Story and photo by Neil Wolkodoff
In golf, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (RTJ) is in another universe.
It is simply the golf version of the Silk Road: 26 courses which span almost all of Alabama, with a unique history, geography, and exceptional golf.
Golfers have pent up demand. Last year was a record for rounds played and equipment purchased. The Denver Golf Expo has had a two-year absence with the pandemic. The golf phoenix gets reborn and better with the 2022 version. Would it draw?
Start with the move from the Merchandise Mart to the Colorado Convention Center. The only downside is parking not free, but the upside is a massive space with great lighting and ventilation. Energy is way up. The fact winter weather was still here added to the amped up interest on the first day.
Start with the fact the vendors want to be there, so 120 booth is a sign of the health of golf after the absence. Attendees could get lessons, learn from seminars and see some of the latest gear. Nothing like grabbing a new driver while it is 23 degrees outside and imagining that 19 extra yards. A special kudo to Lenny’s Golf for stepping in and being the major shaker for the gear portion to be worthwhile.
Travel was well represented from around the U.S. from Florida to Hawaii. One of the more interesting courses represented is Black Mesa, halfway between Santa Fe and Taos. Meandering through the reservation, this non walkable course has everything imaginable in ups, downs and shot selection.
Related to golf is what you consume. You have everything from CBD to drinks suitable for the adult post-round stories. Scottish King’s Gin might change your mind about what is the best post-round beverage.
19,500 golfers are projected to attend this year’s event. If you want to be one of them, you can get more information and tickets at The Denver Golf Expo.
Story & Photos, Neil Wolkodoff
Before Covid, cruising was undergoing a re-set with new ship and activity options. That hit the accelerator to cater to the changing market preferences. With their Next Gen ships, Atlas Ocean Voyages is touting a safer, seamless, and more convenient experience with a Lux-adventure theme.
The Atlas Ocean World Navigator is a pinnacle-appointed, intimate ship in the world of floating hotels. Continue Reading
In golf, sometimes marketing comes ahead of design. Not with TourEdge.
Not only do they use Artificial Intelligence with club building, but they take tour player input, add old-fashioned precision craftsmanship, and then make the first iteration of the club. Then the club gets tested extensively.
In the case of the new 721 series of drivers and woods, you are really getting something that comes as straight from the tour van as possible. They have 25+ tour pros playing the new driver, so it definitely works and that set of individual notes proves invaluable to tweak the design. And, if you are in that class of better player, finally a club that is exactly what the tour player is using!
The 721 metals moved the center of gravity forward in the clubhead to reduce spin with the result of more penetrating shots. For the better player, a more compact head was in the plan with a deeper, and more open face for the driver. The 721 hybrid sits square at impact. This simply takes advantage of the swing mechanics of the better player’s hand and arm motions through impact.
Looks can be deceiving, and the driver face uses their “Diamond Face 2.0 Technology.” Think of this as 43 different diamond shapes that act like face zingers for better ball speed, especially on off-center strikes. The head uses a ridgeback feature to move around strength and weight for less spin combined with faster swing speeds.
What is really amazing is the technology is reasonably priced compared to the competition. The Pro 721 series ranges in price from $449.99 for the Pro 721 Driver, $299.99 for the Pro 721 Fairway and $249.99 for the Pro 721 Hybrid. That’s a lot of boom for your buck if you are in this class of player.
The initial run is only 1,000 clubs per category, and their full retail launch is August 12th. You can read about all the other interesting technology in these clubs at https://www.touredge.com/
At VistaVerde Ranch, just outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the people who work the ranch aren’t only staff. They are enthusiastic participants in the western history of the ranch, mission, and lifestyle.
Amp up the experience’s novelty and the potential derived benefits, and the person guiding the experience takes on more importance.
These are all impressive people. They bring their heart and soul to VVR and your experience. Every individual there is interesting in their own right, so finding three that embody the West’s personal spirit seems a little unfair to the rest of the group. As the average length of working the ranch is seven years, these are not transient like the seasons. They like what they do and find personal and transferable meaning from the experiences and work to the guests and the world. After a week at VVR, a typical stay, you might even call some of them friends.
Cholly McGlynn might be the most critical person at VVR because everyone has to eat. Nothing at VVR is easy, all hard work, and that takes fuel, which he directs as F & B Director. His early years were in Philadelphia, with early anticipation of being a Marine Biologist. After a brief stint in electrical engineering, food preparation’s continual learning process propelled Cholly down the culinary road.
He has been at VVR for 17 years, actually split into two stints. What separated them was his foray into baking, which was somewhat a gauntlet for his learning mantra and cooking skills. Through trial and error on his yeasty sabbatical, he became a master baker. However, he noted, “my first baguettes were a disaster, a real door-stop.” For Cholly, one of his driving forces is always learning.
Like the eight-armed, whirling-dervish of all things food and beverage, he has helped elevate the dining and beverage experience of VVR well beyond expectations. As if exceptional food was not enough upon his return, he trained as a sommelier, resulting in VVR bumping up to Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence in 2018.
He has a tie to VVR that is more than a job. He regularly hunts and fishes and participates in the hunt to table competitions. His two children were born on the ranch, so it is in their blood as well.
If you are going to get off the National Forest property, you need a guide skilled in every direction and every mode of exploration. Shannan Balser is the battery bunny of guides at VVR, with endless energy and a personal passion for connecting people with the land.
Like most of the staff at VVR, Balser found work to be the perfect union between personal passion and location. If it is really down in her rare downtime, then it is dance movies/videos that get her attention. In her 12 years at the ranch, you can most likely find her doing the same biking activities, running, skiing, and snowshoeing on her off time.
Growing up, she was tied to the bike and running and Placerville, California. She has a unique tie to activity, the land, which is combined with connecting with people. Her travels have helped her empathize with people quickly upon first meeting, a skill that really embellishes the outdoor experience for the guests. Balser is not afraid to get out and go, as evidenced by her bike trip across Guatemala when she was 22, which was self-supported and relied on villagers for direction without GPS aid.
If she was not at VVR, she would be working with kids in some outdoor setting. When they get off the trail with Balser, that does apply as the guests are like big kids in a new world, so a perfect fit for both.
In a ranch like VVR, the horse is calling, and James Reeves, wrangler extraordinaire, can get you in the saddle and into the sunset in no time. Reeves, the son of wildlife biologists, has always had a kinship to the mountains and packing somewhere off the beaten path. Talk to him for five minutes, and it’s apparent this is in his blood. And, according to Reeves, his parents expected him to do something akin to wrangling.
Reeves first saw an ad for VVR, and now in his third year, the Sacramento native has settled into what he considers the ideal location. He notes there is definitely a bit of family association between the staff, almost a VVR comradery.
You might think being a Black wrangler places him in a unique position. That is true. However, Reeves notes that it is about doing your job in a ranch setting and respecting those who do their jobs.
He is a naturally quiet man who obviously has a gift when chatting with the equine population. Maybe one of his best contributions is getting the guest to just slow down and develop that quiet connection to the horse. He has quite the cerebral schedule of art, poetry, and watching an occasional movie on his days off. He definitely has an old west quality about him – a man of few words but intense connection and purpose.
