Golf In New York City Blog

NEW BEGINNGER’S PROGRAM
AT HYATT HILLS GOLF COMPLEX

Many people are interested in learning about golf, also known as “The game of a lifetime”, and learning how to play, but do not know how to go about it or what is involved! The Hyatt Hills Golf Complex announces its latest program in player development with an exciting and informative Beginning Golf Evening Clinic entitled “Everything you wanted to know about learning Golf but didn’t know Where to Go or Who to Ask” … specifically designed to answer those questions.

In fun filled, 2½-hour clinics held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month - starting March 5th thru October 15th - attendees will learn all about golf, including some fundamentals of the swing. The clinics begin at 6PM and are conducted by PGA Pro Bill Castner, Director of Instruction, together with other members of Hyatt Hill’s professional teaching staff.

In addition to getting a putting lesson, participants will learn many basic concepts of the game; they’ll tour the Hyatt Hills Golf facility, and will walk part of their beautiful 9-hole golf course. As a first step towards their future as a golfer, each attendee will take home, free, a custom-fitted putter, a slightly used middle iron, plus an information-packed workbook. Cost for a clinic is $40 per person, and reservations are required in advance, so that the jam-packed program can start promptly at 6PM.

According to Castner, “This is a great way to get some insight into the game and have a fun evening at the same time.” The teaching staff at the Hyatt Hills Golf Complex encourages readers to take a Wednesday evening off and spend it with their friends, while learning more about the Game of a Lifetime.

For more information or to enroll, call the Hyatt Hills Golf Complex at (732) 669-9100.

The New York City Chapter of the Executive Women’s Golf Association is
holding its annual Tee Off Event at the New York Athletic Club on
Monday, March 31st. Special guest speaker Susan Reed, Editor in Chief
of Golf for Women will talk about the state of women’s golf.

This annual event is open to non-members and tickets are $65.00 in
advance and $75.00 at the door. Attendees will enjoy a light buffet
dinner and an open bar. More information about this event and online
registration can be found at www.ewganyc.org.

The Executive Women’s Golf Association includes nearly 20,000 women
golfers throughout the United States and Canada. The New York City
Chapter offers networking, golf and educational events for golfers of
all skill levels residing in or near New York City. Established in the
fall of 1998, our chapter has grown to almost 300 members. Come play
with us!

2008 PGA Play Golf America National Events:

April -– PGA Free Fitting & Trade Up Month – “Trade-Up to More Distance”
Throughout the month of April, PGA Professionals across the country will provide free 15-minute expert equipment fitting sessions at participating facilities. The PGA of America teams with Golf Digest, the PGA Trade-In Network and the PGA.com Value Guide to sponsor this equipment-themed consumer promotion. More than 3,100 PGA Professionals, a 15-percent increase from 2006, helped 36,300 consumers find the appropriate equipment to help them play a better game of golf and have more fun through the use of properly fitted and most current equipment.

May – PGA Free Lesson Month
Celebrating its 11th anniversary, PGA Free Lesson Month is designed to reach new golfers and help existing golfers improve their game with free, 10-minute golf lessons conducted by participating PGA Professionals nationwide throughout the month of May. Last year, a total of 115,500 free lessons were given by 6,630 PGA Professionals at 5,353 facilities across the country. PGA Free Lesson Month is a growth-of-the-game initiative between The PGA of America, Golf Digest, The Golf Channel, Golf For Women and Golf World.

June – American Express™ Women’s Golf Month
Due to the overwhelming success of Women’s Golf Week over the past three years, Women’s Golf Week has been extended to Women’s Golf Month in 2008. Women’s Golf Month is aimed at increasing the participation of women in golf and to make learning and playing golf fun in a women-friendly environment. Participating facilities nationwide offer complimentary golf instruction to women 14 years of age and older. Last year, a record of 34,200 women attended Women’s Golf Week events at a record 1,358 facilities across the country. More than 68,000 women nationwide have been introduced or re-introduced to the game of golf over the past three years during American Express Women’s Golf Week.

July – Family Golf Month
Throughout the month of July, participating facilities will offer programs, including Family Golf Clinics and Family Golf Play Days for a nominal fee along with Kids Play Free promotions. These programs provide a structured, yet casual opportunity for families to learn and play the game of golf together and promote golf as a regular family recreation activity for all participants. In its second year, more than 1,000 facilities hosted Family Golf Month events, an 823 percent increase from 2006 (120 facilities).
July 7-13 – Take Your Daughter to the Course Week
The PGA of America teams with the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) to promote “Take Your Daughter to the Course Week” during Family Golf Month. This is the third year the program is promoted under the Play Golf America marketing umbrella, and the program’s ninth year overall. A total of 1,339 facilities participated in the promotion, an eight percent increase from 2006, with 84,500 consumers participating, a 13 percent increase from last year. Of the 84,500 who attended the promotion, 38 percent were new customers and 29 percent were new or beginner golfers. Take Your Daughter to the Course Week is designed to introduce young girls to the game of golf and encourage family interaction on the course. Participating golf courses nationwide will offer a free clinic for young ladies throughout the week and will also offer complimentary green fees to a young lady accompanied by a paying adult.

July – Bring Your Kids to the Range
Bring Your Kids to the Golf Range, a Golf Digest Publications and Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) initiative promoted under July is Family Golf Month, is in its second year. In its inaugural year, 177 facilities participated in the program.

August 29 – September 1 – Patriot Golf Day
Patriot Golf Day, jointly supported by The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association, is scheduled for Aug. 29 – Sept. 1. The inaugural event, inspired by Capt. Dan Rooney, a PGA Professional and USGA member from Broken Arrow, Okla., was held at over 3,200 facilities in 2007 raising more than $1.1 million to support the families of veterans who have been injured or perished in the line of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan.

2009 U.S. Open Championship Opportunities

I received the following E-Mail from the United States Golf Association:

The United States Open Championship will be returning to the Black Course at Bethpage State Park June 15 - 21, 2009. The championship in 2002 was an exciting week and the Black Course provided a stern challenge to the world’s best players. The USGA is honored to be returning to Bethpage.

The success of the championship was due in large part to over 4,000 volunteers serving as marshals, assisting in scoring and providing information services to thousands of spectators. We could not hold the U.S. Open without the help and support of our volunteers. If you would like to volunteer apply online today: usga.org Bethpage Volunteer.

If you have an interest in learning more about the 2009 U.S. Open corporate hospitality opportunities, please visit the 2009 U.S. Open for a complete list of available options.

As a reminder the opportunity to apply for the random drawing of 2009 U.S. Open Championship Tickets will be accepted by the USGA through the mail or on our Web site, www.usga.org/tickets, during the following timeframes:

Active USGA Members- March 1, 2008 until 5:00 p.m. (ET) on April 15, 2008.
General Public - June 16, 2008 until 5:00 p.m. (ET) on August 1, 2008.

Thank you for your interest in the 2009 U.S. Open Championship.