Attend the Tournament, Stay and Play

TPC Passport members are extended special pricing to attend the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open this October and play at the home of professional golf in Las Vegas. TPC Las Vegas and TPC Summerlin can provide you with an experience unlike any other with packages starting at $740 per golfer. You'll enjoy a PGA TOUR tournament and golf on the very same courses the TOUR players play.

With this special package, TPC Passport Members have the opportunity to witness the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open as well as play both TPC Las Vegas and TPC Summerlin. Ask your TPC Passport representative about adding on show tickets to your package.

For more information or to reserve your package call TPC Passport at 877-416-GOLF(4653)

The package includes:

• The Hill - Tickets for Saturday & Sunday at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital Open (10/18 & 10/19/2008)
• 1 round on TPC Summerlin (10/21/2008)*
• 1 round on TPC Las Vegas (10/20/2008)*
• 4 nights accommodation (10/18 – 10/22/08)

* Based on availability. Space is limited.

TPC Passport Member Price: $752 per golfer (JW) / $740 per golfer (RR)
JW = JW Marriott based upon double occupancy / RR = Red Rock Resort & Spa based upon double occupancy

What is “The Hill”?

“The Hill” is a 20,000 square foot area overlooking the 16th, 17th and 18th holes. It features a 10,000 square foot covered venue as well as outside patio tables and seating. In true Vegas fashion, The Hill offers guests an incredible experience by granting views of the Las Vegas skyline and Red Rock Canyon. Some of the city’s finest restaurants will be on hand near The Hill, at Restaurant Row. Guests will enjoy a lively and comfortable atmosphere resplendent with seating area’s, tables, and large plasma screen televisions for keeping up with all of their sporting interests. The Hill will be open Wednesday through Sunday of tournament week.

Flexibility

By Todd Jones
Head Instructor, TOUR Academy at TPC Sawgrass
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

The best players in the world are dedicated to performing at their absolute best. So it is no surprise to hear that the majority of the players on the PGA TOUR are spending more time with their trainers than their swing coaches. These players have come to realize that if their body is not prepared to get into the position’s that their coach is asking of them, that the further pursuit of improvement may be frustrating.

Even if the player is not tour caliber, golf specific fitness can play a huge role in playing better golf. The cornerstone of being in “golf shape” is flexibility. Good flexibility will not only protect the player from injury, but also promotes ball striking consistency as the body will have sufficient range of motion.

One area of specific focus should be the muscle group referred to as the rotator cuff. This muscle group is directly engaged as the player swings the golf club to the top of the backswing, as it is responsible for the elevation and rotation of the upper arm. If the rotator cuff lacks flexibility it can be difficult to set the club shaft on plane in the backswing, and is often the cause of the “flying elbow”. The following stretch, if done on a consistent basis, will help to increase rotator cuff flexibility.

Rotator Cuff Stretch

1. Standing tall in good posture, position the right hand palm up in front of the body. Position the head of a mid iron in the palm of the hand with the heel of the club favoring the thumb.
2. Elevate the right arm so that it forms a right angle with the elbow opposite the shoulder. As this happens the shaft should drape behind the right bicep.
3. Reach the left arm across the body and take hold of the grip section of the clubs. Once in position gently pull forward with the left hand.
4. To maximize this stretch, keep the right elbow in place to act as an axis for rotation and hold for a long count of 10.
5. Repeat for opposite side to ensure muscular balance.
   
   

TPC Wine Guy Frequently Asked Questions
Part 2

What is the normal shelf life for a bottle of wine once bought?

Most wine in the US is drunk within two days of being bought and a huge proportion is drunk within two or three hours. So this isn't something we often have to consider. But some wines will last for years. Yet these perhaps only for 1 to 2% of wines made. Most wine up to $20.00 is made to be drunk within the year. Oaked Chardonnays, white Burgundy, fine German Riesling or the world's great sweet wines are all whites that will live for much longer, but you need to ask advice from a merchant - or someone like me - about specific wines. There are few hard and fast rules. With reds, many last a little longer and will improve with time. But most 'age-worthy' wines will be in the $40.00+ price bracket. Top Bordeaux and California Cabernets from the 1980's are still wonderful and have developed fine, complex aromas. Fortified Ports from 1963 are still developing and 1977 is a touch young. Madeira - a wine made to be aged for long periods - is perhaps the world's longest lived. A 1900 Moscatel we opened for the millennium celebrations was still 'too young' and I've worked at a merchant that was selling bottles from the 19th century and even back to 1785 that were still perfect for drinking now. But remember if you do buy wines for long aging, you have to have the right storage conditions. Cool, dark, moderately humid, consistent conditions - and if you can't provide this in the home look to keep some or all of your collectibles in a specialised storage facility.

What is your personal favourite chardonnay and cabernet?

Tastes change - not just by the year, but sometimes by the minute. But if pressed I'd say that Michel Laroche's Chablis Grand Cru Reserve de l'Obedience from Les Blanchots - a stunning vineyard in this hallowed part of Northern France, is my favourite. It's not cheap (at around $140) but then the very finest things rarely are I suppose. It's also a wine that nearly killed me - I was filming a TV show here once and the carbon dioxide from the fermenting barrels around us (this is an unusual, oaked Chablis) started to build up and I began to pass out. CO2 suffocation is one of the biggest causes of fatalities among people who work in wineries.

For Cabernet - this is a tough one. There are two styles of Cabernet in the world: the minty, fragrant style of Bordeaux, France, and the rich, curranty, muscular style of California. I love them both, but the only estate that really brings out the best of both worlds is Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains near San Francisco. Ridge Monte Bello (expect to pay around $110) is no longer always a 100% Cabernet (although vintages from the early 1970's and before were) but the small additions of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc act like seasoning - bringing out the complex, fragrant aromas of Cabernet whilst keeping true to its solid currant and tobacco core. Every wine fan should try this wine at least once.

What general types of food go with red and white wines?

I remember a Billy Crystal joke about how students were protesting about everything and anything in the 1970's - 'even the catering students... carrying placards that proclaimed "red wine with fish"'. Actually light Pinot Noir is a wonderful combination with salmon or a meaty white fish. Think about two things: Richer flavours go with richer, more densely flavoured wines. That's why game is good with Zinfandel, and lamb with earthy Cabernet. But also structure. Big, bold oaky Chardonnays will overwhelm a light salad, but can be lovely with herby roast chicken or pork. There's an old, British wine trade line that 'all food and wine matching is bunk'. And there's a truth to it. But then experiment - off-dry wines with spicy food, bone dry Chardonnay with seafood, Sauvignon Blanc with goats' cheese - and you see that within some very general rules are gorgeous, made-in-heaven matches.

What is the difference between red zinfandel and old vine zinfandel? Is it worth it?

It depends if the vines are really old - or the wine makers just say they're old. Rules on what constitutes 'old vine' change all over the place so you may be getting 'old vine' Zin from a vine that in human terms is merely graduating from college. In general 'old' vines - those over around 35-40 years, will produce fewer, more concentrated bunches of grapes. Younger vines are like teenagers - they've masses of energy but no focus - so they end up wasting the efforts on leaves and extra bunches. Viticulturalists - the people who tend vineyards - have to cut them back and prune them hard to keep the quality levels up. In the end though, good producers are the true determinants of wine quality. Cline, Ravenswood (especially their single vineyard wines), Ridge Lytton Springs... these are all great zinfandels no matter what the age.

If I bought a bottle of Riesling in Germany in 2005 (was about 50 Euros), is it still good now? Or is it rubbish?

I get asked this quite a lot - and I'm afraid it will depend on the producer. At this age, and this sort of price, the answer is almost certainly yes. And it may well improve. But there are aromatic, light styles that could be wobbling a bit now, whilst others might not even be ready.

That's why people like me are here. I pick up emails from TPC members and even PGA TOUR and Champions Tour players almost daily asking about specific wines. I'll always do my best to help them out. Email me at joe@joefattorini.com and let me know the name of the wine and the style (Spatlese, Auslese... something like that) and I'll be delighted to help.

 

Joe Fattorini, TPC Wine Guy
Email a question to Joe