Orlando Golf News

Brad Brewer, who is already recognized as one of the leading golf instructors in the game, is continuing to garner acclaim for his teaching by having the Brad Brewer Golf Academy named as one of the top 25 golf schools in the U.S. by Golf Magazine.

The academy is located at Shingle Creek Golf Club and Rosen Shingle Creek hotel in Orlando, where Brewer is the president of the academy that bears his name. This is the second time Golf Magazine has honored Brewer. The publication previously named him a Top 100 Teacher 2007-2008.

CELEBRATION - Celebration Golf Management, which owns and operates Celebration Golf Club in Celebration, has acquired the Legends Golf Club in Clermont. Gene Garrote, president of Celebration Golf Management, said the firm acquired the course from Lennar, a major homebuilder in Florida and the U.S. The semi-private, 18-hole championship course opened in 2001, Garrote said. 

ORLANDO - When many of golf's greatest legends team up with their sons for the annual Del Webb Father/Son Challenge at ChampionsGate in Orlando this December, two first-year players in the field will be renewing a rivalry that took on a greater dimension this past summer.

Nick Faldo, teamed with his son Matthew, and Paul Azinger, paired with the late Payne Stewart's son Aaron, will join a field that features many of the greatest living legends in golf just three short months after the two opposed each other as captains of their respective Ryder Cup teams. In that competition, the United States team was able to reclaim the cup after an eight year drought.

Stephen Ames admits that he loves the feel of returning to a tournament as the defending champion.

Ames will get to enjoy the experience for the third time in his PGA Tour career Thursday when he tees off in opening-round play of the Children's Miracle Network Classic presented by Wal-Mart. The $4.6 million event is being played on the par-72 Palm and Magnolia golf courses at Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., and will wrap up the Fall Series and the Tour season for 2008. 

I recently read an article about nurturing leads and it reminded me about my early golf instruction struggles. It discussed that 90 percent of customer inquiries from an ads, sales presentations or other marketing efforts resulted in a sale for that company or one of their competitors. It went on to mention that many consumers did not buy right away.

Can you believe more than 40 percent bought a year later? Lastly, it mentioned how you need to create a touch plan to get those inquiries to move from the thinking about it stage to commitment or buying stage. How it reminded me of my early struggles was that it showed that most sales people don’t have a plan on keeping these inquiries interested.

More than 100 individual PGA Professionals as well as community leaders attended the East Central Chapters Inaugural Award Ceremony and Banquet at Timacuan Golf and Country Club in Lake Mary.

Honored were 11 individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the game of golf, the chapter and the North Florida PGA Section. Topping the list of individual award winners was Tony Johnson, General Manager of Timacuan, as the 2008 PGA Professional of the Year.

“I am honored to accept this award,” stated Johnson. “There are many deserving professionals that are deserving of this award and I am truly honored to have been chosen as this year’s recipient. I could not have earned this honor without the daily support I receive from my family and staff.”

Mayor Glenn Ritchey played host to 136 golfers who gathered to play golf, have a good time and raise $30,000 that will support the Mayors two designated charities; the Keech Street Children’s Clinic and the Daytona Beach Police Foundation.

Mayor Ritchey would like to express his thanks to the major sponsors; Brighthouse Networks, Daytona International Speedway, Halifax Medical Center, Florida Health Care Plan, Pepsi-Cola and Consolidated Tomoka, all of whom helped make this day a huge success.

WINTER GARDEN - When the powers that be at the PGA Tour sent out a search party in order to find a suitable and more permanent home for the grueling Qualifying School finals competition, at least on the East Coast, they were looking for a course capable of testing the nerves and resolve of some of the nation's most grizzled golfers, intent on outlasting dozens of others to finally capture that elusive Tour card. At Orange County National Golf Club, they found two; Crooked Cat and Panther Lake.

They needed a location lacking distraction, a place where golf would be the sole focus. After all, if you know anything about Q School, the last thing a competing player needs is something to think about in addition to how one slice, yip or shank could significantly change his financial future. At Orange County National they found a secluded spot out in the Florida countryside, where highways look more likely to be inhabited by a horse and buggy than a Girls Gone Wild bus. 

ORLANDO, Fla. - October 27, 2008…Marriott Golf, one of the world's premier golf operators, recently announced Chris Flynn, Director of Grounds for Grande Pines Golf Club, located in Orlando, Fla., was named Golf Grounds Manager of the Year. The award is based on performance excellence for current and previous years in various categories, including maintaining turfgrass conditions, successful large scale renovation or construction projects, loss prevention efforts, active pursuit of industry wide certifications and education, and more.

Under Flynn's guidance and leadership, Grande Pines was one of the first properties in the Marriott Golf portfolio to achieve Certification through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, setting the standard for the other properties within the Company.

Whether you’re trying to escape to a warmer climate or are looking for the perfect holiday gift for your favorite golfer, Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando announces its Swing in the Holidays package for golfers looking to challenge themselves at one of the most beloved stops of the PGA Tour.

“Winter is the perfect time to escape to Orlando for a few days of golf, food and fun,” said Ray Easler, Bay Hill’s general manager. “Our King of the Swing package gives golfers a chance to hone their skills on one of the most well-known courses in the world while relaxing at the seasonal home of a golf legend.”