The ProStance training aid, used by three-time major winner Padraig Harrington among more than 40 tour professionals, will seek to expand to the U.S. market and be exhibited at the PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 29-31. The training aid promotes a balanced stance at address. … Kingswood Golf and Country Club in Surrey, England, announces that a number of its bunkers, originally designed by James Braid, will be renovated by Swan Golf Designs. … IMG Golf Course Design reports it is currently involved in 18 projects in eight countries. The company also reports that it received more than 14 awards with it various Asian clients in 2008, including two that received first-place rankings for “Best Course” – Philippines Riviera Golf and Country Club (Langer Course) in the Philippines and Dalat Palace Golf Club in Vietnam. … Trigelle will unveil its 2009 fall/resort collection at the PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 29-31 in Orlando, Fla. The new collection focuses on four key groups – “Stripe a Pose,” “Winter Floral,” “Animal Instinct,” and “Burst of Bloom,” and details such as ruching, pintucks, box pleats, piping, wide cuffs and color blocking are a staple throughout. … Ryan Ressa is promoted to associate head coach of the Duke men’s team. Ressa has spent the previous year-and-a-half as an assistant coach with the program. … Grubb & Ellis Co., a real estate services and investment firm, facilitated the sale of Trilogy Golf Club in La Quinta, Calif. TLQ Partners purchased the 18-hole championship golf course from Shea Homes. for $8.6 million. … The Bob Hope Classic kicked off 2009 festivities on Friday, Jan. 16, with special check presentations totaling $1.8 million to the many Coachella Valley, Calif., charities it supports. … Golfers who register for Preferred Golf Membership’s new program will be able to play at Center Valley Club in Center Valley, Pa., Olde Homestead Golf Club in New Tripoli, Pa., The Club at Morgan Hill of Easton, Pa., and Hideaway Hills Golf Club of Kresgeville, Pa., for one fee. The membership starts at $2,495 for the first 250 people who sign up. For information, visit www.preferredgolfmembership.com. … The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America will partner with Nufarm to present “Coffee Talk with the Experts – The Latest and Greatest in Turf Management,” at the GCSAA Education Conference in New Orleans, Saturday, Feb. 7. … Golfalot.com reports that its United Kingdom Price Index posted the first January increase since 2005. The UK Price Index notched gains in every sector with an overall jump of 2.1 percent. … ForeCalifornia.com launches a new Web site (www.forecalifornia.com) to raise opposition to a proposed inequitable tax on golf in the state. Organizers report that the tax would cut jobs, impact city parks programs, and affect golfers at public courses. … Georgia State Park golf courses announce a special winter rate of $28 per round through February. … The American Society of Golf Course Architects, in cooperation with the Club Managers Association of America releases a new 38-minute DVD called “Excellence Restored: A Guide to Golf Course Renovation.” To order a copy, visit the ASGCA Web site at www.asgca.org or call 262.786.5960. … Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, located in Tampa Bay, Fla., and the host site of the Franco Harris Gridiron Tournament (Friday, Jan. 30) and official NFL Charities Golf Outing (Saturday, Jan. 31), has a limited number of guest accommodations available for fans attending Super Bowl XLIII. Innisbrook’s “Big Game Preferred Package” is a five-day/four-night package at $499 per person, per night, based on double occupancy. For information, call 800.456.2000 or visit www.innisbrookgolfresort.com. … Tee-Up introduces a new golf accessory that attaches to the end of the golf club grip and eliminates the need to bend over to pick up your tee. … Sean Taylor, director of golf, spa and retail at Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Va., has been named 2009 Merchandiser of the Year by the PGA of America, Middle Atlantic Section. Taylor oversees two golf shops at Wintergreen Resort’s Stoney Creek Golf Course and the Mountain Inn, and a third during the non-snow season at Devils Knob Golf Course. … The World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla., is promoting the museum’s newest featured exhibition, “Bob Hope: Shanks for the Memory,” in conjunction with this week’s 50th Bob Hope Classic. … The Under Armour College Golf Combines is now open to all recruits from the 2009-2015 classes. There will be five regional combines that provide recruits from throughout the United States a convenient location to be evaluated by college golf coaches. For information, go to www.collegegolfcombines.com.
The 59th Golf Course Superintendents Association of America National Championship and Golf Classic will be held at four courses in Gulf Shores, Ala., Feb. 1-3. … The Northern Trust Open announces a new feature, the Charlie Sifford Exemption. Each year, beginning with this year’s tournament, Feb. 19-22, the Charlie Sifford Exemption will offer a sponsor exemption to a top golfer who represents the advancement of diversity in golf and would not otherwise be eligible to compete in the event. … Laredo Energy becomes title sponsor of the American Junior Golf Association‘s Laredo Energy Junior at Traditions, April 9-12 at The Traditions Club at Texas A&M University in Bryan, Texas. For information, contact Roseanna Smith at rsmith@ajga.org or 678.425.1741, or visit www.ajga.org. … The Florida State Golf Association opens entries for its 2009 tournament schedule. The FSGA conducts 25 state championships, seven of which require qualifying. For information on the championships, visit www.fsga.org. … The 2009 College-Am at The River Landing Intercollegiate is set for Thursday, April 9, at River Landing in Wallace N.C. The college-am, in which openings are still available, precedes the 54-hole River Landing Intercollegiate hosted by N.C. State. For information, contact Jim Pomeranz at jim.pomeranz@earthlink.net.
Golf Channel will air live coverage of the Bob Hope Classic, Wednesday-Friday, Jan. 21-23 from 3-6 p.m. ET and Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 24-25, 4-7 p.m. ET. Also, Golf Channel will air the Champions Tour’s Mitsubishi Electric Championship, Friday, Jan. 23, 6:30-9 p.m. ET, and Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 24-25, 7:30-10 p.m. ET. And the European Tour’s Commercialbank Qatar Masters will air on tape delay Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 22-25, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET.
Contact: