Their company, Mantis Golf, was started in 2012 with the goal of making ‘unobtrusive’ putters and they unveiled the first model at the PGA Merchandise Show this past January.

According to Mantis, “We all agree that to make more putts, it’s critical to keep your eye on the ball, yet the elaborate shapes, reflective metal or white finishes of most putters encourage the opposite. Mantis makes the ball the hero – simple as that. The patented design has been proven to show that when putting with the Mantis, your eyes stay on the ball, not the club.”

The plain, oval-shaped head of the Mantis is finished in a matte green while the top has just a simple T-shaped alignment aid. This design is meant to minimize the user’s eyes being drawn to the head so focusing on the putt’s line and the ball becomes easier. The Mantis 350-gram stainless steel head has a polyurethane face insert and has a high MOI weight scheme to diminish resistance to twisting at impact.

There are plans to introduce additional head shapes for the Mantis, all with the green finish plus in the future extending the idea to other clubs.

The Mantis Putter is $159.99 and it is available at mantisgolfco.com.

The post Mantis Putter– Watch The Ball Not The Putter appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

(Photo: Joe Andruzzi Foundation via Facebook)

Joe Andruzzi joined with scores of his former New England Patriots teammates and other professional athletes and A-listers to raise more than $210,000 in charitable funds Monday at Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, Mass., according to the Patriot Ledger.

The fifth annual Joe Andruzzi & Friends Golf Tournament attracted 200 players, the largest field ever to play in the event, which supports pediatric brain cancer research at Boston Children’s Hospital through Andruzzi’s foundation. The money raised was more than double that taken in during the event’s previous four years, said the Ledge.

Among the celebs hitting the links at what Golf Magazine has called one of the best summer golf destinations in the east tournament co-hosts Zoltan Mesko and Rob Ninkovich; current Pats players Vince Wilfork, Dan Connolly, and Julian Edelman; former Patriots Tedy Bruschi and Andre Tippett; sportscaster Lesley Visser; and Cambridge-born comedian Lenny Clarke.

Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. You may follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer

The post Joe Andruzzi golf tourney at Pinehills raises $210,000 appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

This year’s Open was certainly a test of skill, mental and physical, with Englishman Rose coming from behind to best Jason Day and third round leader Phil Mickelson—but you know all that.

What you quite probably don’t know though is Rose’s choice of putters was the 37-inch counterbalanced Spider Blade putter featuring a “Ghost Tour-only” black steel shaft and short-slant hosel.

Rose’s win is significant as it ends the dominance by players putting with bellies and broomsticks in the major championships, the most recent of course being Adam Scott at the Masters.

It also heralds counterbalanced putters as the anti-belly and broomstick solution. Perhaps. Putting is never a sure thing even for the best players in the world–Tiger Woods is the poster child. But this does bear on the sound and fury over the USGA/R&A deciding to ban anchored putting strokes.

A fury which has not subsided.

Counterbalanced putters have been around for a long time but TaylorMade’s Spider Blade that Rose uses is different in that it has a multiple layer head with extremely high (for a blade) MOI or resistance to twisting.

The idea of putting extra weight near the end of the grip, counterbalance weighting, accomplishes two things. It smoothes out the putting stroke giving much more stability plus the weighting aids the user with his “putting touch,” or feel for distance.

This directly addresses the perceived advantages of long putters which provide stability from the anchoring of the butt end to either the belly or chest or chin or wherever. But counterbalancing also allows a better sense for distance, something that non-standard length putter users struggle to maintain. In fact, many who try long putters give up on them as not being the panacea to their putting woes.

Two years ago Justin Rose putted with a belly putter but decided it wasn’t for him. So for now a counterbalanced Spider Blade is the solution. Is one in the future for the other belly and broomstick players?

The post Everything Is Coming Up Rose(s) appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

Annika Sorenstam urges the USGA to put some teeth behind its new “While We’re Young” pace-of-play campaign (Photo: Wikipedia)

Slow play. It’s Exhibit A in the ongoing battle to attract new golfers and ensure those already playing to stay the course. The USGA, with its new pace-of-play push, avowed recently that it was finally going to do something to prod the creepy crawlers at your local muni.

Then, in what can only be considered bad timing for golf’s governors, the Kevin Na Invitational broke out at the U.S. Open on a course that touted its tight fairways, fast greens, and penal rough, and the much-hyped “While We’re Young” campaign became the target of ire and sarcasm of golf watchers.

The irony of the mildly humorous “Caddyshack”-inspired TV ads running while the best golfers in the world turned grey between shots was not lost on the Twitterati.

“While it’s the weekend!” Paul Staley, author of “Why We Golf” mockingly tweeted about the initiative the USGA kicked off with much fanfare and the likes of Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, and Arnold Palmer the week of the national championship. He and scores of others tweeted similar catcalls as the final group of Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald, and Billy Horschel slow-poked its way to a nearly three-hour front nine on Saturday’s so-called “moving day” at such a bedeviling Marion Golf Club that former Masters winner Zach Johnson blasted the USGA for “manipulating” its Open tracks.

Turtling one’s way around a golf course is hardly headline material, with the AP’s Doug Ferguson digging up a directive to players of the 1950 Open at Merion: “Be observant, reach your decision quickly and execute your shots with promptness and dispatch.”

After decades of hand-wringing and breast-beating about what has been the scourge of golf since since the Scots, Chinese, or Dutch (take your pick) first tried to knock a small ball in a hole in the ground with a stick, was it possible that the USGA finally meant business? Indeed, when boomers Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson were put on the clock during Friday’s second round, it seemed as if the regulators’ pugilistic stance might actually pack a punch.

No such luck, despite Sorenstam’s plea to the powers-that-be to ensure the pros offered good examples for everyday players.

“We are role models. We need to set the standard and set the pace,” Sorenstam told us recently in a phone interview.

If the pros, with the benefit of caddies, forecaddies, and immaculate tracks, don’t play speed golf, Sorenstam reasoned, why should amateurs?

“The new kids on tour are role models,” she said. “If young kids see bigger kids being slow, then of course you’re going to have to question, ‘why should we be fast?’”

Steve Aronson would like the PGA Tour commissioner to field that one.

“Who’s responsible [for slow play]? It’s Tim Finchem, without a doubt,” Aronson, the founder of Play 240 Golf, a program designed to boost pace-of-play, told us. “He has purposely said [his tour] is not going to issue any slow-play penalties.”

For sure, the commish must be filing his nails as his players confab endlessly with their loopers (Phil Mickelson/Jim Mackay), take a few dozen practice swings (Na), address the ball and then incessantly back off (Keegan Bradley), obsessively test the breezes (Tiger), and stalk putts from every conceivable angle (name ‘em).

“I don’t think PGA Tour golf is the culprit here,” Finchem said a year ago before Na’s intentional whiffs at The Players Championship had TV viewers yawning, gagging, and tossing remotes at their high-def screens. “The culprit is taking steps to drive the pace of play for the average player, and if we can be helpful in that regard, we’re open to it.”

Really? Convince Luke Donald. The former men’s No. 1 minced no words after officials put two competitors on the clock during the final round of the 2012 Tournament of Champions.

“Slow play is killing our sport,” Donald tweeted.

There is, of course, no similarity between competitive professional golf and your Saturday morning Nassau, Aronson noted. Conditions (see: Merion) and consequences are in no way comparable, as a bad shot might cost you a Pro V1 but can lose a tour player a fortune.

Nevertheless, here we are, 50 years after TV cameras captured Jack Nicklaus hunched over his ball, and ages since the PGA Tour deployed a 40-second shot clock — and the problem persists. The tour’s stated routine is to put a stopwatch on a player who’s out of position, issue another warning, and, finally, assess a one-shot penalty — except that the last plodder to incur such punishment in a regular tour event was Glen Day in 1995.

Don’t, by the way, blame the LPGA, which has a 30-second rule, as Morgan Pressel can attest. While her one-shot penalty during last year’s Match Play Championship has garnered the most attention, the women’s organization regularly penalizes players for running late.

There are so many ways to resolve the problem, and you’ll find as many as you can digest in some 60 million Google articles that pop up under a “slow play golf” search. But we’ll leave you with the inspirational words of Sam Snead, who, way back when, was irked by the, ahem, meticulous, approach of another golf legend:

“You could smoke a whole cigarette waiting for [Ben] Hogan to take the putter back.”

Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. You may follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer

The post Slow play: The scourge of golf from Ponte Vedra to New England appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

“I used my dad’s clubs for a while,” says the 50-year-old Winchester, MA native and Providence College grad. “Eventually, I got a set of Spalding Executives. When I started doing morning sports radio at WGIR in New Hampshire, I began playing a bunch of Media Day tournaments. I was being invited to tournaments non-stop. After the morning show, I would play a lot at Intervale Country Club in Manchester.”

Ockerbloom, who has also worked at WMUR-TV in Manchester and NECN, became a regular on the media golf circuit. He relates, “We were playing so often, it felt like we were on the PGA Tour. There were so many requests to play. It was like golf was part of the job. That was a great time.”

From Manchester, Ockerbloom’s career carried him west to Oklahoma. His golf game traveled with him. “I was working at KOCO, the ABC affiliate in Oklahoma City. It is such a college sports hotbed. The University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State would have golf Media Days for each sport!”

Ockerbloom won Oklahoma’s Sportscaster of the Year Award while immersing himself in the local golf scene. “There were some great courses out there. I loved Oak Tree and Southern Hills. Oklahoma State has a rich tradition of golf with names like Willie Wood, Bob Tway, and Scott Verplank.”

While in Sooner country, golf served as a means of fitting in for a New Englander far away from home. Says Ockerbloom, “The best part was that if you were a TV broadcaster, you could play the municipal courses free. I was playing so much. My handicap dropped and I was consistently in the low to mid 80s.

“I definitely bonded with people through golf. You truly can learn so much about people from the 1^st to the 18^th hole. At the TV station, we had this old green glass. It looked like a goblet. Every week, we would play and the winner would get to take home the Green Goblet as an award.”

Ockerbloom currently anchors FOX25’s evening and nightly newscasts, and has been honored by the Associated Press and Society of Professional Journalists. Along the way, he has used golf to enhance his media chops. “I had the chance to play with a lot of football coaches and assistant coaches in Oklahoma. I once played in Canton with former Bruins’ coach Brian Sutter. He was a no nonsense guy and not a lot of laughs as a coach.

“He was very serious about golf as well, but this sport is very disarming. On the course, coaches and athletes mete out info as they gain your trust. It’s like being a fly on the wall.”

An all-around sportsman, Ockerbloom has competed in hockey, softball, and distance running. He ran the 2002 Boston Marathon with his brother Carl, who lost his battle with cancer two years later. Classic golf and golf courses remain a vital part of Ockerbloom’s sporting life.

He states, “I played in the Hickory Heritage Golf Classic on the Cape. It is an old style tournament. We wore knickers and the whole outfit. I still have those in my closet. Farm Neck is a gorgeous course, and I love New Seabury as well as Pinehills.”

Ockerbloom shares a dilemma with his successful media brethren, namely, the opportunity to play in numerous charity tournaments, but simply not enough time to always participate.

“Golf is a great way to help people out,” says the 2010 Boston/New England Emmy winner for Best News Anchor. “The problem now is that my schedule is so compact. I usually play in a tournament for B.C. High in May, but that is sweeps month. Down the road, I definitely want to play more.

“I took my wife (Marysia) out once and played the exploding ball trick on her. I got her all set up to tee off, and was videotaping it. When the ball exploded, she looked back at me with a stare!”

Surprising his wife stands as a golf highlight for Ockerbloom, one of many for sure. He relates, “I never had a hole-in-one, but I’ve come close on a couple of par 3s. I played with (Saints’ defensive coordinator) Rob Ryan once in Oklahoma. We were at a dog leg left and Rob swung so hard, he finished on one knee like Adrian Beltre. He got under another one and crushed it over the trees. It was so much fun. He must have hit it over 300 yards.”

A fixture at FOX25 since 2004, Ockerbloom is a trusted and accomplished broadcaster whose longevity in the business is a product of versatility and hard work. This ethos also applies to the golf course. “You have to put in the time, visualize, and stay composed,” says Ockerbloom, who remains an active supporter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Pan Mass Challenge.

“Also, you should never be afraid to ask for help. The most important thing is to keep your head clear. Playing golf means you are having a beautiful, peaceful day. Nothing else in the world matters. You look at the hole and the layout of the course, and you know it’s going to be a great day.”

John Molori is the co-author of “The Cracker Jack Collection: Baseball’s Prized Players,” to be released in August. Email John at molorimedia@aol.com.

The post Mark Ockerbloom: Always steady and on course appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

Naïve about Alabama, we were awakened by the splendor. Erase any stigma of ‘60s riots or swamp terrain and envision spectacular Appalachian Foothills populated with prosperous, sweet people such as those who renovated Silver Lakes in Glencoe after tornado devastation in 2011. Three gorgeous nines with names like Heartbreaker, Backbreaker and Mindbreaker could just as easily be called Beautiful Ball Busters, though not appropriate for billboards.

Indulge in raw oysters and Greek Island Snapper on the deck of the Fish Market in Gadsden, overlooking the Coosa River and stay close at the comfy Hampton Inn without breaking the piggy bank. Sidetrack to the public Twin Bridges Golf Course for a quick nine, winding through woods, along the river. A cardinal course with more of the red birds than any other, fees start at less than a buck a hole.

Also off the trail but on target with pure Alabama golf, is Limestone Springs Golf Club, Oneonta. The first tee pushes the adrenalin button with an 80-foot drop to a fairway flanked by a lake and stream. Part of Honours Golf, as is the Cherokee Ridge Country Club, Union Grove, both are an honor to play indeed. Stay at the Lake House at The Cherokee Ridge with any fun group featuring private rooms, spacious shared living quarters and decks galore for golf or lake viewing and stargazing. The chef has special treats as does the course with spectacular waterfalls.

Alabamans are genuinely warm with the sweetest southern drawl – best experienced at the Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa in Florence where the bright carpet leads to an aromatic welcome at the luxurious spa. Coco sweeps you in to Cheryl for a tour and gentle pass off to your therapist. Esthetician Chastity has the prettiest skin on earth and a passion to give you the same. Number one Marriott in the US for service, the food and view will wow you at 360, the revolving tower top restaurant. Live music plays daily in the lobby bar.  Music is a prominent element in the history of Alabama. Shoals was the home of WC Handy, father of the blues, whose unique ability to transcribe his music meant it could be shared. Gershwin said he could not have written Rhapsody in Blue without Handy’s influence.

Ten minutes away, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at the Shoals’ School Master and Fighting Joe are two of the top rated courses in the state. Set upon the backdrop of the Tennessee River, these two RTJ courses are exceptionally long. At 7971 and 8092 yards respectfully, the link-style golf has mostly unobstructed views to the greens. The trouble is, how long it will take you to get there. One of the best clubhouse verandas watches over the Tennessee River with a sweeping view of each course left and right. The river is known as the “singing river.”  An Indian maiden was moved to Oklahoma in the infamous “Trail of Tears” placement campaign.

Cherokee Ridge Golf

Longing for the sound of her singing river, she escaped and walked back home, taking four years to complete the journey. Imagine how significant that sound of the mighty river and then imagine the sound of your big drive down the RTJ Trail that will have you singing “Sweet Home Alabama”.  For golf in North Alabama, see www.Alabama.Travel.

The post Alabama Golf – To the Moon, Alice! appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

(Photo: keeganbradley.com)

Keegan Bradley wears his New England heritage on his Tommy Hilfiger sleeve, so despite an early tee time on Thursday morning in Philadelphia, the Vermont native was more concerned about how his beloved Boston Bruins would make out in their first Stanley Cup Finals game in Chicago.

“I can’t believe it,” Bradley, citing the game’s 8 p.m. ET puck drop, told the New York Daily News after a Wednesday practice round. “I’ve watched every game [of the Bruins' playoff run]. I’ve got a 7:10 tee time, but at this course, you’ve got to get here about five. It’ll be tough, but I’ll be checking in.”

Bradley, a huge Patriots fan as well, also offered his sentiments about the team’s newest signing. He said it was “surprising” to learn that ex-Jets backup QB Tim Tebow had enlisted with the three-time Super Bowl winners.

“[Bill] Belichick has always liked [Tebow], so we’ll see. He’s not going to be playing quarterback. I would be shocked if that was the case,” said Bradley, who earlier in the week posted a photo of himself  in Tebow’s trademarked “Tebowing” pose. “I’m a loyal Boston fan, so if he’s on the team, I love him.”

If Bradley stayed up to watch the Bruins lose a heartbreaker in the third overtime, by the way, he may have been even sleepier than one of his opening-rounds playing partner, Phil Mickelson. Lefty was due back to Merion very early Thursday after taking a red-eye (on his own private jet) back from San Diego, where he attended his daughter’s eighth-grade graduation ceremony Wednesday night.

Both players may have welcomed the chance for a quick nap after the first of what promises to be many weather delays came at 8:36 a.m. local time, with heavy rains, winds, and a possible tornado bearing down on the soggy course in Ardmore, Pa.

When officials evacuated the course, Bradley, who started on the East Course’s No. 11 for logistical reasons, was at 1-over after sandwiching bogeys on the 11th and 15th holes around a birdie on the par-3 13th. Mickelson was at even-par — three shots back of early leader Ian Poulter, who got off to a blistering, back-to-back-to-back birdie start.

Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. You may follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer

The post Keegan Bradley worries about watching Bruins ahead of U.S. Open appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

To optomize the group golf getaway, it helps if you are all staying in the same place or in adjacent rooms with a common meeting area stocked with snacks, drinks and breakfast food. That’s why golf condos work so well providing a place you can hang out, eat take-out while watching a game, grab a beer from the fridge and generally do what guys (or girls) do. Often these places have kitchens, counter-top bars, multiple TVs, DVD players, fireplaces, patios and other comforts. Some even have pool tables, hot tubs, foosballs, ping pong, and saunas.

Aside from the convenience, sharing a place also makes a lot of cents. When you divide the nightly rate by the number of people and how many rounds of golf you play, the math tells the story. One of the best values for those looking to play from dawn to dusk are the unlimited golf packages offered by many resorts. Here’s what we found from Quebec to the Carolinas.

Québec City , Canada

Couples especially would enjoy playing the private La Tempete Golf Club in Levis in the Quebec City area. The course designed by Darrell J. Huxham covers more than 200 acres and stretches to 7,203 yards. Its French chateau-style clubhouse is elegant while the nearby hotel, the Chateau Bonne Entente has 161 rooms furnished in a sophisticated contemporary mode. The golf package includes one night’s accommodations for two, breakfasts, golf for two and a shared golf cart from $384. LeBonneEntente.com

Prince Edward Island, Canada

With 30 courses on PEI, you and your pals will have plenty of places to tee up. Take the “72 Hour Challenge” and warm up with a round at the Brudenell River Golf Course. The next morning dig into two rounds at Brudenell and Dundarave courses. Polish off your golf experience with a third day on the Links at Crowbush Cove.

One package gives you two nights accomodations at Rodd Brudenell River and four rounds of golf from $295. Another ideal for groups includes lodging in one of the two bedroom cottages at the Diamond Rodd Browbush Golf & Beach resort. Stay three nights and play three rounds on the Links at Crowbush from $195 per person, per night. Or take an executive cottage for six nights from $740 and launch onto the PEI Golf Trail where you enjoy unlimited golf on several courses along with breakfasts. RoddVacations.coms

New Brunswick, Canada

Bunk into one of the 16 two-bedroom shingled riverside Tabusintac Chalet cottages that snuggle up to the beautiful Tabusintac Regional Golf Course. With green fees $17 to $28 and play and stay packages available, you’ll be treated to an affordable and fun golf holiday. After golf head 10 minutes away to the Wishart Point Wharf and check out the lobster boats or cool off on one of the sandy beaches. Stay two nights and get the the practice facility and a yardage booklet from $264 per room. If you want some pampering along with your golf, try their Spa & Golf Package giving you all of the above plus a $100 Spa from $349. After golf walk into town or relax in the Fairway Grille overlooking the course.

Double down with golf at the nearby Quechee Club along with the resort’s own course. Two nights, two rounds and breakfasts start at $770 per room. Woodstockinn.com third night free from $85 or from $540 weekly. TabusintacChalets.com

Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

The Omni Mount Washington Resort known as the place where the first ballots are cast in our elections each year, is set at the base of Mount Washington revealing amazing views of the White Mountains. Blessed by a fabulous Donald Rossdesigned course featuring classic features like deep pot bunkers, the resort’s Unlimited Golf Package includes accommodations, breakfasts and golf with a cart from the time you arrive until you leave from $189 per night. OmniHotels.com

Hanover, Vermont

Take a step back in history to 1780 and travel to Dartmouth where The Hanover Inn invites you to relax, enjoy breakfast for two, accommodations and a round of golf with a cart at the Hanover Country Club starting at $349 per room. HanoverInn.com

Okemo, Vermont

When the skiers go home, the golfers arrive at Okemo Mountain Resort where you play the dramatic Okemo Valley Golf Club and stay in a Jackson Gore Inn studio with Stay & Play packages starting at $195 . While there you can sharpen up your game using the extensive practice facility. Okemo.com

Woodstock, Vermont

Set in one of New England’s most picture perfect villages, The Woodstock Inn is offering an Unlimited Golf Package with golf at the Resort’s Golf Club with a cart, accommodations , breakfast for two, use of the practice facility and a yardage booklet from $264 per room. If you want some pampering along with your golf, try their Spa & Golf Package giving you all of the above plus a $100 Spa from $349. After golf walk into town or relax in the Fairway Grille overlooking the course. Double down with golf at the nearby Quechee Club along with the resort’s own course. Two nights, two rounds and breakfasts start at $770 per room. WoodstockInn.com

Cranwell Resort, Lenox, Massachusetts

The golf course at Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club is within a wedge shot from the imposing brick entrance leading into the elegant mansion, dating from the late 1800s. Such an imposing hotel could be considered a tad pretentious, but it isn’t. And at Sloane’s Tavern adjacent to the Pro Shop, you can order everything from soup and sandwiches to grilled mahi mahi or a 10-oz skirt steak accompanied by a micro-brewed beer or a glass of wine. Check into one of the cottage suites or three bedroom townhouses that come with kitchen facilities and separate living rooms, some with fireplaces. Cranwell’s Unlimited Golf Package priced from $156, includes accommodations, unlimited golf for one day with a cart, bucket of range balls, $20 dining credit and use of Spa. Cranwell.com

Providence, Rhode Island

One of the most coveted courses to play in New England is historic Metacomet Country Club in East  Providence. Designed by Donald J. Ross in 1925, this course has been played by golfing legends like Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones. Now if you stay at the Providence Marriott Downtown, you get special access to the course plus use of a cart from $229. MarriottProvidence.com

Foxwoods Resort, Connecticut

The click clunk of your ball dropping into the cups combine with the ching ching of one of the world’s largest casinos when you book a stay at Foxwoods Casino Resort in Ledyard. Play the hilly and dramatic Rees Jones-designed Lake of Isles course and stay in one of Foxwoods four hotels ranging from the low-key Two Trees Inn to the MGM Grand. For groups of eight or more, golf packages from $225 per person include lodging, golf on Lake of Isles North Course, unlimited use of the practice facility, a sleeve of balls, divot repair tool, souvenir cup, $15 food & beverage voucher, $25 match play voucher and complimentary drink. Foxwoods.com

Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania

Formerly known as the capital of the heart-shaped tub, today the Poconos offers some of the best values in the northeast for fresh-air mountain vacations. Take The Inn at Pocono Manor, called the “Grand Lady of the Mountains” and home to two golf courses, the East course designed by Donald Ross dating from 1912 and the West Course crafted by George Fazio. The Inn’s Golf Getaway Package offers unlimited green fees with a cart, two nights’ lodging, breakfasts, dinners, gift bag and all taxes and gratuities from $323 per person for two nights. PoconoManor.com

Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania

Take a classic track designed by Spencer Oldham, A.W Tillinghast and Donald Ross, add the Omni Bedford Springs Resort, a full service historic resort between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh then book the Unlimited Golf Package from $404 per couple giving you all the golf you can play, plus accommodations and a $50 credit to be used in the pro shop. Off course you can hike, bike, go fly fishing and enjoy good food and drink at five of the resort’s restaurants. OmniHotels.com

Ocean City, Maryland

Several golf packages geared to golfers with condo accommodations are available in the Ocean City area. For example lodging in a two-or four-bedroom condo at River Run includes golf with a cart, free steak dinner and free lunches from $175 per person, per day. Included courses are Eagles Landing, River Run Golf Club, Newport Bay at Ocean City Golf Club or Lighthouse Sound, Rum Pointe and Glen Riddle-Man O War. GolfZoo.com

History & Golf in Williamsburg, Virginia

Colonial Williamsburg is a perfect place to play golf and still have choices of interesting things to do for the non-golfers in your group. This year it just gets better as the resort celebrates Golden Horseshoe Golf Club’s 50th Anniversary and the opening of Robert Trent Jones’ Gold Course, a track Jone called, “His finest design.” Indeed, the beauty of the great variety of trees, immaculate rolling fairways and flawless greens combined with a masterful routing, make Gold an all-time golfer’s favorite. Green by Rees Jones debuted in 1991, another fine sweeping course.

A Kids Stay, Play and Eat Free offer is perfect for families priced from $78 per adult. Up to four children accompanied by a paying adult receive free breakfasts and dinner daily along with length-of-stay admission to the Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area. Other packages available for golfing groups. ColonialWilliamsburg.com

Golf & Fishing in Wild Dunes, South Carolina

Just outside Charleston, the sprawling Wild Dunes Resort is perfect for group golf getaways with not only a slew of villas geared to housing several golfers, but two fine courses by Tom Fazio, Harbor and Links. After golf spend some time on their beautiful beach or pool complex then chow down on good food in on-site restaurants. There is also a fitness center.

The Ultimate Swing & Lure Golfer’s Low Country Escape from $780 per night for four people includes accommodations in a two bedroom condo, breakfasts, bucket of local beers, a 90-minute video analysis session and a private inshore fishing trip for four in the salt marshes. Add rounds at Harbor and Links to complete your trip. WildDunes.com 

The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Spring, Virginia

Play where the pros have played from Hogan to Nicklaus and Tiger. Host to the Greenbrier Classic PGA tour event (July 4th weekend) with The Greenbrier’s Unlimited Golf Package, from $240 per night, per player, you get accommodations, unlimited golf on The Greenbrier Course and The Meadows Course (where green fees are typically $250 and $150) and replays for cart fee only ($25). If you want to play The Old White TPC, you pay $100 surcharge. Groups should ask about booking into one of the resort’s cottages. At night action heats up at The Greenbier’s private casino. Greenbrier.com

The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia

Sam Snead launched his career at this historic resort known for its famed Cascades course designed by William S. Flynn. Set against a backdrop of the Allegheny Mountains, this hilly track is a gem. Get unlimited golf, room upgrade, use of cart and driving range from $430 per room. TheHomestead.com

Yadkin Valley, North Carolina

If you have a passion for both wine and golf, listen up. The Yadkin Valley Golf & Wine Experience in North Carolina gives you three rounds and two nights from $327. Play Olde Beau Golf and Country Club, Cross Creek Country Club and the Ellis Maple-designed Cedarbrook Country Club. Stay at The Fairfield Inn & Suites, Elkin or the Hampton Inn Mount Airy and get free breakfasts and plus an Andy Griffith Museum Tour and a Premium Wine Tasting. Yadkinvalleygolf.com

Myrtle Beach, North Carolina

Heading to the mecca for grouping groups, this Traditional Golf Package on the north end of the “Grand Strand” includes four rounds of golf with a choice of Carolina National, Rivers Edge, Crow Creek, Sandpiper Bay, Pearl East or West along with lunch and two beers at the course each day. Choose spacious accommodations in either Brunswick Plantation, Crow Creek or Sandpiper Bay. GolfHoliday.com

More Myrtle Beach

It’s like hitting the trifecta when you book the value-loaded package offered by Mystical Golf’s trio of three unique courses: The Witch, Wizard, and Man O’War all designed by Dan Maples. Priced from $89 per person, per night, you get three rounds of golf with a cart, three nights’ lodging in a threebedroom golf course villa, free iHop breakfast daily, free steak dinner at Logan’s Roadhouse, lunches, range balls and two free beers each day at the course plus a $15 gift card toward a golf shirt. And, oh yes. Want to play more golf? Just pay the cart fee and you get an instant replay. MysticalGolf.com

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Sicily is an incredible island with a very rich Greek and Roman history dating back as early as 8000 BC. Taormina, the small town on the east coast of the island has been a very popular tourist destination since the 19th century. The symbol Sicily is most recognized for is perhaps Mount Etna, with a height of 10,890 feet; it is the tallest active volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world and is in an almost constant state of activity.

Il Pi`cciolo Golf Club was the first golf course developed in Sicily in 1989. Designed by architect Luigi Rota Caremoli, the only Italian to be admitted to the British Golf Course Architects, this par 72, 18 hole course is nestled between oaks trees, fig trees, vineyards and hazelnut trees. The course is built on the slope of Mt. Etna, has a great deal of black lava rock throughout the course and many of the holes have spectacular views of the volcano. The head golf professional, Norman Johnston, played the first 9 holes with us and shared photos and video from the helicopter ride he had done a few days prior over Mt. Etna. We were clearly able to see mini eruptions that are going on inside this still active volcano. Mid fairway he stopped, picked some figs off the tree and we ate them while we walked to the green. www.ilpicciologolf.com

It has turned out to be by far one of my most unique and pleasurable golf experiences. There are some wonderful and distinctive wines that are made from vineyards that surround Mt. Etna. One in particular that offers a tour and tasting is the Cottanera winery. Their wines are made from grapes grown at high altitude, on rich, volcanic lands. Their red and whites are distinct and well-balanced wines given the volcanic soil and region they are produced.

Another special European town is Beaune, France. Beaune is the heart of the Burgundy wine region and one of the key wine centers in France. The annual wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune is the primary wine auction in France. The town is surrounded by some of the world’s most famous wine villages and vineyards including Pommard, Meursault, and Puligny-Montrachet. In the heart of the Cote de Beaune, the Hostellerie de Levernois is a large, white bourgeois house that has been converted to a hotel. The hotel and restaurant are surrounded by an elegant French-style garden and situated in a 11 acres park in the middle of the Burgundy vineyards and next to the Golf Course of Beaune Levernois.

Levernois has a Michelin starred gourmet restaurant, an exceptional wine cellar and a bistro all of which seamlessly blend tradition and modernity. In the ancient kitchen there is a double-hearth chimney that dates back to 1750. The golf course adjacent to the hotel is a public facility and a pleasant 18 hole par 72 golf course with 9 lakes and many sand traps. There is also a 9 hole course, par 29 if want to squeeze a few holes in before dinner. www.levernois.com

No matter where you go this summer fall in love with food, wine, history, art and golf.

The post European Summer Love appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

The Power Stance is designed to place any golfer in a better lower body position throughout the golf swing. The device is designed to set your stance into a width and alignment with proper ball position. The back leg footpad has a slight decline toward the target to provide more stability to turn around your back leg to produce better balance and power. The front foot pad slides back and forth to fit various golfers shoulder widths or if one wants to change their stance width to execute different types of golf shots. When looked in position it provides a base to turn into through impact. The ball position adjustment moves back and forth for every club in your bag and/ or any type of flight your desire for a particular shot. Let’s see if it works indoors and outdoors for this golfer…

The Test

I took the power stance to the range, used it at my home putting green for pitches and chips and also used it indoors with a medicine ball. On the range I tested the training aid’s ability to provide me with better balance, alignment and torque while also improving my ability to shape different shots. I used the ball position adjustment and the front footpad to set up the proper stance to improve my overall distance control and target accuracy. The backyard green was used for bump and runs, flops and flighted pitch shots. Finally, I tested the Power Stance as a fitness golf training aid going through a full rep series with a medicine ball.

The Verdict

Being a training aid fanatic is a tough job, but someone has to do it right? The Power Stance was one of the easiest training aids to setup and instantly understand how it could improve my game that I have encountered in my tests over the years. The simplicity of fixing ones stance width, alignments and ball position, while providing a solid base to turn around and a drive into during the golf swing makes the device one of a kind. I noticed the most improvement in the depth and shape of my divots, which in turn produced more consistent ball flight and distance control. In other words, I’ll stand by this powerful training aid for $39.95 any day of the week!

The post The Power Stance appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.