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Alex Elias  As the Head Golf Professional at Cherry Valley Club for the past two years, what was your first impression of the golf course, and what aspects have you come to appreciate the most? When I first played the course in August 2022 during my playing interview, I was pleasantly surprised with how great the views were for a links-style course. When you reach the middle of the fairway on No. 2, you can see all the way to the other end of the course by No. 16. It’s almost always a little breezy so I’ve come to really enjoy the challenging shot making required to navigate the course. The approaches to the green are mowed at .3" which allows golfers the option to hit lower shots into the greens which is a great feature for a course that has thick, rough throughout the year. Designed by Devereux Emmet, Cherry Valley Club is known for its distinctive bunkering. How would you describe Emmet's bunkering? The course appears wide open, but it’s really not because of the bunkers. It’s not very uniformed bunkering, and because of that, the different shapes and sizes pose a different challenge each hole and round. I can’t think of many other courses where the shapes and sizes of the bunkers vary as much as they do here. What are a few notable examples of the distinctive bunkering at Cherry Valley Club? No. 3 has a huge cross-bunker that hides the fairway and runs in a diagonal line towards the hole. The fairway is pretty wide, but that bunker does an excellent job of forcing golfers left making the 2nd shot longer. No. 8 has a unique bunker that runs up the left side of the hole starting at about 260 yards from the green. It’s not visible from the tee or even when you are in the fairway, but it is extremely penalizing due to how narrow it is. Since Steven Kay began renovating Cherry Valley Club in 1998 and has continued his work over the years, how would you describe the changes? Stephen Kay has done a great job making the course far more challenging for the better golfers, but easier for the players trying to break a hundred. For example, typically high-handicaps struggle to hit the ball high in the air and hold greens, and with Kay’s work, they can now run the ball up towards the front edge.
Cherry Valley Club has two logos—what is the story behind each one?
In 2019, Lee Wybranski was hired to redesign the club's logo and it became an overnight hit with the membership. Rockaway Avenue was lined with cherry trees in the early 1900’s and the entrance to the club is lined with cherry trees that blossom in April/May for a couple of weeks. The logo is very unique and is fast becoming a well-recognized logo in the Northeast golfing region. The secondary logo is the club’s flag. It is a combo between golf and tennis, as fairways are green and the members wear white playing tennis. How does having a secondary logo enhance creativity in the Pro Shop? Every club is so different and you can use that to your advantage. You have to lean into what is unique about your club. Some clubs have cool signage or a signature drink that they can put on hats and headcovers. We are fortunate to use both our logos and our centennial clock. What recent trends have you noticed in golf merchandise? Hoodies have been around for a few years now, but cashmere hoodies are definitely more recent. Holderness & Bourne, Peter Millar, and Greyson all make very nice, classy cashmere hoodies, where they're so tidy that when you wear one with a polo, it almost looks like a nice sweater. Another new trend is patterns. Patterns are basically the new solid. Here, it's prints, stripes and solids. Solids are definitely well-down in third.
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Alex Elias  Every golfer has periods where their swing feels off. For me, it is coming over the top in the downswing – something that many golfers can relate to. Although many golfers may be aware of their over-the-top move, Matt Benton, Head Golf Professional at Old Marsh Golf Club, said, "You can’t just know that you’re coming over the top. You have to understand what you’re doing that is causing it."
Once the identification is addressed, then the swing change can begin, but not without the understanding that change doesn’t happen overnight. Benton said, "The speed at which golfers abandon change is crazy. In order to make a change, you have to understand the feel." To best understand the feel, "The swing must be exaggerated," said Benton. "Swing changes are often minimal but feel drastic. As a result, in order to achieve your goal at full swing speed, you need to repeatedly exaggerate the new feeling in slow motion first." Even if rehearsed and practiced properly, many golfers are guilty of abandoning change. Often, it occurs during the transition from the range to the course. Benton said, "If you’re making a swing change, and you’re doing it well on the range, that doesn’t guarantee you’re going to do it well on the course. In fact, chances are it won’t go well on the course, but that doesn’t mean you need to start diagnosing something else." "You have to stick with the change and understand when a shot is the result of the implemented swing change vs. when it’s the result of an old habit sneaking back. That’s how you’re going to successfully make the change and eventually see positive results," said Benton. Alex Elias Why do you think golfers, myself included, have such a fascination with logos?
Logos give people something to talk about and to connect on. I hear stories all the time about someone who was a thousand miles away from their home club, a person recognized the logo they were wearing, and there was an instant connection between two strangers that never would have sparked a conversation otherwise. As someone who loves logos, I think it's fun to talk about them, rank your Top-5 with friends, and buy merchandise that you can't get anywhere else. What brands do you enjoy working with most? Men - Holderness and Bourne, B. Draddy, and Sid Mashburn (a sneaky new one to look out for) Women - Renwick, Smith and Quinn, Fairway & Greene While solid and striped polos remain the most popular, patterned polos are gaining traction. Have you noticed golfers embracing more creativity in their style choices? I think golfers have become much more creative! Women's golf alone has grown so much in the past few years. I'd like to think it has a lot to do with the options they have now. I always preach to wear what makes you feel most comfortable so that you can have more fun and are less likely to focus on what you shot. I grew up playing golf in my older brother's polos and sneakers. I wish I had had bright pink shoes to rock! I do think it has had a positive effect on golf, and women's golf specifically. What other recent trends have you noticed? Hoodies, hoodies and hoodies. Though my opinion may be slightly skewed since the clubs I have worked at tend to be a little more conservative, I do see golfers getting more creative and showing more personality. But I also see a shift back to the classics. More knit tops, crew neck sweaters, and traditional leather saddle shoes. As I most often wear Holderness & Bourne, I greatly appreciate how I can wear H&B on the course, in the office, or at dinner. Have you noticed members gravitating toward products with versatility? Yes! I get asked all the time for sweaters and trousers that people can wear to work. Something that those people like is putting the logo as a tonal color to blend into their sweater. That way it's still there, but it can be worn to the office and not jump out at anyone. For women, it tends to be more athleisure wear such as sweaters, or dresses that you can wear to play golf but also running errands. Alex Elias  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@LinksGems) How has your background influenced your perspective on the value of networking and mentorship?
I graduated from the PGA Professional Golf Management Program at Penn State University and networking and mentorship were instilled from the beginning. There was always a major emphasis on connecting with the alumni and I quickly understood how important of a factor it was in getting a job and learning from a Head Golf Professional. Reflecting on your time at various clubs, who is one mentor that stands out to you and why? Pat Gunning is a great mentor of mine. I have always been infatuated with how the membership is wrapped around his finger. I remember asking him, "How are you so good at talking with members?" and he responded, "You should always go up to every member and act like they're the most important part of your day." That message has really stuck with me. If you care about your membership and take the time to stop by the range or stand at the first tee to ask members how their families are doing, it'll go a long way. What is one key lesson from a mentor that you apply to your daily routine? There's many, but before I knew anything about teaching, I always thought lessons were all about X's and O's, club path, face angle, etc. I've learned that not everyone responds the same way and by having watched different Head Golf Professionals, I've learned how to interact and read members during a lesson. What is one piece of advice you would offer to current PGA Professional Golf Management Program students? I have a few. First, when you're looking for an internship, apply to clubs with Head Professionals that you know have a strong reputation. You want to work at club where you can learn from a mentor. Next, during each internship, take the time to reflect on what you like and want to institute from each Head Professional and just as importantly, what you might not want to institute. Lastly, you never know when someone from your past may be able to open a door for you. Even if it's someone you met once five years ago, stay in touch with them. For those outside the golf industry, what message would you share about the importance of networking and mentorship? Go outside your comfort zone. Wherever you're located, you should always be trying to meet people in your industry - whether it's asking them to grab a drink, go to dinner, or golf. In my eyes, if you meet one person, then you're going to meet three others. The more you can put yourself out there, the more successful you'll be. Alex Elias  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@LinksGems) Rick Hartmann, Director of Golf, and Corey Layton, Head Golf Professional, at Atlantic Golf Club (Bridgehampton, NY) joined AE Golf News for a quick Q&A: With spring just around the corner but temperatures still in the 20s in the Northeast, what advice would you give to golfers looking to currently work on their game?
Rick Hartmann: This is the time to work on your game, not during the Summer. The more you can practice during the Winter, the better off you'll be. That way you can work on your swing in an environment where it takes the ball flight out and can react to the fundamentals, not the ball flight. Then by the summertime, you’re just maintaining it. You can play, rather than break down your swing. Corey Layton: There's very few simulators out here [Bridgehampton, New York], but in New York City, simulators are everywhere. If you live in an area with access to a simulator, then this is 100% the time to work on your game. Once you get to the Summer, you want to be able to play. You don't want to have to backtrack six months. To what extent is success in golf influenced by one's mindset? Rick Hartmann: Golf is all about the mindset. The mindset is the #1 differentiator. In this game, the more positive you can be, the better off you are. You can't expect to make a putt if you are thinking to yourself "I can't make this putt." Our members tend to think much more positively rather than negatively, and that should be a lesson for every member. Corey Layton: The mindset has a very powerful grasp on the outcome. If you're worrying about the future, rather than playing in the present, it can have negative consequences. You see some of the swings of our members and you can't believe the shots they pull off, but it's a credit to their mentality being different. Their mentality is truly unbelievable and unique. While a positive mindset can greatly benefit every golfer, why is it important to distinguish between positivity and unrealistic expectations? Rick Hartmann: As a golfer, you have to understand your strengths and weaknesses. If a high handicapper has a flop shot, downwind, over a bunker, out of the fescue, pin cut tight to the edge of the green, then maybe they shouldn't try it. Playing smarter and understanding the risk/reward of a shot will lead to better play. Corey Layton: Golfers can sometimes be a bit delusional. Maybe one out of hundred, they do pull off the tough shot, but that doesn’t mean it'll happen every time. How can adopting a stronger mindset help golfers make more progress on the range? Rick Hartmann: Amateurs tend to expect results immediately and unfortunately it isn't that easy. Muscle changing in golf takes time and practice. A swing change takes more than one lesson. It can take an entire season and golfers need to trust that. Corey Layton: Are they taking a lesson once a week and playing the other days, or are they dedicated to practicing? Practicing can't be like a haircut or nail appointment. It can't be once a week. You have to practice in between lessons. It’s difficult for many amateur golfers to hear a swing change will take time. Realistically, you might get worse before you get better, or it may take months before you really start to see the changes. Alex Elias  Courtesy of Evan Schiller (@evan_schiller_photography) Managing expectations is one of golf’s greatest challenges. Lucas Spahl, First Assistant Golf Professional at The Creek (Locust Valley, NY) and Assistant Golf Professional at McArthur Golf Club (Hobe Sound, FL), said, “I believe that there is a misnomer between what amateur golfers see as goals for their game and goals that are realistic. I think amateurs see their goals as the best possible outcome, but that is not realistic for any player.”
As amateurs’ goals are often unattainable, whether it be expecting to hit more fairways/greens or score lower, Spahl continued, “If your goals are too difficult to obtain, it can become very draining.” As draining golf can consume a golfer’s mindset, Spahl said, “You can lose confidence, get down on yourself, and negative thoughts take control. From personal experience, I have definitely had a few rounds that have started off very poor, and it’s very difficult to get back on track or to get off the ‘bogey train.’” Ultimately, that loss of concentration leads to one’s scorecard being negatively affected. How to manage expectations: “To re-evaluate their expectations, I feel amateurs need enough information/statistics to have an understanding of what their average round looks like. Once that is understood, they can make achievable goals, and even orient their practice to help achieve those successfully,” said Spahl. Referencing his own game, Spahl said, “I tend to only have two goals. Regardless of the score, if I accomplish these two goals, I’ll be happy: No three putts, no double-bogeys.” By setting realistic goals, rather than having a score in mind, Spahl admitted, “When there is no score in mind, and the goals are accomplished, I do tend to score better. I find it’s hard to score poorly when those goals are accomplished, and at the very least, I avoid having a very poor round. For amateur players, I can see them get very stressed about a score relative to par. If you take that away and orient your thoughts to simple goals, the game can become more enjoyable at a simple level. Players of all calibers have rounds where they swing it well and don’t shoot a great score, it’s okay to do that.” Tripp Davis Completes Restoration on The Gasparilla Golf Club at The Gasparilla Inn & Club1/31/2024 Alex Elias  Colin Cushing/@thegolfindude Originally scheduled for the Summer of 2024, Tripp Davis' restoration project at The Gasparilla Golf Club at The Gasparilla Inn & Club (Boca Grande, Florida) was accelerated due to Hurricane Ian. Having first visited in April 2022, Davis had the opportunity to see the course prior to its decimation by the Category 5 Hurricane. Davis said, "My Wife and I went down and stayed a few days and I got to play it twice, on top of touring it with the Golf Course Superintendent Elliot Garrison. The course is in a beautiful setting with five holes playing along Charlotte Harbor – the big body of water inside the outer islands on the west coast of Florida south of Sarasota and north of Naples. The course is on a relatively small piece of land, but Pete [Dye] fit the holes in a way it does not feel too tight. There was a course on the same ground, originally built in 1933, but Pete moved somethings around. You could see Pete's style for sure, but over time since he did his work, there had been a lot of change. The bunkers had been changed so the grass faces had been laid down, the sand had been raised, and you could see the greens were smaller. The fact that it would be somewhat of a 'restoration' made it exciting to think about." As Davis mentioned Pete Dye’s style, the restoration project comes nine years after Davis restored Oak Tree National, designed by Pete Dye in 1975, and currently ranked 66th in the U.S. by Golf Digest. "I was fortunate to play a lot of competitive golf on Pete’s courses. Pete’s style was certainly unique, and at times included a lot of earth movement and unique shaping. His courses tended to be visually intimidating, leading to the thought he was very much a penal type of designer. But I think his designs are typically misunderstood," said Davis. "The options he regularly created, including more conservative lines of play, with a lot of strategic interest, is what I have found over the years of playing on and now working on his designs. As innovative as some think his style was, he was equally innovative with his strategic substance and how it took study to understand. He offered an aggressive line of play with most every shot, having small margins for error, and with most every shot on every one of his courses I have played or worked on there is a conservative line or shot option that offers a relatively wider margin for error. He highlighted and brought attention, visually, to the more aggressive lines of play, while the conservative route was often not as evident, often because it was not always directly wide right or left of the more aggressive line, but short of or at times long of."  Colin Cushing/@thegolfindude As every hole underwent a change, Davis said, "I enlarged most every green and with most every green I shifted the location slightly to fit the strategic intent in a modern way. I took most of the greens and turned them a little to provide more angles into to enlarged parts of the greens – creating some new, tougher, hole locations. I had all of the greens mapped with 0.1' contours so I could see what the original intent was in detail. They were built to work with much slower greens than we expected we would have now, so I modified contours in places, using the mapping to move the contours to where we may have shifted the green location."
"We did significantly move #1, #4, #8, #16, and especially #18, which we moved back 25 yards. With these greens I redesigned them with Pete’s basic approach in mind. The bunkers were rebuilt to have good liners, better drainage, and we restored the steeper grass face style. About 1/4th of the bunkers stayed pretty much where they were, half of the current bunkers were subtle changes mainly to push them further from tees, and 1/4th are new. We also removed 10 bunkers. The intent with the bunker work was clearly to bring them more into play for better players on more aggressive lines of play, while clearly creating more room for the average to higher handicap player so they have conservative options with wider margins for error," said Davis. With the intention to modernize how the course plays, Davis said, "The game has evolved, not only in how the best players play, but there are now a good many more different types of players – more Women play, more Senior Men and more older Senior Men, more beginners, more that play but less frequently, etc.. Pete's basic design intent at Gasparilla was to create a visually interesting golf experience that requires thought. We worked with his original design as the foundation of how we adapted the course for modern players to enjoy experiencing a Pete Dye design. That is most often found in a lot of subtle things like tee placements, strategic width of fairways, the demands of missing a green, more less stringent hole locations (along with more stringent hole locations). If you played Gasparilla before, you would likely not notice a significant difference, but it is there, from restoration of the bunker style, larger greens with a somewhat greater variety of hole locations, slightly different angles into greens, bunkers relocated slightly, etc." Reflecting on how he modernized how the course plays, Davis said, "I would also say that I saw some opportunities to do things Pete may have done had he done this project himself, which was really interesting for me. The change at #1 green, adding some tees well right on #14, pushing the green back on #18 to make it a stronger finishing hole (which he may not have been able to do originally). His original design intent was largely intact as I found it, only maybe with a different style in places and greens that were smaller, so we retained most it, enhanced it as it made sense. There is not one thing I wanted to restore from what was there as I found it, but I would say it was doing some things I think he would have done today." Alex Elias As temperatures continue to drop, and courses are covered in snow, many golfers are left uncertain with how to practice. Chris Gabriele, First Assistant Golf Professional at Quaker Ridge Golf Club, said, "With simulators at so many clubs, and even available in cities these days, like Five Iron Golf, golfers can get plenty of convenient practice in."
"With so many opportunities to use indoor facilities with technology, like TrackMan, Foresight, etc, golfers can receive tremendous feedback, if they know what information to track and use," said Gabriele. Although practicing on a simulator may be the most course-like means of practice during the winter months, Gabriele suggested a few different ways to practice, without even having to leave the house. Gabriele said, "One would be to quite simply hold a club while you watch TV. The more you can have your hands on the club, the better or easier it'll be to make a change." "Another that is great is to use a doorway opening. In golf posture, place your forehead on the open frame, and your arms crossed over your chest. Then while keeping your forehead in place, practice how to turn your body while keeping your head steady on the backswing. For the followthrough, golfers want to keep their head behind the ball at impact, so this drill can help a golfer see where their head is at 'impact' and know what it feels like, said Gabriele. "It doesn't have to be hours on end, but more about doing it consistently." Alex Elias  South Carolina Junior All-American Louise Rydqvist earned a Sponsor Exemption at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican via South Carolina's win at the 2023 ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M. Reflecting on her LPGA Tour debut, Rydqvist said, "I have been dreaming about the day I make my LPGA debut for a long time and to do it at Annika’s event was so extremely special. Annika and her husband welcomed me with open arms and I cannot thank them and the Annika Foundation enough for providing the exemption." Born in Jönköping, Sweden, Rydqvist has looked up to fellow Swede Annika Sörenstam as a role model from a very young age. "Annika has always been a role model for me. I have now played in Annika’s events at every level, starting with the Annika Cup and the Annika Invitational Europe in Sweden, then Annika Intercollegiate and now The ANNIKA LPGA. I remember being at the Annika Cup at 14 years old, and she told us, 'Control the things you can control, and let the other things go,' which has been with me since. Last week she told me, 'You have done the work, now you just have to trust it and stay confident in your process,' and I carried that with me all week," said Rydqvist. In a field featuring eight of the Top 10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and 15 winners from this season, including all four major champions, Rydqvist never appeared fazed by the pressure.
"Golf is all about staying in the moment, and not getting ahead of yourself or being bothered over something in the past. I work closely with my mental coach and we have a couple of strategies that I use to remind myself to be in the present. Last week, I had my boyfriend on the bag and he kept reminding me to enjoy the moment which also helped a lot," said Rydqvist. As Rydqvist made the cut, posted a Round 3 65, and finished T46, Rydqvist said, "I would say that my game tee-to-green was solid all week. Although, I’m most happy with how I handled the pressure and kept my head up all week." Alex Elias  Upon graduating from the University of North Carolina in 2019, Ben Griffin joined the PGA Tour Canada, and quickly thereafter earned Korn Ferry Tour status for the next season. Less than two years later, Griffin decided to walk away from the game citing financial reasons. If it hadn't been for Doug Sieg, the managing partner of Jersey City-based investment firm Lord Abbett offering to back him financially, then Griffin may have never had the opportunity to reach the PGA Tour. While the outcome of Griffin's story is certainly a positive one, Griffin's prior decision to walk away from his dream servers as a stark reminder that for many the journey to the PGA Tour is a long and expensive one.
Donnie Dotson, motivated by his desire to solve that problem, founded Carry in 2021. "There are many players who have the game that ultimately have to walk away from it early because they can't afford it," said Dotson. Subsequently, as for the players in the midst of the grind, Dotson said, "Countless are saddled with credit card debt and don't know how they're going to pay next month's rent or afford a course to practice at." As Carry "raises capital from 'Fan Investors' for early-stage pro golfers who need funding to best pursue careers on the top tours," it is paramount to Dotson that his investors are "fans first." "You have to love the game of golf first and foremost. If you don't, then you're going to be disappointed. Even if it's financially lucrative, you still won't get the most value out of it. You have to be the kind of person who gets excited following leaderboards on lower tours and wants to see a young player succeed," said Dotson. As "Fan Investors" provide financial security, Dotson said, "With financial freedom, players can be more aggressive. If they have a tough week or miss a cut, it isn't the end of their season or career. There are many players who are living week-to-week and have to make the cut to afford to travel to the next tournament." To Dotson and the players though, "Fan Investors" provide more than just financial security. "In speaking with players, it's nice for them to know they have some financial security, but it's really nice for them to know that they have someone supporting them win, lose, or draw," said Dotson. Speaking on the importance of not only financial security, but a support system, Dotson said, "To me, the biggest difference between a player playing well or not is confidence. Confidence can come from a variety of areas, including knowing you have the finances to compete or knowing you have someone celebrating your wins and there for you when you’re struggling." |
