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Channel: Tom Bedell – The A Position

Good Times at Black Butte Ranch

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The Golf Road Warriors are all in a daze at Black Butte Ranch’s Glaze Meadow course. Jeff Wallach shows us... Read more »

Golf Pros Told to Slow Down

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Golf Pros Told to Slow Down

(April 1, 2014) Find this hard to believe? We can’t imagine why. But we do have nine more astounding “Golf Stories We’d Like to See” in our new Masters issue of The Grain, our interactive e-magazine. There are also pieces on Presidential visits to Augusta National, what’s on the menu at the Champions’ dinners, handicapping the action, what to watch for, words from a superintendent on Augusta conditioning, and a visit to nearby Reynolds Plantation.

In the audio-visual department, Peter Kessler talks with 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam, the Golf Road Warriors descend on Casa de Campo, and in a “talking truth to power” podcast, the golf curmudgeon Hal Phillips enlists TAP writers David DeSmith and Tom Bedell to tell it like it is about Augusta National and the Masters.

Grain masters

 

Presidential Matters at Augusta National

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Prez Grain

Since the founding of Augusta National the U.S. has elected only two non-golfing Presidents. But that doesn’t mean every President who did play has managed to tee it up at Augusta. That’s just how tough it is to get a tee time here. Read all about these Presidential matters in our new Masters issue of The Grain, our interactive e-magazine. There are also pieces keyed to April Fool’s Day, what’s on the menu at the Champions’ dinners, handicapping the action, what to watch for, words from a superintendent on Augusta conditioning, and a visit to nearby Reynolds Plantation.

In the audio-visual department, Peter Kessler talks with 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam, the Golf Road Warriors descend on Casa de Campo, and in a “talking truth to power” podcast, the golf curmudgeon Hal Phillips enlists TAP writers David DeSmith and Tom Bedell to tell it like it is about Augusta National and the Masters.

Grain masters

Sharpen Pencils, Ponder the Players….

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Masters picks

Bubba, Dustin, Hendrik, Justin? The poetry that is the Masters is also a ripe field of wagering possibilities. As always, our man with a betting slip, James Mason, ponders the players and reasons out his picks for the first men’s major of the season, in our new Masters issue of The Grain.  The interactive e-magazine also has pieces keyed to April Fool’s Day, what’s on the menu at the Champions’ dinners, the relations of U.S. Presidents to the club, what to watch for, words from a superintendent on Augusta conditioning, and a visit to nearby Reynolds Plantation.

In the audio-visual department, Peter Kessler talks with 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam, the Golf Road Warriors descend on Casa de Campo, and in a “talking truth to power” podcast, the golf curmudgeon Hal Phillips enlists TAP writers David DeSmith and Tom Bedell to tell it like it is about Augusta National and the Masters.

Grain masters

The Grain: The Masters Issue 2014

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Grain masters

Our second interactive e-magazine of the season is, well, hot off the press, and heading to some 2,000,000 golfers worldwide this week. What’s all the excitement? It’s the Masters, of course, which is about as exciting as it gets and annually sets our blood a-pumping for the symbolic start to the golf season.

Head to the new Masters issue of The Grain here, for pieces that will let you know what to watch for, how to handicap the action, ponder what’s on the menu at the Champions’ dinners, consider a superintendent’s take on Augusta National’s conditioning, and review the relationships of U.S. Presidents to the club. Those considering a visit to Georgia will want to read up on the charms of nearby Reynolds Plantation. And just for fun is our A List of golf pieces we would like to see, with April Fool’s Day on our minds.

In the audio-visual department, Peter Kessler talks with 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam, the Golf Road Warriors descend on Casa de Campo, and in a “talking truth to power” podcast, the golf curmudgeon Hal Phillips enlists TAP writers David DeSmith and Tom Bedell to tell it like it is about Augusta National and the Masters. Whether this will put them on the infamous Bikini Wax list with Gary McCord and Jack Whitaker remains to be seen.

Champions Dinner at the Masters

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Chefs Masters Grain

While the world breathlessly awaits the news on what Adam Scott is going to serve at this year’s Champions Dinner, author John Torsiello serves up tidbits about dinners past, including the revelation that the cost of the meal comes out of the reigning champ’s wallet. Not that any have ever been heard to complain.

That’s only one course on the tasty menu of our new Masters issue of The Grain. There are also pieces that will let you know what to watch for, how to handicap the action, consider a superintendent’s take on Augusta National’s conditioning, and review the relationships of U.S. Presidents to the club. Those considering a visit to Georgia will want to read up on the charms of nearby Reynolds Plantation. And just for fun is our A List of golf pieces we would like to see, with April Fool’s Day on our minds.

In the audio-visual department, Peter Kessler talks with 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam, the Golf Road Warriors descend on Casa de Campo, and in a “talking truth to power” podcast, the golf curmudgeon Hal Phillips enlists TAP writers David DeSmith and Tom Bedell to tell it like it is about Augusta National and the Masters. Whether this will put them on the infamous Bikini Wax list with Gary McCord and Jack Whitaker remains to be seen.

What to Watch for at The Masters

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Watch The Grain Masters

Despite our speculations, there will be no Woods Watch this year at Augusta National, with his recent surgery knocking him out of the competition. But we’ve hung up a few more suggestions about what to watch for at this year’s tooniment, in our new Masters issue of The Grain. There are pieces that will let you know how to handicap the action, ponder what’s on the menu at the Champions’ dinners, consider a superintendent’s take on Augusta National’s conditioning, and review the relationships of U.S. Presidents to the club. Those considering a visit to Georgia will want to read up on the charms of nearby Reynolds Plantation. And just for fun is our A List of golf pieces we would like to see, with April Fool’s Day on our minds.

In the audio-visual department, Peter Kessler talks with 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam, the Golf Road Warriors descend on Casa de Campo, and in a “talking truth to power” podcast, the golf curmudgeon Hal Phillips enlists TAP writers David DeSmith and Tom Bedell to tell it like it is about Augusta National and the Masters. Whether this will put them on the infamous Bikini Wax list with Gary McCord and Jack Whitaker remains to be seen.

Gators and Golf for Road Warriors in Fort Myers and Sanibel

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Raptor Bay Golf Club with the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa

Raptor Bay Golf Club with the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa

In their latest golf campaign, the intrepid Golf Road Warriors put their skills to the test at a trio of excellent courses in and around Fort Myers in Southwest Florida. The itinerary features play at Raptor Bay, a Ray Floyd-designed course attached to the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, our host hotel; the Dunes Golf & Tennis Club, a sporty waterfront venue on Sanibel Island known for its wildlife; and Old Corkscrew, an Audubon-certified course by Jack Nicklaus that ranks among the most challenging layouts in the state.

But golf is only the beginning of the fun. Follow all the adventures of Warriors Brian McCallen, Hal Phillips, Tom Bedell and David Whyte here: Golf Road Warriors Fort Myers.


Golf Road Warriors Fort Myers Video!

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The Golf Road Warriors (from left): Hal Phillips, Tom Bedell, David Whyte, Brian McCallen

The Golf Road Warriors (from left): Hal Phillips, Tom Bedell, David Whyte, Brian McCallen

We now have video of the latest Golf Road Warriors campaign! The intrepid quartet of Brian McCallen, Hal Phillips, Tom Bedell and videographer David Whyte put their skills to the test at a trio of excellent courses in and around The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel in Southwest Florida, but the adventures only began there.

You can access the full Fort Myers Video Archive here, or pick and choose from the links below, which pretty much matches the itinerary of the Golf Road Warriors:

Raptor Bay: Our first round was at Ray Floyd-designed course attached to the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, our host hotel.

Gator Old CorkscrewGator Huntin’: What do Golf Road Warriors do when they’re not playing golf? Playing miniature golf and feeding alligators.

The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club: Round two was at this sporty waterfront venue on Sanibel Island known for its wildlife–following a stop for the World’s Best Breakfast.

Captiva Cruises Dolphin Watch: The dolphins were leaping all around us as we cruise the waters off Captiva Island.

Big Food: The Warriors roll up their sleeves and loosen their belts at The Bubble Room on Sanibel Island, where the servings are anything but modest.

Old Corkscrew: Our final round was at this Audubon-certified course by Jack Nicklaus that ranks among the most challenging layouts in the state.

Naturally there are plenty of in-depth articles about all this as well. Follow all the adventures of the Golf Road Warriors here: Golf Road Warriors Fort Myers.

Hot stuff

The Grain 2015 U.S. Open Edition

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Cover 2015 US Open

This year’s U.S. Open promises to be more lively than most thanks to the venue. As we point out in “What to Watch For” in our 2015 U.S. Open edition of The Grain, “Chambers Bay is not merely a new site for the U.S. Open, it’s a drastically different one.”

Our guide to the national championship is packed as usual, with stories on how the course will play and what the pros can expect. USGA Mike Davis has been waving a red flag at the players, suggesting a lack of a practice round at the course will spell doom. We’ll see, but meanwhile we also have pieces on critical holes, how Fox Sports is approaching its first big telecast test, and an extensive interview with Robert Trent Jones Jr., whose firm designed Chambers Bay, by veteran writer Brian McCallen.

Good beer to open for the Open. (Photo: Jesse Holder and Mary Donahue)

Good beer to open for the Open. (Photo: Jesse Holder and Mary Donahue)

Our handicapping expert, James Mason, looks into his crystal ball as usual, and gives you the odds to take to any betting window that may be at your legal disposal. If you’re anywhere near the course, our beer expert, Tom Bedell, gives you some tasty choices to pursue in the way of adult beverages. And northwest resident Jeff Wallach reveals a portfolio of courses to play in the region.

Chambers Bay is a municipal course, and Jeff Thoreson offers a nostalgic tribute to those munis that may be less sparkling, but nonetheless packed with life.

There’s also a touch of nostalgia to the official poster for this year’s Open, the eighth straight time Lee Wybranski has been called upon to create the Open artwork. We have a link that showcases more of his work.

Poster artist Lee Wybranski at Chambers Bay

Poster artist Lee Wybranski at Chambers Bay

Not everything in this issue is purely Open-related. We have a video featuring Travis Fulton, the Director of Instruction for all the TOURAcademy locations nationwide, that will give you the perfect setup for your driver.

Then you can test it out on any of the nine holes we’ve chosen that include the most daunting carries in golf.

There’s a link to enter a contest to win a six-round golf getaway to Gaylord, Michigan. And we also have another chance to win a golf vacation to Myrtle Beach and to play with former LPGA player Meredith Kirk, recently named one of “The Most Beautiful Women in Golf 2015.”

All just a click away at the 2015 U.S. Open Edition of The Grain.

Think you can hit the third green at Mauna Kea? (Courtesy of Mauna Kea Resort Golf)

Think you can hit the third green at the Mauna Kea? (Courtesy of Mauna Kea Resort Golf)

 

The Grain 2015 Open Championship Edition

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The Grain OC July 2015

There’s something so inherently right about the Open Championship being held at St. Andrews. Well, at least we thought so, until we read Brian McCallen’s minority report about the Old Course in the 2015 Open Championship edition of The Grain.

And then, in a further anarchic spirit, Tom Bedell goes on to boldly lay out the argument for holding future Opens in Australia!

But no worries, there’s plenty to chew on about this year’s Open, obsessed as we may be over Jordan Spieth’s Grand Slam chances. Our expert on the players and the odds, James Mason, is back to ponder just that and help you out with your last minute wagering needs.

We have pages of what to watch for during the Open Championship, from the effects of wind, how the course has changed since 2010 (including controversial alterations to the eleventh hole), and the effect of the Old Course’s short par-4 holes.

The Old Course is virtually the primordial example of a links, so it seems a good time to visit (or if you’re lucky, revisit), some of the great links holes in the British Isles, in the new world, and down under.

And lest you start dozing off during the telecast you rose at 4 am to see, we have a devilish quiz put together by Jeff Wallach to keep you alert.

thistly crossA video segment with Anne Cain, Master Instructor PGA Tour Golf Academy World Golf Village, will show you how to extricate yourself from a down-sloping lie in a bunker.

And for a little adult refreshment to accompany the proceedings, Derek Duncan surveys the world of ciders.

And since there’s still time to win a golf vacation to Myrtle Beach and to play with former LPGA player Meredith Kirk (one of “The Most Beautiful Women in Golf 2015”), we have a link for that, too.

It’s all a click away in the 2015 Open Championship edition of The Grain.

CapeWickham_16_A

The Grain 2015 PGA Championship Edition

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The Grain PGA 2015

The newest edition of The Grain is here to complement your enjoyment of Glory’s Last Shot, with great continuous features like What to Watch For at this year’s PGA Championship and James Mason’s handicapping of the tournament. Spieth for the triple crown? Rory back to form? Can a guy name Woods make the cut? Will Dustin Johnson avoid grounding his club?

In addition, Tom Bedell dives into the history books for a piece about the longest PGA Championship matches ever held, while Tom Harack takes you on a tour of other Midwest stops ripe with golf opportunities. Tony Pioppi contributes a guide to the care and maintenance of links turf which will give you a new appreciation for cow manure.

Is Whistling Straits a links course? Wherever you land on that debate, our Front Nine feature takes you to nine replica courses, tracks that mimic other great golf holes, links or otherwise. But to continue the debate at the 19th hole, Anita Draycott serves up a menu of specialty cocktails created at great golf resorts, including a Championship Martini devised at Whistling Straits in honor of this year’s major.

A video segment with John Stahlschmidt, Master Instructor PGA Tour Golf Academy World Golf Village, will show you how to get up and down from greenside rough with a hinge-and-hold swing.

It’s all ready to tee up at the 2015 PGA Championship Edition of The Grain.

Look for the Championship Martini inside the clubhouse at Whistling Straits.

Look for the Championship Martini inside the clubhouse at Whistling Straits.

The Grain Looks at The Future of Golf

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Future of Golf Jan 2016

 

Whither golf? Precisely the question we answer in a number of ways in the season-opening issue of The Grain, The Future of Golf. Don’t worry about undue hand-wringing; this is mostly for fun. So David Barrett first takes a look at the pro game, and how the future seems to belong to the youngsters at the moment. Tom Bedell discovers a host of new ways golf courses are being approached–on everything short of hoverboards–and utilized, with the increasing popularity of FootGolf and a new wrinkle called FlingGolf.

Teeing off (hurling off?) in FlingGolf

Teeing off (hurling off?) in FlingGolf

John Torsiello suggests that the enormously popular TopGolf phenomenon may well solve every problem golf ever had. David DeSmith counters that golf may not really have any problems, and that it’s all semantics. Hal Phillips wonders where golf architecture will go after retro. And what would the future be without a robot or two run amok? David Gould, the new editor of The Grain, spins a dystopian tale that includes most of the world’s great coastal courses underwater.

In the midst of all this fine writing about the future, we return to the here and now in our video feature, where John Stahlschmidt will teach you how to hit your irons solidly faster than you can recite his title–PGA Tour Academy World Golf Village Master Instructor-Director of Operations!

Head to the future in the present issue of The Grain.

The Grain 2016 Masters Edition

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The 2016 Masters Edition of The Grain is up and running on an Interweb near you!

2016 Masters Cover

This year’s edition includes “Ways of Winning at Augusta” by David Barrett, author of Making the Masters (just reissued in paperback), a piece on the best strategies for getting around the fabled course.

Hal Phillips offers a more tongue-in-cheek approach, putting an Everyman golf fan on the couch to ponder our complicated psychological emotions regarding one Eldrick ‘Tiger’ Woods. While Terry Moore takes a close-up look at Jordan Spieth’s game, via an interview with the defending champion’s coach, Cameron McCormick.

As the 2015 winner, it was up to Spieth to come up with this year’s Champions Dinner menu, and none-too-surprisingly he came up with Texas barbecue. As Tom Bedell points out in a piece that picks over barbecue or barbeque tidbits–“Smokin'”–there was a Masters precedent for this.

vinegar ketchup

Most of us have a snowball’s chance in hell of ever playing the course, but in “Searching for Augusta” Derek Duncan has come up with alternative courses that at least give some flavor of what the exalted experience might be like.

The 13th hole at the Dancing Rabbit Azaleas Course, Mississippi

The 13th hole at the Dancing Rabbit Azaleas Course, Mississippi

We have segments on hard goods, soft goods, and travel package goods, as well as another video lesson from Anne Cain, Master Instructor at the PGA Tour Golf Academy World Golf Village. This time Anne shows how to avoid the chunky bunker shot.

So by delving into the 2016 Masters Editor of The Grain you’ll be well-tutored, shod and traveled, and ready for all the action at Augusta.





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