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April
2003
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BENT TREE GOLF CLUB, I DARE
YOU!!
It seems like a long time since the
Metro area has seen green golf courses,
but spring is finally here, and with it
the 2003 golf season. With the mild winter
Bent Tree Golf Club is looking to enjoy
very good course conditions this spring.
Golfers playing Bent Tree in March were
able to take advantage of these favorable
playing conditions, and look to do more so
in the year to come.
This golf season will see a number of
improvements, changes and new wrinkles to
one of the area's most popular golf
courses. One of these is the new Bent Tree
Golf Club web site, which can be found at
www.benttreegolf.com. Golfers logging onto
the Bent Tree web site will find
information concerning rates, outings,
tournaments, directions and special
discounts. The special discounts can be
found on the eClub page of the web site.
Golfers who click onto the eClub page will
be able to receive discounts on green
fees, merchandise and other products and
services available at Bent Tree Golf Club.
Throughout the year eClub members will be
notified via email of these special
discounts, which are available only to
eClub members.
Bent Tree Golf Club will also be host
to some exciting new events this season.
The Iowa Senior Open will be held at Bent
Tree Golf Club on August 22 & 23. This
event is open to all amateurs and
professionals from either Iowa or
Nebraska. As one of the Iowa Golf
Association's premier events, the Senior
Open will likely attract a very strong
field of competitors in all flights. Any
golfer looking to compete in this exciting
event can find information on the Bent
Tree Golf Club web site, or by calling the
Iowa Golf Association at 515-331-3603.
Also on tap will be the Nebraska
Section of the PGA hosting a Pro-Am on
June 23. This event will certainly draw
the best professionals from the Nebraska
PGA Section, as it did last year.
The Metro Omaha Championship returns to
Bent Tree Golf Club this year on August 16
& 17. As one of the area's premier
amateur events the "Metro" consistently
draws a very deep field. One change to
this year's event will have the
Championship Flight playing 36 holes,
instead of 45. Last year's event at Bent
Tree saw only two competitors finish under
par, with Trent Morrison shooting an
impressive six-under par in very difficult
conditions.
Event Chairman Dave Shillinglaw says
the Metro has increased in popularity
every year. Golfers looking to play in
this year's event will want to sign up
early, as the field typically fills up
within several days of opening entries.
Also, with over $7,000 in merchandise
payouts the Metro is certainly a must play
on any golfer's tournament calendar.
Tournament information is available on the
Bent Tree Golf Club web site.
To accommodate the growing popularity
of the golf course Bent Tree has recently
completed a clubhouse renovation, which
will provide more room for the golfers and
a larger kitchen so that the Bent Tree
Grille will be able to offer an expanded
menu.
Bent Tree Golf Club is also excited to
be one of the participating golf courses
in the Tee Time 24 Membership Program. A
Tee Time 24 Membership offers golfers the
opportunity to play the area's premium
courses at less-than-premium prices.
Members will enjoy discounts on greens
fees of up to 50% at some participating
courses.
Last but certainly not least on Bent
Tree Golf Club's 2003 event schedule is
The Cabin Fever Open on April 23. Although
The Cabin Fever Open is not actually a
tournament &endash; just a day of golf
&endash; it is Bent Tree Golf Club's
traditional spring kick-off event. It's an
entire day of FREE golf! That's right. No
green fees and no cart fees! Golfers
simply call for a tee time a maximum of
one week in advance of the event (April
16) and you and your group play an 18-hole
round for free, na da, zilch. The Cabin
Fever Open is our most popular event of
the year (surprise), so mark it on your
calendar and call early on the 16th to
make your time.
Bent Tree Golf Club is also host to a
number of corporate and group outings
throughout the year that are always
looking for participants. If you'd like to
play in any of these, please feel free to
call the golf shop.
So if you're looking for one of the
area's most unique and exciting course
you'll find it three miles east of Council
Bluffs on Highway 6, at exit 8 off of
I-80. For tee times or additional
information please call the golf shop at
566-9441, or go to
www.benttreegolf.com.
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FROM THE
LOCKERROOM
By Bob O'Keefe
Publisher
• Ernie got off to a great start,
but, now that Tiger is playing without
pain in his knee, Ernie and the rest of
the field will have to start dividing up
the also-ran money. It amazes me how Tiger
can play, good weather or bad, sick or
healthy, leading the tournament, or just
finishing strong. Everyone is
watching….nobody counts him
out….and he adds so much charisma to
the game we love. So he didn't win the PGA
Championship…for a while, nobody even
thought he would make the cut.
• The 6th Annual Metro Omaha Golf
Championship will be at Bent Tree
August16-17. The championship flight will
only play 18 holes on Sunday instead of 27
as in the past.
• The Cox High Speed Internet/
Digital Telephone Golf Hour sponsored by
the Nebraska Golf Association will start
May 20th and be carried on both1620 the
Zone in Omaha (ESPN) and 1480 ESPN Radio
in Lincoln.
• As members of the Nebraska Golf
Association you will be receiving the1st
NGA magazine ever published sometime in
April . It is wonderful publication and
will go to all GHIN Handicap members in
the state. If you did not know, as a GHIN
member you are already a member of the
NGA, and membership has its privileges. If
you are not and would like to join or
maybe even advertise in our first
publication call the NGA office at
402-486-1440 or visit the NGA website at
www.nebgolf.org.
• At age 13, Michelle Wie is for
real. She hit an amazing 310 yard drive
during the Nabisco and ended up seven
strokes out of first place. Looks like
Annika better watch who is sneaking up on
her in the LPGA before looking forward to
playing in the PGA.
• What is this world coming to? In
a recent SI article, it was mentioned that
St. Andrews has changed its famous Road
Hole bunker on 17 by lowering the wall two
feet and installing a Starbucks.
• There are some great charity
tournaments coming up in the future months
and I will list some that have been sent
to me: Walt Luksa Memorial Golf
Tournament, Saturday, May 3rd at Tara
Hills Golf Course in Papillion. 7:00 am
Shotgun Start &endash; 4 person best ball,
Men, Mixed couples, and ladies. Fee $60.00
per person includes golf, cart, prime rib
dinner, 18 flag, door and Hole-In-One
prizes. Call Ray or Don Vodicka at
731-1463 for more information. Also, the
10th Annual Keep Omaha Beautiful Charity
Golf Classic will be held on Monday, June
30th, at Shadow Ridge Country Club, with a
1 pm starting time. There are
opportunities for both sponsors and
golfers alike in this worth while event.
Call 444-7774 for more information and
watch future MTT issues for updates in May
and June.
• It would appear that Tiger Tom's
Lounge and Restaurant will be closing
their doors this summer. Tom "Tiger" Lynch
will possibly be hosting his last golf
tournament on June 21-22nd. Make a date
for the last tournament and you can be a
participant at Tiger's on 72nd and Ames,
where some of the greatest golf stories
ever told have originated.
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GBE PATIENT WITH MOTHER
NATURE
By Bob Hall,
Assistant Superintendent at Indian Creek
Golf Course,
Elkhorn, Nebraska
Welcome to the 2003 golf season. It
appears that most of the courses in our
area have come through the winter in good
condition. In the Omaha area we had a dry
spell in mid winter followed by adequate
moisture in February and March. There are
the usual winter damage problems such as
snow mold disease and, in some cases, ice
damage. Superintendents are always worried
until things get growing and we can see
how much winter damage really exists.
During this critical time, it is
important for the golfer to remember that
until the grass starts growing well it has
no way of recovering from injury. This
usually occurs in late April to early May,
depending on the year. It's always
important to fix ball marks, repair divots
and obey course rules such as keeping
carts on paths when requested. It's even
more critical at this time of year.
Frost is another problem in spring. I'm
sure there is nothing more frustrating to
a golfer than finding that play is delayed
by frost on the grass. Frost is
essentially frozen dew. When frost is
heavy enough, the cell structure of the
plant becomes frozen and brittle and can
easily be crushed by foot or mechanical
traffic. Plants can die and damage can be
extensive. I know that golfers appreciate
quality putting surfaces, so we ask that
you be patient during frost delays. Mother
Nature can be difficult to deal with.
I hope you all enjoy another golf
season on the many great golf courses of
Nebraska. Until the next issue, hit 'em
straight.
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Fix the
Flex
There are basically three parts to a
golf club, the head, shaft, and grip. The
only moving part is the shaft, and thus
the part that should fit a moving swing.
Custom fitting experts all agree that the
shaft is "the engine" of the club, and
playing the right shaft dramatically leads
to lower scores.
However, most golfers are playing the
wrong shaft for their game because shaft
selection has proven to be one of the most
subjective and confusing aspects of club
fitting. The end result is that golfers
will perform closer to their maximum
capability and improve their overall game.
PGA Touring Pro Jesper Parnevik confirms
this notion and tells us in a Golf Digest
article that "the right shaft is worth 20
yards." Plane and simple, there are
benefits of having the correct shaft.
In fact with the correct instruction
and practice, a golfer will only get
better if the most important part of the
club (the shaft) fits their swing. So how
do we determine the correct shaft? True
Temper has developed a measuring system
that has revolutionized club making. to
assist golfers in selecting the proper
shaft. It's called the Shaft Lab. For the
last 8 years the Shaft Lab has been
following the PGA and LPGA players helping
them determine the correct shaft for their
swing. Shaft lab is a computer-based
application that provides an objective c
stomized shaft prescription unique to each
golfer, featuring tour-proven technology,
individual analysis, and assessment of
swing dynamics. Shaft Lab determines the
proper shaft flex and tip stiffness by
objectively analyzing the shaft during the
swing. Several swings are all it takes.
Golfers swing the electronically monitored
5-iron and driver, and the clubs measure
over 8,000 data points on the shaft. From
this information, the Shaft Lab computer
generates the golfer's swing profile,
containing information on shaft
deflection, downswing time, and club head
position at impact. The readings are then
compiled to recommend the proper shaft and
flex.
Why is this system better than testing
swing speed? Swing speed is only one part
of many factors that contribute to how one
bends or deflects a shaft. Swing speed can
also change from day to day, hole to hole,
all on how good you feel and how hard you
feel like swinging. What about testing
clubs on the range? Testing clubs on the
range is a lengthy trial and error way of
finding the correct shaft. There is also
no guarantee from the manufacturers that
the club that is hit on the range will
have the same characteristics as the one
made. PGA pro Mark Calcavecchia described
his disappointment in manufacturers
inconsistency in a January 2002 Golfweek
article. Calcavecchia needed a new driver
after the shaft broke in the one that
earned him a win at the 2002 Phoenix Open.
"I tried 50 of them with the same
combination and couldn't find one I like,"
Mark explains. "They can make 10
supposedly identical drivers and one will
be fine and nine won't feel right." Break
the cycle of "try and buy."
By testing your swing on the Shaft Lab
and finding a reputable club maker that
can build a set of clubs consistent to
your shaft recommendations you will play
better golf and have more fun. The whole
process takes just 15-20 minutes, and the
golfer leaves the fitting session with a
swing profile printout and a shaft
recommendation sheet. You'll never put the
wrong "engine" in your club again!
Call to Schedule Your FREE Fitting
Session Today! ($200 Value )
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P.O.
Box 9085, Station C, Omaha, Nebraska 68109
Phone: (402) 734-2476 • Fax: (402)
734-2554
E-Mail: Metroteetimes@cox.net
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