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Back-Spin from the Catbird's Seat |
"There's an old saying: If a man comes
home with sand in this cuffs and cockleburs in his pants, don't ask him what he
shot!"
"The only think that you should force in a
golf swing is the club back into the bag."
"Real golfers never question their client's
scores"
"My car absolutely will not run unless my
golf clubs are in the trunk."
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Web Posted: 11/13/2007 11:09 PM CSTBrackenridge renovations unveiledFrom the San Antonio Express-News Golf Staff Writer
As golf architect John Colligan and his associate, Trey Kemp, pondered how to handle the renovation of San Antonio's celebrated Brackenridge municipal layout, they found themselves reciting a fitting mantra. "We'd say, 'What would Tillinghast do?'" Colligan said Tuesday, chuckling. "You know, WWTD. We thought we should have some of those bracelets made." No need now. The Arlington-based designers believe they already have the answer. The result, a makeover of the historic course based on A.W. Tillinghast's original 1915 blueprint, provided the major backdrop Tuesday to an announced $6.3 million overhaul of Brackenridge facilities. At a news conference set up on the No. 10 tee box at the site, Municipal Golf Association-San Antonio chairman Reid Meyers unveiled an aggressive game plan that includes upgrades to the golf course, clubhouse and adjacent Borglum Studio. Additionally, hiking and biking trails will be added to the periphery of the property. "This is part of the history of San Antonio," said Jim Roschek, the MGA-SA general manager, "and it will receive its just due." The Brackenridge project is the most expensive and expansive in a three-year plan to improve the city's lagging golf operations. As part of that, the association intends to market the seven municipal courses as the "Alamo City Golf Trail," including a new logo that integrates the shape of the Alamo with a ball and tee. The Brackenridge development, which will force the facility to be closed for at least eight months beginning in mid-January, includes the introduction of a new Texas Golf Museum, Texas Golf Walk of Fame and areas to honor the late Tillinghast and other influential headliners from the area's golf past. The dilapidated Borglum Studio will be renovated and converted into a conference center and museum dedicated to Gutzon Borglum, the renowned sculptor. The cost for the improvements include $4.5 million allocated for the golf course and $1.8 million for the other projects. Support will come from an original funding agreement with the city, which created the hybrid public-private MGA-SA last spring to govern its golf operations, outside fundraising and additional money loaned against projected profits once Brackenridge is reopened. "Let's just say the race has begun," deputy city manager Pat DiGiovanni said. "We have a lot of hard work ahead of us. If we do things the way we planned it, the city of San Antonio can expect the same on its other golf courses." The rich history of Brackenridge, designed by one of the most distinguished architects in the country's history, weighed heavily on Colligan as he cultivated ideas for its restoration. Along with Kemp, he studied Tillinghast's inaugural design with the mandate of trying to recreate it as best as possible. The result will be a front nine that will be routed roughly the same as now but with Tillinghast touches, including added flat sand traps with steep grass faces. In total, the number of sand traps on the course will roughly double to 64. The back nine, however, will be dramatically recast to match the original design, with No. 10 moved over to just off the No. 9 green and each hole re-routed in some way until No. 18. The latter will be a par-3 with a tee box close to where the 17th fairway is now, ending with a green tucked hard against the clubhouse. The most dramatic addition, however, will be the re-introduction of water into the original path of the San Antonio River, flowing under stone bridges that for decades have stood above only ditches and grass. At the par-3 10th, for instance, golfers will hit over two bends in the resurrected river to reach a green 190 yards away. The entire course will stretch 6,159 yards from the back tees, not much different than the current length. "We got back 15 of the original 18 holes at Brack," Colligan said. "That's a pretty big step forward." roliver@express-news.net Note from the Catbird's Seat Nov 13, 2007 -- They are doing it right. Any golfer with knowledge of golf history has to get a thrill from walking in the footsteps of the golf greats that played Brack. I try and play it once a year. I applaud this plan and the developers. And, as always, Richard Oliver, staff writer for the San Antonio Express-News wrote a super story. Larry Farlow
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Editorial from the Catbird's Seat - May 17, 2007 ALAMO CITY MUNI GOLF WAVES WHITE FLAG. By Larry Farlow golfhappy@sanantoniogolf.com Surrendering to the premise that something is better than nothing, the San Antonio City Council caved in to a few local heavy hitters, dare I say the “Old Duffers Network;” in the local golf community and decided to privatize three of the city’s seven local municipal golf courses rather than all of them. The three are the San Pedro Driving Range, Brackenridge Golf Course and Cedar Creek. To call the San Pedro Driving Range a golf course is a real stretch. Brackenridge is a golf legend and should be the very first to be updated. When one walks Brackenridge you are truly walking the footsteps of golf history in the USA. Cedar Creek is a super golf course, if you like playing a course where every shot runs to the middle and is known for five-hour rounds. Councilmen Chip Hass and Art Hall led the vote on May 3, 2007, to put daily oversight into the hands of a local nonprofit organization to make the muni courses more competitive with the private golf courses that offer similar green fees but a better golf experience. Golfhappy agrees that there is no question that the municipal courses in San Antonio needed to be brought kicking and screaming into the 21st century, but the idea of “cherry picking” is not reading the green correctly. Sources have told me that the two councilmen went to Baltimore of all places to investigate the best way to make the local muni courses more attractive and profitable. Baltimore? Give me a break. What in the world does the climate in Baltimore have to do with San Antonio’s hot weather and playing conditions? Golfhappy has played all of the muni courses in San Antonio and agrees with the two elected officials that the courses need help. But, not just these three. Golfhappy also has learned that Chip and Art visited with local golf professionals to get their take on what should be done. Good for them. At least these two are trying, which is more than has been done in past administrations. Might I suggest they visit Tucson where locals play in about the same climate on far superior courses for about the same price. How about the home of the Buick Open at Torre Pines in Palo Alto, Calif., where locals pay about $25 and out-of-area golfers are more than happy to pay $100 to play this wonderful venue. Been there and done that! You two councilmen really need to make the trip. A few years ago the city hired a true golf professional to bring his vast Texas and San Antonio golfing experience to help guide the city in making intelligent decisions regarding city golf courses. He lasted about four years before saying the hell with it and purchased a local golf course with some partners. The decision of not having to deal w with the day-to-day bureaucracy, as well as a parks and recreation director whose dislike for the golf industry is well known is one he has never regretted. According to the San Antonio Express-News, the council approved the creation of the Municipal Golf Association-San Antonio, which will be made up of people who know golf and have an idea of how to make the city courses more appealing. According to the agreement with the newly formed MGA-SA, the city will maintain ownership of the courses; the nonprofit will assume responsibility for daily operations. The MSG-SA's 15-member board will include six positions appointed by the council, seven elected by the membership of the nonprofit and two ex-officio members appointed by the city manager. Golfhappy has to ask why the City of San Antonio has to use the same old format to make up a committee. I can only suspect it's so the city council members and city manager get to appoint 8 cronies to another board? Wow, and to think that Golfhappy introduced a paper to a local golf group made up of many of the same golfers and made the same recommendations regarding privatizing the golf management only three years ago. Talk about slow play. The big difference in this legislation is that I recommended privatizing all of the courses and not “cherry pick,” specific venues, which is exactly what they have done. How true the old adage, “One should never ask how laws and sausage are made.” J Please, keep the courses city-owned entities, hire a national professional golf management company from outside San Antonio, and let them make money for the city while keeping prices low for the local golfers. Help them market San Antonio as a true “Golf Destination.” Local golfers may think they know the golf business, but I would venture to say they do not understand what will be happening in the golf market-place from a global perspective over the next few years. They certainly do not understand what the “Destination Golfers” who visit our community in the cold weather months are looking for. Let me remind them that tourism is still our largest economic generator. My strong recommendation is that the city contract to a professional company instead of turning it over to a group of local golfers that have not been able to get their act together for years. The idea of having the same old crowd trying to play this committee for a par is nuts. They will be lucky to make bogie and you heard it here first. I understand that starting with a $500,000 loan from the city; MGA-SA will assume control of the Cedar Creek golf course in October, San Pedro Driving Range in March 2008 and Brackenridge golf course no later than July 2008. The remaining courses — Riverside, Olmos, Mission Del Lago and Willow Springs — will move to the nonprofit within three years. And I have some ocean-front property in West Texas for sale! Good luck. Larry Farlow, golfhappy@sanantoniogolf.com NOTE: Larry Farlow, i.e. “Golfhappy” is in no way connected to any golf management company.
Back Spin from the Catbird --- Golf courses are really the only thing that makes sense to place over the Aquifer. Our thanks go out to City Staff, elected officials and all of those who were part of bringing the PGA Tour to San Antonio. Speaking of Back Spin - Golfhappy had lower spine surgery about 15 months ago and is doing great and playing again thanks to a super lower spine doc. If you are looking for the right doc email me at golfhappy@sanantoniogolf.com Larry Farlow Click here for the PGA Tour Resort News The old Kelly AFB golf course closed for good on Nov 30, 2004. It's a shame this had to happen but because of environmental problems that are too costly to fix and fewer players being able to access the course since 9-11, it will be gone soon. It was always one of my favorite links and it will be a loss of many golfers who will now have to compete for tee times at Lackland. The management tried hard to keep it running but is simply could not be done. Kudos to those greens keepers and others who tried. It will be missed. Golfhappy
Golfhappy note: Jan 11, 2005. I played Mission del Lago on Jan 3, 2006and Willow Springs on Jan 10, 2006. The difference between the two muni courses was striking. Both tracks had staff that were very customer friendly and helpful. But, while Willow was in real good shape and being upgraded because it's next door to the Spurs SBC arena, Mission was in terrible shape. The greens were the slowest I have seen. The City of San Antonio needs to focus their efforts on the muni golf courses. Other communities in the Southwest that I have visited have wonderful muni golf, at a cost that is not much more than we pay here. If one does not think that the decision of Toyota and other companies to locate here did not have something to do with the great availability of golf they need to check their thinking. Note that the Convention and Visitors Bureau has again started to promote San Antonio as a golf destination. While I was not happy with the Convention and Visitors Bureau in the past couple of years, they are new management. The CVB used to have a full time employee working to enhance the reputation of the Alamo city as being a premier golf destination. I hope that they return to that effort. WE ARE a premier golf destination. We offer a variety of golf courses ranging from traditional, to links, to the famous Hill Country experience. San Antonio is one of the very few towns that offer what I call "Guilt Free Golf." A guy can bring his family here and the wife and kids have lots to do while he plays golf. They can do the Missions, theme parks, museums, and the list goes on. And guess what, at 5 PM they are all back together enjoying the Riverwalk spending money. But I hope the City of San Antonio's CVB is now focused on Muni Golf? If any group should be promoting the muni courses it should be them. I have had this site since 1996 and I know what happens when some of the many groups of golfers book a trip through sanantoniogolf.com. They want to play La Cantera or other top courses. Then they want to drop down to the less expensive tracks for the remainder of the trip. They then want to play another top course their last day here. Often we will book a group who wants to play two rounds of golf a day. So, for example. if they play The Quarry in the morning, we might encourage them to play Olmos Basin in the afternoon. It is right across the street and they get 36 holes of affordable golf. I would hope this is something that the Convention and Visitors Bureau will pay attention to and the City of San Antonio's leadership in economic development will engage in. Upgrade the City Courses. Charge a little more. One can always do like San Diego and charge players who live outside of the metro area or out of state more with keeping rates low for local golfers. We all want good golf and the golf pros who work for the City are trying hard, but they need the support of CVB and the leadership of San Antonio. Bring back a full time staffer to focus on the golfing community. The return on the investment will be huge. Larry Farlow Golfhappy
note: An article appeared in the
San Antonio Express-News in December 03 that was critical of the City's courses.
This is in response to that piece.
Toyota has chosen San Antonio be the site of their new factory. Thank you and Welcome to the best golf destination in the world. Does anyone not understand that the vast number and quality of golf course in the San Antonio area was a positive factor in the Toyota decision to locate there? Duh! Perhaps now they will understand the importance of the PGA Village. I heard great reviews from my golfing buddies about the new Republic course, located 10 minutes from downtown. Finally got to play it in Jan 2003. An absolutely great golf course! I played the new Palmer Course at LaCantera recently. It's absolutely super! The views are so darned pretty that you just want to stand on the tee box and go WoW! What a great asset to golf in San Antonio, Your best golf destination. The Golf Club of Texas a nice layout. We played there recently and and it was super. Only 30 minutes from downtown on Hwy 90. Give it a try. Larry
Water in San Antonio: Recent rains have broken the dry spell and things are green again in the Alamo City. Some folks in San Antonio complain when the golf courses in San Antonio were allowed to water during the current drought. I would suggest to them that almost all the courses are on reuse (gray) water and they are very conservative. Sometimes during the heat of the day, the courses must water down the greens to keep them from dying. At an average cost of $35,000, greens are expensive. Over the past few years, courses have planted varieties of grass that require less water while staying green. And, I will suggest that the golf industry in San Antonio is very water conscious. More than most, the greens keepers realize that for the people in the golf business, water is life. The Spin from the Catbird - Sometimes I simply have to vent my opinions. That’s what this page is about… opinions on a wide range of golf items offered by senior golfer with an 18 handicap who has a web site (actually 4 sites). If you don’t agree with me that’s ok. You can e-mail me… Golfhappy@sanantoniogolf.com and I’ll respond and/or post your comments. Have fun! The Catbird.
FiveSomes: Slow play is the single thing that will drive me from a golf course! And the growing number of courses that allow five-somes is disturbing. When tied to the notion many golfers have that they can putt as well as Tiger if they just take five minutes to study each stroke, the pace of play is wayyyyy tooooooo slooooooow! Even cordial, golf friendly and professional marshals cannot keep the average group of five guys (that’s a gender neutral term) on track to play a round in not longer than 4 hours and 15 minutes. We have a municipal course in San Antonio that I will only play on a very cold morning that will keep the wimps at home because they allow fivesomes. In nice weather, it is not unusual to have groups take over five or six hours for a round. I hope that the new director of golf for San Antonio, John Clay, will be given the authority to do something to remedy this situation. And, while we’re at it… In my opinion,
golf courses are about the only thing that it make sense to build of over the Aquifer!
With professional golf course experts in turf management, environmental controls
are in place. Happily this has finallay become a done deal. Super article from the San Antonio Express-News Web Posted : 07/15/2002 12:00 AM It's time to turn in the suit and the Palm Pilot for some golf clubs and sunblock. A new survey says virtually all executives believe that golf is an essential business tool. "From the Boardroom to the Back Nine: The Importance of Golf in Business" reports thatcamaraderie and deal-making thrive on the fairway. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. authorized the survey to support its new Starwood Golf Vacations program. According to about 400 executives surveyed this year, most agree that golf is a good way to establish a relationship. Most executives would rather go on a golf outing than do a business lunch. Interestingly, 87 percent of the executives surveyed said they gamble while on the golf course. Those who think corporate accounting is the only scandal in the business world should consider that 82 percent of the execs admit cheating on the golf course. Bob McCall, a superintendent from Iraan, calls golf a personal integrity sport. Once the line between truth and lie is crossed, he says, golfers will have a different perception of a person. He said he once had a salesman use a less powerful golf club than the one he was using to let the boss win. "I was feeling better until I found out," McCall said while taking a break practicing his swing on the Palmer Course at La Cantera. Robert Kent, an assistant golf pro at the Club at Sonterra, said although golf is an ethical game, it's very easy to cheat. "If you bend the rules in golf," Kent said, "you might bend the rules in anything." While 43 percent of the executives said some of their biggest deals have been done on the fairway, many of these deals wouldn't have been possible without Tiger Woods popularizing the sport, said Mike Vardeman of La Cantera Golf Academy. He said executives have been pouring into the golf academy looking for instruction. "They don't want to look foolish and they'll tell me 'I don't have to be great, but make me look respectable,'" Vardeman said. Vardeman, who has spent years coaching both new and experienced golfers, said some of the hardest people to coach are doctors and engineers. "Engineers have to know why and want to know what's going on with the swing. They are much more mechanical," he said. "Athletes (are some of the easiest), they just want to know how to improve their swing." Former Spurs player Sean Elliott said he got into the game about 10 years ago, but really started playing more seriously in the last five years. He said he learned the game from businessmen on the course and realized it's a humbling sport. "I've heard of people being tyrants in the office," Elliott said while at the Westin La Cantera. "Golf humbles them. You see the temperate side of people." CEOs also may be tame while playing golf if a potential business deal is on the line. Million dollar deals often are made on the course, said Tim Ciarlino, an instructor at Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club. According to the survey, 45 percent of the executives believe that playing golf makes clients more likely to give them business. "If it's a new prospective client, you'll ease off if you are a good golfer," Ciarlino said. "But if it's someone you continuously play with, it builds the bond better if you make it competitive." While a four-hour round of golf may or may not be productive for the business, it still beats being in the office, Vardeman said. "Just like the saying goes: The worst day on the course is better than the best day in the office." mmonroe@express-news.net 07/15/2002
The top club maker in the USA resides at Joe Caruso's Golf Academy. He is where the pros go. Doug receives work from all over the United States. He has worked with many of the pros from the PGA, LPGA, Senior PGA and the other tours. Doug has consistently been nominated Club maker of the Year. I thought that my golf clubs might have too many moving parts so I went to Doug. He has one of these computers that analyzes your swing 5,000 ways. It told us what kind of club, and most importantly, what kind of shaft I needed for my swing. The results were I needed a club designed for a short, chunky, older fella with a sloooow swing speed. Visit their web page at http://www.caruso-golf.com Phone: (210) 492-4119 16900
Blanco Road
If you plan a golf outing, trip or leisure travel, please visit with me. Golfhappy@sanantoniogolf.com I thought that my golf clubs might have too many moving parts so I took my body to\ in San Antonio. Doug has one of these computers that analyzes your swing 5,000 ways. It told us what kind of club, and most importantly, what kind of shaft I needed for my swing. The results were I needed a club designed for a short, chunky, older fella with a sloooow swingspeed. Rebecca Creek was sold this year and I am impressed by the new owners. I know that they will take care of the course and their customers as well as the guys who started it all. Thanks George for lots of good play. Comments last updated 1 Jun 2006 |
