South Florida Golf News

AVENTURA, Fla. - The opportunity to see the best players on the LPGA Tour while they are in South Florida in April just got a little easier, tickets to the inaugural Stanford International Pro-Am are now available to the general public via the newly created www.stanfordinternationalproam.com Web site. The Stanford International Pro-Am, a new 72-hole LPGA-sanctioned event titled sponsored by the Stanford Financial Group, will be played April 21-27, 2008 at The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club in Aventura.

The Stanford International Pro-Am Web site www.stanfordinternationalproam.com will be the primary outlet for patrons to purchase tickets, check on which players and celebrities have committed to play, and to keep up to date on all the action happening at The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club. In addition, those interested in volunteering for the tournament can go to the Web site to complete a volunteer application.

MIAMI -- As golf season approaches, Doral Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort has rolled out its new Golf Professional Commissioning Program to much anticipation.

With this program, golf pros are eligible to be rewarded with a percentage of commission when they bring their club members to Doral Golf Resort to stay and play. The bigger the group, the more rewards await these golf professionals and their accompanying groups.

Palm Beach Gardens, FL-– As part of a multi-million dollar property-wide facelift, PGA National Resort and Spa has launched an extensive renovation of the Arnold Palmer designed General Course to include major physical enhancements to the course, as well as improvements in guest comfort. Under the direction of the Arnold Palmer Design Company, plans call for renovations and redesign of the signature Palmer course to be complete in December 2007.

Committed to “creating championship experiences” and making PGA National Resort the best golf destination in Florida, the new ownership envisions similar renovation projects for each of the resort’s five courses. “We want professional and amateur golfers alike to know that PGA National not only has five golf courses – it has five championship golf courses, any one of which could qualify for a professional golf event,” says Joel Paige, managing director of the resort.

Palm Beach Gardens, FL – After the successful completion of a 2006 renovation and kick-off of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic’s six year engagement at PGA National Resort and Spa, the resort announces yet another capital infusion for the famed Champ Course. Host to some of the world’s legendary golf events and the biggest names in golf, PGA National is poised to again open the “Florida Swing” on the PGA Tour with an impressive array of course enhancements.

Already the third toughest course on the PGA Tour, home to six of the toughest fifty holes on the PGA Tour in 2007 and showcasing the most difficult par three in Florida – the Par-3 15th – these enhancements will only add to the legend of the Champ course.

TAMPA, FL – The First Tee of Miami came back from five strokes down to win the boys 13-15 age division by six shots at the Palm Course at Walt Disney World the weekend of August 12. Marcelo Huarte and Stefano Diaz each fired a 69 to contribute to the team’s second round total of 138. Along with teammate Jaime Rodriquez, The First Tee of Miami finished with a strong tournament total of 289 for the division title.

Playing on the Magnolia Course, the Palm Beach County Junior Golf Association jumped into first place posting a final round 6-under par 138 for the boys 16-18 age division title. Combined with their first round 146, the team finished with a 284 total to edge out the field by one. Team members Danny McIellan and Matthew Cahill each fired a second round 69, the low round of the division as teammate Brandon Heinkel aced the 12th hole.

TAMPA, FL – Raj Nahal defeated Chris Kennedy 1- up in the final match to win the 16th Amateur Match Play Championship at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach on August 9-12.

After wining five matches each, Nahal, of Eustis, and Kennedy, from Bradenton, met in the finals of the 2007 Championship.

“I was excited to play Chris since I knew him from junior golf,” said Nahal. “I knew it was going to be a good match.” Nahal, 19, a University of South Florida sophomore, took an early lead after making birdie on the second hole. “I made double on that hole twice this week so I just played it safe and hit the ball in the middle of the green,” said Nahal. “That gave me a lot of confidence.” Kennedy, an incoming freshman at University of North Florida, brought the match back to even with a par on #3. Nahal birdied the 5th hole and made par on the 6th hole to go 2-up. “I was just hitting the ball well and putting it in the fairway,” said Nahal.

BRASELTON, GA — Nine current American Junior Golf Association members have qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open to be held at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., June 29 - July 1. The following juniors will be competing against the world’s best female golfers: Esther Choe, Courtney Ellenbogen, Shan Shan Feng, Mina Harigae, Vicky Hurst, Joanne Lee, Tiffany Lua, Alexis Thompson and Maria Jose Uribe.

Thompson, 12, of Coral Springs Fla., is the youngest player ever to qualify for a U.S. Women’s Open. Thompson already has two top-five finishes in her young career, including a win at the 2007 Aldila Junior Classic. She also became the second youngest player in AJGA history to win an event.

TAMPA, Fla. - For the upcoming season, the Florida State Golf Association (FSGA) has instituted two new policies. Distance measuring devices are now allowed in FSGA non-junior events and a two checkpoint system will be used to monitor pace of play.

With the exception of Junior competitions, distance measuring devices will be permitted in FSGA Championships and qualifiers. The policy states that a player may obtain distance information by using a device that measures distance only. However, if, during a stipulated round, a player uses a distance-measuring device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect his play (e.g., gradient, wind-speed, temperature, etc.), the player is in breach of Rule 14-3, for which the penalty is disqualification, regardless of whether any such additional functions are actually used.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The PGA Golf Club at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Fla., celebrates its 10th anniversary by embarking on a multi-million dollar renovation that will position The PGA Golf Club as one of the premier daily-fee golf facilities in the world.

At a media conference held in conjunction with the 10th anniversary celebration, PGA Vice President Brian Whitcomb and PGA Chief Executive Officer Joe Steranka announced that The PGA of America is working closely with renowned architects Tom Fazio, who designed The PGA Golf Club's North and South Courses; and Pete Dye, whose vision led to the creation of the Dye Course, on renovations that will modernize the golf experience at the award-winning 54-hole facility.

Miami, FL – The Blue, a resort hotel condominium, is the one and only property ever to be built adjacent to the legendary Blue Monster golf course at the Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, Florida. This prime spot gives The Blue an edge in real estate, as it meets and surpasses the well know criterion – location is everything. Not only will this endeavor offer prime real estate, but exclusive real estate.

Exclusivity lends itself to exceptionality, which is exactly what The Blue will be, exceptional. Situated along the 12th and 13th fairways of the Blue Monster, a course that every golfer aspires to play, The Blue will break ground in Summer 2006 and offer the opportunity to own a piece of property that until now has been unattainable.