Monday, August 29, 2016

The Ryder Cup is coming to Hazeltine National in Minnesota


Things to Know about TheRyder Cup
2016
by Larry Berle


The Ryder Cup will be played at Hazeltine National Golf Club Sept 26- Oct 2, 2016.
Hazeltine has hosted several other major golf tournaments  but  this, by far, seems to have the highest level of interest.

Here is just a taste of what has gone into the preparation of this event.
  1. The course has been lengthened  to  7674 yards.  I will be surprised if anyone ever plays it again at that length,  in fact The Ryder Cup wont be played at that length because I can see that the first tee bleachers have been built in front of the back tee box on #1
  2. It’s August  28 and carts are no longer allowed out on the course.  The only play allowed is walking  and at that they must carry a mat and place their ball on the mat to hit from the fairway  (you can hit it from the rough if you land there)
  3. After Labor day  the golf course will be closed to all play.
  4. Many of the corporate,  media and merchandise tents are already up and in place  (but I have been told there are more to come)  Its huge.   
  5. The course has been rerouted. Please note this does not mean that  holes have been changed, just rerouted for crowd control and viewing purposes.  (for example the front 9 is now 1-4 followed by the old 14-18.and  #9 and#18 have been interchanged. It is undetermined if Hazeltine will go back to the old routing after the Ryder Cup or not. They wanted to be sure that the old number 16 (their signature hole)  would be played in every match  (many matches don't go past #15)
  6. The General Public Parking Lot for the 2016 Ryder Cup is at Canterbury Park located at 1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee,  This is a half hour bus ride from the course.  There will also be no bike riding to the course and no walking either.
  1. There are 28 matches in total in the Ryder Cup, 8 on Friday 8 on Saturday and 12 singles matches on Sunday.   The amount of golf a spectator will be able to see in person seems to me to be severely limited.  I think this will be much better on TV.
  2. If you are going, and if you are a Prince Fan then you may want to know that Paisley Park is 3 or 4 miles from Hazeltine National. at the intersection of Highway #5 and Audubon Road
  3. With the 2016 Ryder Cup, Hazeltine will become one of two courses in the United States to have hosted the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Amateur, and Ryder Cup Matches.

The Ryder Cup is coming to Hazeltine National in Minnesota


Things to Know about TheRyder Cup
2016
by Larry Berle


The Ryder Cup will be played at Hazeltine National Golf Club Sept 26- Oct 2, 2016.
Hazeltine has hosted several other major golf tournaments  but  this, by far, seems to have the highest level of interest.

Here is just a taste of what has gone into the preparation of this event.
  1. The course has been lengthened  to  7674 yards.  I will be surprised if anyone ever plays it again at that length,  in fact The Ryder Cup wont be played at that length because I can see that the first tee bleachers have been built in front of the back tee box on #1
  2. It’s August  28 and carts are no longer allowed out on the course.  The only play allowed is walking  and at that they must carry a mat and place their ball on the mat to hit from the fairway  (you can hit it from the rough if you land there)
  3. After Labor day  the golf course will be closed to all play.
  4. Many of the corporate,  media and merchandise tents are already up and in place  (but I have been told there are more to come)  Its huge.   
  5. The course has been rerouted. Please note this does not mean that  holes have been changed, just rerouted for crowd control and viewing purposes.  (for example the front 9 is now 1-4 followed by the old 14-18.and  #9 and#18 have been interchanged. It is undetermined if Hazeltine will go back to the old routing after the Ryder Cup or not. They wanted to be sure that the old number 16 (their signature hole)  would be played in every match  (many matches don't go past #15)
  6. The General Public Parking Lot for the 2016 Ryder Cup is at Canterbury Park located at 1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee,  This is a half hour bus ride from the course.  There will also be no bike riding to the course and no walking either.
  1. There are 28 matches in total in the Ryder Cup, 8 on Friday 8 on Saturday and 12 singles matches on Sunday.   The amount of golf a spectator will be able to see in person seems to me to be severely limited.  I think this will be much better on TV.
  2. If you are going, and if you are a Prince Fan then you may want to know that Paisley Park is 3 or 4 miles from Hazeltine National. at the intersection of Highway #5 and Audubon Road
  3. With the 2016 Ryder Cup, Hazeltine will become one of two courses in the United States to have hosted the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Amateur, and Ryder Cup Matches.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Grand Lake Colorado

 Grand Lake Colorado  
by Larry Berle

Come for the Winters and stay for the summers
Thats what the people who live here year round say— they came to ski but the summers are why they stayed. 
It would be hard to disagree since there is so much to do here  and the weather is so wonderful during the summer.
Grand Lake Colorado is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Denver and a half hour north of Winter Park.
It is the Gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park and at the Headwaters of the Colorado River  (yep that  powerful Colorado River that cuts through the Grand Canyon)  This river was originally called the Grand River  but the state of Colorado changed its name.  

We are on the Western slope of  the Continental Divide.  What exactly is the  Continental Divide you may ask?  It defines which direction rivers run in the continental U.S..  Rivers on its western slope drain toward the Pacific Ocean and the Eastern slope drains  toward the Atlantic.  Thus the Colorado River heads west and provides a substantial part of the water for Utah, Arizona and California and some of Mexico.

Grand Lake is the largest natural lake in Colorado and sits at 8366 feet above sea level.  Gaze out at the iconic Rocky Mountain Views and  on the golf course hit it farther than you ever hit it before.  
Grand Lake is the Eastern entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park  where there is 415 Square miles of glorious views .  You can even see the  “Never Summer Mountains”  with snow covered peaks 12 months a year and deepen your education with park ranger led nature programs.

Come here and cross Hot air ballooning   off your bucket list with a sunrise flight through a mountain pass.

Just look around you and you will likely  encounter Moose, Soaring Eagles, Elk,  Black Bear,  Big Horn Sheep and if you are lucky maybe all of the above.

Go Fly fishing and  (but see the movie A River Runs Through it before you do)
Go Kayaking or River rafting
Go Horsebackriding
Go Mountain Biking  (we are talking real mountains here)




 Enjoy a sunset dinner at Grand Lake Lodge (  a hotel and  wonderful restaurant overlooking the lake).   My guess is you will love the food as much as you love the view.  visit  www.grandlakelodge.com



All this and golf too— which is the real reason we came here in the first place.  Probably not the first location that comes to mind when planning a golf vacation  but the courses are wonderful and there is so much more to do in addition to golf, that it truly should be on your destination list.  There are 4 golf courses in the area

Grand Elk Golf Course
Craig Stadler and Trip Davis  took some inspiration from Scotlands Glen Eagles in designing this golf course that opened in 2003, and the trouble around this course shows it.  Fairways lined, not with trees, rather with  Gorse and Sage and plenty of  tough rough.  If you don't find those hazards then you can find water in play on over 1/2 of the holes.  Grand Elk is part of a housing development and has now become semi private with over half of the play being public,  It sits in the Valley  and the rolling fairways  are relatively flat, but the surrounding snow capped mountains are always in view.

Greens fees are $85 weekdays and  $95  weekends  includes range balls, cart and very good GPS on the carts



Grand Lakes Golf Course..  
Hit it long on the Rolling Fairways of Grand Lake Golf Course designed by Dick Phelps.  Stroll among  lodge pole pines, aspens  and maybe even be visited by a Moose, Elk Chipmunk or who knows what else.    Stay focused on the golf which could be a challenge  as we are surrounded by snow capped peaks of the Rockies and we are right on the border of Rocky Mountain National Park  (which, by the way you should visit when you are here).  The front 9 is rolling fairways.  The back 9  has so much elevation change that you dare not walk it and  the views will challenge your concentration.  As you line up that putt  remember  “you are here to play golf  not to daydream.




Granby Ranch
Granby Ranch is a few miles down the road and well worth the visit.  The front nine plays down on the valley floor  but the back 9 climbs into the foot hills and this is where the interesting and challenging holes appear. A couple big up hill par 4s to start  but several glorious down hill holes on the way back. Bring your Sky caddie or laser finder because they don't have  GPS on the carts although the sprinkler heads are clearly marked with distances to the center.  Don't get too distracted by looking at  snow capped Mount Baldy which peaks out at 12,500 feet. If that does not get your attention the deep blue sky and never ending sunshine will.



Greens fees $95 and $60 after 2:00

Pole Creek Golf Club-
Pole Creek has 27 holes and today we played the Ranch and the Ridge.  The Ridge 9 is the newest (added in 1999) and climbs to the highest elevation (over 8600 feet) and the views and the holes are so very worth it.  The final hole on the Ridge is a 532 yard par 5 straight down hill.  I am not a long hitter but I was 50 yards short of the green in two.  and I felt like superman. It was designed by Dennis Griffith, whom I have never heard of but  this guy knows how to design a mountain golf course. In fact for 2 years running it has been rated the best public mountain golf course in Colorado by Avid Golfer Magazine
It also was the 1985 – Golf Digest – Best New Public Golf Course  in America




We are staying in the rustic Gateway Inn just down the block—  a beautiful log bldg with rooms all decorated in  Log furniture    www.GatewayInn.com    Just like you would expect in the mountain country of Colorado

One more thing — if rustic luxury is on your bucket list  then be sure to visit  Devils Thumb Ranch Resort and Spa.  We didn't stay there   (I wish we had) the dinner was awesome  and rumor has it that the towels are so fluffy that you probably wont be able to fit them in your suitcase.


What a wonderful place for a family vacation with plenty of golf    and even a great place to get away with the guys for  a few days.

Friday, April 1, 2016

More on Cuba chapter four


The changing landscape of hotels in Cuba
by Larry Berle

The hotel scene in Cuba has a dismal history,but that is about to change.
Both Starwood and Marriott are in negotiations to run, develop  or at least manage several hotels on the island.  Not only that, but booking.com, the hotel reservation service, recently reached an agreement with several Cuban hotels to begin booking with them.  Who knows what else is in the works.

 Cuba had a 25% increase in tourism visitors last year and with new rules making it much easier for Americans to travel to Cuba without organized groups  and  airlines flying scheduled service between Havana and the U.S., The demand is  out stripping the hotel supply in Cuba. and who knows what the demand will be next year.  This has been eased somewhat since airbnb.com was allowed to operate in Cuba and thousands of Cubans  have now opened their  homes to tourists.  I don't know what the financial arrangements are between the Cuban government and those private homes that are now listing on airbnb.com but  its got to be a financial boom for those who participate.  It looks like private enterprise is creeping its way into the Cuban economy.


Ultimately, if you are planning to visit Cuba  make your hotel reservations early. And hope you get a decent place to stay.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

The High Heat Driver

In the past few years my tee shots have gotten shorter and shorter and harder to control.  Then I met Dean Knuth and was introduced to the High Heat Driver.  At least 10 (sometimes more) yards were added and fairways hit increased.
Mr Knuth told me that the center of Gravity has been lowered and is farther back and the sweet spot on the face has been greatly increased.   Now he's onto something, I thought  but  could it be something else thats causing it?  So I loaned it to my friend Tim O'Phelan  and asked him to try it.
Tim confirmed  the thrill I found in this club. He said it  so well that I thought I should just share his post.


High Heat by Tim Ophelan

Each year millions of dollars are spent searching for the next great breakthrough in driver design. The pressure on engineering staffs to find that breakthrough or even a slight tweak has got to be tremendous. Ad campaigns with budgets of equal size are then created to present these new concepts to the millions of golfers looking for the “Holy Grail” in their game. But not all of the great ideas come from large corporations. The television show “Shark Tank” trots out dozens of new products every year – each one coming from an inventive person who views the world a little differently.
For those who haven’t seen “Shark Tank”, entrepreneurs pitch their unique product or service to a panel of very wealthy business people with the hope of “landing” one or more of the “Sharks” as an investor and mentoring partner. The next successful “Shark Tank” participant could easily be Dean Knuth – the inventor of the High Heat driver.
In my opinion Dean would “wow” the panel with his engineering background, five patents and for good measure his knowledge of the golf industry as he spent 16 years with the United State Golf Association. For an added kicker he could bring me onto the set to provide a testimonial of how the club works for this amateur golfer.
I had been using a Mizuno MP-600 for several years which (I think) helped me drop my handicap from 9 to 7. With the Mizuno I also settled into thinking that a 240 yard drive was the best that I could do and I regularly opted to play from 6400 yards or shorter. My scores would exponentially balloon if I tried to play from the longer tees and my ego as well as my handicap suffered.
Enter the High Heat driver – I used it for 45 holes and I am hooked.  For many of those holes I had the opportunity to hit both the Mizuno and High Heat for a true life comparison. And for whatever technical reason, I have developed a draw using the High Heat which resulted in an average of 15 additional yards off the tee. Dean explains it all in engineering speak on his website www.knuthgolf.com, but for me it simply works and it is staying in my bag.

I’m sure the “Sharks” would be impressed with my story as well as my willingness to pay the $399.00 price tag (I’m billing my ego for half of the cost). I’m also sure that the “Sharks” will be outbidding each other for a piece of Dean’s action because he offers a 100% money back guarantee and that is the piece of the marketing puzzle that will get this driver into the hands of all those golfers looking for the “Holy Grail”.
http://www.knuthgolf.com

Sunday, January 3, 2016

The Thing Charger


           

 Travel much?   Are you carrying chargeable electronic devices on the road with you?  Do you ever forget the charging cable in the hotel room when you check out?  or do you find that  your charging cable took the last electrical outlet and you still have one more thing to plug in?

I just spent a week with my new  Thing Charger.   It has   power tips that fit every electronic device you own and you plug it into an outlet and that outlet is still available to plug something else in.

Its wonderful at home too  (I now keep that outlet available) and I always put my cell phone in the same place, no more hunting for it— and  better yet, no messy cables sitting  on the countertops.   If that's not enough, there is no need to remove the case if its in one.

And if I should happen to need a USB port— its got two of those as well.

As a travel writer, who is on the road regularly, this is a fabulous new discovery.  Check it out at  
www.thingcharger.com