Michigan Golfer, May/June 2012

In This Issue

4 Senior PGA PreviewsBy Jack Berry

10 “Mr. Janzen, Rick Will See You Next” – A Personal ExperienceBy Bill Shelton

12 How Sweet It Is – 2nd Island ResortChampionship at Sweetgrass By Susan Bairley

16 Collegiate Spotlight: MSU SpartansBy Chris Lewis

20 Collegiate Spotlight: Northern Michigan UniversityBy Chris Lewis

24 Randall Lewis: The Masters, a Thrill of a LifetimeBy Topher Goggin

28 Slice of LifeBy Terry Moore

MICHIGAN GOLFER

Publisher/EditorArt McCafferty

[email protected]

Editor EmeritusTerry Moore

AssociatePublisher/ProducerJennie McCafferty

WritersJeff Bairley

Susan BairleyL’anse BannonMike Beckman

Jack BerryTom DoakMike Duff

Topher GogginThad Gutowski

Kelly HillGreg Johnson

Vartan KupelianTom Lang

Chris LewisScott Moncrieff

Jim NeffNorm Sinclair

Michael Patrick ShielsRon Whitten

Janina Parrott JacobsHerschel Nathanial

Bernice PhillipsBill Shelton

Brad Shelton

Photo/VideoKevin FrischBrian Oar

Dave RichardsCarter SherlineBrian Walters

Director ofAccountingCheryl Clark

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V O L U M E 30 • M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 2 • N U M B E R 2

Cover: Harbor Shores has a number of spectacular settings.

Photo by Kemper Sports.

2

Harbor Shores Golf Club hosts the Senior PGA.

M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 2 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E

The oldest senior golf cham-pionship will be played onthe championship’s newest

course, the Golf Club at HarborShores in Benton Harbor, May 24-27. The PGA of America continuesto place its two major champi-onships, the Senior PGA and thePGA, at new courses while stillmixing in historic championship-tested courses like Oakland Hillswhich hosted the Ryder Cup in2004 and the PGA in 2008.

The 73rd Senior PGAChampionship will introduce theJack Nicklaus-designed HarborShores, with three holes along

Lake Michigan and laced togetherby waterways and marshlandthrough a just-as-new residentialcommunity. The whole enterpriseis the brainchild of WhirlpoolCorp. which boosted its hometownby resisting moving its headquar-ters to Chicago. Instead Whirlpoolbuilt a new complex in BentonHarbor, one of Michigan’s mosteconomically distressed cities.Whirlpool’s KitchenAid assumedsponsorship of the Senior PGA lastyear at Valhalla in Kentucky.

The Senior PGA brings not onlythe names all golf fans recognize,like Fred Couples and Tom Watsonwho were back in the spotlight atthe Masters, but it is played oncourses by the top names indesign, Pete Dye (Kiawah in2007), Ben Crenshaw and BillCoore (2010 Colorado Golf Club),and Nicklaus who did Valhalla.

Nicklaus courses are well-knownto Michigan golfers with the Bearat Grand Traverse Resort, judgedone of the toughest courses in thecountry, and TPC Michigan, for-mer home of the Ford SeniorPlayers. Harbor Shores will have areturn engagement with the SeniorPGA in 2014.

The championship has a greathistory. Bobby Jones, whose ownMasters Tournament began in1934, suggested to the PGA that itstart a senior championship for itsmembers and do it on his newcourse, the Augusta National GolfClub. The first two Senior PGAswere played at Augusta. Over theyears Sam Snead won the tourna-ment six times and more recently

4 M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 2 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E

By Jack Berry

Jack Berry

Photo above: Three holes at HarborShores. Photo courtesy of KemperSports.

Senior PGA Preview

5M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 2

Hale Irwin won four times.Oakland Hills professional andMichigan Golf Hall of Fame mem-ber Al Watrous won it three times.Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, LeeTrevino and Nicklaus have won it.

Who will it be this year? Couplesand Kenny Perry likely will be at thetop of the list. Both have won thisyear. Perry, interviewed on GolfChannel’s Morning Drive, said hewants to win the Senior PGA morethan any tournament.

“The PGA is a big passion inmy heart,” Perry said. “Being agolf course owner (Kenny Perry’s

Country Creek in Franklin, KY) Ilove to just be out, talk with peo-ple, help with their swing. Clubpros are the back bone of golf. Iwish I had won at Valhalla in myhome state last year and I wish Icould have won the PGA there butI lost in a playoff (in 1996 to MarkBrooks). I would just love to winthis more than any senior event.”

Down home Perry is the big hit-ter in senior golf, averaging 294yards. He’s been a favorite ofMichigan fans, playing 14 BuickOpens and winning in 2001. Perryjoined the Champions Tour in late2010 after his 50th birthday and

still plays occasionally with “thekids” on the PGA Tour but he’sbeen a force with the seniors.Earlier this year he beat defendingchampion Langer by five shots atNaples, setting a 36-hole tourrecord with an 18 under par 126that included 20 birdies, and, obvi-ously a couple of bogeys.

Couples also is a past Buickchampion (1994) and is a fanfavorite everywhere for his smoothswing and ‘What, me worry?’demeanor on the course. Couples’play at the Masters and aChampions Tour victory at Biloxi,MS, over red-hot Michael Allen

Jack Nicklaus, course designer, waits for Tom Watson to take his next shot.

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makes him a choice. Couples losttwo years ago to Tom Lehman in aplayoff in Colorado. Allen won theSenior PGA in 2009 at CanterburyGC in Ohio and won recently atTampa. That was Allen’s fourth topten in six starts. Also strong areBernhard Langer, the 2008 cham-pion, and Lehman, who beatCouples and David Frost in that2010 playoff.

Harbor Shores is par 71 and just6,851 yards from the back tees.There are five par 3s. There’swater on 10 holes between the PawPaw River, Ox Creek and wet-lands. Three holes, 7-8-9, are byLake Michigan and the eighth isJohnny Miller takes a break from the microphone to golf Harbor Shores.

The Big Four officially opened the golf course with a charity tournament.

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called Dune Grass. It isn’t a coursefor an aquaphobe such as yourstruly. It may be a better fit for thestraight and narrow shorter hittinggames of Corey Pavin, winnerearly this year at Boca Raton, FL,and Jeff Sluman. Remember this isa Nicklaus course with greens thathave a lot of movement and rewardgood reads and a deft putting touchso Loren Roberts, Boss of theMoss, a past USGA Senior cham-pion and winner this year inCalifornia, has to figure.

The 156 player cast is the best

in senior golf with 15 countriesand 33 states represented includingtwo Michigan Golf Hall of Famemembers, Jeff Roth and TomWargo, plus Country Club ofJackson professional RonBeurmann and Lee Houtteman ofGrand Traverse Resort.

Six World Golf Hall of Famemembers will play – Hale Irwin,Tom Kite, Langer, Sandy Lyle,Curtis Strange and Tom Watson.Nineteen major champions are in thefield including Andy North andSteve Jones who won U.S. Opens at

Oakland Hills. Leading the foreigncontingent are Lyle of Scotland andLanger of Germany. Five Ryder Cupcaptains are in, Kite, Langer,Strange, Sutton and Watson.

Michigan went without bigtimegolf after General Motors endedthe Buick’s half century runbecause of the economic collapsebut we’re back in the game thisyear with the Senior PGA atHarbor Shores and the U.S. SeniorOpen at Indianwood, July 12-15.

- MG -

The King and His Court

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Iread with interestand total agree-ment Rick Smith’s

recent commentsexpressing disap-proval of HankHaney’s “expose”

book on Tiger Woods. Rick stronglyadvocates an adherence to a player-coach confidentiality code that pro-hibits sharing of personal conversa-tions and interactions. Haney’s“The Big Miss: My Years CoachingTiger Woods” portrays Woods as a

“porn-loving, cheap, rude superstar .. . “ who “loved toilet humor andimmature pranks.” Smith believesthat Haney’s book represents an eth-ical violation and reflects poorly onthe coaching profession. He summa-rizes the gravity of Haney’s action

“Mr. Janzen, Rick Will See You Next”

– A Personal ExperienceBy Bill Shelton

Rick Smith poses with Rocco Mediate, Lee Janzen and Billy Andrade.

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Bill Shelton

on the profession as “very upset-tling” and totally inappropriate.

Smith is an internationally recog-nized golf coach in his own rightand has worked with many PGAsuperstars. He has also experiencedsplits with some of those starsincluding Phil Mickelson. Never hasRick publicly divulged anything per-sonal or critical about the playersand appears to maintain continuedgood relations after the separations.Though Rick is featured frequentlyon television and is a regular in pro-viding golf instruction in the majorgolf publications, he seems to treatevery student with a genuine respectand high level of professionalism. Iknow because I was one of his stu-dents!

Approximately twenty yearsago, I had the opportunity to meetRick and experience first hand histeaching prowess. EasternMichigan University offered asummer golf school at TheTreetops Resort and Rick served asthe head instructor. I drove upfrom campus to see the school inoperation and talk to our students(ok, to play golf also). Rick’s repu-tation as a teaching professionalwas growing exponentially—andpga players were clamoring for hisservices—but he honored his com-mitment to our school. And to mygreat surprise, he had agreed tospend some time with me on thepractice range!

I was in awe and extremelynervous but Rick was so genuineand non-threatening that I soonrelaxed and listened as heexplained to me in “plain English”what I could do to improve myswing. He had a huge notebook

full of swing photos of differentpros and we would stop severaltimes and look at different swingsfrom pga pros and how they relat-ed to mine. He was very patientand focused fully on improving mygame. Admittedly, even RickSmith was not a miracle workerand I did not become a scratchgolfer but I did feel he helped myswing and strengthen my game.

As importantly, he made mefeel as if I was his most importantstudent at that moment and thusthe article heading. Another one ofhis students was at Treetops tospend some time with Rick. Hisname was Lee Janzen, an emergingpga star, who would win the 1993and 1998 U. S. Opens, representthe USA on two Ryder Cup teams,and be featured in the top 20 of theOfficial World Golf Rankings. ButLee had to “cool his heels” untilRick finished his lesson with Bill!I thought that was very classy!

Over the last two decades, Rick

has expanded his professionalactivities to include course design,product development, and manage-ment services. He continues toserve as swing coach for many pgaprofessionals, and regularlyappears on television and in printwith golf instruction and tech-niques. His professional achieve-ments are remarkable but his per-sonal values are even more out-standing. In my opinion, he repre-sents the consummate teachingprofessional and his golf coursedesigns have quickly garneredmajor accolades. Smith’s focus isnot on sensationalism but substan-tive improvement in the game. Hisreputation continues to be impec-cable as instructor, designer, andgolf ambassador. He is an examplefor others to emulate.

By the way Hank, Rick nevershared anything we discussed dur-ing our session together. Maybeyou should arrange for a lessonwith Rick!

- MG -

Rick Smith with Vince Williams beginning his academy at Treetops.

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— 2nd I

Swe

By Susan Bairley

The Second Island ResortChampionship as part of theLPGA’s Symetra Tour will

be at Sweetgrass Golf Club inHarris, Mich., Monday, June 25,through Sunday, July 1, and thechampionship coordinators, spon-sors, players and surrounding com-munities couldn’t be happier.

Last year’s 54-hole champi-onship, won by Stephanie Kim ofBayside, N.Y., with a 7 under par209, was a first for this UpperPeninsula resort, and it was asweet success story that bearsrepeating.

The 2011 Island ResortChampionship hosted a full field ofthen LPGA ‘Futures Tour’ golfers(along with several amateur con-tenders) and offered a $110,000purse, which included at $15, 400first prize. Resort personnel, arearesidents, community leaders, busi-ness owners and approximately300 tournament volunteers rolledout the red carpet. They openedtheir homes, their businesses andhearts to the young players, andwelcomed the 5,000 spectators thatfollowed them. It was a perfectmatch.

This year’s tournament promis-es more of the same. Again offer-ing a $110, 000 purse and $15,400first prize, the championshipexpects a full field of 144 golfersand hopes to attract more than8,000 spectators.

LPGA Symetra Tour VicePresident of TournamentDevelopment Tracy Kerdyk saidthe Island Resort Championship isa favorite of the Symetra Tour

players. “Sweetgrass is one of ourmost challenging courses andoffers some of the best conditions,”she said. “When I originallyannounced the event as part of thetour, I said I thought it would bethe players’ favorite in 2011, and itwas – by far. It’s a good course forspectators; they can see a lot ofdifferent holes. The holes are verydifferent, which for the players, ischallenging; they have to use justabout every club in their bag. All-in-all, it’s just a perfect facility.

“They just do everything right,”she added. “The resort, the casino,the people that run it, the tribe – itis one of our best stops on tour, ifnot the best,” she added.

That’s music to Tony Mancilla’sears. As co-chair of the champi-onship and attorney/tribal memberof the Hannahville IndianCommunity that owns and operatesIsland Resort and Sweetgrass GolfClub, such accolades are not justhappenstance. Rather, they are thewelcomed results of the carefulplanning, hard work, skilled team-work and community support thatgo into the event.

“It’s a great golf course andwe’re proud to have it showcasedat the Island ResortChampionship,” he said. “(Lastyear) we wanted people to see thegolf course and play it, to see howthe pros play it, and it stood upwell. It got rave reviews from theTour and the players, so we werereally excited about that.”

An avid golfer and astute busi-nessman, Mancilla eyed a varietyof professional tours for a possible


How Sweet It Is! sland Resort Championship at

eetgrass, June 25 – July 1


The Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass features stunning golf holes.

Island Resort event, and when hesaw a Golf Channel promo of theLPGA Symetra Tour, as it playedin Decatur, Ill., he decided to giveit a serious look. “For us, this tourfits. We wanted a professionaltournament and this was the onethat fit us the best,” he said.

Mancilla says hosting a profes-sional tournament is important tothe course long-term. “When youhost a professional event, it putsyou on a different level,” he said.“When people put the time andeffort into hosting something,they’re committed. They’re soldon their course.

“Our goal is to the number onestop on this tour. We want to bethe top stop. We want everyone tosay, you need to go to Michiganand play that course. Then maybeseven or eight years down the

road, we could talk to the USGA,and maybe talk about hosting aSenior Open or Women’s Open,”he said.

For now though, Mancilla iscontent to host the Symetra Tourplayers, and with Island ResortMarketing Director andChampionship Co-Chair SusanHarris, the 2012 Island ResortChampionship is shaping up to be aweek of great golf and fun for all.

In addition to two Pro-Ams onWednesday and Thursday, Tuesdayis Player Day, with fun activitiesplanned for them. Wednesdayafternoon, there will be JuniorClinic, sponsored by CharterCommunications, and Thursday,the pre-tournament banquet willfeature the Green Bay PackersJerry Kramer.

Already the Championship’scorporate hospitality is sold out.“That was sold out very early,”Harris said. “We have a few spotsleft in our Wednesday Pro-Am, butthe response has been incredible.The corporate sponsors really seethe value, not only at the eventitself, but how they are able totranslate and use it in their busi-nesses. Plus, they have a heck of agood time.”

While Harris credits the IslandResort premier facilities and stafffor the championship’s success,she also cites the community,whose volunteers help with hospi-tality, logistics and providing hous-ing for individual players, as amajor plus. “Many of the peoplewho housed the players (last year)have been in monthly contact withthem and some have even beenable to catch up with them in

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Florida, when they’ve been playingin other tournaments,” she said.“There’s a real bond that’s devel-oped in the community with theseplayers, and some are going to hostthe same players this year. I thinkthat’s been one of the strengths andone of the reasons the players lovecoming here, because it’s kind oflike coming to your hometown.”

Dave Douglas, director of golf atSweetgrass, said the LPGA willlengthen the course a bit this year,but otherwise, he expects to offer theplayers the excellent course condi-tions they experienced last year.

Spectators looking to view themost action from one spot willlikely sit where the 8thand 12th tees meet.“From there, you cansee holes 12 and 8, andturn around and lookdown 11. Number 7 isright alongside there,and you can see theisland green, Number15,” he said. “You real-ly can watch severalholes without evenmoving.”

Tickets for thechampionship are just$10 for all three tour-nament days, and freefor those under 18.They can be purchasedfrom more than 30nonprofit organiza-tions, who actually willkeep all proceeds fromtickets sold throughtheir agencies, and alsocan be purchaseddirectly from IslandResort in advance or atthe tournament.

Ticket holders will not onlyhave access to the tournament buteach offers a day pass to the localYMCA, the tournament’s charityrecipient. In addition, spectatorscan win prizes throughout the day,ranging from fine jewelry to shot-guns (Yes, the U.P. is a hunter’sparadise!).

Harris said Island Resort’s hotelrooms are expected to fill rapidlyfor tournament week, with over-flow going to the nearby EvergreenInn or several of Escanaba’s lodg-ing facilities, so vacationers andovernight visitors are encouragedto make their reservations early.

And while no ‘spectator pack-ages’ will be offered, IslandResort’s usual Stay ‘n Play pack-ages will continue to be available,although course play for those willbe limited to Greywalls andTimberstone during tournamentweek.

For tickets or more informationabout the Island ResortChampionship at Sweetgrass, visitwww.sweetgrassgolfclub.comFor hotel reservations and moreinformation about the casino orresort, visit www.islandresortand-casino.com

- MG -

M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 2 15


With 26nation-al

championshiptitles and morethan 90 Big Tenregular seasonchampionshipdesignations, isthere any wonder

why Michigan State University iswell-renowned as one of the

nation’s most talented athleticinstitutions?

Although the university’s bas-ketball and football teams typicallygarner most of sports fans’ atten-tion and newspapers’ headlines,MSU’s men’s golf program hasalso earned a variety of champi-onships and accolades throughoutthe years, since it first began com-peting in the NCAA back in 1928.

During the last 84 years, theprogram has claimed four Big TenChampionships, in 1969, 2005,2007, and 2008, and has helped toestablish a wide range of success-ful professional golf careers. Fromfive-time Michigan PGA Player ofthe Year Lynn Janson toNationwide Tour member MattHarmon, some of Michigan’sbrightest golf stars are MSU alum.

MSU Spartans Reflect on aSuccessful Fall 2011 Season and

Anticipate Imminent Success By Chris Lewis

Collegiate Spotlight

Michigan State University Golf Team, 2011 - 2012

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Chris Lewis


“Both the 1969 and 2005 teamsset the foundation for years of suc-cess in recruiting and visibility forthe program,” said head coachCasey Lubahn. “Each teams’impact will certainly be well-noticed for years to come.”

Hired in 2011 to help MichiganState once again become consistentBig Ten competitors, CoachLubahn, a 2004 graduate of MSUand one of the program’s mostdependable performers, with acareer scoring average of 75,believes his current team is capableof contending for tournament titlesin the near future.

“The future of our team isbright because of the quality youngmen in our program,” statedLubahn. “They are working hardand really searching for ways totake their games to the next level.”

Lubahn continued, “Every teammember is becoming more andmore mentally tougher with eachpassing week – and that is abyproduct of the strong culturethey have helped create.”

With such a robust culture, theMichigan State Spartans enjoyed asuccessful fall campaign last year,as they contended for tournamentvictories on three separate occa-sions and created memories thatwill be cherished long after theircollegiate careers have concluded.

Close Calls, Near Misses,and Longstanding

Memories

Last fall, the Spartans competedin five NCAA tournaments and

earned top-three finishes in threeof the events. Despite achieving arunner-up finish at the FossumInvitational, a third-place showingat the Wolverine Invitational, and atie-for-first finish at October’sGeorgetown Intercollegiate, CoachLubahn was most proud of histeam’s performance at a tourna-ment hosted by the University ofToledo.

“Our best showing was at theInverness Intercollegiate,” saidLubahn. “We had been playingquite well before theIntercollegiate and were lookingforward to competing in that event,but, unfortunately, the tournamentwas delayed by storms and reducedto 18 holes.”

He added, “As a result, the 18-hole round led to many head-to-headfinishes. We started the round solid-ly, holding the lead through 11 holes.Even though we made some bogiesat the end, our fifth-place finishproved that we could compete withthe best teams in college golf.”

With the fifth-place showing,the Spartans earned top-ten finish-es in every event they participatedin last fall, including a tie-for-ninthperformance at the Rees JonesInvitational, which occurred at thenationally acclaimed Rees JonesSignature Course in DaufuskieIsland, South Carolina. The coursehas previously been recognized byGolf Digest as one of America’stop 100 greatest courses.

The Spartans’ first tournamentof the year, the FossumInvitational, was hosted by MSUand contested at East Lansing’sForest Akers Golf Course, a 7,013-yard, par 72 layout, last September.Meanwhile, the WolverineInvitational was held at AnnArbor’s University of MichiganGolf Course, which is situated nearU of M’s campus. Designed bylegendary course architect, AlisterMackenzie, the 6,687-yard-long,par 71 course features a variety ofchallenges – tight fairways, a hillyterrain, and fast, silky greens.

“It was a pleasure to watch thesquad compete on each of thesecourses and to travel with the teamand witness their friendships andbonds with one another growthroughout the season,” saidLubahn. “We had so many fantas-tic memories last fall, which Ibelieve all team members willcherish for the rest of their lives.”

Chris Mory

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Two particular memories standout more than any others.

“Shooting a school record of276 during the second round of theWolverine Invitational was a greatmoment for the program and creat-ed a lot of positive momentum forthe remainder of the season,”reflected Lubahn.

“However, for me, the season’stop moment occurred at theGeorgetown Invitational. MattMoseley ’13 knew he had to makea 75-foot-long putt to help us reachthe playoff for the team champi-onship – and he made it, on thelast green for birdie, no less. It wasthe best pressure putt I have everhad the pleasure of witnessing.”

Michigan State University– A “Special Place” forGrowth, On and Off the

Golf Course

As Coach Lubahn prepares forthe remainder of the Spring 2012season, he is relying on the per-formances of his team’s two lead-ers, Dan Ellis ’13 and Chris Mory’12, who currently have identicalscoring averages – 72.6.

“Both Dan and Chris have beensolid all year long, but, theyhaven’t played well during thesame weeks,” Lubahn said. “Ifthey start to play well at the sametime, I think we can make somenoise down the stretch this spring.”

So far, Coach Lubahn’s team’sresults have not been quite as con-sistent as they were last fall, withtwo seventh-place finishes and one

eighth-place showing thus far, asof April 11th.

“We haven’t had the same sparkwe had last fall yet, but the team’swork ethic and attention to detail,which has been displayed so far, isdefinitely a good sign going for-ward,” stated Lubahn. “Our leadersare also teaching our younger play-ers how to prepare for the adversi-ty college golf always provides,which will pay dividends in thelong run.”

Nevertheless, at the end of theday, whether his teams win or lose,Coach Lubahn is most interested inhelping his players achieve successaway from the golf course as well,while leading fruitful, productivelives of service.

“Michigan State is a specialplace that has brought together somany wonderful players across allsports and we really pride our-selves on building long-lasting andmeaningful relationships. They arethe hallmark to success in anyendeavor,” said Lubahn.

He concluded, “This is our mis-sion every day and I think golf isjust one portion of our goaltowards developing citizens whowill have a positive impact on theircommunities for years to come.”

For more information aboutMichigan State University’s

nationally renowned athletic pro-grams, please visit

http://msuspartans.com.- MG -

Dan Ellis

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Northern MichiganUniversity Wildcats

Prepare for a Bright Futureof Long-term Success

By Chris Lewis

Collegiate SpotlightP

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There is little doubt whyNorthern MichiganUniversity (NMU) is one of

the most popular four-year publicinstitutions north of the Mackinac

Bridge. First, it offers a multitudeof bachelor’s degree programs,ranging from hospitality manage-ment to media production. And itsstudy abroad opportunities to coun-

tries like Turkey and Costa Ricaare unrivaled in the UpperPeninsula.

However, at first glance, NMU

Northern Michigan University Golf Team, 2011 - 2012


would not be considered a primedestination for potential collegiategolfers. In fact, its home city ofMarquette is roughly two hoursaway from Mackinac Island and isprimarily known as a vital LakeSuperior, iron ore shipping port. Itis also quite notorious for its shortsummers and long, harsh winters,as it is one of the snowiest cities inthe United States.

Yet, on the contrary, accordingto NMU’s men’s golf head coach,Dean Ellis, prospective golfers aretypically surprised by the golfingopportunities that NorthernMichigan University – and thegreater Marquette community –actually provide all year-long.

“Recruiting golfers to ‘move UpNorth’ is always a challenge.However, NMU and Marquettehave a lot to offer for potential col-lege golfers,” said Ellis. “Havingrecruits visit our campus and com-munity usually creates positiveexperiences and a better under-standing of this special area as awhole.”

Coach Dean EllisPrepares to Use Golf’sLatest Technology toDevelop Consistent,Competitive Squads

Back in the 1960s and 1970s,the Northern Michigan UniversityWildcats’ golf program was amember of the NCAA, but, unfor-tunately, it was dropped as anintercollegiate sport prior to thebeginning of the 1980s. But, nearly20 years later, in 1994, the men’sgolf program was reestablished

and has been a member of NMU’sathletics program ever since.

In 1999, the squad earned itsfirst, and so far only, berth to anNCAA Regional Tournament.Now, more than 10 years later,Coach Ellis, who was hired ashead coach back in 1993, isfocused on developing a morecompetitive, consistent team thatwill once again qualify for anNCAA tournament.

To do so, Coach Ellis is utiliz-ing some of golf’s most enhancedtechnological applications.

“We are in the process of build-ing our team with an emphasis onvideo swing analysis and playerskill development,” said Ellis.“The majority of college golf pro-grams do not emphasize this cru-cial aspect of the game.”

He furthered his reasoning bystating, “As our recruiting increas-es and the knowledge of our pro-gram’s emphasis on this technolo-gy becomes more apparent, Ibelieve we will once again have acompetitive team.”

In addition to coaching theWildcats, Ellis will work atTraverse City’s Grand TraverseGolf Academy this summer for thesecond consecutive year.

“Through my experience inteaching the modern technologicalapplications of the academy’s facil-ity, I will further my knowledge asa swing development coach,” stat-ed Ellis. “By not only recruitingquality student athletes, but alsoproviding them with an opportuni-ty to learn more about golf swingmechanics, I believe our programwill be heading towards the rightdirection next fall.”

Marquette Golf Club’sGreywalls – A True Test

of Golf, Along theShoreline of Lake

Superior

Meanwhile, Coach Ellis wouldcurrently consider Jared Reid ’14and Mike Murphy ’14 as two ofhis team’s leaders, on and off thecourse, who will also enable a suc-cessful future for the program.

“They have both posted sub-parrounds during their early careersand I expect them to continue toimprove and become top players inthe Great Lakes Region,” saidEllis. “They are both exceptionallylong drivers and solid iron players.Mike Murphy

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If they can improve theirshort games, their strokeaverages will declineeven more next fall.”

Jared and Mike, aswell as their fellow teammembers, will have anopportunity to improveall aspects of their gamesat their home course –Marquette Golf Club’sGreywalls – this spring,summer, and fall.Designed by MikeDeVries, a formerapprentice of golf coursearchitect Tom Doak,Greywalls has previ-ously been ranked byGolfweek magazine asthe “number two courseyou can play inMichigan.”

“Mike has created alot of outstandingcourses with an AlisterMackenzie theme in thepast and Greywalls isno exception,”explained Ellis. “It isgorgeous. Carved out ofsevere terrain, the coursewas actually built rightalong Lake Superior, so you cansee the lake’s shoreline on manyholes.”

And the course is quite chal-lenging. Measured at 6,828 yardsfrom the back tees, and with a rat-ing of 73.0 and a slope of 144, thecourse tests all aspects of everygolfer’s game, no matter howexperienced he or she may be. But,if Greywalls does not provideenough motivation to prospectiveNMU golfers, the university’s

dome stadium, which is opened allyear long, may enthuse doubters.

“Because of our unique geo-graphic location, successful mem-bers of our program need to bevery committed to their summerprogress through an aggressivetournament schedule and a solidpractice routine,” stated Ellis. “Ourcampus’s dome stadium offersmembers a facility to practice andwork on skills during the wintermonths.”

Recruiting NMU’s Next Great Player –A “Global Process”

Finally, Coach Ellis recog-nizes that his recruitingcapabilities are instrumentalto his team’s future success.

“In college golf, a team’ssuccess is always one greatplayer away,” said Ellis. “Aconstant goal of mine isbeing able to add that spe-cial player who can lead theteam in scoring and atti-tude.”

He continued, “Addingdepth to our roster is one ofmy top goals. As recruitinghas become a globalprocess, I use every avenueavailable to locate and con-tact potential players, espe-cially the Internet.”

Yet, Coach Ellis also triesto find unique talent northof the Mackinac Bridgeeach season.

“I always encourage theUpper Peninsula’s topgolfers to attend NMU.

Always,” stated Ellis. “You neverknow. Our team’s next great playerjust may very well be living inMarquette or nearby.”

For further information

about Northern Michigan

University’s wide selection of ath-

letic programs, please visit

http://www.nmu.edu/sports.

- MG -

Jared Reid

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It didn’t lastfor long, butfor one fleet-

ing moment intime, Alma ama-teur RandyLewis foundhimself in one

of the most enviable positions inall of golf—tied for the lead inthe Masters.

Playing in the second groupoff Thursday morning, Lewissank an eight-foot par putt onthe first hole at Augusta National

Golf Club, joining three otherplayers at even par with a “T1”next to their names on theleaderboard. Not too shabby fora 54-year-old financial adviserwho had spent his entire adultlife dreaming of the hallowedgrounds of Augusta.

Randall Lewis: TheMasters, a Thrill of a

Lifetime

Topher Goggin

By Topher Goggin

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There is nothing like a beautiful Masters morning.


Lewis was supplanted fromthe top spot moments later, butthat hardly mattered. It was sim-ply one more memory from amagical week, as minutes earlierhe had become the oldest first-time invitee ever to tee off in theworld’s most prestigious golftournament. “It was almost sur-real. I had been thinking aboutthat shot for six months.” Hecontinued with a chuckle, “I did-n’t always see it going in the fair-way, either. I saw it going right.I saw it going left. I saw it goingnot very high—”

He needn’t have worried.Playing alongside long-hittingRobert Garrigus and two-timeMasters Champ and EuropeanRyder Cup captain José-MaríaOlazábal, Lewis drilled his open-ing tee shot straight up the hillinto the middle of the first fairway.

Lewis earned his Masters invi-tation last fall, going on a thrillingweek-long run to win the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at ShadowHawk Golf Club in Texas. AMichigan Golf Hall of Famer andthe GAM Golfer of the Decade forthe 1990’s, Lewis knocked offtwo-time defending Mid-AmChamp Nathan Smith ofPittsburgh in a 19-hole semifinaltilt, then took out long-bombing31-year-old Kenny Cook ofNoblesville, Ind., 3-and-2 in thefinals. The win also wrapped upfifteen years of unfinished busi-ness for Lewis, as he hadadvanced to the 1996 Mid-Amfinal in Hartford, only to be oustedone win short of an Augusta tripby John “Spider” Miller.

Masters invite in hand, Lewisjumped headlong into getting hisgame ready for the tournament.Thanks to the help of his two

office partners, Lewis was able tospend extensive time in Florida,and also make multiple trips toAugusta for practice rounds.What he couldn’t prepare himselffor, however, were the life-changing experiences that werewaiting for him once he gotthere.

The memories began forLewis before Masters week evenarrived, starting when three-timegreen jacket winner PhilMickelson asked Lewis to joinhim for a practice round in lateMarch. After 18 holes, plusbreakfast and lunch in theChampions’ Locker Room,Mickelson may have been themore star-struck of the two.During his pre-tournament pressconference, Mickelson said ofLewis, “I think it’s really coolwhat he did, winning the Mid-Amas a gentleman eligible for theSenior Am. I think that’s awe-

Randall Lewis got his ticket to theMasters by winning the USGA Mid-Amateur Championship.

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Randall Lewis, briefly, was number one on the leaderboard.

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some—I love that story. I hopehe has a good week.”

For Lewis, the round withMickelson was merely a previewof things to come. Momentsbefore Augusta opened its gatesto patrons on Monday morning,Lewis was on the first tee withanother former winner, 8-timemajor champion Tom Watson.

Lewis said that Watson’s his-toric run (at age 59) in the 2009British Open had served as motiva-tion as Lewis continued his ownamateur career into his 50’s. “Thatweek was a huge inspiration tome,” he said. “It just went to showyou that in golf, you never know.”With that in mind, Lewis wrote

Watson a letter to see if he wouldbe available for a practice round,and Watson accepted the invita-tion with open arms.

Their group, which alsoincluded former world numberone Martin Kaymer and two-timeU.S. Open champ Andy North,entertained the patrons with abarrage of highlights. For Lewis,the high point came in the formof three-straight birdies on holes15, 16, and 17, delighting theboisterous group of friends andfamily members who had madethe trip to support him.

The biggest highlight, howev-er, came from a shot that was nota traditional stroke at all. On thefamous par-three 16th, it is tra-

ditional during practice roundsfor players to skip balls 100yards or so across the water andonto the green. Hitting last ofthe group, the 27-year-oldKaymer fired a low bullet thatskipped and skidded across thewater, hopped onto the right sideof the sloping green, and tanta-lizingly curled left toward thehole before dropping in for anincredible hole-in-one.

After Monday’s round, Lewisreturned for nine holes Tuesdaywith 1991 Masters champ IanWoosnam, then played in thefamous Wednesday Par 3 Contest.Paired there with Aaron Baddeleyand soon-to-be Masters champBubba Watson, Lewis hit the shot

of the day in the group. Looking at148 yards over Dakota SpringsPond on number six, Lewis fired athree-quarter seven-iron thatimmediately had the patrons hold-ing their collective breath in antici-pation. The ball tracked straight atthe pin, eventually zeroing in andcoming to rest a mere three inchesfrom the hole (officially 3.06 inch-es—Augusta National is nothing ifnot precise). That shot would holdup as the best of the day on num-ber six, winning Lewis a crystalpitcher for his closest-to-the-pinvictory.

Lewis credited Watson andBaddeley with keeping the atmos-phere light and helping him stayfocused after a slow start. “Bubbawas really going out of his way to

make me comfortable,” Lewis said,noting that at one point later in theround Watson jokingly told him,“Now don’t pay any attention to allthat water out there.” That gener-ous treatment from Watson madeLewis all the happier to see his Par3 playing partner slip on the greenjacket

Lewis’s eventual tournamentrounds of 81 and 78 did notthreaten the cut line, but thatdidn’t matter. Even before tor-rential rains softened the courseon Tuesday and Wednesdaynights, Lewis had indicated thatanything around 77 or 78 wouldbe a good score for him due toAugusta’s extraordinary length.

Though Lewis began the weekas a relative unknown, it did nottake the Augusta patrons long tolearn his incredible story. In fact,many gallery members beganrequesting the green “We’repulling for you, Randy” braceletsthat Lewis’s supporters hadbrought from home. EvenAugusta’s most famous champion,Jack Nicklaus, offered his thoughtson Lewis’s historic week. “What athrill for a guy. Never expected toplay in the Masters, wins the Mid-Amateur Championship, and herehe is. That’s great.”

Despite not posting the scoreshe had envisioned, Lewis gushedwith enthusiasm, especially afterThursday’s first round. “That’sthe best 81 I’ve ever shot,” he

“That’s the best 81 I’ve ever shot.”


said. “I was thrilled the wholetime, trying to take it all in. Evenif you don’t shoot a good score,geez, just look around. This is adream come true.”

With his Masters completed,Lewis now moves forward with abusy tournament schedule therest of the summer. After sometime off to relax and catch upwith work, he will return to com-petitive play at the MichiganAmateur in June at Oakland Hills,

then play the U.S. Senior Open atIndianwood in Lake Orion inearly July. He will then hit theroad for the U.S. Amateur atCherry Hills in Colorado, defendhis Mid-Am title at ConwayFarms in Lake Forest, Illinois,and finally get his first taste ofU.S. Senior Amateur play in lateSeptember at Mountain RidgeCountry Club in New Jersey. In the meantime, though, Lewiswill savor the memories of theweek of a lifetime. Knowing that

he would not make the cut,Lewis was able to appreciate hisfinal trip around the second nineat Augusta on Friday. He com-mented afterward, “When we goton 11, which is just an incredibleview looking down on the greenand numbers 12 and 13, I said to(my caddie) Bob, ‘Take a look. Isthere anything in the world ofgolf like this?’ What a place—boy. What a place.”

- MG -

The calm before the storm: practice day at the Masters.

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“There’snoth-ing

new under thesun” and “thegame’s alwaysevolving.” Thoseare the counter-points that cometo mind when

reviewing the instructional headlin-ers and their messages at the WestMichigan Golf Show in GrandRapids these past 24 years.

As background, Art McCaffertyasked me to pen some thoughtsand observations about the teacherswho have commanded the seminarstage as the Show nears its silveranniversary in 2013. Note:Founding the show in 1989, I soldthe Show in 2001 to ShowSpanInc. which then kindly retained meto offer some ongoing services.I’ve been thankful for the greatrelationship with ShowSpan’sCarolyn Alt and MikeWilbraham, both of whom haveelevated the show’s stature andcontinued its headliner prowess.Due to the limitations of spaceand time, I’m not going to give adetailed history of all the manyfine headliners since 1989 butrather provide some highlights inselected categories.

Nothing compares to one’s firstkiss...or one’s first Golf Show:The inaugural headliners in ’89will always be special. I was able

to land Hank Haney, MarkO’Meara’s young instructor at thetime, because Michigan Golfer,which I served as Editor, had donebusiness with Aldila ShaftCompany, a sponsor of Haney.What I remember most aboutHaney, other than providinginstant credibility to this upstartwinter golf show, was his polite,concise teaching manner and hisemphasis on maintaining theproper plane in the swing. Inaddition to Haney, Mike Hebronprovided clinics. A well-regardedteaching pro from New York,Hebron had authored numerousinstructional articles and laterbecame the 1991 PGA Teacher ofthe Year. Finally, Michigan’s ‘BigCat’ Williams, a national long driv-ing champ, rounded out the stage

Slice of LifeBy Terry Moore

Terry Moore

Frank Thomas at the West Michigan Golf Show

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WMGS headliner and 2010 PGA Teacher of the Year, Todd Anderson.

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and wowed the audience by driv-ing a golf ball through a telephonebook. Not a shabby start for afledgling golf show in GrandRapids beset by a hazardous icestorm on Saturday morning. I saidat the time, “I put on a Golf Showand a hockey game broke out inthe parking lot!”

The Traditionalists: In this cate-gory, I place such headliners as BillStrausbaugh and Dee Dee Owens,both now deceased, and alsoCharlie Sorrell, who appeared threetimes at the Show. Nationally hon-ored by the PGA, they were theepitome of class and imparted thefundamentals of the game with clar-ity and good humor. I particularlyremember how Strausbaugh insistedthat all his teaching assistants pro-vide lessons from essentially thesame baseline of instruction. AndSorrell was a crowd favorite for hisupbeat enthusiasm and his cleverinstructional rhymes—“to stay outof the timber, keep your wrists lim-ber.” Incidentally, Sorrell later gavemy spouse, Deb, her best lessonever when she adopted his ‘hingeand sling’ method.

The Psychologists: Dr. DeborahGraham and Dr. Bob Winterswere both headliners in the ‘90sand each had a distinctive style ofpresentation. Graham was impres-sive with her findings about Tourplayers’ positive mindset showingthey hardly ever internalize mis-takes and, in fact, blame them onego-cushioning outside factors—e.g. the wind, the grain, spike marketc. Winters presented with a realflair and energy. For those withputting woes, he stressed “learn tolove putting again” and “enjoy theprocess of getting the ball into the

hole by hearing putts drop.”

The Scientists: Dave Pelz, FrankThomas and most recently JohnNovosel Jr. fit the billing here.Relying on sound research andmyth-breaking findings, they deliv-ered insightful information respec-

tively on the short game, equipment,and tempo. Pelz demonstrated that60% of the game takes place withina 100 yards of the hole. A formertechnical director of the USGA,Thomas cited the impact of threemajor equipment innovations: 1)perimeter-weighted putters; 2)

Brian O’Neill passes on some of the tips he got from his mentor, Jim Flick.

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Dave Kendall, here with Jack Berry, now has Kendall Golf Academy at three locations.

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M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 2 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E30

graphite shafts; and 3) spring-likeeffect of the larger and thinner titani-um clubfaces. Representing TourTempo, Novosel debunked themyths about Tour players’ swingshaving “smooth and slow” temposand proved most have swings last-ing only a second.

Homegrown Talent: Michigan isblessed with a wealth of fineteachers and many have gracedthe stage at the Show including:Patti Butcher, Brad Dean, JasonGuss, Dave Kendall, BrianO’Neill, Charley Vandenberg, andHenry Young to mention only afew. Of course, the best example of“homegrown talent” is two-timeheadliner and Rockford, Mich.native Todd Anderson, the 2010PGA Teacher of the Year—firstMichigan-born teacher earningthe honor—who now lives andworks at Sea Island, GA. Onething they all had in common: apassionate dedication to theircraft and to their students.

The Stars: It’s hard to match themedia impact and name recogni-tion engendered when a teachermakes the cover of Golf Digest orworks with a PGA Tour star. Suchwas the case with popular head-liners as Mike Bender, Masterschampion Zach Johnson’s teacher;Jim Flick, Jack Nicklaus’s long-time instructor; and Treetops’ RickSmith, two-time Open championLee Janzen’s instructor and PhilMickelson’s previous teacher.Bender emphasized the importanceof impact position, with the handsahead of the ball and the shouldersstaying square. Flick wantedgolfers to have good posture,allowing their arms to hang freelyfrom the shoulders. Smith showed

how vital it is to approach the ballon an inside swing path with theclubhead squared up at impact.

It’s time to wrap this column upalthough I do love driving downmemory lane. So what’s the bestpersonal tip learned from all these

stellar headliners, many of whomhave remained good friends in theindustry?

Sign them early before theyrealize what the weather’s like inGR in February.

- MG -

Henry Young has been at Treetops Golf Academy for two decades.

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Rick Smith and Jason Guss at the West Michigan Golf Show

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31

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