. Bruce Hepner, of Renaissance Golf Design, oversaw renovations in 2003 and 2011.“It is an honor and privilege for

Hillwood Country Club to host the 2015 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship,” said Jerry Coleman,

president of Hillwood Country Club. “Our obligation as a top-flight club in Tennessee is to give back to the game of golf and our partnership with

the USGA for this championship will allow us to host the greatest amateur senior women’s golfers our country has to offer. Our members and staff are excited about this opportunity and are committed to providing a wonderful experience for the participants, officials and spectators.”Hillwood has hosted numerous

statewide events, including the 1963, 1966 and 1971 Tennessee State Opens and the 1975, 1982 and

Established in 1991, Tee Times is published monthly, ten times per year. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or

part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Member: Golf Writers Association of America, International Network of Golf, Golf Travel Writers of AmericaP.O. Box 41293 • Nashville, TN 37204 • Phone: 615-331-1078 • Fax: 1-866-579-4932

PUBLISHER Joe Hall pgegolf@bellsouth.net

EDITORGregg Dewalt

SENIOR EDITORDavid Widener widecard@aol.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTORCarol Hallteetimescarol@bellsouth.net

CONTRIBUTING WRITERMac Rochelle

GRAPHIC DESIGNERJon Hamiltonjonh2520@att.net

TECHNICAL ADVISORJimmy Phillips

DISTRIBUTION MANAGERSusan Lawrence

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Your Home Course

2004 Tennessee State Amateurs.While the 2015 Senior Women’s

Amateur will be the first USGA championship to be conducted at Hillwood, the club has a long-standing connection with the association. On June 18, the club will host U.S. Senior Open sectional qualifying for the third straight year and the fifth time since 2002. The club’s 2002 qualifier produced the lone player to win the U.S. Senior Open as a sectional qualifier. Don Pooley survived a 3-for-2 playoff to reach that year’s Senior Open, held at Caves Valley Golf Club, in Owings Mills, Md. At Caves

Valley, Pooley defeated Tom Watson in a five-hole playoff to win the championship.The 2015 Senior Women’s Amateur

will be the 14th USGA championship held in the state of Tennessee and

will mark the second time the championship will be held in the state. The Honors Course in Chattanooga served as host site of the 2011 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, won by Terri Frohnmayer.The U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur

Championship was first conducted in 1962. It is open to female amateur golfers who will have reached their 50th birthday on or before the opening day of the championship, and who have a handicap index not exceeding 18.4. Notable past champions include Carolyn Cudone, Alice Dye, Ellen Port, Anne Sander, Marlene Stewart Streit and Carol Semple Thompson.This year’s U.S. Senior Women’s

Amateur Championship is Sept. 13-18 at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, N.J. Additionally, Wellesley (Mass.) Country Club will host the 2016 championship, followed by Waverley Country Club in Portland, Ore., in 2017.

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 20146 TEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

It’s good to be squareKok, Stevens win Club Car Pro-Official By Doug Curtiss

If you struggle with a slice, as 95-percent of the golf world does, you’re losing direction control but also a lot of distance.

Most players hit what is known as a pull slice. This is a shot that starts left of your aim and then puts the right blinker on and takes that dreaded right turn -- and keeps going right.

Drivers slice the most because it has the least amount of loft but you are making the same mistake with all of the clubs -- it just shows up the most in the driver and the least in the wedges.

To hit a straight shot, the club face must be “square” at impact. A lot of students come to me not understanding what a square, open, and closed club face looks like, so I want to describe it with the pictures to help. Without getting too technical the basics are these: If the club points to the right of the target at impact, the ball will go right. If it points left, the

Tee Times report

The team of Johan Kok and Brad Stevens of Temple Hills Country Club fired a 7-under-par 65 to win the gross division at the recent Club Car Pro-Official Championship.

Kok and Stevens posted a two-shot victory at Spring Creek Ranch in Collierville.

The team of Gaylon Cude and Jimmy Darr, representing the Tennessee Golf Foundation, shot 67 to finish second.

Doug Curtiss is a Class A PGA Professional and Director of Instruction at Hermitage Golf Course in Old Hickory, TN. Find Doug on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DougCuritssPGA) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/DougCurtissPGA), and get

more of his tips at www.dougcurtisspga.wordpress.com

ball will go left. The more time during the swing that the club is “square”, the easier it will be to hit it straight. I want students to have swings that are as simple as possible. With the knowledge of WHAT to practice, the HOW will get easier and practice will get more FUN and productive.

I will let the pictures do most of the talking but in position 1, the club face should be very close to parallel to your spine when the shaft is parallel to the ground. In position 2, the face should be very close to parallel to your left forearm. In position 3, the toe should be straight up when the shaft is again parallel to the ground and in position 4, the toe should again be straight up when the shaft is parallel to the ground.

Practice these positions -- in a mirror if possible -- as much as you can and in every speed to see it and feel it. Practice a lot without getting a ball involved! Change is hard but worth it.

Good luck and Good Golfing!

David Crafton and David McVay of Jackson Country Club were third, shooting 68 to finish three strokes back.

In the net division, Nick Bailes and Greg Daily of the Golf Club of Tennessee emerged with the win in a scorecard playoff over Michaelyn Bradford and David Oxley of TPC Southwind.

Both teams shot 65, but Bailes-Daily shot 33 on the back nine to edge Bradford-Oxley, who shot a 34. Kris Hertzke and Ken Rakow of Graymere

Country Club finished third with a 66.

This year’s tournament held a Glow Ball Challenge the night before the tournament. The challenge consisted of five par-3 holes, with an illuminated flag stick. Each four-person team was given five glow-in-the-dark golf balls. Greg Hynes, Brock Shafer, Ed Rosloniec and Mace Montgomery finished first, winning a $300 each.

Kris Hertzke, Jim Elliot and Keith Penke each won a closest to the hole prize.

12

3 4

Brad Stevens

Johan Kok

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014

Col Tom Drew is the AAAA Chapter President as well as the 101st. Combat Aviation

Brigade Commander and some of the helicopters on display at the convention hall are under

Col Drew’s Command

TEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com 7

Gaylord hosts AAAA convention, tournamentTee Times report

There was plenty more than golf on display in early May when the Army Aviation Association of America came to Nashville for its annual convention at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

The convention is the annual gathering of Army Aviation’s current soldiers, former leaders and acquisition professionals, trying to ensure U.S. Army Aviation remains the best in the World.

The tournament featured two waves of 144 golfers each. One group played a morning shotgun and the other competed in the afternoon.

Over at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center there was a massive display of helicopters, gear, machinery, weapons and more.

Col. Tom Drew, chapter president as well as 101st Combat Aviation Brigade Commander whose Brigade moniker is “Wings of Destiny, greeted the men and women at Gaylord Springs Golf Links on behalf of the host chapter located at Fort Campbell, Ky. In fact, some of the helicopter displayed at the convention we similar to those under his command.

Retired Col. Hawk Ruth, who coordinated the golf tournament, gave the order “to start your engines” or

in reality, follow the cart out to your assigned tee box.

Ruth praised the convention site and the Gaylord Springs Golf Course.

“We will be back at Gaylord next year; their service is over the top,” he said. “The tournament is just one of many events that allow soldiers and officers to come together and experience new technology and exchange ideals and insights that support the Army and Army aviation.”

Proceeds from the tournament are returned to the chapter for various projects, including the AAAA scholarship fund and soldiers, said Col Hawk Ruth.

Carts all lined up and ready to roll

MG James McConville (l.) is Commanding General, 101st. Airborne Division, Air Assault

at Ft, Campbell, KY (r.) Ret.Col Hawk Ruth, who coordinated the AAAA Golf Tournament

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 20148 TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

Nashvil lefairways.com

Harpeth Hills2424 Old Hickory Blvd. • 615-862-8493

McCabe46th & Murphy Rd. • 615-862-8491

Percy WarnerForrest Park Dr. • 615-352-9958

Shelby20th & Fatherland • 615-862-8474

Two RiversTwo Rivers Parkway • 615-889-2675

Ted Rhodes1901 Ed Temple Blvd. • 615-862-8463

VinnyLinks2009 Sevier Street • 615-880-1720

Metro Parks

AroundNashvilleFairways

Hello. This month’s column is dedicat-ed to the Ted Rhodes Golf Course.

But I would be remiss if I did not share information about Theodore “Ted Rho-des, for whom the course is named.

Born in 1913 in Nashville, Rhodes grew up in the pre-civil rights era. He learned to play golf in Nashville’s city parks, us-ing fallen tree branches as flag sticks. African-Americans were barred from public and private courses at the time.

As a teenager he caddied at the exclu-sive Belle Meade and Richland Coun-try Clubs. Rhodes served in the United States Navy in World War II. When his tour of duty ended he was discharged in Chicago, where he met entertainer Billy Eckstine and heavyweight boxing cham-pion Joe Louis. He taught both men how to play golf and served as Louis’s per-sonal instructor, valet and playing part-ner.

In the late 1940s, Rhodes moved to southern California where he was men-tored by Ray Mangram. In 1948, he played in the U.S. Open at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, and was recognized as the first African-American professional golfer.

Rhodes and fellow black golfer Bill Spiller led the fight against the PGA’s “Caucasian-only clause,” and in 1961 the PGA officially removed it. Rhodes played mostly in the United Golf Association’s sanctioned tournaments during his ca-reer, winning about 150 times.

In 1953, Nashville’s first golf course for African-Americans was constructed in north Nashville as a nine-hole course and was called Cumberland Golf Course. Rhodes returned to his native Nashville in the 1960s and mentored several Afri-can-American PGA players, such as Lee Elder and Charlie Sifford. Rhodes died in 1969 at the age of 55. A month after his death, the Cumberland Golf Course became Ted Rhodes Golf Course in his honor.

In May 1992, the facility was re-designed and expanded from nine to 18 holes. The links-style 18-hole course incorporates lakes and bun-kers to provide a pleasur-

able round for each golfer. We are proud and honored to have a Metro Parks golf course named in hon-or of PGA Profession-al and Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame member Ted Rhodes.

Now, let me intro-duce you to some of our staff:

Wayne Evans, a lifelong Nashvillian, is our manager and head golf profession-al. He and wife Vicki have two daughters, Kelly Grace and Caroline, and the family is excited to wel-come a son in May. He took up golf at 13 at the encouragement of his best friend Trent Merritt and we here at Metro Golf Courses are thankful for that friendship.

Our pro knew soon after graduating from David Lipscomb University that he wanted a career in the golf industry. He began with Parks in 1986, and this soft spoken golf pro has worked at sev-eral Metro courses, mainly Ted Rhodes

and Percy Warner. He loves teaching and relishes help-ing people improve their game. He en-joys it when his stu-dents are pleased with their progress.

A professional from the “get go”, Evans loves anything con-nected with golf or playing the guitar.

“I simply love mu-sic, but family and

career mean I have to make time for my music and as far as golf, I don’t get to play very often,” Evans said. “People think that because we are golf professionals and work at a golf course, we play all the time. That’s definitely not true,” he said.

Evans said his staff and the Ted Rhodes regulars are beyond compare. He loves what he does, such as teaching, running outings, and hosting tournaments. He has never regretted his decision to be-come a golf professional and teacher and to welcome all players to Ted Rhodes Golf Course.

Emily Anderson is our assistant man-ager at Ted Rhodes. Her quick wit and huge grin have served Metro Parks courses for almost 30 years. Seventeen of those 30 years have been at “Rhodes.” She worked at Two Rivers for about 10 years and then spent two years at Mc-Cabe and another two at historic Shelby Golf Course.

Emily has two sons, Everett and Allen, and her joy in life is visiting with family and friends. She loves to play golf, time permitting, and often plays with co-worker Vickie Stanfield.

This passion for golf has instilled a love for the Ted Rhodes Golf Course. Being a

golfer has helped her understand any issues or the rare complaint. She handles it all in stride.

“I work with great folks here,” she said. “It starts with Wayne. We have Shir-ley McGhee, Vickie Stanfield, William Wigfall, Rick New-

The story behind Ted Rhodes Golf Course

John HolmesAssistant Director of Parks

Wayne Evans,Manager

Emily Anderson, Assistant Manager

Theodore “Ted” Rhodes (Nov 9, 1913 – July 4, 1969)Helped break the color barrier in professional golf. In

1998, Rhodes was inducted into the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame. In 2009, the PGA of America granted posthumous

membership to Rhodes, Spiller, and John Shippen.

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014

man, Chuck Bayer, Ronnie Watkins, and last and by no means, least, our Josh Putman. And while brag-ging, our golfing clientele are the best. The regulars would do anything for us, and we feel the same about them. It sounds cli-ché but it is true. We are a big family.”

Although a manager, Emily helps the staff with their duties. She is willing to pitch in, whether moving and cleaning carts, sweeping or handling any situation that might arise, Emily is only too willing. She takes pride in this course and it shows. When a compliment comes in, she is quick to pass it along whether it is some-body who is impressed by the condition of greens, or the best hot dog in town, or the nicest players anywhere.

Shirley McGhee is our Concession Clerk Two and has worked for Parks for the past 17 years. Her hiring date in March 1997 began her love affair for her co-workers and the players she is eager to serve.

Anyone who has played at “Rhodes” will testify this gracious, warm lady is there to please your palate. She is quick to serve you with a cheerful greeting and quick service. She’s not a golfer, but an avid fisherwoman, and understands that golfers often want to grab a quick bite and get back to turn. Not a problem for her; service is what she wants to deliv-er. Her duties are to order all food and drinks and track them on the computer. The most important aspect of her job is customer service.

Shirley has been married to Marvin for 44 years, and they are parents to sons Rick and Tony. She has three grandsons, Scott, Austin, and Jake.

“I did warehouse work before to com-ing to Parks, and it hampered my nature,” she said. “Now I can talk as much as I want to, and I do. I know so many of the regulars and I feel a kinship with them. They are here to enjoy themselves, and it is no secret I love what I do and I think they appreciate that.”

Jerry Cook, another native of Nashville, is our superintendent, but he is so much more than that for those that work for him and with him.

He’s worked on golf courses since April 1981 when was a seasonal worker with the grounds maintenance. He even-tually moved up to a full-time position as a leader, and eventually became a supervisor.

Jerry came to “Rhodes” in June 2007 as super-intendent. His skills for organizing and main-

taining the course on a consistent basis are well known, and the proof that he and his crew are doing a spectacular job is evident in the wonderfully maintained course.

Jerry’s skills were honed going back to his days working at Metro’s Harpeth Hills. After working at this course as a leader, he decided he wanted to make a career of working on golf courses.

Jerry is married to Teresa and they have two sons, Alan and James. Being a golfer is helpful when it comes to overseeing the course.

“Playing golf gives me a better under-standing of what other golfers are seeing as they play,” he said. “The impact is hav-ing a view of daily maintenance and how to make that better.”

Jerry said the May 2010 had a devastat-ing effect on he and his crew.

“It broke all of our hearts,” he said. “We love this course and seemingly all of the hard work -- and it is hard -- was all un-der water. Thank goodness, Metro Crews from other courses pitched in and came to our rescue. We had help from Parks folks from the top down.”

The course has bentgrass greens, Ber-muda grass fairways and Bermuda rough and some fescue areas. Jerry said he and his crew love the history and scenery of the course, and they take pride in its up-keep.

“My crew puts their heart and soul into their work,” he said. “They all contribute on ideas on ways to improve the course and they get along well. At work and away from work, they are friends and so easy to work alongside.

Please remember to say thanks to Jer-ry’s crew and to Wayne’s staff.

Until next time, keep it in the fairway.John Holmes

Call 1.866.TEE.OFF1 or visit tunicanational.com

/tunicanational @tunicanational

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9TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

Emily Anderson

(l-r) Jerry Cook (34 years) superintendent, Michael Bond (29 years) assistant Superintendent, Brandon Denton (7 mos.), Trevor Thrower (7 mos.), Steve

Booten (11years) and season worker, T.J. Gooch

Shirley McGhee, Concessions Clerk

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014

jk jk

500

oBEST IN THE SMOKIES

o10 TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

Tee Times report

Bill Worrell isn’t one of those golfers who tinker with every aspect of his game.A longtime golfer who got his start

at age 13 as a caddie in Mt. Holly, New Jersey, Worrell is best known for his 25-year stint in Cookeville as the Tennessee Tech women’s basketball coach.When that career ended, Worrell

gravitated back to golf. With a house on the sixth hole at Cookeville Golf Club, he could literally step outside and play with anyone and everyone, including the other players in the club’s “Dog Fight Group.”Worrell always has

liked TaylorMade equipment, but didn’t have in the inclination to switch clubs. He liked his driver and was hitting it well, so why change even for another TaylorMade driver? But the stories told by some of his golfing buddies and their friends about the Taylor Made Performance Lab at Gaylord Springs finally piqued his interest enough to make the trip to check out the facility.He did not come away disappointed,

and suffice it to say you can teach and old dog new tricks.The Performance Lab’s Chase Brannon

put Worrell through a battery of tests to fit him for the best equipment possible, and at the end of the day, the former basketball coach was converted.“Yes indeed, I changed drivers; I’m

now hitting the SLDR with a stiff shaft, fitted just for me,” Worrell said. “Before I was hitting the 2.0 regular shafts by TaylorMade and loved it, even argued with Chase and told him it would be hard to change.”But he did.“The driver is so comfortable to hit,

you don’t miss with it, and the SLDR 460 is sweet,” Worrell said. “The

worst thing you can do is over swing. Just smooth the tempo and you gain distance. The Lab with its technology is unbelievable, but the key is Chase. He is patient, professional and works with you until you are properly fitted. He sure made a believer out of me.”

Finally, after hearing their stories and seeing their clubs, he relented and, drove over to Nashville, to be hooked up in the lab, under the watchful eye of

Chase Brannon. Well folks, the rest is history. Now Bill Worrell sings the praises of Brannon’s TaylorMade Performance Lab. The most important thing was that it was so much fun from the time he arrived until he left.

Worrell sings praises of Performance Lab

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Bill Worrell

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014 11TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

# 9 Peninsula Green

Tee Times report

The team of Jackson’s Danny Green and Knoxville’s Steve Golliher had so much fun winning the 2013 Tennessee Senior Four-Ball Championship they did it again this year.It was something of a wire-to-wire

victory for Green and Golliher, who were the No. 1 seed after 36 holes qualifying at WindRiver Championship Golf Course in Lenoir City, and then won three matches for the title.Green-Golliher dispatched Tom Baird-

Tim Burns 5&4 in the quarterfinals and followed with a 2-up victory over Tom Provow-Mark Enderle in the semifinals.In the final match, the defending

champs broke open a tight contest with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 10-11 to go 3-up. Golliher’s 35-foot birdie putt on No. 15 sealed the win.In the super senior bracket, the top-

seeded Nashville team of Mike Nixon-Mike Patton downed Ron Kilgore-Jim

Brown 1-up in the semifinals to set up a final against Jeff Voorhies-Gary Nixon.The Nixon-Patton team started strong

in the final match by winning the first two holes and eventually opened a six-hole lead after nine. They closed the match on No. 14 for a 5-4 victory.

Green-Golliher repeat Four-Ball title

Danny Green

Steve Golliher

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014

Golf Course Guide For The Tennessee Region 12 TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014

Golf Course Guide For The Tennessee Region 13TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

Family Golf Center615-781-8388 • 5204 Blue Hole Rd, Antioch, TN 37013

Harpeth Valley Golf Center615-646-8858 • 7629 Old Harding Pike, Nashville, TN

Cedar Creek Sports Center615-754-2744 • 10770 Lebanon Rd, Mt Juliet, TN 37122

Hermitage Golf Learning Center615-883-5200 • 4000 Andrew Jackson Pkwy, Hermitage, TN 37076

DRIVING RANGES

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 201414 TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

Tee Times report

Call it a double whammy for the Van-derbilt women’s golf team .Competing in the

brutal SEC champi-onship at Birming-ham’s Greystone Golf and Country Club, the Commodores rolled to an 11-shot victory in the team compe-tition and then cel-ebrated Simin Feng’s individual title. Feng posted an eight-shot win over LSU’s Lind-sey Gahm and Arkansas’ Gaby Lopez.It was only the second

team title in school history, with the other coming in 2004 when May Wood captured the individual title.How tough was the

field? Seven teams were ranked in the top 25, including No. 4 Arkansas, No. 6 South Carolina and No. 7 Ala-bama. Vanderbilt’s three-

round total of 879 was 11 shots clear of South Carolina.“It feels pretty good,” Vanderbilt

coach Greg Allen said. “We played some phenomenal golf.”The next task for Vanderbilt is

the NCAA Regional tournament. A good performance there would earn the team a bid to the nation-al tournament.Feng, a freshman, dominated the

tournament, lowering her score in each round and capping it with a 6-under-par 66 on the final day. Her 209 total was the second low-est in tournament history, and her 66 in the final round was the low score by five shots. In addition to Feng, Jennifer

Hahn finished ninth at 221; Irina Gabasa tied for 19th at 226; Anto-nia Scherer tied for 28th at 228;

Vanderbilt, Chattanooga women in familiar territory at NCAA regionals

and Kendal Martindale tied for 40th at 231.

Vanderbilt earned a bid to the NCAA East Re-gional in Tallahassee (Fla.) at SouthWood Golf Club. It’s Vandy’s 15th-straight appear-ance at a regional. The field includes: Duke, South Carolina,

Stanford, Pepperdine, UCF, Virginia, Auburn,

N.C. State, host Florida State, Kentucky, Tulane,

Louisville, Baylor, ETSU, Georgia, Campbell, East

Carolina, Texas State, Col-lege of Charleston, Troy, Mur-

ray State, Seton Hall and Alabama State.

Chattanooga Mocs

Chattanooga and the Southern Conference women’s golf title have become synony-mous in recent sea-sons, and the trend continued in late April in Hilton Head, S.C.The Mocs captured

their fifth straight So-Con title and had the tournament medalist for the fourth straight year to wrap up an-other NCAA Regional

berth.Emily McLennan

grabbed individual hon-ors with a 54-hole total of 222 at Moss Creek Golf Club to win by four shots over Furman’s Taylor Totland and by seven over teammate and SoCon Player of the Year Jordan Britt.“I’m incredibly proud

of myself, especially being able to keep it together on a day like this,” McLennan said after the win. “I’ve had so many tournaments where I’ve had two good

rounds and then fell off in the last so I’m very excited.”Chattanooga, which finished at

915, overcame a one-shot deficit in a rainy final round to win by five shots over Furman and by 21 shots over Samford. McLennan capped her victory

with a 74 in the final round. Britt, of Signal Mountain, Tenn., shot rounds of 80-69-80 to finish third at 229. Isabella Loza tied for sixth at 232. “We just keep getting it done,”

said UTC coach Colette Murray, who was named SoCon Coach of the Year. “We prepare well and execute when we get here. I’m absolutely delighted for Emily with the win, and for Jordan as

well. This isn’t the end for her. I’m as pleased as punch.”Britt was joined on the All-SoCon

team by McLennan and Agathe Sauzon.The Mocs returned to the NCAA

Tournament for the seventh straight season with the win, and the selection committee sent them to the 24-team West Region-al in Cle Elum, Wash., and Tumble Creek at Suncadia Resort.Chattanooga’s path to Tulsa in-

cludes a gauntlet of the nation’s best teams. Top-ranked USC highlights the field that includes No. 6 Arizona State, No. 7 Okla-homa, No. 8 Washington, No. 12 Clemson, No. 18 Wake Forest, No. 19 Northwestern and No. 25 Michigan State. Tennessee also was sent west, with the top eight teams qualifying for the national championship at the Tulsa (Okla.) Country Club.

OVC Women’s Championship

Austin Peay finished sixth and Belmont was seventh at the Ohio Valley Conference’s Women’s Championship played at the Rob-

ert Trent Jones Golf Trail at the Shoals.Murray State shot 915 to win by

Simin Feng, Volunteer Assistant Julie Bartholomew, Irina Gabasa, Antonia Scherer, Jennifer Hahn, Kendall Martindale,

Head Coach Greg Allen, Assistant Coach Holly Clark.

Simin Feng

Chattanooga Mocs: Head Coach Colette Murray, Isabella Loza, Emily McLennan, Agathe Sauzon,

Porsche Campbell and Jordan Britt

Murray State: Back row: Assistant Coach Chris Griffin, Abbi Stamper,

Delaney Howson, Sydney Trimble, Head Coach Velvet Milkman. Kneeling: Sophie

Hillier, Jacklyn VanMeter

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014 TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com 15

two shots over Eastern Kentucky, with Jacksonville State third at 923 in the 54-hole event.Tala Mumford and Jessica Cathey

each shot 231 to tie for eighth place, leading Austin Peay to a sixth-place finish. Austin Peay shot 949 as a team.Sydney Hudson tied for 24th

place at 240, helping Belmont to a seventh-place finish in the team standings at 971.Murray State’s Delaney Howson

ran away with the individual title, shooting 4-under-par 212 to win by 15 shots. Tennessee Tech’s Whitney Robertson was fourth, shooting rounds of 77-73-78 for a 228 total.

Atlantic Sun Women’s Championship

East Tennessee State claimed the team and individual champi-onships, while Lipscomb finished ninth in team play.East Tennessee shot 896 to win

by eight shots over Kennesaw State, sparked by Vivienne Chin who captured medalist honors with a 54-hole total of 219.Lipscomb’s Miriam Parker fin-

ished tied for 16th with a 230 total as the Bisons shot 961. Sa-vanna Schubert shot 242 to tie for 35th.

Mid-South Conference Women’s ChampionshipCumberland University wrapped

up its season with a fifth-place finish in the seven-team confer-ence tournament at the Bard-stown (Ky.) Country Club.Cumberland shot 1,023 in the

54-hole tournament won by the University of the Cumberlands with a 922 total.Kayla Smith and Katie Legge

paced Cumberland University, ty-ing to 11th place. Both players fin-ished at 243.

Men

Trevecca Nazarene The Trevecca Nazarene men’s

team captured its second straight Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship, beating Kentucky

Wesleyan by 15 shots in the six-team field.Coach Robbie

Wilson’s team finished at 942 in the 54-hole event played at Glenview Golf Course in Cin-cinnati, Ohio. The Trojans shot rounds of 305-325-312 on the par 72 course.

Sophomores Logan Martin and Tyler Phillips tied for fifth to pace for Trojans into the top 10. Both were named first-team all-confer-ence. Martin finished with a 76-79-79 234 while Phillips recorded a 78-80-76 234.Other Trevecca scores included

defending champion Stephen Wil-liams, who was a ninth at 239 and Aaron Burnett, who was 10th at 240.Evan DeGrazia of Davis & Elkins

was the tournament medalist with a 54-hole total of 228.

SEC ChampionshipAlabama certainly lived up to its

No. 1 ranking, rolling to the SEC Championship with an astounding 34-under-par 806 at the Sea Island, Ga. The Crimson Tide didn’t lap the

field but came pretty close, beating runner-up LSU by 16 shots. Tide senior Bobby Wyatt set a

tournament record, shooting 18-under 192 that included a 61 in the second round. He beat runner-up Smylie Kaufman of LSU by seven shots.Vanderbilt finished 11th in the

14-team field at 852, while Ten-nessee tied for 12th at 859.

Vandy’s top per-former was Charlie Ewing, who shot 3-under 207 and tied for 11th. Dan-ny Keddie paced Tennessee with a 4-over 214 to finish in 35th position.C O M M O D O R E S

SECOND AT MA-SON RUDOLPHEarlier in the

spring, Vanderbilt finished as runner-up to Alabama at the Mason Rudolph Championship at

the Vanderbilt Legends Club.Alabama shot 847 in the 54-hole

event, while Vandy finished at 856.Junior Hunter Stewart led Vander-

bilt, finishing in a tie for fifth with a score of 212 (69-69-74), while junior Ben Fogler finished runner-up playing as an individual with a total of 210 (73-69-68).Vanderbilt held a two-stroke lead

on the Crimson Tide with nine holes to play, but Alabama shot 10-under par on the back nine to fin-ish at 12-under for the day. Tom Lovelady made four consecutive birdies on holes 12, 13, 14, and 15 to push the Crimson Tide into the lead, with Robby Shelton putting an exclamation mark on the festiv-ities by making four birdies in his last five holes.

Ohio Valley Conference

The Belmont men’s golf team finished in fifth place at the rain-shortened OVC Men’s Golf Cham-pionship on the Fighting Joe Course at the Robert Trent Jones Trail at The Shoals The Bruins finished in fifth place

with a 36-hole score of 584. Jack-sonville State won the team title with a mark of 567. Eastern Ken-tucky and Austin Peay tied for second at 573, while UT-Martin placed fourth at 575.Austin Peay’s Marco Iten was

tournament medalist with a two-day total of 8-under-par 136. He won by one shot over Jacksonville State’s Camilo Aguado. Austin Peay’s Anthony Bradley finished fifth at 142.Belmont’s Ted Moon earned

OVC All-Tournament honors af-ter tying for fourth with a score of 140.

Atlantic Sun Conference

Lipscomb didn’t win the A-Sun Conference tournament, but it did make a little school history with a fifth-place finish, its high-est ever.The Bisons made up 12 shots on

Jacksonville in the final round to earn its fifth-place finish.Mercer captured its first confer-

ence title with a 54-hole score of 874. Runner-up Kennesaw State finished three strokes behind Mercer, while East Tennessee claimed third place with an 884. Lipscomb finished at 915.Caston Roberts was Lipscomb’s

top finisher. He vaulted into a tie for 17th place with a final-round 70, the day’s lowest score. Team-mate Stoney Crouch tied for 19th place at 228.

Trevecca: Front Row: Garrett Evans, Austin Dillard, Aaron Burnett, Logan Martin. Back Row:

Coach Robbie Wilson, Collin Welker, Stephen Williams, Tyler Phillips, Spencer Scarbrough

University of Alabama: Mike McGraw, Robby Shelton, Tom Lovelady, Trey Mullinax, Cory Whitsett, Bobby Wyatt, Jay

Seawell. Photo by Steven Colquitt - UGA

East Tennessee State: From left to right, assistant coach Lauren Stratton, Gabriella Wahl, Lourdes Lopez, Sian Evans,

Vivienne Chin, Linda Dobele, and head coach Stefanie Shelton

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 201416 TEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

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By Ray Sharp

To work the ball or to not work the ball, that is the question. Many amateurs are not interested in working the ball. They would simply

rather hit the ball straight. However, golf is not often played in straight lines. This brings a dilemma to improving one’s skill level. After all, golf is a game of great skill which requires learning, practice and experience to gain confidence in all situations found in a round of golf at any given course.

Most golfers can appreciate that the ball can be manipulated to travel different heights and distances with different starting points and with dif-ferent curvatures. When golfers make the swing they have developed to strike the ball comfortably, the result is generally their stock shot. This shot is used for most attempts at striking the ball to an intended target. If

Working the ballyou can rely on that shot shape consistently and distance is consistent then changing the ball flight may not be the best option.

The main reasons to learn how to work the ball are to increase your chances of recov-ery from difficult situations and to change an unwanted stock shot. If you are unable to curve the ball or change the height of your shot, then you are handcuffed at least a time or two in a round. Strictly playing the safe shot may be a sound op-tion, but not possessing the ability to get the ball back in play while advancing the ball closer to the hole is not playing golf to your full potential. Additionally, if you aren’t happy with the current stock shot you have then you need to learn what skills you need to possess to change the flight to a more desired one. The more you understand what mechanics create different ball flights, you’ll gain the ability to know what you did to create the flight you see and how to correct it. Seek out your local golf professional if you desire to increase your skill level and confidence.

Ray Sharp

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014 17TEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

Tee Times report

Golf used to be considered stodgy, uppity and a sport for the privileged. And then, Tiger Woods showed up

and all of a sudden it became cool to play golf. A series of other young players followed Woods including Rickie Fowler, known as much for his ability as his eye-catching wardrobe that definitely stands out on the PGA Tour.Change in golf can sometimes move

at a glacial pace. For years, woods came in one of two color schemes –

gray or black. A few years ago, Taylor-Made introduced a driver with a white club head. Now, Bubba Watson uses a driver with a pink club head.Where’s this going?

ClubCrown has taken a graphic design ele-ment to a new level. It’s revolutionary crown graphic tech-nology will turn the look of your driver, fairway wood, or hybrid into your own custom design. The patented in-stallation process uses high-tech 3M films, heat temperatures of up to 200 degrees, and Knifeless Tape Technol-ogy to ensure the highest quality ap-plication, all the while maintaining the security and form of your club.

What does that mean? It means golf-ers can now have a customized logo on their drivers, fairway woods or hy-brids that are sure to be a conversa-tion piece in your weekly foursome. Oh yeah, ClubCrown is added protection for those clubs to prevent scratches, dings and dents from occurring.Want the logo of your favorite college

to adorn your driver head? ClubCrown can do it. In fact, there are tons of cre-ative designs to choose from. “I saw this item at the PGA Merchan-

dise show in Orlando and was im-pressed with how the product can re-

ally dress up your club and allow you to express your-self while protect-ing the finish of your club,” Tee Times publisher Joe Hall said. “I was at the booth and there were many specta-tors admiring the many designs on display, and it was apparent each had their favorite.”It didn’t take

Hall very long to

realize ClubCrown, which was voted Best of Show in 2013 at the PGA Mer-chandise Show, was going to be a hit. He spoke with a representative of the company and quickly was sold on the product’s value. After going through a training program, he became a brand ambassador and is now a qualified in-

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staller. He’s launched the product in middle Tennessee.But exactly what is ClubCrown? It’s

not a decal. Instead, it is a durable 3-M graphic material that makes the design appear as if fine art was paint-ed on the club. It’s durable, designed to last like the factory paint that came on your driver.“It really allows the club’s owner to

be expressive, show their allegiance, provide flair or a distinctive style to an otherwise ordinary finish,” Hall said. “They make a great gift for any golfer.”Hall said it makes sense to install

ClubCrown when you clubs are new, but that it can be applied to just about any club old or new. Cost is $40, which includes installation that takes about 15 minutes.Go to www.teetimespaper.com for

locations and installation times. And take the next step in “cool.”

Hall installing ClubCrown

Recent installs

Inspecting his work

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014

Hermitage now offering caddie services18 TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

By Doug CurtissTee Times contributor

The purity of golf is what so many of us love.

The purity of a well-struck shot, of a putt made to break a personal scoring record, of spending time with great friends on a beautiful day.

The purity of watching a foursome walk up the 18th fairway is a special sight that I still love to see and love to be a part of.

Mike Eller, PGA member and owner of Hermitage Golf Course, envisioned that walking aspect of the game and has made it a possibility this season at his course by starting a caddie program.

The possibility of having a caddie at a public course is rare, but that is exactly what golfers at Hermitage will have the opportunity to

experience. Jim Vernon, Director of Golf at Hermitage, said he wants golfers at his course to have experiences -- something to talk about for days and weeks and months afterward.

He stresses customer service to his assistants every day in pursuit of creating a great experience and, not surprisingly, that is one of the things for which Hermitage is known.

Hermitage is taking the philosophy one step further by offering this unusual service. If you are picturing D’Annunzio wearing a black tank top and carrying the Havercamps’ two bags (the hilarious scene from the movie Caddyshack) then you might be glad (or sad) that Hermitage is going a slightly different route.

Eller wants the golfers to have the creature comforts of carts with the purity of walking. Therefore, the caddie

(615) 274-2301www.championsrun.biz

Directions: 1-24E, exit 80 (Hwy 99W, New Salem Rd.) Go 12 miles and turn left onto Mt. Pleasant Rd. Course will be one mile on the left.

World Class Golf Training! The Middle Tennessee Golf Performance Center

is just 30 minutes away !

The Middle Tennessee Golf Performance Center

will drive the cart, forecaddie, read putts, clean clubs and any other service needed.

Golfers will be able to walk with their buddies and have more time to talk, do business, stay more in rhythm and take a little more time to experience the purity of the game.

The golfer will pay the usual fee for golf and cart plus an additional $50 per golf cart. If there are two bags, it is $25 per golfer. If there is only one bag on the cart, it is $50. Tips are at the discretion of the

golfer. Call the course a week ahead to reserve

your caddie because it’s first come, first serve.

Some of my personal favorite rounds of golf have been with a caddie, and I remember all of them like they were yesterday.

If you have never done it, do yourself a favor and try it once. I think it will make you enjoy golf that much more.

Doug Curtiss is the director of instruction at Hermitage Golf Course.

Doug with caddie on

a recent trip to the

Dominican Republic

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014

Equipment CornerHermitage now offering caddie services

TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com 19

Style, comfort highlight new Antigua women’s collectionTee Times report

Not everyone can play like a professional, but women golfers can look like one with the new Antigua Spring Women’s Golf Collection.Even better, it’s already been launched

and just in time for Mother’s Day, too.“The Spring 2014 Performance

Collection promises to be the best selling

in our history,” said Ron McPherson, president and CEO of Antigua. “The collection has color, style, sophisticated fabrics and a perfect mix of silhouettes.”The new collection features bold ombre

stripes, lightweight mélange fabrics and textured jacquards. It’s all about sheer comfort, as these garments incorporate innovative poly yarns that allow for softer, smoother, and more comfortable fabrics.

moisture quickly and evenly, achieving the most efficient evaporation possible to keep golfers comfortable and dry. The fabrics in our Gem and Breathe polos utilize a pattern to allow for quick moisture displacement. Gem features a tonal geometric patterned face with a flat back, allowing a smooth, silky feel against the golfer’s skin, while Breathe features a pointelle texture vertical stripe pattern that maximizes comfort by keeping air flowing throughout the garment. Meanwhile, Desert Dry™ XTRA-LITE

combines the Desert Dry™ moisture-wicking feature with specially constructed ultra-light fabrics for maximum wicking performance and optimum comfort. Examples include Frill, Caliber and Cinch. Although Frill is a woven jacket, its fabric is ultra-lightweight, soft and stretchy. Its textured backside keeps moisture off the body by picking it up off the skin and transferring it to the outside of the garment. This lightweight woven fabric features a heather print that makes the style look more like a casual piece and coordinates with any color polo and bottom. Caliber is also D2XL- but feels less light

than other D2XL styles in the collection because it features a double knit mesh construction. This allows for a thicker/less sheer look and hand to the fabric, while still maintaining the lightweight properties of our D2XL styles.Cinch is a knit skort using ultra-soft and

stretchy micro-jersey fabric. Its elastic tie detail at the front allows the golfer flexibility in length and provides some coverage for those who wish to have a longer skort. By using the lightweight stretch jersey material, the Cinch wicks super-fast and fits many different body types.For details on Antigua’s Spring 2014

Women’s Golf Collection, visit www.antigua.com

Danielle Dellios, Antigua Women’s head designer, said she was looking to achieve something new and different for spring – in terms of both silhouette and fabrication.“I began designing the collection

around a textured fabric I had previously developed, along with new heather fabrics that I’d been working on with different mills,” Dellios said. “One new polo model, Primp, is an excellent example of fabric

innovation. Its mélange texture and color effect are unique in that they’re

achieved by mixing different types of irregular poly yarn.”

Necklines have also become more open and fun. In fact, several of the polos have non-traditional necklines. Limitless is a model that features a dye-cut neon zipper. Another style, Pristine, has an open scoop neck with contrast V-stitching. It’s these neckline innovations that allow the product to look new to the customer. Although these styles still have the required collars, they’re far from being traditional polos.As for color, neons that are

popping up in everything from home furnishings to accessories and cosmetics. Thus, the spring color palette includes versions of neon and ultra-bright hues. These pop colors, coined Citrine, Candy, Sherbet and Grapeade, are tastefully added to garments in small doses and utilized in contrast stitching, insets, zippers and tipping.Technology is also featured

in the collection. For example, our exclusive Desert Dry™

technology absorbs and wicks

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 201420 TEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

Redefining lightweight golf bags… againSun Mountain’s newest lightweight

golf stand bag is the Front 9. Turning back the clock some 30 years to the name of one of Sun Mountain’s first bags, Front 9 is a compact, lightweight stand bag for the walking golfer. Effi-ciently sized, yet big enough to carry a full set of clubs, a handful of balls and a rain suit, Front 9 has a new 8.5-inch oval top with a flared opening. Front 9 has three, full-length club

dividers, six pockets, and uses the X-Strap® Dual Strap System. Front 9 is available in men’s and women’s styles with a re-tail price of $169.99.

Weighing only 3.8 pounds, Front 9 is extremely light-weight. Yet, with the new oval top, the bag can easily accommo-date a full set of 14 clubs. Add in the lat-est innovation of a flared opening and getting the clubs in and out of the bag is a cinch. Front 9 also incorporates the Sun Mountain-invented, now industry-standard, integrated lift assist handle to

make picking the bag up and setting it down easier than ever.

Efficiently sized is a good description of the Front 9 bag. It offers six pockets including a beverage pouch, velour-lined valuables pocket, full-length clothing pocket and accessory pockets.

Front 9 includes all of the advance-ments one expects from a Sun Moun-

tain golf bag: patented roller bottom leg mechanism, high-tensile alumi-

num legs, full-length club dividers, lumbar support hip pad, umbrella

attachment, towel holder, top-mounted leg mechanism for

added stability, pen holder, leg lock system so it’s easier to use on riding carts, and a

coordinating rainhood.

For the nearest Sun Mountain retailer, call

1-800-227-9224 or visit www.sunmoun-

tain.com.

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014 21TEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

New book celebrates TGA centennialTee Times report

To commemorate the Tennessee Golf Association’s centennial anniversary, the TGA commissioned Chris Dortch to write Titans of the TGA which pro-files 50 people who, in their own way, made significant contributions to promote and advance am-ateur golf throughout the state. These titans come

from many back-grounds including players, adminis-trators, golf pro-fessionals, course architects, bene-factors and super-intendents. Profiles share how each titan became infatuated with the game and how they gave back to ensure the game is healthier for future generations. The book chronicles how the Ten-

nessee Golf Association and Women’s Tennessee Golf Association were founded, who took up the charge dur-ing the years to make sure the associ-ations continued to prosper, what led to both associations merging in 2000, and who continues to lead the TGA

into its second century.“Thanks to the path Gene

Pearce blazed so well with his book, The

History of Tennessee Golf, I’ve been able to go on my own journey of explo-ration through the state’s rich golfing history,” Dortch said in a release. “My focus has been

on the TGA, in order to help golfers around

the state celebrate the 100th anniversary of its

creation. But most particularly, I have concentrated on the many peo-ple who helped create the TGA, keep

it alive during some lean times, and help it grow into the juggernaut we know today.“The stories of these pioneers, care-

takers and visionaries are diverse and compelling, and I’m proud to not only tell them in Titans of the TGA, but help preserve them for genera-tions of Tennessee golfers to come.” Tim Jackson, who wrote the forward

for the book, said Dortch did an ex-cellent job with the book.

“Chris Dortch has done a masterful job profiling those included in this book,” he said.”His diligent research has allowed him to share their stories along with how golf touched their lives and allowed them to make an impact on the game.”To purchase copies of Titans of the

TGA: Fifty People Who Helped Shape The Tennessee Golf Association’s First One Hundred Years, go to Titan-sOfTheTGA.com

Two of the most common problems I see with the average golfer are slicing and lack of distance. Often the trouble can be quickly traced to the grip and in particular, a faulty left hand. The proper positioning of the left hand allows you to hinge your wrist, which will enable you to swing the club freely and square the clubface at impact. At first glance a player’s left hand can be deceiving. To check the position of your left hand, hold the club as you would normally and then open your hand. If the shaft lies near the center of your palm, your wrist will not hinge properly costing you both distance and accuracy. Friction and excessive wear on the heel pad of your glove is a sure sign that your left hand is in a poor position. Here are

some ideas to help with the positioning of the left hand.

Hold the club in front of you with your right hand while keeping the leading edge of the clubface perpendicular to the ground (toe facing toward the sky). While looking at two to three knuckles on the back of your left hand, place your left hand on the club while feeling the grip run diagonally from the base of your little finger through to the middle of your index finger. Your thumb and heel pad

should rest on top of the grip with your thumb slightly right of center.

This will give you the feeling of the club being more in the fingers. Now check your grip by opening your left hand. The grip should now be resting from the base of your little

finger to the middle of your index finger.

Holding the club more toward the fingers will help promote a free hinging of the wrist, creating greater clubhead speed and a square clubface through impact.

By Johnny Warren • Johnny Warren Golf AcademyThe Club at Fairvue Plantation • www.jwga.net • 615-206-0813

Tips fromJohnny

Proper positioning of the left hand

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May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014

Clebe McClary’s emotional rescueBy Jim McCabe, Golfweek

AUGUSTA, Ga. – We interrupt the pimento-cheese sandwiches, ball-skipping at the 16th and solemn walks around Amen Corner to pose a philosophical question: When finally after 46 years you meet the man to whom you owe all the happiness and joy you feel blessed to have enjoyed for most of your life, how long of a hug is long enough?

Clebe McClary wasn’t sure, so as the embrace intensified he leaned in and whispered, “Don’t let go till you want to let go.”

So right there in front of dozens of patrons, in the shadow of the iconic oak tree behind the Augusta National clubhouse, McClary and Billy Casper hugged . . . and hugged . . . and hugged.

“We hugged for five minutes,” said Casper, who choked back tears. But McClary? He didn’t even try to hold ‘em back. He cried like a baby, which was not so conspicuous because as the scene played out, so, too, did the emotions of so many others let loose.

“We all just cried our eyes out,” said Julia Cervantes, one of Casper’s 11 children.

On any day, Casper is a wonderful story, a righteous man with a keen sense of

human kindness. But on this cool, breezy Masters day, his story was even more wonderful thanks to a reunion with McClary, who told everyone how Casper had saved his life. It was 1968, the height of the Vietnam War, and Casper, in the prime of his golf career, was off to Japan to play some offseason tournaments.

While he was there, did he want to visit some wounded American troops,who had been convalescing from Vietnam? Casper said yes, because, well, that’s his warm-hearted nature. “I was recently asked by a man what I want to be remembered for,”

Casper said. “I told him, ‘I want to be remembered for how I loved my fellow man.’ “

That day at a hospital in Japan might have shown Casper at his warmest because when he looked over at a bed and saw a young man who had been wounded to a point where he could barely be

recognized, the golfer moved closer. A doctor told him not to bother, that Marine 1st Lt. Patrick Cleburne “Clebe” McClary “was ready to die,” said Casper, but something made him approach the man.

“I will never forget that day,” said McClary, who on March 3, 1968 had been wounded during his 19th reconnaissance mission in Vietnam. McClary lost his left arm and his left eye and laid in that bed that day thinking one thing. “I’d given up,” he said. “I wanted to die, and I’d have died right there if not for him.”

By 1968, Casper already owned two U.S. Open titles and was one of the top winners on the PGA Tour. He sensed McClary’s hopelessness as he approached.

“He put his arm around me, leaned in and said, ‘God could use you today. Don’t give up,’ “ McClary said. “Then he thanked me for what I had done for our country and said, ‘God bless you.’ “

Somehow, McClary found the resolve to fight. He survived, left the hospital in Japan, and settled in his native South Carolina, near Myrtle Beach. Years went by and he often wondered about this gentle golfer who had brought out the fight in him, but there was nothing more than that.

“I mean, I didn’t know golf from polo,” McClary said.

A little more than a year ago, McClary was at his beach house talking with a neighbor, a guy named Jay Haas.

Haas smiled, then made it his mission to reunite McClary and Casper. The Masters was the perfect opportunity. Casper, the 1970 champion, would never miss the

pilgrimage. Neither would Haas, who competed 22 times at the Masters and whose son Bill is a regular participant these years and whose uncle, the irrepressible Bob Goalby, won in 1968.

The first chance fell apart when rain washed out Monday’s practice round. On Tuesday the story unfolded to perfection. Haas met McClary behind the clubhouse, found Goalby, who tracked down Casper and then … well, it is said that Augusta National is a magical place,

and here was proof positive that it is.

“You never know what effect you’re going to have on another human being,” said Cervantes, who watched the reunion unfold with her mother, Shirley, other family members, Haas and Goalby.

When finally the long, emotional hug was over and the pictures were taken, Casper and McClary had so much to say to each other. Forty-six years is a long, long time, but the Marine told the golfer that he had thought of him often. The golfer nodded, because he felt the

same.McClary told Casper that he was proud

of his life. Not because of the Silver Star or Bronze Star or the three Purple Hearts that he had been presented. It wasn’t for the book he had written, “Living Proof,” either. No, he was proud because he had heeded Casper’s advice to stay strong and find faith in God.

But make no mistake about it: “You’re the reason he’s living. He was ready to die,” one of McClary’s friends said to Casper.

McClary, a motivational speaker who has given talks in 50 states, smiled, wiped away tears, and nodded his head.

“My guardian angel,” he said, pointing to Casper.

As they stood side by side, Casper and McClary cast long, satisfied looks out over the greenest landscape known to man.

“A special, special place, but you need to see more of it,” Casper said, and McClary nodded. He was going to walk Augusta National, but McClary had to have one more hug and a promise from Casper that if the Hall of Famer were ever in Pawleys Island, S.C., he had to stop in.

Casper agreed, and then McClary started his walk. But before he did, the former Marine reached into his pocket and handed his business card to someone standing nearby. It read: “I’m just a nobody that wants to tell everybody, about somebody, that can save anybody.”

Reprinted with permission of GolfWeek.

22 TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

Billy Casper greets Clebe McClary at the 2014 Masters

Jay Haas left with Billy Casper and Clebe McClary

May 2014 May 2014May 2014 May 2014

Putman honored to receive Champions Within luncheon invitation

Tee Times report

Joshua Putman has done more in his 32 years than many do in their lifetime.

For starters, the Nashville native has participated in so many Special Olympics events in the past 24 years that his mother Kay has lost count. He has competed in swimming, basketball, flag football, volleyball, soccer, power lifting and bowling. And then he found golf.

In mid-May, Putman is to receive an honor reserved for only a select few. He was invited to take part in the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame “Champions Within” luncheon. Expected to attend were former Tennessee Titans great Eddie George, football coach Carlton Flatt and sportscaster Hope Hines.

The invitation noted that Putman represents “the qualities that we at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame believe are the true prize gained in competition.

Golf, of course, was a contributing factor in how Putman became recognized by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. The more he played golf, the more he came to not only enjoy but to love the competition. Away from Special Olympics, he plays with a league at Riverside called the “Keggers,” a coed group who enjoy their weekly two-man/woman scramble on the nine-hole

executive course.

Josh, Kay and their friend Steve Overlock are regulars. He also plays golf with an uncle, Tim King and even a few pros. Putman has an ace to his credit – on No. 4 at Riverside. He competes locally and nationally. Last year, he and Overlock came home with silver medals in the USA Games at the Seaview Bay course in Galloway, New Jersey.

Coming soon, the Glencliff High graduate and Steve play in the USA Games at Mercer Oaks Golf Course in New Jersey. It is a level 3 Unified 18-hole alternate shot event governed by PGA rules. He and Steve also will play in six other tournaments this

summer, including Henry Horton, Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Glen Eagle in Millington, Champions Run in Rockvale, Forrest Hills in Drummond and Smyrna Municipal.

Putman found his dream job at a golf course last summer. He met

with assistant manager Emily Anderson at Ted Rhodes Golf Course and volunteered. His work ethic and personality

endeared him to staff and the players, and he now works there two- and three-times per week.

Putman always found time for the Special O l y m p i c s , though. Putman was encouraged

to participate by Kay, who wanted her only child to be around other children in an athletic environment. Immediately Putman loved competing in different events and meeting new children and their mentors.

And that began Josh’s long love affair with sports in general and golf in particular.

TEE TIMESwww.teetimespaper.comTEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com 23

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Josh at his “dream job, Ted Rhodes Golf Course

Don Ellis Gatlin, Emily Cage, Josh Putnam, Jon Samples, Joshua Lykins ,Elite Events of Music City, at Don Ellis Gatlin’s Tournament to benefit Special Olympics

Steve Overlock(left) and playing partner, Josh Putman in their

competition shirts for the Special Olympics Golf Invitational for

North America

May 2014 May 201424 TEE TIMES www.teetimespaper.com

By Gina LoberMiddle Tennessee EWGA marketing directorIt was a bright, beautiful Saturday morning recently at Hermitage Golf Course where

EWGA Middle Tennessee Chapter celebrated its annual spring kick-off event. Participation included more than 62 EWGA members with eight new members joining

that day. Guest speaker Steve Kirkpatrick of Golf RX in Mount Juliet shared his expertise, tips and best practices for women golfers, including his approach to proper club fitting for ladies. Lisa Becka, EWGA National Director of Golf Programs, shared her plans for the

EWGA National Championship which will be hosted by the Middle Tennessee Chapter at Hermitage on October 10-11. After registration and check-in, our members were delighted when Ashley Eller Cottrell

opened the Nike Store, featuring the latest merchandise at tournament pricing.Attendees enjoyed brunch provided by Hermitage director of food and beverage David

Cottrell, along with executive chef Jack Schrader and their catering team. There were thousands of dollars of door prizes awarded throughout the morning.

Sponsors participating included: Dreher Advisordy Services, Dove Chocolates, Golf RX, RJ Young, SeeMore Putters, and Tush Kush. A special memorial gift was provided by Jack Musterman, husband of the late Jeannie

Musterman, a beloved member of EWGA Middle Tennessee.The EWGA Middle Tennessee chapter would like to thank to Hermitage owner Mike

Eller, director of golf Jim Vernon and head golf professional Steve Murphy for helping to get more than 20 of our ladies on the General’s Retreat for a much-anticipated round of golf. It was icing on the cake for a very eventful day for our Middle Tennessee Chapter of the EWGA.

About the EWGAAs the largest and most established women’s amateur golf association in the world, the

EWGA has connected more than 100,000 working and professional women who share a passion for cultivating relationships and enjoying the game of golf. Offering a wide range of affordable organized golf activities and educational programs, this award-winning association has been driving social and networking opportunities for women through the game of golf since 1991. With EWGA Chapters located in more than 120 cities throughout the United States as well as in international locations including Bermuda, Canada, Italy and South Africa, the EWGA is an active participant in hundreds of communities.

For more information regarding the local EWGA Middle Tennessee Chapter, check out the website: http://www.ewga-midtn.com/MiddleTennesseeChapter/Home/,

Linked In Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/EWGA-Middle-Tennessee-Chapter-4796164

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Middle-TN-EWGA/311601875678?ref=hl

Twitter: @EWGAMidTN

EWGA Middle Tennessee kicks

off spring