Date archive for 2009

  • Caddies deserve credit

    Ten years from now when I tell people that I made the turn at Old Macdonald in 38 — it will be a much better story.
    It will rank right up there with my other favorite resort ‘story’ — the 2-iron I hit on No. 16 at Bandon Dunes to within 3 feet of the green.
    I …

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  • Course Review: Old Macdonald

    By John Gunther, Sports Editor
    BANDON — Ken Nice has been at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort since it opened. The current resort greens superintendent arrived during the tail end of construction on Bandon Dunes and has been directly involved in the grass growing portion of development for Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails and, now, Old Macdonald.
    He’s got …

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  • Desperately seeking wedge

    Boy did my pitching wedge pick a bad time to abandon me.
    Normally I can’t wait to get inside 120 yards so I can get a pitching wedge in my hands, but that definitely wasn’t the case on this day.
    That and John decides to shoot the best round of his life — a 79 — on …

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  • Course Review: Coquille Valley Elks Lodge Golf Course

    COQUILLE — For a private golf course, the nine-hole track at the Coquille Valley Elks Lodge  does a lot of public good.
    The course is the only facility on the South Coast that is private — golfers must be either Elks or their guests to play.
    But the exceptions to that rule all benefit the public.
    First, the Elks Lodge, …

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  • Golf Tip: Plan out your shots to score better

    Playing great golf is more than just ball striking — it’s scoring. 
    How well you score greatly depends on how well you put all of your individual skills and abilities together to perform, then attack the golf course.
    Every player, regardless of skill level, should always have a clear-cut strategy in mind on how they would like …

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  • Course Review: Old Bandon Golf Links

    BANDON — People who haven’t seen the old Face Rock Golf Course in a while might be surprised by the changes in the past several months.
    Since Troy Russell and his wife, Kim, started leasing the course from owners Margaret Miller and Jerry Brown nearly a year ago and changed the name to Old Bandon Golf Links, …

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  • All in the family at Old Bandon Golf Links

    Troy and Kim Russell have made running Old Bandon Golf Links into a family affair.
    Since the couple began leasing the course from owners Jerry Brown and Margaret Miller, they have gotten the entire family involved.
    While Troy is a specialist at golf course turf and Kim has been keeping the pro shop in order, their two …

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  • Golf Tip: Make sure your wedges have the right ‘bounce’

    By Jon Dodson, Club fitting specialist, Bandon Golf Supply
    How much bounce do you have on your wedges?  What, you’re not sure?  What is bounce you say? Well, “bounce” or “rake” in golf is the term used to describe the angle created when raising the leading edge of the club off the ground. This angle can …

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  • Swing has much room to improve

    I kind of know how Padraig Harrington has felt this year.
    Things are coming along with his swing change, but just not as fast as everyone expects them to.
    From about the midway point of our summer tour of South Coast golf courses, I’ve been trying to find a way to be more consistent …

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  • Course Review: Bandon Crossings Golf Course

    By John Gunther, Sports Editor
    BANDON — When Bandon Crossings opened south of town two summers ago, owners Carla and Rex Smith hoped it would be a nice alternative to the famed Bandon Dunes Golf Resort to the north.
    The course has more than lived up to that goal, earning praise as one …

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