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UST Mamiya Proforce V2 Shaft Used by Winner of Price Cutter Charity Championship

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UST Mamiya Proforce V2 Shaft Used by Winner of Price Cutter Charity Championship
Win Caps Excellent Week as Company Claims No.1 Position in Wood and Driver Shaft Manufacturer Counts According to Darrell Survey

(FORT WORTH, TX) – UST Mamiya – maker of the world’s finest carbon fiber golf shafts – reports it captured the wood and driver shaft manufacturer counts at the Nationwide Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship with 80 products in play
during the week, including a Proforce V2 used by the winner in his 3-wood (86 gram, x-flex).

Over the last four events, UST Mamiya placed first or second in both wood and driver shaft counts. New product introductions have catapulted an impressive progression from a fifth-place standing in wood shafts and fourth in driver shafts at the season-opening Panama Claro Championship.

“Players on the Nationwide Tour and all major Tours worldwide increasingly rely on our products and are putting into play the shaft that matches their particular swing DNA,” says Robb Schikner, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of UST Mamiya. “Our cross-section of options suits the needs of all skill levels and the revolutionary new shafts Tour players are using will soon be made available for recreational golfers.”
Continuing the trend of strong showings for UST Mamiya users, the winner carded four rounds in the 60s at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield, MO, to capture his first Nationwide victory. The win adds to the company’s list of titles this season, which include six on the PGA Tour.

“Pat Dempsey, our Nationwide Tour representative, has excelled in educating players on how our shafts will enhance their performance with clear benefits,” adds Schikner.
Likened to the precision of Lexus automobiles, all UST Mamiya carbon-fiber shafts are made using handcrafted, repeatable production techniques that incorporate world-class engineering and premium-selected raw materials. Tight tolerances, constant taper design and low-resin content combine to enhance feel during the golf swing. UST Mamiya shafts have remained the top-selling aftermarket option in the United States the past four years.

The company produces a variety of shaft models, including the renowned ATTAS and Proforce lines, which have received significant usage on major professional tours internationally. 
Knowing that every golfer who installs a new shaft will also need a grip, UST Mamiya offers a line of premium offerings, with groundbreaking new models being introduced in 2011. They include the Pro DV, Comp DV and ST1 putter grips.

About UST Mamiya

Since 1991, UST Mamiya graphite shafts are favored by recreational and competitive golfers worldwide. In 2009, UST (U.S.) and its parent company, Mamiya-OP (Japan), combined operations, including research, development, production and materials-sourcing talents.  Distributed in 30-plus countries, UST Mamiya provides shafts to consumers, retailers, club-fitters and original equipment manufacturers Adams, Bridgestone, Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, Mizuno, Nike, PING, Taylor Made, Titleist, Wilson and more. Company R&D and manufacturing facilities are in the U.S., Japan, China and Bangladesh. UST Mamiya advisory staff includes renowned instructors among GOLF Magazine’s “Top 100” and at Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses.”

For more information:  http://www.ustmamiya.com, 817.267.2219.
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Golfplan design shapes grand scope of Beijing Secret Garden

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hal Phillips
Mandarin Media
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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+1 617.849.8503

Golfplan design shapes grand
scope of Beijing Secret Garden

SITAIZUI, China — The course architects at Golfplan will lead an international who’s who of development consultants in the planning, design and construction of Beijing Secret Garden, a four-season US$1 billion resort project 230 km northwest of the Chinese capital that will ultimately include world-class ski facilities, a Whistler-style real estate/commercial community, and seven golf courses.

Founded in 1993, Malaysian developer VXL Group brings a wealth of experience to the Secret Garden, mainly in the form of real estate, resort and casinos projects it has spearheaded all over East and Southeast Asia. Indeed, Golfplan (http://www.golfplan.com) designed the publicly traded firm’s first golf project, 20 years ago — the Awana Genting Highlands G&CC, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, is one of 150 courses the Golfplan has designed in 50 different countries around the world.

Golfplan’s internationalist outlook is matched by its colleagues on the Beijing Secret Garden project. VXL Group has retained vertical architects Hornberger Worstel, the firm responsible for the new W Hotel San Francisco and The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe, alongside Ecosign, the mountain resort planners who crafted Steamboat Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado, Hanazono Resort in Hokkaido, Japan, and Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada. Sasaulito, California-based SWA is responsible for the massive project’s sweeping landscape plan.

“There are big plans for this property, obviously, and we’re eager to get the golf portion of those plans underway,” said Golfplan partner Kevin Ramsey, who anticipates breaking ground on the first course early in 2012. “This year, the concentration has been placed on resort infrastructure. Golf will follow quickly, but the scale of the project necessitates proper roads, reservoirs and electrical capabilities first.

“The Whistler model is instructive. VXL Group has retained the ski architects who worked at Whistler. The golf and ski capabilities, in addition to the real estate and commercial developments there are clearly a model. Let’s remember Whistler played a big role in staging Vancouver’s Winter Olympics in 2010. Beijing Secret Garden has been designed to attract ‘world class winter sports events’. It doesn’t take a whole lot of imagination to see the ultimate goal here.”

Massive infrastructure requisites are quickly falling into place. The Chongli region, home to Beijing Secret Garden, is 50 kilometers east of Zhangjiakou City, which was recently linked by the ZhangCheng Expressway. The Zhangjiakou Airport opened to commercial air travel this year, and completion of the Beijing-Urumqi High Speed Rail, in 2012, will further ease access — Zhangjiakou will be the first stop on this line.

The focus of Beijing Secret Garden development is a valley that cuts through a dramatic landscape of mountains and broad grasslands. The Golfplan-designed course, the first of seven, will occupy either side of the main entry road, meaning it will be the first thing visitors see upon arrival.

The routing will “rock and roll through these big hills — it will make a statement visually, as our work always does,” Ramsey said. “This a ski area, but this will not be a Korean mountain course. The land is not so severe and there are no trees out there to speak of, just a few pockets of pine and birch. We’ll tie golf holes into those groves where we can, and an ambitious tree planting-scheme is planned.

“There will be at least three holes playing in and around elaborate water features, complete with waterfalls. But for me, the site here is the most spectacular feature. These hills are very broad. The air is so clear up here, such a distance away from Beijing. We have par-3s that play 60-70 feet downhill, and the views are very long. The setting is quite heroic, but also very peaceful.”

Golfplan is among the most prolific and respected course design firms in world golf, and it has played an integral role in China’s development as a golfing nation. The firm currently has 153 holes under construction on five different sites across the country.

The Beijing Secret Garden project, where Golfplan is slated to design all seven golf courses, was surely procured on the strength of its recent work in China — Qiandaohu Country Club in Zhejiang Province, for example, was named the country’s top new course by China Golf magazine in 2009, while the spectacular Weihai Point Golf Resort, opened in 2010, in Shandong Province, has garnered numerous international course design awards.

However, Golfplan was among the first western golf entities to commit itself to golf in China. It has been working here since 1984, designing courses like Grand Dynasty in Beijing and Orient Xiamen. Having introduced golf to so many new markets —to Indonesia in the 1970s, to China, Malaysia and Korea in the 1980s, to the former Eastern Bloc in Europe in the ‘90s, to Vietnam early in this century, and to India over the past three years — Golfplan partners understand how long market maturation truly takes.

“Beijing Secret Garden is an nuanced example of how far the Chinese market has come in the last 25 years,” said Golfplan partner David Dale, who will collaborate with Ramsey in Sitaizui. “Fact is, the first golf courses built here in China were not built well — golf was so new, it was very difficult to find or import construction expertise. It was equally difficult to match maintenance expertise with newly finished courses. Very few architects are happy with the way those early Chinese courses have fared over time, in terms of construction and maintenance. It’s a sign of how immature the Chinese market was at that time.

“We’re in a different place now, and it’s exhilarating to see the investment Golfplan made in this market, in so many people here, paying off. What we’re doing in India today — getting results from training our own construction and maintenance people, on the ground, as we design and build the golf course — is exactly what we did in China during the late 1980s and early ‘90s. That investment of time and expertise in Chinese course-building professionals is paying off today, not just at Golfplan projects but at course development projects across the country.”

—30—

[For more information on this and other projects from Golfplan call +1.207.526.7190, or visit ]http://www.golfplan.com]

About Golfplan
Partners David Dale and Kevin Ramsey are based out of Golfplan’s U.S. headquarters in Santa Rosa, Calif., while the famously globetrotting Ron Fream, the firm’s founder, now operates a satellite office from his home in Johor Bahru, just over the border from Singapore in Malaysia.

Since its founding in 1972, Golfplan has built some of the world’s most celebrated courses, in some of golf’s most exotic locations: Pezula, on South African cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean; Bali Handara, New Kuta and Jagorawi, in the tropical jungles of Indonesia; Shore Gate, in the storied sand barrens just a few miles from Pine Valley and the boardwalks of Atlantic City, New Jersey, in the United States; the 27 holes at Disneyland Paris; the mountainous Bonari Kogen GC, Japan’s top-rated resort course and recently rated no. 4 in the country; Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, South Korea, opened in 2009 on cliff tops that form the eastern edge of the Yellow Sea; and The Club at Nine Bridges in Korea — host to the Samsung World Championship and World Club Championship, firmly ensconced on the world Top 100 lists at both Golf Digest and GOLF Magazine, and recently named by GOLF as one of the top 50 courses to be designed in the last 50 years (#20).

 

PGA GRAND SLAM GETAWAY BRINGS GOLF TRAVELERS UP CLOSE TO MAJOR CHAMPIONS

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     Contact:    Michele Kruchkowski Cooper
August 16, 2011                                                       732-469-5700            
                            .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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PGA GRAND SLAM GETAWAY BRINGS GOLF TRAVELERS UP CLOSE
TO MAJOR CHAMPIONS
Golf Excursion to Beautiful Island of Bermuda Brings Golfers Up Close with 2011 PGA Championship Winner Keegan Bradley, Open Championship Winner Darren Clarke, U.S. Open Champion Rory McIlroy & Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel at 2011 PGA Grand Slam of Golf

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.—It’s a golf getaway like no other, as it offers the chance to see golf’s four major winners (The Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship & PGA Championship) up close in a competition to determine the 2011 PGA Grand Slam of Golf champion.  The PGA of America recently introduced the PGA Grand Slam Getaway, an excursion for golf travelers to the beautiful island of Bermuda to play multiple rounds of golf while watching a season-ending showcase event that boasts the most difficult requirement in the game – a Major Championship.

The 29th PGA Grand Slam of Golf, which takes place at the Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda, October 18-19, will be headlined this year by 2011 PGA Championship Winner Keegan Bradley, 2011 Open Championship Winner Darren Clarke, 2011 U.S. Open Champion Rory McIlroy and 2011 Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel.

As part of the excitement surrounding the PGA Grand Slam of Golf and the island of Bermuda, which boasts seven spectacular golf courses, The PGA of America has created 3-, 4- and 5-night PGA Grand Slam Getaway golf packages that include: luxurious accommodations at The Fairmont Southampton; breakfast daily; admission for 3 days to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf event at Port Royal Golf Course; daily transfers to/from the hotel to Port Royal; and championship golf on the acclaimed Fairmont Southampton, Riddell’s Bay or Belmont golf courses.  The package prices, which include tax, range from $615-$1,170 per person, based on double occupancy, length of stay and rounds of golf.  Golfers interested in purchasing the getaway packages from The PGA of America can visit http://www.premiergolf.com or call 1-866-260-4409.

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf features a $1.35 million purse, with the winner receiving $600,000; second place $300,000; third place $250,000 and fourth place $200,000.  TNT’s prime-time broadcast of the event reaches a worldwide audience of 88.9 million U.S. homes and international viewers in more than 100 countries. 

PGA Grand Slam Getaway Brings Golf Travelers to Major Champions

Hosted by the Bermuda Department of Tourism, Port Royal Golf Course, and the Fairmont Southampton Hotel, The PGA Grand Slam of Golf was established in 1979 and has grown from an 18-hole, single-day charity event to a 36-hole annual showdown that matches professional golf’s best against each other.  Ernie Els captured the 2010 PGA Grand Slam of Golf title at Port Royal.

The PGA of America

Celebrating its 95th year, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission of its founders: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.  By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in a multi-billion dollar golf industry.  By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public’s interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere.  The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.
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The Lakes at Castle Hills Chosen as New Site for World Headquarters of Hank Haney Golf Schools

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Aug 16, 2011 09:43 ET

The Lakes at Castle Hills Chosen as New Site for World Headquarters of Hank Haney Golf Schools

World-Renowned Golf Academy and Staff Added to Castle Hills Golf Club as Part of Complete Course and Clubhouse Renovation by New Owner

LEWISVILLE, Texas, Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/—Renowned golf instructor Hank Haney has chosen The Lakes at Castle Hills as home and headquarters for the Hank Haney Golf Schools and the site of a new Hank Haney Golf Academy. The Lakes at Castle Hills is located at 699 Lady of the Lake Blvd., in the Lewisville master-planned community of Castle Hills. The course (formerly The Golf Club at Castle Hills) has been renamed as part of the new ownership by Bright Realty.

Hank Haney is considered a world leader in golf instruction. Haney has taught over 50,000 golf lessons in his career, his students have won every major championship, he has worked with hundreds of top-ranked pros and is most known for the six years he spent coaching Tiger Woods and the 25 years he spent coaching Masters and British Open champion Mark O’Meara.

“With the great support of Bright Realty in creating a truly world class golf facility, coupled with the latest golf teaching technologies, we have a chance to make learning golf a great experience here at The Lakes at Castle Hills,” says Haney. “We are proud to include The Lakes at Castle Hills Academy as one of our premier teaching and training centers in Texas,” adds Haney.

“It is an honor to have been chosen as the site for Haney’s internationally recognized Golf Academy and its Golf School world headquarters,” said Chris Bright, Bright Realty CEO. “The world class golf services offered by Haney’s associates will complement The Lakes at Castle Hills, a 7,152-yard championship course and club which is currently undergoing a complete upgrade and renovation with plans to re-open in September.”

The Hank Haney Golf Academy at The Lakes at Castle Hills will feature Haney’s elite instruction and his award-winning staff, as well as an outstanding practice facility:

Instruction

Hank Haney Golf instruction is considered the finest in the world, based on the practical, experience and formal technical training of swing plane mechanics taught through the Hank Haney Certified method. Hank Haney Golf teaching methodologies at The Lakes at Castle Hills include a variety of personal and group lesson options, specialty seminars and workshops. The Academy features advanced state-of-the-art teaching and training technology including indoor swing lab offering Online Skills Coach video and motion analysis, Cool Clubs custom club fitting center and innovative studio devoted to the intricacies of putting.

Staff

The award-winning teaching staff at the Academy includes six full-time instructors led by Director of Instruction Peter Krause. Krause is a PGA National Teacher of the Year and a GOLF magazine Top 100 Teacher in America. He was awarded the Minnesota PGA Teacher of the Year six times and named Spalding Top-Flite National Teacher of the Year.

Facility

The Hank Haney Golf Academy at The Lakes at Castle Hills currently exceeds the standards of most golf practice facilities in Texas with enormous grass tees at either end of its 510-yard range and three full-length practice holes (a par-3, par-4 and par-5).

“Our partnership with Hank Haney speaks to Bright Realty’s commitment to the significant improvements underway at The Lakes at Castle Hills and the Academy,” says Bright. “Castle Hills is the fastest-growing community in the DFW area and has always offered outstanding amenities. The addition of The Hank Haney Golf Academy at The Lakes at Castle Hills is yet another unmatched amenity we offer the community,” adds Bright.

About Hank Haney Golf: Owner and founder Hank Haney believes that golf is a game for everyone. Hank has made it his goal to make golf fun and easy for everyone. As a leader in junior, amateur, and professional golf instruction, Hank Haney Golf focuses on individual performance, tour proven development plans based on the practical experience and swing plane mechanics taught through the Hank Haney Certified method. Hank Haney Golf provides golfers of all levels private, group and online golf instruction, personalized training plans, resources and tools necessary for game improvement. Hank Haney is also committed to mentoring pro’s to become better teachers, communicators and players through his international Teach the Teacher Seminar and advanced teacher certification program, Hank Haney PRO . http://www.HankHaney.com

About The Lakes at Castle Hills: The Lakes at Castle Hills is a full-service country club featuring the world headquarters of Hank Haney Golf Schools and a Jay Morrish-designed 18-hole championship course. The newly updated 7,152-yard course has undergone a complete renovation with greens reverted to their original design, reconfigured fairways with the addition of several lakes, fountains, premium grass and premium bunker sand. Future planned improvements include a redesigned club house with resort-style swimming, fitness, outdoor dining amenities and more. The Lakes at Castle Hills offers a wide range of event packages, casual and formal dining, and a full-service pro shop. The club is open for daily fee rounds until it becomes a fully private country club; a variety of membership options is currently available. For more information, visit http://www.thelakesatcastlehills.com .

About Castle Hills: Castle Hills is a 2,500 acre mixed-use golf course community. Located west of the Dallas North Tollway and Park Blvd., with easy access to Hwy. 121, Castle Hills has beautiful homes priced from $200s to more than $3 million, exemplary-rated schools, resort-like amenities including golf, amenity centers, swimming pools, lakes, parks, a hike-and-bike trail, custom homes in the gated Enchanted Hill neighborhood and the Castle Hills Village Shops for dining, shopping and monthly community events.  http://www.CastleHills.com .

SOURCE Bright Realty

CONTACT: Jamie Hawkes, +1-214-368-0909, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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, for Bright Realty
Web Site: http://www.CastleHills.com

Greektown Casino-Hotel Hosts Golf Outing for Detroit Youth Charities

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Aug 16, 2011 09:41 ET

Greektown Casino-Hotel Hosts Golf Outing for Detroit Youth Charities

DETROIT, Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/—Greektown Casino-Hotel today announced that it will host a charity golf outing to benefit local nonprofits that instill leadership skills in Detroit area youth. The event will tee off on Monday, August 29 at Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield. 

All proceeds will be distributed equally among three local youth charities: Think Detroit PAL, Boys Hope Girls Hope and the Coleman A. Young Foundation.

“We are delighted to host this fun-filled event that brings together local companies and individuals for the important cause that is our city’s youth. Through this event we hope to make an impact for these organizations which are so committed every day to the future of our children,” said Michael Puggi, President & CEO, Greektown Casino-Hotel.

In addition to the golf, guests can participate in numerous contests, such as longest drive and closest to the pin. Two hole-in-one prizes, a Harley Davidson provided by Motor City Harley and a Rolex watch from HOUR Detroit , will also be up for grabs. The event will culminate with an awards dinner and live auction featuring an array of donated items.

Greektown Casino-Hotel plans to make the golf outing an annual event. Sponsorship and foursome spots are still available.. For more information regarding sponsorship or to reserve a spot, contact: Lloryn Love at 313.223.2999 x5455 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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.

About Greektown Casino-Hotel

Located in the heart of Detroit’s Greektown Dining and Entertainment District, Greektown Casino-Hotel opened on Nov. 10, 2000. Greektown Casino-Hotel offers such amenities as the International Buffet, Eclipz Lounge, Shotz Sports Bar & Grill, Bistro 555 and a VIP lounge for players. Greektown Casino-Hotel opened its 400-room hotel tower in February 2009 and recently became the first Michigan casino to debut a smartphone application. For more information, visit greektowncasino.com.

About Think Detroit PAL

Think Detroit PAL was formed in 2006 with the merger of Think Detroit Inc. and the Detroit Police Athletic League. In partnership with the Detroit Police Department and community volunteers, Think Detroit PAL builds character in young people through athletic, academic and leadership development programs.  In 2010, Think Detroit PAL served over 10,000 girls and boys through a combined 24 sports and academic programs, making it one of the largest youth organizations in the state of Michigan. More than 80 cents of each dollar donated to Think Detroit PAL goes directly into programming.

For more information, to volunteer or to make a donation, please contact Think Detroit PAL at 313.833.1600 or on the web at http://www.thinkdetroitpal.org .

About Boys Hope Girls Hope

By providing children with arms-around care, safe homes and environments, a first-class education, opportunities to learn more about themselves and the world and academic, financial and spiritual support through college, Boys Hope Girls Hope empowers children to realize the potential that is within them.

The organization sets high standards and gives scholars everything they will need to meet those standards.

Boys Hope Girls Hope empowers them to overcome the obstacles-neighborhoods shattered by crime and poverty, families broken by economic hardship, death, and divorce; overcrowded and underperforming schools-that threaten their potential, their futures, and their families’ futures.

About the Coleman A. Young Foundation (CAYF)

Since 1986, the Foundation has awarded more than $4 million to more than 400 students.

The mission of CAYF is to develop leadership among youth through college scholarships, mentoring and other support for personal growth and development.

SOURCE Greektown Casino-Hotel

CONTACT: Lloryn Love, Greektown Casino-Hotel, +1-313-223-2999 x5455, +1-313-477-6617 (cell); Heidi Hedquist, Duffey Petrosky, +1-248-489-8303, +1-248-872-1022 (cell)
Web Site: http://www.greektowncasino.com

Lunde Leads Kodak Challenge to Hole #15 at the Wyndham Championship

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Media Contacts: 
Steven J. Powell, Kodak, +1 585-781-5666 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Chuck Beeler, Eric Mower and Associates, +1 315-374-4759 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Lunde Leads Kodak Challenge to Hole #15 at the Wyndham Championship

Favorable Par 5 Provides Critical Scoring Opportunity for Kodak Challenge Contenders

ROCHESTER, N.Y., August 16, 2011—With just six holes remaining in the chase for the Kodak Challenge $1 million prize, Bill Lunde heads a strong field of contenders to one of the best scoring holes of the Kodak season, the par 5 15th hole at Sedgerfield Country Club during the Wyndham Championship on August 18-21.  The Wyndham Championship is the 25th of 30 tournaments to participate in the 2011 Kodak Challenge competition.

The Kodak Challenge celebrates the beautiful holes and memorable moments in golf. Golfers must play at least 18 of 30 Kodak Challenge holes throughout the season to qualify. The pro with the best Kodak Challenge score relative to par at the end of the season will win the Kodak Challenge trophy and $1 million.

17 of the top 25 Kodak Challenge contenders, including leader Bill Lunde (-15), are in the field this week at the Wyndham Championship. Lunde comes to Greensboro having led the Kodak competition for 16 consecutive tournaments dating back to the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 25.

Eight players within four strokes the lead, headed by Cameron Tringale (-13), will be looking to close the gap on Lunde this week on the forgiving 547-yard par 5 No. 15.  In 2010, this week’s Kodak hole was the second easiest at Sedgerfield Country Club, yielding 25 eagles and 243 birdies.  No. 15 is the second-to-last par 5 on the 2011 Kodak Challenge schedule.

Kodak Challenge Leaderboard (as of 8/16)

Name Holes Played Score
Bill Lunde 18 -15
Cameron Tringale 18 -13
Charley Hoffman* 16 -13
Blake Adams 20 -12
Spencer Levin 18 -12
Jarrod Lyle 18 -12
Kris Blanks 20 -11
Brendon de Jonge 19 -11
Josh Teater 19 -11
*Denotes player not in field

-more-
Kodak Challenge @ Wyndham
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About the par 5, 547-yard #15 at the Wyndham Championship
The downhill tee shot must avoid a small creek on the left and a large fairway bunker on the right. Going for the green in two will require a long carry over water and deep greenside bunkering to a severe back to front sloping green.  In 2010, No. 15 was the second easiest hole on the course, yielding 25 eagles.

Kodak’s marketing partnership with the TOUR includes the designation as Official Imaging Provider of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour, including cameras, printers and scanners. For more on the Kodak Challenge visit pgatour.com/kodakchallenge. Fans can also follow the Kodak Challenge at facebook.com/kodakchallenge, twitter.com/kodakchallenge, and 1000words.kodak.com/kodakchallenge.

About Kodak

As the world’s foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers, businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of pictures and printing to enrich their lives.

To learn more, visit http://www.kodak.com and follow our blogs and more at http://www.kodak.com/go/followus.

More than 75 million people worldwide manage, share and create photo gifts online at KODAK Gallery – join today at http://www.kodakgallery.com.

About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour.
The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players. In 2011, the three Tours collectively have tournaments in 29 states and in 12 countries and territories outside of the United States. PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to nearly 600 million households in 225 countries and territories in 30 languages.
Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2010, tournaments on the three Tours generated more than $120 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR’s all-time total of charitable contributions to more than $1.6 billion. The PGA TOUR’s web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

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Keegan Bradley Earns Final Berth In PGA Grand Slam of Golf

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PGA CHAMPION KEEGAN BRADLEY COMPLETES UNFORGETTABLE
RALLY TO EARN FINAL BERTH IN THE 29th PGA GRAND SLAM OF GOLF

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – PGA Champion Keegan Bradley, who turned around disaster with one of the most unforgettable rallies in major championship history Aug. 14, at Atlanta Athletic Club, has become the fourth and final major champion to earn a berth in the 29th PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

Bradley, 25, the third player to win one of golf’s four major championships in his first appearance, will be joined by Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, U.S. Open Champion Rory McIlroy and Open Champion Darren Clarke, Oct. 18-19, at Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda.

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf, the season-ending showcase event that boasts the most difficult qualification requirement in the game – a major championship – will be televised by TNT to a worldwide audience.
Bradley recovered from a triple bogey-6 on the par-3 15th hole, adding two birdies in the next two holes for a 2-under-par 68 and a 72-hole total of 8-under-par 272. From there, he dueled with Jason Dufner in a three-hole aggregate playoff, using a birdie on the 16th hole to capture the Wanamaker Trophy by one stroke.

Port Royal Golf Course joins the Fairmont Southampton as the official hotel site for the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda. The 6,842-yard, par-71 Port Royal is a public course that opened for play in 1970.
The PGA Grand Slam of Golf features a $1.35 million purse, with the winner receiving $600,000, second place $300,000, third place $250,000 and fourth place $200,000.

TNT’s prime-time broadcast of the event reaches a worldwide audience of 88.9 million U.S. homes and international viewers in more than 100 countries.

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf is hosted by the Bermuda Department of Tourism, Port Royal Golf Course, and the Fairmont Southampton Hotel.

Established in 1979, the PGA Grand Slam of Golf has grown from an 18-hole, single-day charity event to a 36-hole annual showdown that matches professional golf’s best against each other. Ernie Els captured the 2010 PGA Grand Slam of Golf title at Port Royal.

 

The PGA of America
Celebrating its 95th year, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission of its founders: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.
By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in a multi-billion dollar golf industry.
By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public’s interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.

 

TOP UAE STARS EYE MENA GOLF TOUR GLORY

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TOP UAE STARS EYE MENA GOLF TOUR GLORY

DUBAI, Aug 14 – Leading golfers in the UAE believe the exposure in the MENA Golf Tour will provide the spark they need to light up their careers on the international stage.
Daniel Hendry, Michael Harradine, Miki Mirza, Philipp Urasch, Khalid Yousuf and Ahmed Al Musharrekh, who all play off scratch of better handicaps, are among some of the well-known names who have signed up for the inaugural edition of the Tour that features four back-to-back tournaments, all to be played in the UAE from next month.

“Local knowledge” could come in handy when they test their skills against seasoned professionals and amateurs from different parts of the world in what promises to be keenly-contested events.

But having played most of their golf socially, they know that competing on a proper Tour from the Championship tees would be a difference ball game and hence they need to be on top of their game.
“There is a huge sense of anticipation ahead of the Tour as it will give us a good opportunity to test our skills against the professionals on a more competitive level,” said Mirza, winner of the Emirates Golf Federation’s order of merit title.

“The Tour will provide a big boost for golf in the region and the standard of the game will improve rapidly,” added Al Musharrekh, at representing the UAE in the Nomura Cup. “Most of us have played the game socially in the UAE, but lacked a competitive environment to hone our skills. The Tour aims to create just those much-needed windows of playing opportunities.”
Talented Harradine, who won the Shaikh Rashid Trophy last year, and Hendry, the current junior Order of Merit winner, are also relishing the prospects of competing against a strong field which will also include seasoned professionals like Ross Bain and Yasin Ali.

“Obviously, the Tour our will help in bringing some new people into the game and amateur golf will be much higher as they will be playing against professionals on a proper Tour,” said Harradine, whose father Peter is a well-known golf course architect based in Dubai.

“It’s nice to see the MENA Golf Tour creating a bit of excitement among UAE players. The Tour events will also serve as a reality check for these youngsters. They will know where they stand after the Tour and will have the desired motivation to work hard,” said Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour. “And the good thing is that they are mentally prepared for the challenges ahead.”
Meanwhile, entries are pouring in thick and fast for the Tour events which are open to both professionals and amateurs from any part of the world.
The starting field for each event will comprise 100 players, including invited MENA members and host countries.

Of the 100 golfers, 60 per cent will be Professionals and the rest Amateurs. In the event of a tournament being oversubscribed, which seems likely to be the case, the first 90 (50 professionals and 40 amateurs) entries will automatically be accepted and the balance will compete in a pre-tournament qualifying event for the remaining 10 places (five professionals and five amateurs).

The first event will be held at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club from September 25 to 28 while the second and third event will be played from October 2 to 5 and October 9 to 12 at the Tower Links Golf in Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai’s Al Badia Golf Club respectively before the tour reaches its climax with the ‘Tour Championship’ to be held at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf from October 16 to 19.

The top three professionals and the leading amateur from the Order of Merit will receive special invitations to compete in the 2012 Omega Dubai Desert Classic and, possibly, other European Tour events in the region.
Interested players may visit the tour website – http://www.menagolftour.com – for more details and registration.

Radical Golf Carts Celebrates August as U.S. National Golf Month

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If you haven’t gone golfing yet this year, don’t miss out on another opportunity because this month is U.S. National Golf Month. If you haven’t had the time or you just haven’t hit the links as much as you would’ve liked, you have no excuse not to head out to the golf course for at least a quick round.

National Golf Month started as National Golf Day back in 1952 and was later extended through August beginning in 1993. In 1994, it expanded into an industry-wide campaign designed to draw attention to family participation in golf throughout August.

It’s not certain why August is the chosen month to ordain as U.S. National Golf Month, many believe that it’s one of the best times of the year to tee off because the temperatures are near perfect, at least in most places of the world.

While U.S. National Golf Month is not recognized worldwide, it is celebrated by many, which results in great deals for golfers everywhere. Plenty of golf courses take part in the observance by providing discounts and you can often find sporting goods retailers also offering discounts on golf clothing and accessories.

Radical Golf Carts hopes you tune up your golf cart, head out to the greens and take part in observance of U.S. National Golf Month with your friends and family. It’s the perfect excuse to get some more playing time in!

Radical Golf Carts, owned and operated by Scott Jezowski and Eric Shark, is a golf cart parts and accessories company based in Linwood, Michigan. They sell parts in their store and nationally online via their website at RadicalGolfCarts.com.

Scott Jezowski
Radical Golf Carts
(989) 697-3085

Bergman Group Details How to Negotiate a Professional Golfer Sponsorship that Works

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Bergman Group Details How to Negotiate a Professional Golfer Sponsorship that Works

Free Whitepaper Details How to Best Leverage Assets at http://www.bergmangroup.com (under Featured Work, Golf Sponsorships)

RICHMOND, Va.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Many companies are interested in reaching their clients through sports sponsorships but aren’t quite sure where to start. It goes without saying that few companies can afford Super Bowl sponsorships, naming rights or luxury hospitality boxes at major tournaments and sports arenas. Only a handful can arrange for Tiger Woods or LeBron James to meet their customers and not many have the budget to sponsor such superstars to wear their clothing or endorse their products. However, viable promotional options are available for clients who do have a restricted budget and the services of an appropriate PGA Tour golfer are not only possible but can also be remarkably cost-effective.

“When an inexperienced company attempts to negotiate sports sponsorships without proper representation, the economic impact can be huge. They could leave millions sitting on the table and never even know it”
“There are multiple benefits to a PGA Tour golfer sponsorship and the most obvious is probably media exposure. Every week for almost the entire year, PGA Tour events are televised nationally and internationally. Were a company to attempt to advertise through traditional paid media channels for all those events, the cost would exponentially exceed the cost of the sponsorship itself,” says Annalee Morris, account manager and sports marketing consultant for the Bergman Group. In addition, Morris explains additional advantages of a golf sponsorship.

Second, a sponsor gets the rights to use their golfer’s likeness in any advertising and marketing materials. This provides new creative avenues to market your brand, product or service.

Third, a PGA Tour golfer sponsorship offers a wide range of event-based marketing opportunities. The Tour moves into a new market every week, which is ideal for having your sponsored golfer appear and promote your company at full-day golf outings with clients and prospects. This type of event can also be used as a promotional contest among internal staff or as a lead-generation tool to the greater public. Many companies see a large increase in employee morale when the employees have a professional athlete to represent the place where they work.

However, when identifying whether a PGA Tour golfer sponsorship is right for a company and exactly how the deal should be structured many companies are in unknown territory and find themselves lacking in the experience needed to build a good program. “When an inexperienced company attempts to negotiate sports sponsorships without proper representation, the economic impact can be huge. They could leave millions sitting on the table and never even know it,” says Andrew Smith, account director at the Bergman Group, an agency that represents business-to-business organizations in sports sponsorships. “That’s why companies need to have an experienced agency that can work on their behalf, to figure out what the right deal is for them and help them to identify and leverage the opportunities that might not be immediately obvious. Finally experienced agents can assist the client to coordinate and implement an internal and external communication plan.”

When embarking on a PGA Tour golfer sponsorship it is important to get the help of an agency who can act as an advocate on your behalf. They should be able to look at the sponsorship from a high level in terms of marketing objectives, financial constraints and legal requirements, and should operate with a company’s broader communication’s objectives in mind. They need to understand how the dollars can be leveraged in order to achieve impact, marketing, sales, advertising, brand exposure or a combination of all of those things.

The key to success is to identify the underlying objectives of any sponsorship deal and consider the best manner of reaching your target audience. Sponsoring a golfer is a great opportunity to increase sales and to communicate a brand image to a national audience, and it is especially effective for business-to-business entities and professional service providers. The nature of a sponsorship deal entails that it can fulfill several purposes, including marketing, advertising, business development and sales, and it allows companies to simultaneously explore several promotional avenues while maintaining an efficient budget.

Golf sponsorships can really work. Third-party research suggests that utilizing the image of a famous golfer helps companies to build a recognizable brand image that people can identify with. As such, the value of air time and media time for the player pays for itself 10 to 1. The companies that Bergman has represented, for example, have seen a measurable increase in sales numbers, a spike in company morale, advertising results that have really translated to the bottom line and have even seen new business acquisition and development as a result of the sponsorship of players at major events.

The Bergman Group is a full-service marketing and advertising agency that specializes in developing successful sports marketing programs that complement a company’s greater strategic and growth plans; from assessing audience alignment and negotiation of contracts to launching a comprehensive communications programs to support the sponsorship through integrated advertising, marketing and sales support including print and electronic advertisements, videos, collateral, social media promotions and websites. The Bergman Group also handles all aspects of both corporate and charitable event planning and management featuring PGA Tour golfers at the local, regional and national levels. To learn more about the Bergman Group visit http://www.bergmangroup.com.

Contacts

Bergman Group
Melissa Watkins, Public Relations, 804-402-5316
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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