Tag Archives: golf

Niall Fraser, Director of Golf, The Grand Hotel Resort and Spa

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According to Niall Fraser, Director of Golf at the beautiful Grand Hotel Golf Resort and Spa, “there is no better time to head to Alabama to play golf.”

So with that, Rick is joined on “Tech of Sports” by Fraser to talk about getting a course back in operation after a hurricane and the sprawling resort that he calls home.

Fraser was born in Alberta, Canada and attended Michigan State University. He was hand selected by Robert Trent Jones Senior to travel the world to design golf courses. His work with Robert Trent Jones Sr. had a strong and lasting influence on these prestigious clubs:
⦁ Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown, PA – Over the past century has hosted many prestigious tournaments most notably the 1962 PGA Championship; 1977 U.S. Amateur Championship; 1997 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship; 2003 Senior PGA Championship; 2010 & 2011 AT&T National Championship; 2018 BMW Championship
⦁ Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, MO is only the third club in history to host all four men’s Major Championships. 1965 U.S. Open; 1981 Mid-Amateur Championship; 1992 PGA Championship; 2004 U.S Senior Open; 2008 BMW Championship; 2013 Senior PGA Championship; 2018 PGA Championship
⦁ Valderrama Golf Club in Spain is one of the leading golf courses in Europe and the venue of some of the most important golf competitions in Europe. 1997
⦁ Ryder Cup; World Golf Championships; 1999 & 2000 American Express Championship; Volvo Masters
⦁ Adare Manor Golf Club in Ireland – 2014 Irish PGA Championship
⦁ New courses Niall helped design are: Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, VA; Crumpin-Fox Club in Bernardston, MA; Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson, NY; Playa Grande Golf & Ocean Club in the Dominican Republic; Anglebrook Golf Club in Lincolndale, NY has hosted U.S. Amateur, NY State Open qualifying, Met PGA Section Pro-Am, and 2013 MGA Mid-Amateur
Most recently before joining the Grand Hotel, Niall was Head of Construction, while overseeing the planning and construction from start to finish. The 26 courses, a total of 468 holes, are at 11 locations across the state of Alabama.

The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa is owned by the Retirement Systems of Alabama and is part of the Resort Collection on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The resort collection has eight properties across Alabama on or near RTJ golf courses. The RTJ Golf Trail has 26 golf courses on 11 sites across the state, including two courses at Lakewood Club. For more on the RTJ Golf Trail and Resort Collection visit www.rtjgolf.com.

The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa
One Grand Boulevard, Point Clear, Alabama, 36564-0639
(251) 928-9201 – http://www.marriottgrand.com/

⦁ The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa is family-friendly historic hotel which recently completed a massive, three-year transformation. A top destination for business groups and leisure guests, the resort became part of the Autograph Collection on August 23, 2018. Known for its history and Southern hospitality, the resort has been praised by leading industry publications such as Successful Meetings, Garden & Gun, Travel + Leisure; ConventionSouth; Conde Nast Traveler, Southern Living and others. While new to the Autograph Collection, the resort first opened in 1847 and is known for exceptional service, Southern charm, majestic oaks and beautiful sunsets over Mobile Bay. The Grand is truly the Queen of Southern Resorts.
⦁ 405 guest rooms in five buildings on 550 acres and is AAA Four Diamond rated.
⦁ Hotel transformation completed in August 2018 and joined Autograph Collection.
⦁ “Latest and Coolest Hotel Renovations” USA Today, September 10, 2018 (Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Hawaii and the Grand Hotel).
⦁ Six new restaurants and lounges opened in 2018: Jubilee Poolside Grill; Bayside Grill; Southern Roots; Grand Hall; 1847 Bar and the Local Market. Bucky’s Lounge remodeled and outside seating area with fire pits expanded in 2018.
⦁ Seven restaurants and lounges ranging from casual to formal.
⦁ High tea offered Thursday through Sunday in the Grand Hall.

Bill Cuebas, ‘The Golf Father’ on Golf in Florida

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Rick talks about the state of golf in the State of Florida this week with “The Golf Father,” Bill Cuebas.

Bill is a resident of the State of Florida and has been out golfing. Golf was deemed essential in Florida by the Governor. How have golfers reacted to new restrictions, what are the golf courses and manufacturers doing in times of a pandemic?

Rick and Bill discuss many topics. Bill is Director of Communication at Golfballed.com, a product tester and reviewer. He is a co-host on BiGGs Golf Talk Radio

Bill’s quotes:

“I Love the game of golf and all it has given me mentally and physically.”
“Love The Folds of Honor and all that they do to support our Military families.”
“I STAND WITH THE FOLDS OF HONOR!”

Steve Snyders, Sun Mountain Sports and Finn Scooters

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Rick is joined by longtime PR rep, Steve Snyders this week talking about Sun Mountain Sports and Finn Scooters.

In the time of COVID-19 golf, these companies have products that come in handy.

Rick and Steve talk about how these companies offer great products in these days of social distancing on the golf course – push carts and lightweight golf bags by Sun Mountain and the personal golf machine that is Finn Cycle.

Snyders has represented many golf communities and companies including Sun Mountain Sports and its affiliates for 20+ years.
—
Steve Snyders
Sublime Public Relations

Brad Payne, Founding Partner, CEO of Walker Trolleys

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Rick is joined this week by Brad Payne, one of the founders of Walker Trolleys.

Walker Trolleys is an Austin, Texas-based, golf startup with a story began in the entrepreneurial hotbed of San Francisco in 2018. Payne didn’t own his own push cart for tackling the crushing hills of the Presidio Golf Course.

He was able to test drive several models available from the course’s bag room. Some were better than others, but time and time again, they came up short on design, performance and especially storage.

Brad then traveled to Scotland, playing the classics like Royal Dornoch, the Old Course at St. Andrews, Prestwick Golf Club and North Berwick Golf Club. He was blown away by the history and tradition of golf in Scotland, where walking the links was a way of life and an opportunity to bond with kindred souls.

He used a push cart at many of these storied courses and clubs, but by the end of his pilgrimage, he was convinced none of the offerings were consistent with the ethos of the “royal and ancient” game as played in Scotland.

It was on an airplane, over a neat Scotch, en route home to U.S. that the idea for the first Walker Trolley was born. A clean, elegant push cart marrying modern and classic design features, the Walker Trolley is lightweight, portable and eminently convenient.

The Walker Trolley is a push cart for the player, the purist, the aficionado who appreciates style, form and functionality, and who boldly chooses walking as a way to play golf.

Brad  has extensive experience across a wide range of industries, working in finance,  strategy and digital advertising for Fortune 1000 companies, including  Apple, where  he led business development and digital advertising for Apple News, and Morgan  Stanley, where he focused on technology mergers and  acquisitions. He earned his MBA from Kellogg at Northwestern University in Finance. He is a passionate golfer with a fluctuating single digit handicap and has a passion for making cool golf products.

Listen to Brad’s and ideas and philosophy and the backstory to Walker Trolleys.

Jane Park, LPGA Professional Golfer

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Rick is joined by LPGA veteran, Jane Park this week to talk about an LPGA major coming to her hometown in Atlanta in 2021. Actually the Atlanta area when the Atlanta Athletic Club hosts the 67th KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, from June 22-27, 2021. This will mark the first KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to be played in the state of Georgia with one of the largest purses in women’s golf history: $4.3 million, including $645,000 to the champion.

Park plays on the LPGA Tour. Before turning professional, Park reached the finals of the 2003 U.S. Women’s Amateur and 2004 U.S. Girls’ Junior, and won the 2004 U.S. Women’s Amateur. She also tied for low amateur at the 2006 U.S. Women’s Open. Since joining the LPGA in 2007, she has earned over $2.8 million and recorded 16 top-10 finishes.

Rick talks to Park about playing a major in her hometown, her schedule and technology she uses in her golf.

Jeff King, PGA Tour Caddie, Kingmade Jerky

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Jeff King. PGA Tour caddie, or jerky maker?

The answer is both! Thanks to Kingmade Jerky.

Rick talks to Jeff King this week on “Tech of Sports.”

Jeff King, Kingmade Founder, began his love for the game of golf at age 9, started his career as a professional caddie in 1998 and has worked with some of the world’s best players on the greatest stages in golf.

But he loved beef jerky.

Jeff moved full steam ahead creating and refining his own healthy jerky recipes. As a true competitor and diehard athlete who grew up playing five sports, Jeff never backed down from a challenge, and he worked tirelessly to get his recipe right. His first unofficial batch of Classic Recipe Kingmade Jerky was definitely worth all of the hard work. In 2012, he began creating jerky recipes in his home kitchen in McKinney, Texas and within a few weeks, he brought his beef jerky out to the course as a snack for himself. Several players tried it and said it was the best jerky they had ever tasted. Soon, other players began searching through Jeff’s players’ bags hunting for his legendary jerky. Long story short, word started flying around the tour. Demand soared, and players were searching for their own stash of Jeff’s jerky, and several even provided flavor suggestions! Finally, after unrelenting requests, Jeff started making and selling his jerky to the greatest golfers on earth, and within no time, no bag on tour was complete without Jeff’s jerky in it. Now it is the official jerky of the PGA Tour.

Caddie Created. Player Approved.