Sunday, December 15, 2013

THE TRUTH ABOUT SPORTS!

By Jock MacKenzie – twice voted one of 50 best radio sports broadcasters in the United States.

Time is like a river.  You cannot touch the water twice because the flow that has passed will never pass again.
So be it by a golf group playing this wondrous game at Pine Lakes and Cypress Knoll.  Sludgehammers is the name by which they go, a take off from visitations by that group while residing in Staten Island, NY.
I’ll always remember standing outside at Palm Harbor in my first or second year here wondering deeply if I would be admitted as a Sludgehammer or thrown to the wolves as a non-admit-tee.
Tony Maltese was my lead guy then just as he is now when we played this fascinating game at Pine and Cypress.  when he came out from the meeting at Palm Harbor, the popular golf site of those days, he was all smiles and that made my day.  I was “in”, and have been since 1996.
While Staten Island was the main lift-off site for the majority, Maltese was flat-out a Brooklyn, NY Dodger and is such to this day.
However, that is just one side of this band of golfers, most of whom had Staten Island as their residence. they played and challenged this marvelous game in Pennsylvania and other sites that would give them a terrific game of golf. 
We also should note that a ton of beer was part of every game and probably still is, excluding of course, Brooklyn’s Maltese.
One notation that might surprise you is the golf ability of Jim Canfield. 
I watched him work his heart out to become the first Mayor of this City and he did it when the position did not exist.  He wanted the City to have a strong leader when it became a reality and he was willing to work his heart out to accomplish that. 
What we never knew is that the guy was an outstanding golfer and is to this day.
I watched him slug the Unbitten apple like a pro and can’t help but be reminded that this marvelous leader  was first and foremost a Mayor, never realizing that he was as good as he is while slugging the apple at Pine Lakes and Cypress Knoll.  Truly, Canfield was and is a very special person.
On the other side of the coin, when I look around the days now during the games played I am always reminded of one of the nicest, most capable golfers one could ever meet.
He goes by the name of Stewart Manthey, a leader, a good player and golf dedicated. He can be a winner at Pine Lakes and Cypress Knoll. but in reality, he is one who loves the game of golf and proves it when he comes off the turf and uses his remarkable ability to make sure that all is done properly.
Most importantly, he is a leader. week in and week out Manthey does whats right for golf but especially for those of us who look his way when a decision is on the hook.
The Sludgehammers boast marvelous people led by Jake Jacoby, easily considered the nicest person this side of the east and one of the best golfers chasing the famed Harry Davis. Also on our list of pride is Kee Ree, a graduate of Tuft’s University located close to Boston, Mike Joyce, a remarkable guy with a career spent in Russia and a terrific golfer, Billy Johnson, a true and fascinating player who spent his entire career in Staten Island.
However, if I had to single out one Sludgehammer for special attention it would be Bob Ross.
I have played the game with this remarkable golfer dating back to the first days of Palm Harbor when golfers from all sources made it a point not to miss this special day and loved every minute.  In my book and in tons of others he is a true Hall of Famer.
You may have guessed that I saved the best for last.  I did that because in all years of my golf life I have never come across a wonderful human being the equal of George Rhatigan.
He could hit the ball straight and true in every match.  It was common for him to say, “My brother is the best golfer.” I don't know his brother but I do know that few in this world can match what he does on our golf courses.
Rhatigan cant play the golf game anymore because of an injured shoulder and arm but he never misses greeting player by player at games end.
One thing I do know about George Rhatigan:  When God hit the round table for golfer’s his choice was easy:
George Rhatigan of Staten Island and Palm Coast was the only number on the table!
Golf is a wonderful game.  Please don't lose yours.  Play a game that gives you joy and satisfaction and makes you a better person. 
Be a George Rhatigan and you'll quickly learn that golf is a very special game.
He played with enthusiasm, played with freedom and played a game that still enriches life.
Finally, when the world socks you in the gut, become a George Rhatigan, one of the nice and very special guys in this world.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

"Your time will be up, and you won’t be able to play anymore."



THE TRUTH ABOUT SPORTS!!!

By Jock MacKenzie – twice voted one of 50 best radio sports broadcasters in the United States.

The following came my way from Ron Atkinson, a good and close friend from prince Edward Island, Canada.
Ron made annual golf visits to palm Harbor many times in the past where we met for the first time.  he is still in Canada following the death of his wife but, thank heaven, we continue the friendship that started out in palm coast many years ago.

he wanted us to know about the privilege of playing golf via a letter from a “former” golfer who no longer can play but has reflected on his years in golf and would like the rest of us to think about how we approach the game now: good, bad or indifferent.

when I read a golfer’s writing for the first time tears began to form because I know it could happen to me despite those beautiful pine & cypress courses in palm Coast to play.  nah, I keep thinking, not me, i will be like the golfer in Portland, Maine who played the green every day, never missed once.  not, that is, until they found him at the club’s bar instead of enjoying the green.  he had called the end of the day at age 100 and settled his round tossing down his favorite drink.
when I tracked down this story i came away with the thought that, yes, I want to go to one hundred like this amazing golfer in the state of Maine even though I know this wouldn’t happen. who knows?  maybe it will be for me, for you and especially the good guys and gals i will long remember because of their ability on the links
I know this: as time works its special way of doing things, my golf at two beautiful golf courses in Pine & Cypress right here in Palm Cost are places I will remember all the way to the man upstairs.

Please read the heart-felt words of this golfer in Canada because what he says now may be what you will be saying when time has its way. . .

He wrote "I cant play golf anymore. I tried to swing the club the other day but my body would not cooperate.  The best I can do now is sometimes take walks on the course. my eyes are not as good as they used to be so I don't see much.  I have a lot of time to sit and think now and I often think about the game.

Golf was my favorite game.  I played most of my adult life, thousands of rounds.  As I look back, I guess I had it pretty good but now that i cannot do it any more i wish i had done it differently.

its funny, but with all the time i spent playing golf I never thought i was a real golfer.  it does not make much sense since I scored better than average and a lot of people envied my game.

I met a whole lot of different people out on the course.  that was one of the best things about it. So why am I writing this letter, just to complain?  its like i said, my golfing was not that bad.  I really do not want you getting to my age and feeling the same regrets that i am feeling now.
I wish I could have been a better playing partner.  i was not a bad person to be with but i wish i had been friendlier and got to know people better.

I am now inside a lot now and miss the beauty of the outdoors.  for years when i was walking, i wish i could have been a better playing partner. I wasn't a bad person to be with but i wish i had been friendlier, laughed and joked more and given people more encouragement.
it was my favorite game.  i played most of my adult life, thousands of rounds, thousands of hours practicing.  as i look back, i guess i had a good time at it.  now that i cant do it anymore, my wish is that i had done it differently.
it is a wonderful game. please do not lose yours.  play a game you want to play.  play a game that gives you joy and satisfaction and makes you a better person to your family and friends.  play with enthusiasm, play with freedom.  appreciate the beauty of nature and the people around you.  realize how lucky you are to be able to do it.
play a game like golf that enriches your life and do not waste a minute of it. play with freedom.  someday it will be gone.
so why am i writing this letter anyway, just to complain?  no, as i said, my golfing experience wasnt that bad but it could have been so much better, and i see that clearly  now.  i don't want you getting to my age and feeling the same regrets i am feeling now.

i wish i could have played the game with more joy, more freedom.  i was always so concerned with doing it right that i never seemed to be able to enjoy just doing it all.
i wish i could have been a better playing partner.  i was not a bad person to be with but i wish i had been friendlier and gotten to know people better.  i wish i could have laughed and joked more and given people more encouragement.  i wish i could have made more friends and had a better time.

i am inside a lot now and i miss the beauty of the outdoors.  for years when i was golfing i walked through some of the most beautiful places on earth, and yet i don't feel i really saw them, beautiful landscapes, trees, flowers, animals, the sky and the ocean.  how could i have missed so much?

it is a wonderful game.  please, don't lose yours.  play a game that you want to play.  play a game that gives you joy and satisfaction and makes you a better person to your family and friends.  play with enthusiasm, play with freedom.  appreciate the beauty of nature and the people around you.  realize how lucky you are to be able to do it.  all too soon, your time will be up, and you won’t be able to play anymore.  play a game that enriches your life. don’t miss a minute of golf.  someday it will be gone!"


                          

Sunday, November 3, 2013

My Best Friend Demanded I Drop Everything For The Game Of Baseball



THE TRUTH ABOUT SPORTS!!!

By Jock MacKenzie – Twice voted one of 50 best radio sports broadcasters in the United States.

 When the world socks you in the gut, a bad day on the golf course maybe, think of the best friend any of us would be lucky enough to have and let the ball roll from there.
My best friend was a sports columnist, Leo Cloutier by name, who came to my house every week demanding that I drop all I had on tap and join him along with others in a game of baseball
That was when he was a star writer in his home town newspaper. He later became big time in that field so much so that Ted Williams of the Red Sox gave him the car he drove when devoted fans at fenway park gifted a new auto.
The thing about Leo that stays with me was his belief by everyone whether baseball, golf or whatever, is this dictum he used in life. When things went bad he used it. When his sports ability shone like the brightest star, Leo loved speaking it at each turn. Simply said, on each occasion it was “With malice towards none!”
He wrote that belief in column after column because he believed in it and, in actuality, it had become part of his life.
So I ask, what does this have to do with we gofers coming off the links today – especially with individual golf prices happily cut in good sized numbers at both Pine Lakes and Cypress Knoll to a point that you may want to consider joining yourself.  We are enjoyed and happy when playing the game well but when the day is not ours with plenty of available turns the smiles of happiness are too often missing.
I have done it.  Members of my “Sludgehammer” Group at Pine & Cypress have done it. countless other groups in Palm Coast have done it.  We love to boast and smile with what we did but rarely do we think how lucky we are to be on this beautiful grass for hours and then brighten the rest of each day with friends.
However, never in all these groups do I hear “With malice toward none!”
My friend Leo is up there somewhere and I will always believe he is watching us like a bird.
To Leo, enjoying the sport is what counted, whether it be golf, baseball tennis or whatever.  When I get home after a good or bad day on the Pine or Cypress courses I stop and think of my late friend Leo and the words loosen all the anger by nightfall.
Try it.  When the world socks you in the gut, think of my friend Leo and the thousands of times he wrote and spoke those special words: “With Malice toward None! In most cases including myself, life and sports will take a huge turn toward the better!  These few words have so much good meaning for all of us that you may want to consider sparking your day with it.
Wish it and speak of it, do as you prefer.
But always remember, “With Malice Towards None!
Hey! What was good enough for Ted Williams will always be good enough for me.
Including Leo Cloutier’s “With Malice Towards None!”




Thursday, October 17, 2013

THE TRUTH ABOUT SPORTS!!!



THE TRUTH ABOUT SPORTS!!!

By Jock MacKenzie – Twice voted one of 50 best radio sports broadcasters in the United States.

No one could blame the hysteria that fell among the band of leaders who purchased full ownership of three golf courses in Palm coast in the early part of this year.
Flags were flying and enthusiasm was at its highest.  These men and women were walking on air as they abounded with enthusiasm over full ownership of golf courses that had been at top level for decades.
Then the rains came.  it rained in the morning, rained at night. The rains fell nearly every time they and those who worked there tried to put together unmatchable golf games.
Yes, i am fully aware that things happen when those running the show are trying their best. However, whacking them in the morning, whacking them at night, whacking them day after day is a little too far over the hill.
How the owners and leaders prevailed is difficult to imagine. how they carried on with this mess of rain pouring down day after day is difficult to fathom.
For the owners and those who worked at the pine and cypress courses it was always, “Are you ready for some golf?
They refused to give up, not this team.  Leaders like Henry Angle, Brian Malanson and Dora Garcia who is busier than a coat hanger at this time while signing members for this coming year.
I was among those who came to Palm Coast in 1995 and never did I view the onslaught that befell this new ownership.  The constant rains - rain in the morning, rain at night - was enough to put the clubs in a bag and simply give up.  But truthfully, not these people, not this group of owners.  They put the hammer down and hung in there like no one I have seen in action before except for we Americans who fought in war day after day.
Now their day may finally have arrived.  It simply cannot rain day after day any longer than it already has. 
So, with all the golf I’ve seen and played in my life I know it is now their time to play this marvelous game without either being sent back home or whacking away in slush.
Frankly, and from the heart, the owners of The Grand Club of Palm Coast will have golfers who are out there with smiles and joy like it always was and should be now.
Please remember, time is like a river.  No one can touch the water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again.
Enjoy every moment of life like never before.  Reach into your bag for the golf club of choice and do it with the smile that only a golfer knows.
Your time is now because the Henry Angle’s, the brian melansons, the Dora Garcias and more are ready to show you the time of your life at two beautiful golf courses named Pine Lakes and Cypress Knoll but in reality the Grand Club of Palm Coast!
Garcia, by the way, is presently busier than a ten armed paper hanger.  With a new and attractive membership rate, the Club is zooming with entries.
More simply said, the Grand Club has hung in there long enough to win the old ball game and time is now on their side!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

THE TRUTH ABOUT SPORTS!!!



THE TRUTH ABOUT SPORTS!!!

By Jock MacKenzie – Twice voted one of 50 best radio sports broadcasters in the United States.


I’ve heard it said that golf is the only sport in which a competitor will put down a cigar to eat a hot dog.  not being a smoker, i can’t verify that but the hot dog will get me after every 18-hole round at pine lakes or cypress knoll.

The most important wordage of all, however, came from golf tour spokesman Peter Kostis. when he stated the FOLLOWING, our ears began to pop: “Golf simply cannot grow unless we can get kids out onto the golf courses!”

we have youngsters in high school who show us great talent but once graduating we seem to lose track of those fasinating golf swings.
but then i thought, whoa buddy, have you looked at what the grand club is doing?
little by LITTLE, i began to view the young talent that director of golf mike tsouklaris has brought to the grand club and to palm coast in general.  i mean these golf professionals are good, very good, in the office or on the links.  and he has done it carefully despite bouts of rain the likes of which has not been seen by me and the thousands who left new england, staten island, philly and anywhere else you care to name.
One of the young troopers i have come to know is rick vaders who joins the team at pine lakes for morning duty.
if you can believe this, vaders was on the hitting range at the age of four.  he was on the links taking lessons somewhere around the age of 10 and turned pro at the age of 19.  and now here he is as one of the tsouklaris troopers.
nothing of this nature, of course, simply happens.  vaders credits his grand father in philadelphia for his golf ability now.  he told me proudly, “i would not be in this without my grand father in philadelpia.”
vaders had moved to key west when his grandad passed away while in hi 80’s but he pays tribute to this day.
in his golf bag is a one iron that stays there and is never used.  vaders said, “it will always stay there to honor my grand father!”
he makes no bones about how much he loves pine lakes.  he says, i live here with my parents, i golf here, i teach the game here and i don’t want to go anywhere else.”
he turned pro at the age of 19 and that’s when tsouklaris hired him.
vaders, as one of the tsoukaris specials, works a morning shift at pine lakes but is through around 12 p.m. and heads for the range where he teaches the many who value his ability.
what’s his lowest score for 18 holes?  He shot a round of 68 and at the Pine is always in the low 70’s.
more importantly, he loves the golf course, his family lives on the golf course including himself and every one of them love it here.

and all of this became possible because rick vaders worked for and got his pga ticket at the age of 19.
but don’t ever forget, it’s the solid staff at the grand club, the knowledge and work of tsouklaris, henry angle and brian melanson, that know exactly which way the cup must spin to make these golf courses among the best in florida!


Friday, September 13, 2013

A GOLF COURSE YOU’LL LOVE!!!



Dreams do not have to be given away but father time took some pretty good swings at the Grand Club’s pine and cypress golf courses and a full bag of many more from river bend to grand reserve and all in between with rain that simply would not stop. 
the grand club, to my way of thinking, took the heaviest belt because these new owners are working their hearts out to make these exceptional golf courses the best in Palm Coast and beyond.  but their dreams and hard work go down the tubes as it does for those of us who love to play the wonderful game that is golf because of the constant onslaught of rain.
but knowing many of them as i do, - golf enthusiasts like Henry Angle, Michael Tsouklaris and Brian malanson - they’ll swing back better than ever and the format is already underway via brand new golf carts that members here and those from the north including montreal, canada will enjoy more than ever. 
Pine and cypress are two beautiful golf courses – the first built   by arnold palmer and the second by gary player.  both were designed for us to enjoy, and by golly, playing either or both is top drawer.
i arrived in palm coast at the urging of bob and sylvia jones way back in late 1995.  the population then, i believe, was about 20,000 and possibly less.  but in all this time Pine, Cypress and others have never suffered the endless rain that fell on us this summer.
few may not be aware today that these golf courses, the roads, a beautiful hotel, were built and managed by itt. they designed every highway, managed every course including palm harbor, pine, cypress knoll and yes, even matanzas of that era and beyond.
but in all that time we have never seen or had to dawn rain garments such as we’ were called upon this summer.
there is an old saying seldom used that pretty well describes this marvelous game we play: “golf can best be defined as an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle followed by a good bottle of beer!
If I wasn’t an alcohol purist I’d drink to that day by day!

SBORDONE AND CANFIELD
John Sbordone is an expert at organizing and directing stage plays of the first order.  it’s his life and a superb director for the best from new york to palm coast.
he’s also a golfer, an avid player, although he rarely admits it.  for the many years we met in golf situations he consistently asked me, “why can’t i break par!”
break par?  my word, the guy’s a demon on or off the links.  every time i get a look at golf results there is john sbordone at the top of the winner’s circle probably muttering to himself, “why can’t i break par?” 
meanwhile, the latest results from Director bob schultz shows him in first place ten numbers ahead of terrific golfers like david ragsdale and mickie mann.  and he does it week after week.
don’t you wish you could break par like that?  i know i would.  either that or join one of his stage groups where he probably also consistently mutters, “why can’t i break par?”  break par?  Hell, he smashes it to ribbons!

jim canfield is the other part of the story.  this native of staten island, new york, who grew into life as an orphan became the first mayor of palm coast and served a growing community for two terms. 
i was so lucky to enjoy part of his first campaign.  i took him to radio stations where we could get the word out and continued his speeches even to small groups that we attended.
thus, jim canfield became the first official mayor of palm coast and still helps out when he can to this day.
is he a golfer, a good golfer?  you bet he is, although he wouldn’t admit it.
playing pine and cypress courses as does sbordone, canfield is a demon on par three holes.  while you or i may be sweating out the numbers canfield’s golf ball is usually seen four or five feet or less from the pin. 
basically, jim canfield is one very special guy – golfer or person – and all of palm coast should feel lucky to have him here.
stop and think for a moment, how many men do you know came into life as an orphan, educated themselves including college, took on a top job as an educator, came to palm coast and twice became a top-rated mayor?
jim canfield, my friends, is one of the nicest persons in the united states.  we of palm coast are lucky to have him and should the grand club post another hall of fame event this former major leads the pack.
thank you, jim canfield, for being the wonderful person you are and that comes out in spades from the Sludge hammer golf group he plays with and for at the grand club.


Friday, August 30, 2013


A GOLF COURSE YOU’LL LOVE!!!
If your dream is to win a golf tournament . . . First place all by yourself . . . The place to do it is Grand Reserve Golf Club located to your left on a short drive up route one in Bunnell.


Why? Because for six years as an in and outer, I have never seen the green constantly shine in beauty like Grand Reserve does, this golf course is a pretty picture to behold and the staff takes the honor.


Truthfully, I have never figured out how this serving team does it but they do, getting it done day after day, week after week and not a flaw on a blade of grass.

The real story, however, is Mike Pullen, an original owner but now hoping the bank holder will open things up and he’ll be running the show as he does with ownership of the popular St. Augustine golf course and did for years and years at Grand Reserve. The membership had him on a roll to return. They had spread the word that Pullen was back, that the deal with the bank was over and done.

Smiles and happiness were seen everywhere. Members couldn’t wait to tell me and others that Pullen was again running the show. The happy message could be seen in the Wednesday men’s league and in every corner where golf balls were struck including the popular women’s leagues.

Sadly, it was not true. He had his shoes on the wall but the bank still had difficult decisions to make with not just the golf course but the housing surrounding the golf course and other arrangements that must be dealt with correctly.

Yes, Mike Pullen is working with the bank while hoping that both sides can come up with the numbers that will have this very popular leader back where he belongs.
The happiness on a Pullen return was displayed by player after player until they learned erroneously that Mike Pullen was back as owner of Grand Reserve Golf Club. That was enough to tell me that this Alabama grad is the right choice as the owner and the quicker the better.

SOMETHING TO REMEMBER
Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. Don’t let life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you will live all the days of your life.
And please don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
So, keep swinging. If it’s a double bogey today, go for the one over par tomorrow. That done, go for the par itself.
Remember, the world is yours. That terrific Grand Reserve that so many love, will make it so.









Monday, August 19, 2013

TWO GOLF COURSES YOU’LL LOVE!!!




TWO GOLF COURSES YOU’LL LOVE!!!

Time is like a river.  You cannot touch the water twice because the flow that has passed will never pass again!

If you miss coming to Florida and playing delightful golf courses like Pine Lakes or Cypress Knoll you are going down the river with flags flying.
Remember, if your jaunt south includes a stop in Palm Coast you are on your way to playing any one of the beautiful golf courses just named.
And if you do play one of these golf courses you will enjoy some of the best golf layouts from here to New England.

It all started back in the late 90’s by ITT who did a marvelous job starting with a course titled Palm Harbor. For some strange reason, they dropped the hammer and left town after amazing successes at Palm Harbor, Pine Lakes and Cypress Knoll.  There are truckloads of us who wish they had never left – that’s how good they were at this golf course business – but the same numbers doubled and tripled and this wonderful game called golf went on a spree of enjoyment that exists to this day.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  It’s not the test of a Pine Lakes or Cypress Knoll but players, women and men, love it.  They are joys to play.
But with Pine Lakes – more familiarly known as The Grand Club – along with a different kind of test at Cypress Knoll you have some of the best golf layouts in Florida.  And it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
I’ve had golfers from Canada vacation here and play this course and that course but not Pine until they strode in a day or two before returning home.
As several told me when their game ended, “We played nearly every course here when starting our vacation.  This is our first at Pine Lakes.  It’s so much better than other courses played here when we return next year for vacation this is the golf course we will head for.”
Lastly, don’t set your goals by what other people deem important.  Only you know what is best for you.

A golfer from Portland, Maine followed that dictum and played this wonderful game until the age of 99.  When the last bullet had been fired, he tucked away his clubs and spent every day at the club’s bar.
Remember that if you will.  You will enjoy fabulous golf like at the Grand Club or or the banner of a sister course title Cypress Knoll.  Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying!

Come to Florida.  Play golf at The Grand Club, play Cypress Knoll, you’ll enjoy both to the hilt. Remember, by enjoying such as golf you will live all the ways of your life.  And please don’t give up when you still have something to give.  Play golf and you’ll find nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.


Sunday, July 28, 2013

EASTERN GOLF, FLORIDA TO NEW ENGLAND

EASTERN GOLF, FLORIDA TO NEW ENGLAND

BY JOCK MACKENZIE –Twice voted one of 50 best radio sports broadcasters in the United States.

A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become and still gently allows you to grow.
The day that Jim Canfield worked his heart out to become the first Mayor of Palm Coast that tag above fit him perfectly and it still does even though he has been out of office for more years than I can count.
His days now are enjoying this wonderful game of golf at Pine Lakes and Cypress Knoll, otherwise known as the Grand Club. And if you think he's an easy target, haul out your wallet and say good by to what's in it.
I asked him recently if he would make a return to office one more time and he responded in a single word. “No”. Yet, there is a lot of City Hall in his heart.
I can tell that because it's easy to read of his appearances there to assist in one way or another.
What most people have no way of knowing but as a resident of Staten Island he was born an orphan and most of his youthful years in a Foster Home. Yet he went on to earn his PHD and earned the title of Doctorate. In the years when he worked his heart out to become the first ever Mayor of Palm Coast he never once spoke of those tough early years. I've known him since 1995, helped him to make speeches at a radio station, played golf with him, voted for him with all my heart along with the hundreds I pleaded to do the same. Only within this week when I wanted to write about his golf and governing ability did I learn of the facts I just stated. Imagine, I've known Jim Canfield for 18 years and only now did I learn from the outside of the marvelous man this former two-time Mayor really was and is to this day.
But let's get down to the basics and that spells golf. He's a golfer and a good one. Along with his best pal, Jake Jacoby, they can sweep away whatever stands in their way. A week ago Jacoby, playing with Canfield and two others, nailed the Pine Lakes Course with a stunning round of 35 on the first nine holes and the rest was easy.
But the real truth of Canfield and Jacoby is that they are the two of the nicest people on the face of this earth, golf or no golf.
Count me as No. 1 on the list of people who are thankful that Staten Island let them leave to live in Florida.
And after what I told you a little about about two of the Staten Island people and now firmly in Palm Coast, Florida I'm hoping you'll bang the drums for another Golf Hall of Fame affair because I'll never know anyone anywhere more deserving for a packed house in Palm Coast than the pair of Jim Canfield and Jake Jacoby.
GRAND RESERVE
This wonderful golf layout just off Route One and a bit short of Bunnell, continues to grow by leaps and pounds. Rain or no rain, it doesn't matter, golfers are flocking to this18-Hole beauty.
Call Bryan Hill who represents Capstone golf and he'll provide all you need to know about tee times and all else that makes your golf day perfect.
Mike Pullen, an Alabama grad and a huge football fan, is the major cog there along with other courses on the Eastern Seaboard and a terrific guy to boot. What I'm saying is that people in play like Ray and Roger Epperson and Steve Spree, good golfers all, think it's a nifty place to play this game and this person, one enjoying many years on those links, fully agrees.
GOLF USA
This popular golf shop for some five years here in Palm Coast, FL, is about to make sweeping changes and it all could happen within two weeks.
As owner David Bonyak explains, “Over the next few weeks we will be cleaning out most inventory at reduced prices. If you are capable please come and take advantage of this cleansing. You will get some great deals.”
Is Golf USA staying at their regular location? Yes they are. They are even bringing in new equipment while concentrating on, as Bosnyak says, to better serve all customers.
The new model? Provide the best club making in the area. Ted Baker has been here over 20 years providing this service and will continue.
Having personally knowing him over that span of time, I'm among those who agree fully. The guy is not just good, he's the best from here to the lowest tip of Florida.
Bosnyak says: “We will carry the essentials of golf for you, gloves, tees, balls, shoes, bags, etc. and order any product for you that they may not have in the store.”
So, don't wait. You have less than two weeks to swing into the best golf equipment in the Eastern Seaboard at sensationally low prices.
Golf USA is the store in Palm Coast and the prices sensational because they are cleaning house in preparation to an all new Golf USA at the same location.






























































Tuesday, July 16, 2013

EASTERN GOLF, FLORIDA TO NEW ENGLAND

EASTERN GOLF, FLORIDA TO NEW ENGLAND
BY JOCK MACKENZIE – Four Times voted Best Radio
Broadcaster including twice voted one of 50 best in the
United States.



Thousands of us are enjoying the thrill of a golf hole-in-one.
Some of the best golfers can boast of two, three, four and more.
But there's something special about that first one even though it may prove to be the only one most of us will ever enjoy. It will be precious when we accomplish that feat and it will remain next to our hearts for life. Sure, the 2nd or 3rd accomplishment will be great but there is nothing, absolutely nothing that beats the joy of your first and only hole in one.
We place the reminder in a prominent house spot so when the golf day had us down for the day we can pick it back up and think happily of that time when we and friends shouted, leaped with joy and took home with us that one time when we could say: “My gosh, I just had a hole-in one!”
Of course there are thousands who wonder if theirs will ever come. But when they do, and they will, the most precious time of life will spread it's wings in our favor.
It will be that fascinating time when they and playing partners can jump and holler with joy because of an event that is extra special in our life. I would like to say it would happen again and again but as one who sits back happily enjoying that one and lonely time when the little white ball actually went into the hole with glorious joy, down deep we one day will realize this Ace will be our first and only such event in years and years of that wonderful game titled “Golf.”



John Maino, for instance, smacked a recent ace at the beautiful Palm Coast Golf Course in Pine Lakes from 155 yards out while using a No. 3 Hybrid. But was the thrill taken from him when noting that this classic was his 3rd career ace? I think not. To Maino each one is special and I'll wager there are more in the bank just waiting to burst out.
The one that really got me is Bryan Hill who zapped the No. 4 hole at Grand Reserve on Hole Number 4 from 118 yards out. He never expected it, never dreamed it would happen and the last I knew was smiling like a new born for three straight days.
Hill runs the show at Grand Reserve each Monday through Friday and then gets a little relief to play golf on either Saturday or Sunday and perhaps on both days.
His friends told me he was smiling, laughing and full of that six-foot- four height every hour of the day. I spent a short time with him on the 3rd day following his special accomplishment and they were right. Personally? I don't think he'll lose that hole-in-one smile for a year to come and maybe more.
With Hill at the time of this special event of his first Ace was Pete Field and Coleman Coy.
By the way, Hill used a sand wedge to accomplish that very special moment.
So, if you reside elsewhere, come on down to Palm Coast, FL for even a week or five more and you'll enjoy golf like few others anywhere. Maybe, just maybe, there's a hole-in-one waiting for you to come.
We have golf courses here that will test every minute of your skill, courses you will love playing.
You can play this wonderful game of golf along side the ocean or at that beautiful 18-holes named Grand Haven. Again, you'll view the lead to the ocean and watch the private boats coming in and going out. Special is not enough to describe how terrific Grand Haven is.
Then there are special golf courses like The Grand Club and Cypress Knoll. I had the honor one day of apologizing to a man and his wife from Montreal for slowing them down during 18-holes. Still in their golf cart they responded, “Don't apologize for being in our way. We have played several courses here during our vacation and this is our first at Pine Lakes and the best course of all. We think this course is so great we will be back again and again and again when we return for vacation next year.”
So, come and enjoy. Whether it be Coventry, Pine Lakes, Cypress Knoll, Grand Reserve, Grand Haven, Palm Harbor or any of the gorgeous ocean courses you'll enjoy golf this deep like no other in the good old USA.
Come here to Palm Coast. You will have struck the best deal in all of American golf!
From time to time I've read writings about getting older especially in golf. But what other sport do you know that allows you to play from youth to 90 years of age? And to enjoy it week after week!
There are times when I can sock the ball like days of yore. Then much of the time that gift seems to filter from the ends of my golf club. That's the breaks. I'm happy I can still hit the golf ball short or long. Admittedly, though, that “long” thought is too often just a dream.
As I've aged, I have become nicer to myself, just grateful to be on the links, good bad or different. When I could fire away looking to break 80, I now fight to bust the number 100. But it's still fun, a ton of fun.
I have seen too many wonderful friends leave the golf world too soon because they fail to understand the great freedom that comes with aging. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But some of life is just as well forgotten.
Sure my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break, when you lose a loved one? But that is just one more reason why the game of golf is so important.
I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves. Yet, that's why golf lasts so long and is so wonderful for people like me.
You know what I like the most? To be allowed to play golf at Pine, Cypress or Grand Reserve with good friends who perform as a team.
I find that showing up at the golf course, joining those formerly from New York or elsewhere on the course - and you may not believe this- but offering best wishes and welcome by others I do or do not know, all of us on hand to topple the other guy and win a buck or two on the way, is the answer with a ton of fun.
Do I like being old or older? Heck, does anyone? You can answer that question in your own heart. I like the career and success I've had but know that time has come and gone. What's important now is that friendships never come apart and each golf day becomes more and more special by the month.
Golf, my friends, is the answer, the game of golf and the people I play it with.
Some come to Pine Lakes otherwise know as the The Grand Club. Come to Grand Reserve and by all means, come to Cypress Knoll and play this exciting game we call golf. So, come on down. Come to Palm Coast, FL where golf will assure that life, indeed, will prove that friendships never come apart.




























































Sunday, July 7, 2013

GOLF IN FLORIDA



GOLF IN FLORIDA
By Jock MacKenzie: Four Radio Broadcast honors including two as one of 50 best radio broadcasters in the United States.

I’ll never get over a good friend golfer telling me that he prefers play the Gary Player golf layout than all other courses here. That’s Cypress where Michael Tsouklaris does a terrific job treating everyone, like a favorite brother.
When I asked the golfer why this particular one he responded: “It has less bunkers than most other courses.” And by golly, the more I play, the more I search for answers he’s 100% per cent right.Now don’t get me wrong.  Palm Coast, the Dunes, Coventry, Grand Reserve, River Bend and more are special elements – very special in mine and other books.Wherever you reside, if you are planning a special golf trip from wherever, turn the book and take one hard look at what we have here. We in Palm Coast are lucky golfers in every regard.

If you are willing to meet one of the nicest and most efficient people of your life make a stop at Publix on, Belle Terre There you hopefully will come face to face with Pharmacist Dr. Anthony Rappa.Dr. Rapp is the Pharmacy manager but far more than that. He is a Professor at Florida State but gives two days of his life each week in Palm Coast for each of us who need his ability for one illness or another.
He is one of two twin bothers and a Doctor of Pharmacy but more important than that, he is one of the nicest and most caring and intelligent people you ever will be lucky to know.

My point is this: If you need pharmaceutical help, head for Publix at Bell Terre and call yourself all time lucky for knowing the most intelligent and nicest person you’ll ever be lucky to meet.  When you have a few free moments take a jaunt to Publix, walk up to the Pharmacy and say, “Thank you, Dr. Rappa, thank you being a blessing to those of us in Palm Coast.

Dr. Rappa may or may not be called a full scale doctor (and he is) but the day following my visit I went to play my favorite golf course, Pine Lakes, and shot the best score of the year! Doctor or not, Anthony Rappa is one special guy on or off the fields of our wonderful game.

There’s another golf course here that is getting far too little recognition although one of these days it will burst out with men and women clamoring to play.  It’s Grand Reserve, where the last time I played it was like being at a perfect picture show. The course is like a dream. It caters to both men and women equally, has ladies leagues on Monday and Friday, men’s league on Wednesday and regular play any time.

One thing I can assure you of: Grand Reserve is a legend in golf building and a dream to play. Go try me out and see for yourself. Some say it can be easier to play, others say “baloney”, some holes are just as tough as any golf course from Florida to New England. Whatever, it’s a beauty to have at our beck and call.
Come and play if only to see for yourself.