by AAGD Staff
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness,” says a quote by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist John Steinbeck. If Steinbeck was a golfer, it’s not known, because, if so, his perspective may have been very different. Just when temperatures start dropping, golfers across much of America begin packing away their golf bags, cleaning up their much-used golf shoes and restocking tees and balls in preparation for next season. But, does it have to be that way?
Just because temperatures drop, snowflakes start falling and waterholes begin to freeze over, does this mean the end of your golf escapades? Well, perhaps not. You just have to be a little more resourceful… and prepared. No golfer should risk the dangers of hypothermia or frostbite.
STAY WARM
If you plan to go out to practice, in the backyard or elsewhere, remember to keep yourself covered. Most of our body heat is lost through the hands and head. Put on an insulated cap, jacket, and gloves before going outside. Purchase hand warmers for your boots and, even stuff a few inside of your waistband, socks, and pants pockets to add extra warmth. Layering your clothing in lightweight weather gear that allows for maintaining heat while allowing moisture to escape will benefit you.
BALL VISIBILITY
Snow is white, right? So, when going out to strike some golf balls consider using one of the many multi-colored balls that are available almost everywhere golf merchandise is sold.
Think pink, blue, yellow, orange, and even the popular black golf balls. These all will be easy to see in the snow.
And remember a cold golf ball—along with the bulk of clothing that you may have on—the ball that you hit is likely to go less far than when you normally hit it. To remedy this, take more club than you usually do.
STAY HYDRATED
When temperatures hit south of 30 degrees, your body will still needs to be hydrated. Drink water to keep your fluid level regulated. Plenty of hot cocoa or hot tea (flavored with citrus or herbs) is a good deviation but avoid coffee and alcohol drinks, as these beverages do not provide the hydration benefits of water.
Overall, the cold climate should not be an excuse for golfers to not enjoy this great game. Unless, that is, a winter blizzard, Nor’Easter, “Bomb Cyclone” or bitter cold blasts your area.
Collect all the available copies of the African American Golfer’s Digest!
CLICK HERE
Keith Dawkins. CEO, The First Tee (photo courtesy The First Tee)
Keith Dawkins is Chief Executive Officer of The First Tee, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth sports organization whose mission is to grow the game of golf by transforming the experience that kids (and families) have with the sport. Dawkins replaced long-time leader Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. as CEO of The First Tee. Barrow retired at the end of 2017, after 18 years with the organization. With support from The First Tee’s Founding Partners—the LPGA, the Masters Tournament, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and the USGA, Dawkins is leading an organization that delivers and creates initiatives for kids (and families) by engaging fans, promoting civic responsibility and championing diversity and inclusion in everything it does.
The 25-year veteran of media and entertainment is an expert in the kids and family space. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Nickelodeon where he oversaw tween/teen-targeted and animation-based networks TeenNick and Nicktoons, as well as Nick Jr. and NickMusic. He also led key multi-screen initiatives including NickSplat, targeting adults who love ’90s Nickelodeon, and Nickelodeon Sports. Through Nickelodeon Sports, he helped forge relationships with all major sports leagues to create new, multi-platform content and drive marketing events and initiatives, including an on-site presence at Super Bowl LI in Houston. While at Nickelodeon, Dawkins led the engagement between the PGA TOUR and Nickelodeon, which resulted in a PGA TOUR-themed weekend on Nickelodeon and an on-site branded kids’ zone at THE PLAYERS Championship.
Dawkins served on numerous advisory boards during his time at Viacom that fostered diversity and inclusion, including the Viacom Office of Global Inclusion Advisory Committee. He joined Viacom in 2000 as a supervising producer for VH1 News, and prior to that, was a Fox News Channel producer, where he was part of the network’s original launch team. “Nickelodeon was a great training ground for me. Timing is everything.”
Some pretty big shoes to fill
“Joe Louis Barrow has done some wonderful things,” said Dawkins during a telephone interview with AAGD, and he is not worried about filling the shoes of her predecessor. “I am just worried about my shoes, who I am, my background, my expertise and the things that I have been fortunate enough to be trained in. I will continue to be myself and let people know how this attaches to our strategy (deleted in) moving forward at The First Tee.” Dawkins is a graduate of the CTAM Executive Management Program at Harvard Business School and the National Association of Multi-ethnicity In Communications (NAMIC) Leadership Program at UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management.
Getting settled in
“It’s been great getting settled in here,” says the holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from Ramapo College and currently sitting on their Board of Governors. “It’s a good time for me to take on a new challenge in my life and, it’s a really exciting time to be in this space, where (deleted people) diversity and inclusion is one of our strategic pillars.” I have an enthusiastic team and we are excited about this audience, which is the same audience for me–kids and sports.”
Pushing forward The First Tee
To get things rolling, Dawkins has hired a who new team that brings expertise in research, communications, (deleted press) marketing, digital/social media and events. “We have a bigger, more dynamic team with different ways of looking at revenue, understand media, entertainment, and storytelling.” This is how Dawkins is pushing forward on the success of The First Tee. “Understanding the audience is the key to staying in the forefront of challenges,” he says. “What I want people to really understand is that this is an opportunity that we (The First Tee) have never had. There are 50 million kids in the US. under the age of 11; they are the most diverse group in our nation’s history, and half of them are kids of color.” Dawkins is confident that his work at The First Tee will continue to grow the game, and make a positive impact among kids in and around the golf industry to really transform what this whole industry looks like.
Dawkins began as incoming CEO in October before formally taking over for Barrow on Jan. 1, 2018.
“During this season, I wish to take time to share my deep appreciation of working with all of our subscribers and partners who have made the success of the African American Golfer’s Digest possible. I am also extremely grateful to those on the AAGD Team including Executive Editor James R. Beatty, Senior Editor Edward S. Wanambwa, the AAGD Editorial Advisory Board, freelance writers, researchers, reviewers, bloggers, special program coordinators, and the many others whose volunteer work keeps the pages of the magazine turning.
Thank you all for contributing your time, energy, resources and ideas. And thank you for sharing your commitment and efforts in growing the game among African Americans.
As we press forward in 2018, to celebrate 15-years of publishing this unique media vehicle, I hope that you and your family will enjoy an abundance of peace, joy, and prosperity throughout the coming year.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership and I look forward to working with you in the New Year.”
Debert Cook, CMP
Publisher
Give a girl a set of golf clubs, and you just might change her life.
The National College Athletic Assn. (NCAA) estimates that every year 200 college golf scholarships for young women go unclaimed. Too few girls compete in the sport to qualify for these scholarships, which means many young women are missing an opportunity that could make all the difference to their education, their income and their future.
As the father of a daughter, this statistic hit home for me. As the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Orange County, and the current chairman of the board of directors for Southern California PGA Foundation, I knew there was something we could do about it. Every day I witness how small acts of generosity can lift barriers to success.
When we learned about the unclaimed scholarships, my peers and I at our local section of the PGA launched Clubs Fore Kids.
National Minority College Championship Players’ Paradox
In the first year, this novel program provided golf clubs, balls and access to golf professionals and their expertise to girls at low-income high schools. Through generous donations of the supporters of the Southern California PGA Foundation, we distributed 300 sets of golf clubs to girls’ high school teams at 29 low-income schools in Southern California. Next year, we intend to double that.
In 2018, the Southern California PGA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Southern California Section of Professional Golfers Assn. of America, hopes to raise $200,000. Our plans in 2018 include expanding our program to include low-income boys.
Involvement in team sports has a proven effect on students’ college-readiness. Education researchers have found that high school athletes have higher grade-point averages and fewer absentees than non-athletes. They learn teamwork, responsibility and the importance of persistence, patience and practice.
Golf is not like other sports. Long considered an elite recreational activity, golf requires specialized equipment, specialized knowledge gained through expert instruction and access to specific places to play — and none of these come cheap. Clubs Fore Kids provides the equipment, specialized lessons and access to play at nearby golf courses for students who would otherwise have little to no access to the sport.
Read more by Frank Talarico at LATimes.com
Golf lost a friend this week, and I did, too. On Dec. 17, Las Vegas’s 12-year-old Wynn Golf Club closed. It died with a whimper, without fanfare or a funeral. Some — including the man who conceived of and built it, casino and hotel magnate Steve Wynn — say it simply outlived its usefulness. Others, citing its outrageous price tag of $350-$500, argued that Wynn epitomized what was wrong with golf.
Me? I’m bummed. I hate to see good golf vanish, especially golf as attractive and unique as Wynn. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Or was it?
Wynn Golf Club was the owner’s response to scratch an itch. He had poured his heart and soul into his co-design (with Tom Fazio) of Shadow Creek in 1989, only to see it snatched away during a hostile takeover of his Mirage Resorts, in March 2000. Wynn plotted his comeback and emerged in April 2005 with the Wynn Resort and Country Club, which featured a stunning hotel, luxury golf villas and a Fazio-designed course draped atop the remnants of one of the Strip’s most revered layouts, the Desert Inn Country Club.
Twelve years ago, I asked Wynn just before the course and hotel opened if he felt Wynn Las Vegas would rival such temples of resort golf as The Lodge at Pebble Beach, The American Club at Kohler, The Greenbrier and Bandon Dunes.
The Slow Death of A South Jersey African American Owned Golf Course
“Yes! I sure hope so,” he thundered, but with a twinkle in his eye. “We’ve got a situation here where my property is worth $10 to $15 million an acre. I’ve got a billion and a half dollars of real estate under that golf course. It’s sort of like LA (Los Angeles Country Club) North and South. It better become a destination or I’m gonna look like a jerk and then, goodbye, golf course. There will be no more golf course. It’ll be filled with buildings.”
In fact, it will be filled with a hotel addition, convention space expansion and a 20-acre lagoon tentatively to be called Paradise Park. The property will include white sand beaches, zip lines, water skiing, boat rides and fireworks. The golf course Wynn had built earned money, $5 million a year on average by some estimates. But the new facilities are expected to earn 10, 20 or even 100 times that. Goodbye, golf course, indeed.
Read more by Joe Passov at Golf.com
Oceans, the basis of all life here on earth, now sits in the middle of Times Square. The experience, National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey is open. The multi-million-dollar attraction is a combination of a series of about 10 darkened rooms, each of which presents an undersea scene with a twist. The exhibit is perfect for all ages and families and involves a first-of-its-kind underwater journey that educates and enlightens visitors on animal life beneath the sea.
Using the latest technology, National Geographic takes a whole-heartedly approach to virtual reality with an interactive exhibit that makes for a great, unforgettable attraction for tourist and native New Yorkers. Upon entry, you are glided down an escalator, with seafoam above, taking you beneath the sea, where you become able to touch, feel, and experience what life is like beneath the waves of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
During your journey, you’ll be informed of exactly where in the ocean you are, what depth and how animals live. You’ll meet animal life face-to-face, such as adorable California Sea lions, fighting squid, killer sharks, and fish balls being devoured by predators. The National Geographic Encounter is sort of like watching a large screen movie or visiting a Broadway show, but you get to be a part of this show.
Wave your hands to make sea lions move around, find your footing in the Kelp room (room of mirrors) and discover a way to get out, stop your foot on moving sea creatures who quickly scamper out of the way, and other interactions with stingrays, whales and corral.
At the final exhibit room, it’s the highlight, you wearing 3D glasses, at 120 frames per second, and 8K resolution, that put smack in the middle of all of the action. You stand facing a huge, curved movie screen, where you’ll never believe the up-close visuals are so. Exuberant sound effects bring the scene even closer to reality!
You get all of the fantastic experience of being beneath the sea without getting “wet”. The interactive room gives visitors a real chance to learn about oceanic conservation and why clean oceans are so important to the human existence. And don’t miss the gift shop, located upstairs from the exhibit. Because you’ll want to take home some of these beautiful items.
A 15-year lease by National Geographic at the Times Square space makes sure that the exhibit (and other National Geographic experiences) will be around for a while.
Location: West 44th Street
Hours: Sunday—Thursday, 10 a.m.—10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.—midnight
Cost: Approx. $40
A portion of the proceeds from your ticket purchase supports the National Geographic Society’s nonprofit work in conservation, exploration, research, and education. National Geographic Society receives funds from National Geographic Partners LLC, funded in part by your purchase.
by AAGD STAFF
His Excellency President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo declared the 2017 3e Actuaries Open officially open when he visited the Presidential course in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, December 13, ahead of the opening round.
The Central African country is widely known for its beautiful beaches, tropical forest, and a prosperous oil industry. The tropical forest of the mainland’s Monte Alen National Park is home to gorillas, chimpanzees, and elephants, and during the dry season, its Arena Blanca beach draws dry-season butterflies. However, this week, December 14-17, something special is happening, the country will attract golfers from around the globe for its Championship “Road to Mongomo” golf tournament. The tournament’s Facebook page is beaming with views of the incoming competitors.
AVERYHARDT TAKES AN INTERNATIONAL LEAP
Tee times are scheduled for 62 men, 40 women and 9 amateurs, all trekking from countries like Dubai, Nigeria, Harare, South Africa, South Korea, and as many as perhaps 28 others. The 40 women are arriving from different tours (LPGA, LET & Symetra Tour) and among them is USA standout Shasta Averyhardt. The popular African American professional golfer will travel over 6,300 miles from her Flint, Mich., home to play on the Mongomo golf course.
Averyhardt will tee off on hole #17, Thursday, December 14 at 12:30 p.m. (6:30 a.m. EST) according to the player list and many of her USA fans are expected to peak at the ongoing scorecard.
Throughout her stay, the lean, 6’1″ athlete’s body will need to adjust to the 6 hour time difference in a country that gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. A tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest on the African continent.
Averyhardt, a professional since 2009, is the first African American golfer on the LPGA Tour since 2001 when she qualified in 2010 for the 2011 tour, finishing in a tie for 22nd place in Qualifying School. For this, she became the fourth African American woman on the LPGA tour in its 60-year history following LaRee Sugg, Renee Powell and Althea Gibson, who all previously held Tour cards.
RELATED ARTICLE: Shasta Averyhardt Qualifies for Stage II LPGA Q-School but Funding is the Hurdle
A graduate of Jackson State University, Averyhardt, age 31, holds a degree in Accounting and recently left the corporate world to focus on a career in golf.
Averyhardt tweeted, “Definitely looking forward to this experience and playing some solid golf.”
When asked by African American Golfer’s Digest about her expectations for the 3e Actuaries Open, she said, “I haven’t set any expectations because I want to fully enjoy this experience, as this will be my first time traveling to Africa. I’m really excited about this opportunity! ” Averyhart boarded her international flight on last Friday and is planning to return to the U.S. on December 18th.
“I admire Shasta’s courage and tenacity to step out on this international front,” said AAGD Publisher Debert Cook. “Rarely do we have an opportunity to witness our black professional women golfers in an African venue such as this, and, I hope that her bold participation will inspire other Black golf pros in the USA to pursue global tee boxes.” The tournament is quickly becoming the most renowned golf tournament in Central and West Africa.
Malabo City is located on the volcanic island of Bioko and is the capital city of Equatorial Guinea. The island is located in the Atlantic Ocean, south of Nigeria and west of Cameroon. Malabo is situated at the northern side of the island.
Organized by 3e Actuaries, and with the support of the Government of Equatorial Guinea and the Equatorial Guinea Golf Federation (FEDUIGOLF), this competition is part of an ambitious project consisting in establishing the organization of world-class golf tournaments on the African continent.
The 3e Actuaries Open has managed to attract professional players, not only from the corners of Africa but also from the whole world, to compete in one of the most unique tournaments on the world circuit.
This championship has been warmly welcomed by the President of the Republic, H. E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, by the Government, and by the people of Equatorial Guinea.
The tournament is aiming to become by 2020 the African major of professional golf, for both the categories of women and men.
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) — It’s official, TopGolf is coming to Omaha, Nebraska. The City Council voted in 7-0 in favor of the project.
The only source of debate was an additional tax plan that will help pay for the costs. The Council approved a 1.75 percent additional tax on customer’s bills at TopGolf by a vote of 5-2.
TopGolf officials used a $100 purchase of food and beverages as a way to show how the tax will impact customers. What was a bill just over $109.50 after tax will now be about $2 more.
The project will be neighboring Westroads Mall, where a car lot once stood, and it will feature an impressive 72 bays. Each bay fits six customers and is climate controlled for year round use.
A TopGolf spokesman says their product is for both golfers and non-golfers. He said, “About 70 percent of our customers would consider themselves non-golfers, and of that percentage,around 24 percent of them take their experience to an actual golf outing.”
TopGolf will also benefit the community. It will bring a total of 270 construction jobs, and 350 jobs at TopGolf itself. All jobs will be filled by people in the Omaha area, and the impact could go beyond that. Larry Joebun of Westroads investment says, “It is perceived as a strong community amenity by national and local economic development recruiters. So when people are looking to bring companies to a certain city they look at things like entertainment and venues, and they view TopGolf as a strength.”
December 13, 2017
In an effort drive to the R&A announces that it will introduce a new amateur championship for junior girl golfers when the inaugural Girls Under-16s Open Championship is played at Fulford, near York. The competition will be held from Friday, April 27 to Sunday, April 29, 2018. The R&A made the announcement on December 12, 2017.
The new event is designed to provide a pathway for girls to the elite amateur level and leading young players. Ninety young golfers from countries around the world will tee it up on one of England’s most highly regarded golf courses when the 54-hole stroke play championship takes place in spring next year.
The Women’s British Open is a major championship in women’s professional golf. It is recognized by both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour as a major
Fulford, hosting an event organized by The R&A for the first time in its history, enjoys a prestigious reputation as a championship venue having staged European Tour events for many years and was the host of the first ever Women’s British Open when Jenny Lee Smith won the championship in 1976. It has also hosted several amateur events including the European Ladies Team Championship in 2013.
The R&A will stage the Girls Under-16s Open Championship at Fulford for the next three years.
NEW CHAMPIONSHIP TO CREATE PATHWAY
Duncan Weir, Executive Director – Golf Development at The R&A, said, “We are introducing a new championship for junior girls to help create a pathway for young amateur golfers to further their development by playing competitive golf in a world class environment.
“There is clearly a need to provide more opportunity for young girls to compete at the top level and this event will be an important and valuable addition to the amateur golf calendar.”
Online entries for the inaugural event will open in February 2018 and can be submitted via www.randa.org/championships
Another change to the 2018 schedule will see the discontinuation of the Ladies British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship. With an increasingly crowded schedule in late summer for the leading women’s amateurs, it has been decided to concentrate resources on developing the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship which is played in June and attracts a world-class field.
RELATED STORY:
How USGA, R&A’s “Modernized” Golf Rules May Change the Way We Play The Game
The R&A merged with the Ladies’ Golf Union (LGU) on 1 January 2017 and since then has assumed responsibility for staging the LGU’s championships and international matches, thereby offering leading women’s professional and elite amateur golfers opportunities to play in a top class series of events.
About The R&A
Based in St Andrews, The R&A runs The Open, elite amateur events, international matches and rankings. Together The R&A and the USGA govern the sport of golf worldwide, operating in separate jurisdictions but sharing a commitment to a single code for the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status and Equipment Standards. The R&A, through R&A Rules Ltd, governs the sport worldwide, outside of the United States and Mexico, on behalf of over 36 million golfers in 140 countries and with the consent of 153 organizations from amateur and professional golf.
The R&A is committed to working for golf and supports the growth of the sport internationally and the development and management of sustainable golf facilities. For more information, visit www.randa.org.
December 12, 2017
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The 2019 PGA Professional Championship, the world’s largest all-professional event, will be hosted in Belfair of Bluffton, South Carolina, one of the Southeast’s acclaimed golf destinations. The PGA Professional Championship is a golf tournament for golf club professionals and teachers who are members of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America.
The 52nd edition of the PGA Professional Championship will be conducted for the first time in the spring, April 28-May 1, 2019. All four rounds will be broadcast live on Golf Channel. The Championship is presented by Club Car and OMEGA.
It will be the 10th visit by the Championship to the Carolinas PGA Section and third appearance in the state of South Carolina. The 312-player event was last played in the Palmetto State in 2014 in Myrtle Beach.
EMBRACING AN EXCEPTIONAL FIELD
“The PGA of America is excited to take the PGA Professional Championship to Belfair, which is an outstanding location to showcase our finest playing PGA Professionals,” said PGA President Paul Levy. “Belfair features the elements we look for in this national championship – challenging courses, inviting facilities and a staff that embraces an exceptional field.”
Beginning in 2019, the PGA Professional Championship will be played in late April as a result of new competition dates for the PGA Championship, which will move to May 16-19, 2019.
The 2018 PGA Professional Championship will be conducted June 17-20, at Bayonet Black Horse in Seaside, California
The PGA Professional Championship field is comprised of players who advanced from the 41 PGA Section Championships, along with Past Champions. The low 20 scorers at Belfair will earn a berth in the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.
BELFAIR EXPOSED ON A NATIONAL STAGE
“Belfair is truly a unique property and certainly all of us look forward to hosting the 2019 PGA Professional Championship,” said Belfair PGA General Manager/COO Ken Kosak. “We have a number of PGA Professionals who have made it their home, and we are most proud of that.”
Belfair, featuring the Tom Fazio-designed East and West Courses, will host the 2018 U.S. Open local qualifying tournament; and was the site of the 2013 South Carolina Open; and the Players Amateur (2000-11), which featured past Champions Ben Curtis, Rickie Fowler, Bill Haas and Brian Harman.
“We are excited about the opportunity to have Belfair exposed on a national stage,” said Belfair PGA Director of Golf James Swift. “It is particularly gratifying to have our Association’s finest players playing on our courses.”
The West Course, which will host play during all four rounds, is a parklands design that was opened for play in 1996. LINKS Magazine called it “what could be the finest set of golf holes in the Lowcountry, if not on the East Coast.” This 18-hole, par-72 course with 7,111 total yards from the championship tees.
The East Course, reminiscent of the links courses of Scotland, opened in 1999 and showcases deep-water views, open windswept fairway and freshwater lakes and lagoons. The par-71 layout measures 6,900 yards from the championship tees.
About Belfair
Nestled among maritime forests, hammock islands, rivers and marsh, Belfair Plantation is a Lowcountry oasis, five miles from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Its waterfront side faces the marshes of the Colleton River. Belfair is 25 miles north of Savannah, Georgia, 32 miles south of Beaufort, South Carolina and 110 miles south of Charleston. For more information, visit [email protected]