WELCOME FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 11, 2011: THE HONORS CHAMPIONSHIP IS HERE !!!
We all look forward to the annual Honors Championships held at Healy Point each year as the course is always in good shape and the competition is "Hotter than July" (the name of a Stevie Wonder album). This year's Honoree is Macon's own Bobby Hix, who has nurtured a young Russell Henley into perhaps Macon's most successful golfer ever! Bobby is the Director of Golf Instruction at the Idle Hour Club's Learning Center. A truly deserving honor for Bobby and we offer our CONGRATULATIONS to Bobby. Last year, the team of Lee Gerdes and Taylor Jernigan birdied the 2nd playoff hole (Taylor actually birdied!) to win the event over Benny Justice and his partner, Matt Rountree, who earlier in the day shot a blistering 63 to tie the event. Stay tuned for this year's winners!
CONGRATULATIONS also go out to Stephen Amerson, of Gray, GA who again won the Atlanta version of the Nature Valley Amateur Qualifying tournament held Monday, July 11. He also won this tournament just last year. He nows earns a trip to the Championship Tournament held at the TPC Sawgrass at Ponte Verda Beach, FL on October 7-8, 2011!
Jim Hickman is back teaching golf again and is working out of several golf courses (Bowden, Barrington Hall) and also putting on Junior Clinics at both Bowden GC in Macon as well as Houston Lakes CC in Perry. Every Saturday at Bowden GC through August, Jim holds a clinic for boys at 9:00 a.m. and girls at 10:30 a.m., so if you know anyone who would like to learn the game, call Jim at 478-718-2749 or email him at: jim61golfer@gmail.com. The cost for the children is $10 per clinic. Adult lessons start at $60 for an hour. Good luck Jim and welcome back!
Is anyone in the Middle Georgia area playing in the "Golf.com's World's Largest Amateur Golf Tournament" held from August 29--September 2, 2011 in Myrtle Beach, SC? Please email me at mike@middlegagolf and we'll keep in touch with you during the week of the tournament. If you're interested in playing, call 1-800-833-8798 or visit www.WorldAmGolf.com for more details.
William D. Carter recently had his first ever hole-in-one at Oakhaven GC in Macon, on May 3. He used a 7-wood to ace the 146-yard par-3 third hole. Also, Pat Bowlin (Houston Lake CC-Perry) scored her first ever hole-in-one at International City GC in Warner Robins, GA on hole #15 using an 11-wood. If you have had a hole-in-one, please contact us at: mike@middlegagolf.com.
Last, but not least, we will now begin taking emails to mike@middlegagolf.com for our Summer Golf Give-Away which will run from now through September 18, 2011. First place will be a three (3) lesson session with a noted Macon-area golf pro at a major learning center, valued at $250. Second place will be for a round of golf for FOUR at Southern Hills CC in Hawkinsville, GA, valued at $200. Third place will be for a golf swing analysis at Dana Golf in Warner Robins, valued at $100. Fourth place will be a $100 gift certificate at either Academy Sports, Dick's Sporting Goods or Edwin Watts Golf, at the winner's choosing. Fifth place will be for one-dozen Titleist Pro-v1 MiddleGAGolf.com golf balls, a $50 value.
Simply send us an email with your name, address (for prize delivery), telephone number (so we can call you to advise you won) and your golf course you belong to (or play regularly) so we can give them credit as well. Good luck to all and please tell a friend about us!
Finally, we are alarmed by the condition of golf courses we are playing all over the Middle Georgia area. Greens are in less than desirable shape, fairway grasses have not yet popped out like we had hoped and overall conditioning is down due to economic and weather issues. As a result, we will be downgrading some courses' Course Rating very soon. We know and hope this will change for the better but we want our viewers to know the truth. For you golf course professionals, please don't take this personally, it is simply reporting what we are seeing at this time. And, I must add that River Forest CC in Forsyth was in impeccable shape for the recent Member-Guest held in June. Also, recent play at both Healy Point and The Brickyard in Macon showed these courses to be routinely incredible. Keep up the good work guys! We wish you all well and hope all of our courses survive and prosper. It is what we are all about, GOLF!
Speaking of weeds, is your yard covered in them yet? Have the storms left your yard in turmoil? There is a simple solution! Call Jim, Chad or Amy at CUTTING EDGE LANDSCAPING in Bolingbroke at 478-475-1910. Not only do they support this website as a sponsor, they treat your yard as if it were their own. They recently performed a make-over at my mother's home in Macon and it was beautiful! Try them and tell them Mike sent you!
Do you have a Georgia Junior Golf Special License Plate yet? Although fees have gone up recently, we encourage all golfers to purchase these specialty tags as the monies go to support Junior Golf all over Georgia. For more information, go to www.gsgs.org as well.
******************GOOD LUCK TO ALL GOLFERS THIS WEEK***********************
