Hoover captures Ladies Club Championship

HOOVER CAPTURES LADIES CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

Sonja Hoover overcame two double bogies on par 3's in the final round to win the 2007 Ladies Club Championship. This was Hoover's first club championship title. Peggy Radcliffe finished second with former champion Suzi Davis in third.

RESULTS:

GROSS DIVISION:

1st Sonja Hoover, 2nd Peggy Radcliffe, 3rd Suzi Davis

NET DIVISION:

1st Van Perkins, 2nd Dorothy Maurer, 3rd Maggie McGory

Sheila Johnson Adds Fla. Golf Resort to Portfolio

Black Entertainment Television co-founder Sheila C. Johnson, who has ownership stakes in three Washington professional sports teams, yesterday added a PGA Tour championship golf course in Florida to her hospitality company's growing portfolio.

Johnson's Salamander Hospitality bought the the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Tampa for $35 million from Golf Trust of America, according to a spokesperson for Johnson. Golf Trust, founded in 1996, is a publicly owned company that manages upscale golf courses.

The move is the latest in a series of acquisitions by Johnson, ranging from a multi-million dollar investment in the sports teams to an upscale food service and high-end resorts.

Prem Devadas, president of Middleburg-based Salamander Hospitality, which is Johnson's holding company for her resorts, said Innisbrook's golf locale will dovetail with the celebrity glamour generated by Johnson's interests in Washington sports teams. Johnson is part-owner of the Washington Capitals, the Washington Wizards and the WNBA Mystics.

"Innisbrook now gives us a property that we envision becoming one of the top golf destinations in the country," Devadas said. "A hospitality company with that type of diverse portfolio is what we set out to do and we are in a growth mode. I expect in the next five years, we are going to add several other very special properties to our portfolio."

That marketing strategy was in evidence at Monday's announcement, which was attended by former Washington Redskins Darrell Green, Art Monk and Charles Mann.

"She is one of the most interesting people in Washington," said Carol Joynt, owner of Nathan's Restaurant in Georgetown and host of an online interview show. "She is a house on fire. When you've got money, you've got to spend it."

Innisbrook is a 900-acre resort with four golf courses, and is consistent with Johnson's latest ventures into tourism and entertainment. The resort's signature course is Copperhead, which hosts the PODS Championship event.

Johnson plans to renovate Innsbrook's tennis and fitness facilities and develop a luxury spa in the next two years.
Johnson's company is currently developing Salamander Resort & Spa, a 168-room luxury resort on 340 acres in Middleburg, Va., scheduled to open in the fall of 2009. Salamander Hospitality also owns and operates Woodlands Resort & Inn, near Charleston, S.C.

Salamander Management Services, a subsidiary of Salamander Hospitality, is helping develop the Royal Cosmopolitan Hotel in New Orleans, and The Colosseum in Blacksburg, Va. The company has also launched a division of gourmet prepared food markets called Market Salamander with locations in Middleburg and Palm Beach, Fla.

Johnson two years ago bought into Lincoln Holdings, the umbrella company AOL mogul Ted Leonsis formed several years ago for his local sports team interests, which includes the Capitals, Mystics and minority shares in the Verizon Center and Wizards. Johnson holds the titles of president, managing partner and governor for the Mystics.
--Thomas Heath

Argos Finish Third in the Samford Intercollegiate Golf Tournament

ONEONTA, Ala. - In a field of predominately Division I opponents, the Argos out-shot fourteen teams, and finished just behind New Orleans and Eastern Kentucky. The Argos team score of 867 was only seven strokes behind New Orleans, and just four strokes back of Eastern Kentucky. Meanwhile, Tobias Rosendahl (Fr. / Haljarp, Sweden) had the best individual round of the tournament, with a seven under par, 65, to climb all the way into second place overall. His outstanding round helped the Argos out-shoot every team except New Orleans in the final round.

Josh Gallman, from USC-Upstate, was the overall winner with an eight under par, 208 total score. Gallman put together rounds of 69, 71, and 68 to capture the title. Rosendahl tied for second place overall with Trey Bowling (Eastern Kentucky) and Hector Arias (New Orleans), with a total score of six under par, 210. Rosendahl's third round score of 65, was one stroke better than Bowling's round of 66, also in the final round.

The West Florida team was in fourth place after round one, only four strokes behind the team leader Eastern Kentucky. West Florida had a team score of 292, while EKU led with a 288, and USC Upstate and New Orleans are tied for second with a team score of 289. The host school, Samford, was fifth with a score of 295, which put five schools within seven strokes of each other. At the end of round two, the Argos had slipped to fifth place, but within eight strokes of leader Eastern Kentucky. New Orleans was in second place, and they would surpass EKU in the final round, while the Argos would surpass both USC-Upstate and Samford in the final round.

Matthew Galloway (Sr. / Valrico, Fla.) recorded a hole-in-one during round two, on his way to a second round score of 75. Galloway would finish the third round with a one under par 71, for a combined score of 220, which tied him for 16th place overall. Meanwhile, Otto Bonning (Fr. / Skanor, Sweden), recorded the second best round for UWF, with his two under par, 70, during round two. Bonning would finish the tournament tied for 29th best, with a total of 224.

Kyle Scott (Fr. / Edenvale, South Africa) and Federico Damus (Sr. / Posadas, Argentina), had the Argos best scores in round one, with even par scores of 72. Scott would finish the tournament tied for 23rd best, with a six over par total of 222. Meanwhile, Damus put together a strong final round score of 73, which helped the Argos to catapult past two teams in the final round. His total three round score of 227 was good for 40th best in the tournament. Seventeen teams and 88 total golfers teed off on the 6,987 yard par 72 course. The outstanding finish by the Argos, followed previous tournament success that included a team victory in the Argonaut Invitational, and an individual championship for Matthew Galloway, in the tournament at Lakeland, Florida last month.

Golf: Norman, Dye play new Tuscany Reserve

Pete Dye was amazed. He may have been impressed by his co-design of Tuscany Reserve with Greg Norman. But it was the condition.

Specifically, it was the seadwarf paspalum, a saltwater-tolerant grass on the Tuscany Reserve layout in North Naples, that the noted architect couldn’t stop raving about during an appearance at the 2-year-old course on Friday.

“I haven’t seen a golf course like this anyplace in the world in as good a shape and condition as this one. Ever,’’ Dye said. “I mean anyplace. Really. And I’ve seen a few.’’

So has Norman, who enjoyed working with Dye at The Medalist, Norman’s course on the East Coast.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Pete’s, ever since day one when we worked on The Medalist,’’ Norman said after playing the course with Dye. “To hear what he sees, it’s just phenomenal. I watched him go around today and he’d kind of disappear and go look at something. You say ‘OK, now, what’s he looking at?’ He’s got that mind that continually works and works and works.’’

The appearance of Norman, 53, and Dye, 82, came less than two months after the reported sale of the property ended. In early January, an e-mail was sent to the prospective buyer from a community sales agent saying developer WCI Communites Inc. “is no longer looking to sell it” and that marketing is gearing up again.

WCI invested hundreds of millions in the community to create an authentic Tuscan village with arched stone bridges, towering fountains, pavers and lush landscaping, including an impressive barrier berm of bushes and trees facing Interstate 75.

Later in the afternoon, Norman and Dye met with members, and WCI executives David Fry and Ed D’Alessandro.

Friday capped a big week for Norman. A week ago, he played in the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico on a course he designed. It was his second PGA Tour event of the season — the most official events since he played two on the PGA Tour and two on the Champions Tour in 2005.

He’ll also play in the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai in April, and would like to play in the British Open and Senior British Open in the summer.

“In May, I might try to play a couple,’’ he said, before catching himself. “I’m getting too far ahead of myself. I feel like I’m back on the tour.’’

Earlier in the week, Norman found out he’ll get to be closer to the tour.

He was named the captain of the International Team for the 2009 Presidents Cup at Harding Park in San Francisco. Fred Couples will captain the U.S. Team.

The PGA Tour runs the Presidents Cup, meaning Norman dealt with commissioner Tim Finchem, with whom he’s had a frosty relationship over the years.

“Very good dialogue with Finchem for about two weeks,’’ Norman said. “I’d ask him questions and he’d come back with the answers and I’d have more questions after the answers. The process was handled well, professionally. That’s why, at the end of the day, after sitting down and figuring it all out, it was probably the right decision to make.’’

Norman wanted to make sure everyone was aware of what the expectations were for him and of him, and how those would fit in with his various business and golf interests.

“I do travel a lot, a little different than Freddie in that regard,’’ Norman said.

The Presidents Cup will be in October, less than two months before Norman’s Merrill Lynch Shootout at Tiburon in North Naples. Couples has been a frequent competitor in the unofficial PGA Tour event as well.

Woody Austin and Mark Calcavecchia won the two-person event over Norman and Bubba Watson in December.

“I still continue to get notes from players or volunteers or corporate sponsors,’’ Norman said. “All of the players write back and say what a great week it was. We always try to make the next year better than the year before.’’

Up To Par: Good lies in this Hammock

The complementary landscaping has resulted in Hammock Bay being declared a Gold Sanctuary course by the Audobon Society.

Despite all the surrounding developments (of both Hammock Bay and Marco Shores), there’s not a hole on the course that makes one tentative for fear of sending a ball through someone’s window.

In The Beginning

Local golfers affectionately called it the Shores.

Officially, it was called Marco Shores Golf Club, a course devoid of any great character, but popular because of its wide open fairways that invited pulling out a driver on almost every hole.

Truth be told, though, Marco Shores was beginning to show its age as the new Millennium rolled in.

The clubhouse had a diner-type feel, the pro-shop was rudimentary to say the least, and the practice facility was limited to a putting green.

Play was decidedly weather-dependent, meaning that when it had rained, some of the holes sported instant water hazards.

Nobody who remembers the course, for example, would deny squelching through the marsh that masqueraded the 10th hole after even moderate downpours.

Landscaping was incidental, too, with the course apparently plunked down in cleared land off the then SR951, about four miles down the drag from Marco Island.

Change was in the air, however.

WCI Communities moved in on the cusp of the wave of development that pervaded in the early to mid 2000, and announced plans for a new 247-acre community of towers and townhouses anchored by a brand-new and exclusive golf course.

Existing low-rise condos and townhouses along Mainsail Drive would not be affected by the plans, but their assorted golf course views certainly would.

The Changes, The Result

Four years ago, PGA tour veteran Peter Jacobsen and his colleague Jim Hardy officially opened up the Hammock Bay course with a flurry of media attention.

The twosome had completely redesigned the course to the extent that it would be virtually unrecognizable from the original.

In a truly mammoth operation, thousands of tons of dirt was excavated to form new lakes and irrigation reservoirs, allowing the eventual creation of undulating -— and indeed even hilly — fairways on the new course.

At the same time, the various buildings had forged ahead, and the newly-created private and gated community took shape to the West of the property.

In tandem with a still-to-be constructed golf clubhouse is a sport and recreation center that comprises tennis, spa facilities and a tropical lagoon-style pool.

Tour de Fours (and Threes and Fives)

A year-and-a-half at the helm of the golf club and sports complex, General Manager Rick Rainville enthuses about the condition of the course, the omnipresent drought threat notwithstanding.

A PGA golf professional formerly from Rhode Island, Rainville is more than happy to take time out from his busy administrative schedule to show off a couple of holes.

The course’s trump card, he says, is the intuitive use by Jacobsen and Hardy of South African-developed seadwarf paspalum grass, which, above all, is salt-tolerant.

“It helps water management, and can be mowed at different heights, so the tees fairways and greens are all paspalum,” he says.

Bottom line, he adds, is that you hit the fairways, you’ll have good lies as the ball sits beautifully up.

Immediately evident, too, is the judicious combination of fairways and attractive waste areas that are dotted with native vegetation.

It makes economic sense to place fairways where they’re logically needed, Rainville says, but a feather in the course’s cap is that the complementary landscaping has resulted in Hammock Bay being declared a Gold Sanctuary course by the Audobon Society.

Out on one of the holes, member John McMillan stops Rainville to compliment him and his staff on the course’s condition.

A five-time-a-week player, McMillan reckons the course compares with the best in Southwest Florida.

“And abroad,” says the Scottish-born Marco resident.

About A Round

Starter John Rewald gives the full course run down before dispatching you to the first tee — pin positions for the day, divot procedure (don’t replace, use sand) and what to expect on the greens on this particular day.

“You’ll enjoy the front nine,” he says, “but the back nine is where the course really comes alive.”

He’s talking, one discovers, about the amazing peaks and valleys the designers achieved with all that fill.

Despite all the surrounding developments (of both Hammock Bay and Marco Shores), there’s not a hole on the course that makes one tentative for fear of sending a ball through someone’s window.

At the same time, the longer holes almost all tantalizingly suggest: “use a driver, use a driver,” but that’s where the tried-and-trusted notion of course management holds true.

Some fairways are obviously wide enough to give it a full go, but others (in hindsight) are deceptive, and when you pull out a slightly more accurate long iron you can almost sense designers Jacobsen and Hardy nodding in agreement.

Five sets of tees on each hole elevate or diminish the degree of difficulty, but the greens turn out to be the great levelers.

Fast, but true, many of them have undulations that require a lot more than the cursory quick assessments that most casual golfers make before committing to putts.

Thus, they can be infinitely satisfying or beyond infuriating, particularly if one has made a green in regulation.

But that’s the essence of the game, and, as the saying goes, there’s always that one shot that will bring you back for more.

Hammock Bay is a private club with non equity, refundable fees of $50,000 and $21 in cart fees year-round per game. There are no assessments, and no minimums for food and beverages.

Some reciprocals (primarily with other WCI Communities clubs) are available.

Outside memberships are available, and the overall cap is 375 members.

The club’s Website is hammockbay.com.

FWSGA District 2

The FWSGA District 2 tournament was held on February 25, at Marsh Landing Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach. The format for the District 2 tournament was Individual Stroke Play. The one day district tournaments are designed to give opportunities to FWSGA members to play in championship caliber events in their local areas. A “Closest to the Pin Contest” was conducted on all the par 3 holes at Marsh Landing. The winners were Cynthia Hastings hole 3, Shirley Budden hole 7, Susie Fonde hole 11, and Denise Carr hole 17. Congratulations to all the “Closest to the Pin” winners! The low net and gross winners of the District 2 Tournament will move on to play in the Overall District Championship at Falcon’s Fire Golf Club on December 1^st, 2008.

Full Results

Championship Flight

1^st Gross Therese Quinn 74

1^st Net Shirley Budden 74

2^nd Gross Rhonda Ferguson 78

2^nd Net Tama Caldbaugh 76

First Flight

1^st Gross May Jacques 75

1^st Net Susan Rampelberg 73

2^nd Gross Elizabeth Breza 83

2^nd Net Jan DeMarco 74

Second Flight

1^st Gross Suzanne Gray 86

1^st Net Karen Tutwiler 76

2^nd Gross Kaye Boyer 90

2^nd Net Emily Brown 77

Third Flight

1^st Gross Lois Wilhelm 89

1^st Net Denise Carr 76

2^nd Gross Kileen Kaufman 93

2^nd Net Dorothy Johnson 78

UCF duo shared medalist honors at UCF Rio Pinar Invitational

IRVING, Texas (www.ucfathletics.com) - One day after sharing medalist honors at the UCF Rio Pinar Invitational, junior Greg Forest (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) and sophomore Mike Stern (Miami, Fla./Killian) of UCF were named Conference USA Men's Golfers of the Week on Wednesday. The two Knights helped UCF claim the tournament title at the 18-team event as they shared co-medalist honors.

Forest and Stern both finished at 205 (-11) at the three-round event, which featured four of the top-40 squads in the nation. The tournament victory was the first for the Knights since they won the same event in 2005. In the second round, both players equaled the UCF 18-hole record with respective scores of eight-under 64.

Stern closed the event by carding a two-under 69 in the final round, while Forest posted a one-under 71. The tournament victory was the first for both players. Prior to the event, no Knight had taken medalist honors at a tournament since 2005.

The C-USA honor is the third of Forest's career and the first for Stern. UCF players have garnered weekly honors from the league on three occasions in 2007-08. A week ago, junior David Johnson (Palm Bay, Fla./Melbourne) was recognized by the conference office.

Following the tournament victory, the Knights moved to 20th in the Golfstat national rankings. The UCF Rio Pinar Invitational served as the second event of the spring campaign for the team.

The Knights will not be in action again until March 23, when they compete at the Hootie at Bulls Bay in South Carolina.

For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel, log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also check out www.ucfphotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.

Five sunshine state resorts where kids and clubs can live together in harmony

By Alan Bastable and Joe Passov

The great Chevy Chase proved in National Lampoon's Vacation that family trips are a little tougher to get right than buddy trips, corporate retreats and couples escapes. An ideal family trip requires three elements: breathing room for mom and dad, a fine golf course, and plenty of activities for the kids. This handful of Florida resorts proves that you don't have to choose between babies and birdies.

Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club
Palm Harbor
800-456-2000, innisbrookgolfresort.com
Busch Gardens Get-a-Way Package rates start at $309 per night, two-night minimum
This is about as good as it gets if your kids are into golf and baseball. Within a few minutes drive from this Tampa resort you'll find the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies in spring training. It's also just 45 minutes to Busch Gardens, and the package here includes suite accommodations with a kitchenette, two adult tickets (kids tickets available at the front desk) and a Kids Club gift at check-in. The golf is pretty darn good, too. The Copperhead course tops the list of four layouts here, and has long been a PGA Tour stop. The Island course was recently renovated, while the Highland North and South tracks are no pushovers, even if they lack the challenge of their siblings. Kids will have to pay to play in the high season of March, but it's free in summer.

The Breakers
Palm Beach
888-273-2537, thebreakers.com
Room rates in March start at $550 per night
Despite its museum-like facade and interiors that epitomize Palm Beach's Old World elegance, The Breakers is remarkably family-friendly. March rack rates might alarm conservative spenders, but at least children under 16 stay free in the same room as their parents. There's a dizzying array of activities for kids, starting with a 6,160-squarefoot Family Entertainment Center that includes a heated oceanfront pool, a movie room, and a game room with Playstation 2 and Xbox. Kids 3 to 12 can enjoy the Coconut Crew Interactive Camp (scavenger hunts and waterfront activities), while the whole family can mix it up in the Breakers Fun Zone with its arcade games. The Breakers' Ocean course is one of the state's oldest, a pint-sized pearl that dates to 1896. If the kids aren't up to the rigors of this short, tight track, the Palm Beach Par-3 course is just down the road, while the private Breakers Rees Jones Course is a 20-minute drive from the resort.

Ginn Reunion Resort
Reunion
888-418-9611, reunionresort.com
Ultimate Family Package Rates start at $179 inclusive, per person per night
The Family Package at this Orlando-area resort includes a one-day pass per person to any Walt Disney Theme Park and a one-day pass to either Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure or Sea World. On-site you'll find complimentary "dive-in" movies (films are shown to guests floating in the pool) and access to a five-acre water park, fitness center, bicycle rentals and spa. The "Kids Crew" supervises guests aged 4-12, giving parents time to enjoy themselves alone. On the course, the Arnold Palmer Legacy layout has kidfriendly tees and a resort credit issued at check-in gives junior golfers a discount. If Dad needs more of a challenge, he'll find it at Reunion's two other courses: the Independence, a Tom Watson design, and the newer Tradition, a Jack Nicklaus creation. Watson's layout is the most distinctive, a faux-links that's liberally sprinkled with mounds, bunkers and greenside chipping areas. The Palmer and Nicklaus tracks offer a more traditional Florida experience, with roomy fairways accented by lakes and flowers.

Amelia Island Plantation
Amelia Island
888-261-6161, aipfl.com
All-Inclusive Package rates start at $767 per night
With the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Intracoastal Waterway to the west, Amelia has plenty of aquatic appeal, with boating, fishing and kayaking among the popular options. The golf courses are worthy of the kid's activity menu, too, particularly Pete Dye's Ocean Links, which has tees of 4,341 and 5,007 yards for junior to tackle. Oak Marsh, another Dye layout, along with the newly acquired Amelia River and the private Long Point courses round out the options. With the All- Inclusive Package, you get unlimited green fees per night of stay, plus access to bikes and tennis, the Health & Fitness Center, Kids Camp Amelia (nature clinics, games, arts and crafts for ages 3-10), and most nature tours.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
Destin
800-622-1038, sandestin.com
Family Golf Package rates start at $363 per night
The leading golf resort in northwest Florida has four courses, including the Raven, a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that hosts the Champions Tour. Parents might be more interested in the Baytowne course, which offers free golf to children under 12 (when accompanied by a paying adult) and rental clubs from U.S. Kids Golf. The junior tee box is a manageable 3,002 yards and kids get their own yardage guide and scorecard. Off-course attractions include a sailing program that specializes in courses for children and teens, a five-acre nature park, plus a beachside, landscaped putting course. The adult golf also includes the resort's original course, the Links, and the Rees Jones-designed Burnt Pine.