News

The Away Trip

Published

18 years ago

Jul 16, 2007

In every sport I’ve ever played – mostly the ones where you try to beat the tar out of someone before he beats the tar out of you – one of the greatest things has been the away trip. It never mattered if we were on the other side of the world or just down the road, only that we were a bunch of guys out to play sport, have some fun and maybe, just maybe, drink a couple of beers.

Some of my best memories and some of my best lack of memories have been on tour: being handcuffed to a minibus in Wales, waving my friend off in an Argentinian police car (lobbing firecrackers under police cars is never a good idea, especially when you don’t speak the language and especially when you are drunk) and watching the final nail-biting match of the 2005 Ashes in a Melbourne pub. Most of all there is the great camaraderie that is generated from living cheek by jowl out of a suitcase with a bunch of blokes that just happen to be as mad about sport as you are.

Having played no other sport but golf for a couple of years now (since I got too old and too broken for organised violence like rugby or AFL) I realised that the only way I was going to go on an away trip was to sort one out myself. Anyone who has organised a sports trip either for just a couple of days or a full-on tour will know that this is no easy task. Not only do you have to take into account what dates everybody who has expressed an interest is available for, you also need to match the location and facilities to everyone’s budget and sporting ability. Herding cats would be simpler, easier and decidedly less painful.

When you first suggest the idea to your friends, every man and his dog wants to come. Very soon after their enthusiastic protestations that they ‘absolutely will come’ they realise that either the date is wrong as it clashes with Auntie Margaret’s 90th birthday or they are counting the pennies to send little Tabitha to private nursery or more often that the wife has put her foot down and said no (that word often being followed by the phrase ‘those shelves won’t go up by themselves you know’ or something similar). Suddenly the 30 people you thought were going have become you and some friend of a friend who you have never met and apparently has body odour issues.

I figured that the easiest way to do it would be to find a place and time that suited me perfectly and sod everyone else. Completely selfish, it sounded brilliant provided I could convince at least 2 other people to come with me.

First things first, I needed to see what options were available. Pretty much every golf magazine you pick up has a large section of the back dedicated to golf trips abroad. I don’t know of any other sport where the magazines have so many adverts for trips away. While the magazine adverts were great for people who already knew what they wanted, the internet seemed the place to go as I has no idea what our destination would be.

There is an absolute plethora of companies out there who deal with golf trips. These specialised travel agents are effectively one stop shops, covering everything from flights, accommodation, green fees and even car hire or transfers from the airport to the hotel and everything in between. Not only do they seem to cover everything that a golf trip could involve they also offer the widest range of locations. As it was the depths of winter, somewhere hot was a must. As an Englishman, when I say hot I don’t mean the sort of place that will have the skin falling from my back in great sunburnt sheets (yes Australia, I’m talking about you) but the sort of place where lying in the sun by the pool with a refreshing beverage is the required behaviour for a golfer who has just finished his round. Preferably this balmy idyll would not involve going halfway around the world so no more than a few hours flight at most would be nice.

If you are making the effort to go on a golf trip, it only makes sense that the course you play on is a decent one. I fancied testing my skills against something that the pros would and preferably do play on. And one that would be pretty enough to make me bite my putter in half at its manicured beauty. Also, and most importantly, it should not require the selling of one of my kidneys to finance the trip.

In coming up with this list I thought that the shortlist would be just that, short. The reality is that there are an incredible number of top class courses out there ready and able to take a bunch of hackers and show them what a golf course should look like.

After much deliberation, the winner was Penina in southern Portugal. Only a couple of hours flight from London, it met all the requirements and more: balmy weather, a top quality hotel with a championship course (designed by 6 time major winner Henry Cotton) that has hosted Tour events, brilliant facilities including a swimming pool, tennis courts and no less than 6 bars. At the price the travel agent was offering, it was a steal.

Mentioning it quietly to about 15 guys produced about half a dozen interested parties and from that group, 3 that were prepared to put their money down.

Having not gone on a golf trip before, I checked out some forums to see if I could get any advice that would make it as painless as possible. The advice boiled down to a few things. Most of them were generic travelling tips but there were also a few that were specific to travelling with golf gear. Of the ones that weren’t just the standard ‘travelling to a foreign country’ type advice: ‘take sunscreen’, ‘check the weather before you go’ etc, I’ve included the more useful ones at the end of this (see, aren’t I nice!).

Not that I’ve ever needed much of a reason, this was a great excuse for a bit of equipment ‘hoing’. Unless you’ve been on a trip, there is no reason for you to have travel case but frankly you’d be mad to go away without one. As in all other areas of golf equipment, there is something for everybody, from cheap and cheerful (and apparently made out of old T-shirts) to hard cases tough enough to canoe down the Colorado River. I chose a soft case that would be secure and study enough to keep my beloved clubs in one piece rather than a hard case purely as it would be easier to get into the transport at the other end. The fact that it is a lurid red colour that makes it easy to see on the baggage carousel is pretty nice too. It’s embarrassing enough picking up the wrong suitcase and then having to explain it was a genuine mistake and not an attempt to nick someone’s dirty laundry, let alone someone else’s phenomenally expensive and lovingly collected clubs just because the have the same drab coloured travel bag.

The arrangements have all been made, money has been paid and I’m looking forward to this like a kid before Christmas. I’ll let you know how the trip pans out.

Top Travel Tips for Golfers

• Get a travel case, absolutely 100 percent get one. Soft cases are fine 99% of the time, especially if you put in a ClubGlove Stiff Arm or bit of broom stick longer than your driver to take any blows. Hard cases offer more protection but are a pain to get into any car, especially when there’s a group of you.
• Remember your passport and make sure it is valid. Now this one is not something I’ve ever thought about too much but a travel agent of my acquaintance tells me that one of the commonest cries for help they get is when someone turns up and the airport either without their passport or with one that has expired. Remember also that some countries require at least 6 months validity past your travel date and can also require at least one clear page in your passport.
• Get travel insurance. No on wants to get to the baggage reclaim to find out that their equipment off to Zanzibar via Ulan Baator but it’s nice to know that if it does happen hiring a replacement set is covered and should your kit never make it back, someone else buys you a brand new set.
• Check your free luggage allowance when booking your flights. Many airlines are cutting back on the size of your allowance but you should be aware that some airlines exclude sporting equipment from this restriction. For example, on both British Airways and American airlines flying with a golf bag is free but on Air France it depends on the destination and on Ryanair it costs 25 euros (34 USD).

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

Aug 4, 2025

Ronald Montesano

I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.

We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 29, 2025

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 28, 2025

Brian Knudson

Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)