Leisure … more than a word, it's a lifestyle

The 2012 PGA Merchandise Show opened this week at Orange County Convention Center and with it came a clear message that the golf industry needs to buck up its ideas and start thinking of some creative ways to attract people to the game.

A total of 26.1 million people played the game in the United States in 2010 and that’s one million fewer golfers than in 2009. Speaking about the new Golf 2.0 initiative, Fore Golf’s vice president of marketing, Fred Augenstein said “the goal is increase the number of golfers to 40 million by the year 2020.”

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus (pictured above) was also on hand to reinforce the message that golf needs to be made more relevant, more welcoming and more flexible to be able to attract a new generation of player in the future. Revealingly he talked about his own three children, one of whom is a scratch golfer, who no longer player the game because they have other things to do.

“I wanted to be part of growing the game around the world. This isn’t just a Jack Nicklaus initiative, this is a golf industry initiative” said Nicklaus of Golf.2.0, “We’ve got to bring them into the game having fun… we don’t want to bring them into the game and lose them right away.”

So, naturally, there is great concern among PGA members about the future of the game and that is why they have designed three strategies to tackle the issue; the first is to retain and strengthen the core, the second is to engage “lapsed” golfers and finally, to drive new players.

The first initiative involves two steps; getting to better know the customer and nurturing them. This involves delivering different experiences and nurturing current players to become the most loyal customers. The second initiative involves recognizing the  influence that 73% of women have control on household spending and that the women’s game is becoming more influential, largely through the efforts of younger players like Lexi Thompson (pictured above) and Paula Creamer, both of whom were at the show. Also, part of the “engaging “lapsed” golfers strategy is targeting the 90 million Americans who aspire to play again while also appealing to the entire family. The aging Boomer population also presents another challenge as some of their skills fade away yet they still love the game and want to be involved. Technology will also play a part as not all golfers of the future begin in junior clinics, rather on their X-Box gaming machines.

Finally, the “driving new players” initiative will see efforts to reach families in the 84% of American households who don’t play golf. Alliances will be built with major youth organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and concentrated efforts will be made to make the game appeal to minority groups. “I’m ready to play” will be part of the theme over the next five to ten years of the long term strategic plan.

It promises to be an interesting time for the golf industry and here in Central Florida we’ll be monitoring the progress of how the area’s golf facilities perform. For many years, we have encouraged various golf clubs to find new innovative programs that can appeal to visitors and now the weight of the industry appears to be falling on their shoulders. Hopefully, we’ll now see a renewed willingness to work together with tourism partners to create a really great golfing experience and one that keeps the Orlando area as “Golf Central” for a long time to come.

Here’s some video …

South Korea’s Hee Young Park won the LPGA Tour’s season-ending CME Group Titleholders Championship for her first tour victory, closing with a 2-under 70 on Sunday to hold off Paula Creamer and San Gal by two strokes. Park finished at 9-under 279 at Grand Cypress and earned $500,000 as she held off some of the biggest names in women’s golf.

Another shot back were Na Yeon Choi and world No. 2 Suzann Pettersen, world No. 3 Cristie Kerr , world No. 1 Yani Tseng and Michelle Wie. It was a fantastic week at Grand Cypress – Orlando and the event was well supported by locals and visitors alike.

“I still cannot believe this,” Park said. “On the back nine I was getting like nervous and then getting tight in my body. So my caddie said, ‘Just keep going, keep trying to (play) like (it’s the) first round. You’re on the tee first time each hole, and just keep doing the same thing.’ And then I said ‘OK.  My first win in the US.,  it feels totally different, still same kind of goose bumps, but this win, I think could change my life, my future.”

More photos at Facebook.com/FloridaLeisure

LEGOLAND Florida is getting into the holiday spirit with the first annual Christmas Bricktacular. Festive decorations and sounds of the season will fill The Beginning and Fun Town through the holidays, Dec. 8-31, followed by Kids’ New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31. With more than 50 rides, shows and attractions all dedicated to families with children age 2 to 12 and one of the widest selections of LEGO® products available, LEGOLAND Florida is the best place to celebrate the season and pick up the Christmas gifts that are on every child’s wish list – LEGO!

The Beginning is home to a truly spectacular, Bricktacular sight – a more than 30-foot-tall LEGO Christmas tree made with a combination of 270,000 forest green LEGO and DUPLO® bricks. The park’s first-ever tree lighting ceremony takes place on Dec. 5 with a special master of ceremonies. Through Dec. 31, a special family will be chosen to help light the Bricktacular tree each night. Santa Claus even makes special daily appearances in the historical botanical gardens making a picture perfect spot to capture family memories sure to be treasured for years to come. Kids’ New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31 let’s kids rock out and watch the sky explode with LEGO fireworks at just the right time for them, midnight KST (Kid Standard Time) – otherwise known as 7 p.m. EST. Holiday events are included in park admission.

Tickets for LEGOLAND Florida are available at www.FloridaLeisure.com

The ladies are back in town and this week sees the culmination of the 2011 LPGA season at the CME Group Titleholders tournament.  The tournament is being staged at Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando from 17th to 20th November and will feature a field of 66 players who qualified as the top-three performers in each of 22 LPGA tournaments this year. Those players will compete for a total purse of $1.5 million in the unique season-long qualifying format with the winner earning a prize check of $500,000.

Yani Tseng & Nigel Worrall

Headlining the field and seeking her eighth LPGA title and 12th worldwide title of the year is 2011 Rolex Player of the Year Yani Tseng (pictured above) of Taiwan. Currently No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings, Tseng secured top-player status in early October at the HanaBank Championship in South Korea and will be honored with the LPGA’s Rolex Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year during this week’s CME Group Titleholders.

Among her 2011 milestones, Tseng became the first male or female golfer to win five major championships by age 22 when she emerged as the champion of the 2011 RICOH Women’s British Open. Prior to that victory, she won the tour’s second major championship of the year at the Wegmans LPGA Championship by 10 strokes, becoming the youngest female golfer to win four majors by age 22.

In addition, Tseng has dominated the race for the 2011 Vare Trophy, which rewards the LPGA player with the lowest season scoring average. That award also will be presented this week.

Tseng has recorded 40 rounds in the 60s this season and currently holds a 2011 scoring average of 69.56 strokes per round in 21 events. Hoping to win her second consecutive Vare Trophy, Na Yeon Choi is in second place with a season scoring average of 70.54 in 20 tournaments. If Tseng holds on this week and maintains a sub-70 scoring average, she will become only the sixth LPGA player in history to break 70 for a season-long average, joining Annika Sorenstam (1998, 2001, 2002, 2005), Karrie Webb (1999), Grace Park (2004), Lorena Ochoa (2006, 2007, 2008) and Na Yeon Choi (2010).

Hee Kyung Seo of South Korea, who also qualified for the CME Group Titleholders, will be honored during tournament week as the 2011 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year. The rookie finished second in a playoff at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open and hopes to end the season with a win at the LPGA’s final tournament.

Lexi Thompson & Nigel Worrall

Other headliners who have qualified for this week’s event include two-time winner Michelle Wie of Hawaii, LPGA and World Golf Hall of Famer Karrie Webb of Australia, 2011 Kraft Nabisco Championship winner and Rolex Rankings No. 8 Stacy Lewis of Texas, and Florida teenage wunderkind Lexi Thompson, (pictured above) who qualified this week by winning the Navistar LPGA Classic. Thompson also earned 2012 LPGA Tour membership for the Navistar victory.

In addition, Florida natives and Rolex Rankings No. 3 Cristie Kerr and No. 10 Brittany Lincicome, along with fan-favorite Christina Kim of California, also qualified for the event. They join the final three qualifiers from last week’s Lorena Ochoa Invitational, Americans Juli Inkster and Natalie Gulbis, and Beatriz Recari of Spain.

Several Orlando residents will have the opportunity to commute from their homes and sleep in their own beds this week. Rolex Rankings No. 7 Paula Creamer of California, No. 22 Maria Hjorth of Sweden, No. 35 and LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member Se Ri Pak of South Korea, No. 2 Suzann Pettersen of Norway and top-ranked Yani Tseng of Taiwan, all will be making the short drive to work this week from their home driveways. Both Creamer and Pak hope to join Hjorth, Pettersen and Tseng as tournament winners this season at the last event in Orlando.

Suzann Pettersen & Nigel Worrall

A number of top performers from this year’s 2011 Solheim Cup also have qualified for the CME Group Titleholders this week, including Europe’s Suzann Pettersen of Norway, Caroline Hedwall of Sweden and Spain’s Azahara Munoz. Also joining the list of top Solheim Cup point-getters is American LPGA rookie Ryann O’Toole of California, who was a 2011 captain’s pick.

Of the 66 qualifiers, Tseng leads all players in the field with multiple season wins. Tseng enters the CME Group Titleholders with seven 2011 LPGA victories. Karrie Webb, Suzann Pettersen and Brittany Lincicome each have two wins this season.

While this week’s CME Group Titleholders is an inaugural tournament, the Titleholders name dates back to the Titleholders women’s golf tournament held from 1937 to 1966, and one additional year in 1972 in Southern Pines, N.C. The tournament was originally staged at Augusta Country Club in Augusta, Ga., prior to the formation of the LPGA in 1950. Past Titleholders champions include LPGA founders Patty Berg, Louise Suggs and Babe Zaharias.

So if you’re in Orlando this week… a day at the golf to see some of the best players in the world is probably the done thing! Get there!

Here’s some video from Lexi Thompson’s press conference…

World number 1 Luke Donald (pictured above) put together an incredible string of six birdies on the trot as he shot a final round 8-under 64 to take the 2011 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic at Walt Disney World today. In doing so he secured the PGA Official Tour Money List  title and left little doubt who was No. 1 on the PGA Tour.

Donald trailed Webb Simpson (pictured above) by some $363,029 coming into the final round of this years PGA Tour and he leapfrogged his playing partner to take the winners check of $846,000  and end the year with $6,683,214 some $335,861 ahead of Simpson. He also kept alive his bid to become the first player to win the money title on the PGA Tour and the European Tour in the same season. His lead in Europe is just over $1.8 million over Rory McIlroy with five tournaments remaining.

He wound up with a two-shot win over Justin Leonard (pictured above), who finished with eight pars for a 71. Leonard already is exempt for next year, but kept alive his streak of never finishing out of the top 125 on the money list since joining the tour in 1994.

“This is one of the most satisfying wins of my career,” Donald said afterwards at the press conference, “Everything was on the line, I’m thrilled and over the moon.”

It was an incredible back nine as he holed four straight birdie putts inside 8 feet, took the lead with an 18-foot birdie on the par-5 14th hole, then sealed his stunning rally with a 45-foot birdie on the 15th hole.

It was his second PGA Tour win of the year and also won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest adjusted scoring average. There’s also a good chance that he’ll become the PGA Tour player of the year as no one else has won more than twice this year.

Webb Simpson seemed very matter of the fact afterwards as he said “We gave ourselves a chance. The fact is, playing against the best player in the world, he’s going to do something great like that most of the time, and he did. Made six birdies in a row. Tough to compete against.”

At the end of the day it was Donald who stole the show. He only entered the Disney event after Simpson decided to play at Sea Island  last week. Simpson took runner-up honors there and established the lead on the money list so Donald knew his best chance was to win this weekend. It was an extraordinary exhibition of attacking aggressive golf that fittingly took the title. It was a privilege to be there. Congratulations Luke!

More pictures at Facebook.com/FloridaLeisure … and here’s a picture of me with Luke after the event:

Luke Donald & Nigel Worrall

Good news for Give Kids The World (GKTW) yesterday as they were the recipient of more than $30,000 from The Golf Channel Am Tour (GCAT). More than 5,000 GCAT members from the 2011 season made donations that were collected from participants at the GCAT 25, two-day “Major Championships” from the 2011 season and from the 2010 GCAT National Championships at TPC Sawgrass.

GKTW is the official charitable organization for Golf Channel and the Golf Channel Am Tour provides golfers of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to compete in local, regional and national golf tournaments at top facilities and golf destinations nationwide. Golf Channel – part of NBC Sports Group – owns and operates the Am Tour, a professionally managed tour that features more than 800 local championships conducted annually nationwide.

Golf Channel on-air personalities Win McMurry and Charlie Rymer presented the $30,250 check to Give Kids The World President Pam Landwirth at today’s ceremony at Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee. Accepting the check with Landwirth were three “wish families” who are staying at the Give Kids The World Village this week. Each family has a child facing a life-threatening illness whose one wish is to visit the theme parks of Central Florida. GKTW helps fulfill the wishes of these children by providing families with weeklong, cost-free, fantasy vacations, complete with accommodations in whimsical villas, transportation, donated attractions tickets, meals and much more.

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, as well as several learning disabilities, 16-year-old Megan Collins from Pittsburgh, Pa., wants to become a cartoonist and said it was her dream to visit Walt Disney World. Remarking on the trip, her mother Brenda Collins said, “This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I could never have afforded to take her here and seeing her now, with her imagination coming to life, is wonderful.” Dressed in a princess gown with pink sparkling earrings, 5-year-old wish child Carolina Floding is jubilant about today’s plans to feed the dolphins at SeaWorld. Visiting from San Diego, Calif., with her parents, she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at age three and is now in remission. GKTW helped grant Carolina’s one wish to visit Central Florida’s most beloved theme parks. The Collins’ and The Flodings are just two of the 110,000 families that GKTW has welcomed over the last 25 years.

Serving families from all 50 states and more than 70 countries, the global non-profit organization relies on the generosity of countless volunteers, private donors and corporate sponsors to help run its 70-acre “Village.” “We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to the Golf Channel and to all of the players who participated in the Am Tour. Their donation to Give Kids The World will help to provide a week of magical, unforgettable memories for our families,” said Landwirth. “Golf Channel has been a longtime supporter of Give Kids the World, and we are excited and honored to extend that support from the more than 5,000 members of the Golf Channel Am Tour,” said Golf Channel Senior Director of Events Kenny Booth. Culminating the 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour season will be the national championships, taking place Sept. 18-27 at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.

Another fabulous round of golf saw Darren Clarke win his first major and the one he wanted to win the most… the British Open Championship by 3 shots. Darren Clarke closed in on his first major title as one American challenger after another fell by the wayside.

Phil Mickelson made an impressive charge to the lead, then faded on the back side. Dustin Johnson had another befuddling blunder in the final round of a major. Clarke, on the other hand, just kept hitting one steady shot after another, bringing little Northern Ireland to the brink of yet another championship in one of golf’s signature events.

The 42-year-old Ulsterman rolled in a 20-footer for eagle at No. 7 — not long after Mickelson had claimed a share of the lead with an eagle at the same hole — and was four strokes clear of the field with four holes left.

Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell won the last two U.S. Opens. Now, it’s Clarke, who came into the week as an afterthought next to his homeland’s new stars, making a bid for major glory on another windy, wet and wild day at Royal St. George’s.

Beginning the day five strokes behind Clarke, Mickelson surged up the leaderboard with a brilliant start in gusts of more than 30 mph.

Lefty made three birdies in the first six holes, pumping his fist as the ball kept dropping in the cup. Then he rolled in a 25-footer for eagle at the seventh, moving into a share of the lead.

Clarke didn’t falter. Coming along four groups later in the final pairing, the Ulsterman rolled in a 20-foot eagle of his own at No. 7, reclaiming a two-stroke edge at 7 under.

Mickelson went out in 30 and made another birdie at the 10th, then was bitten by a familiar bugaboo: a 2-footer lipped out at the 11th to give him his first bogey. Three more bogeys coming down the stretch dropped him five shots behind Clarke.

Johnson, who played with Clarke in the final pairing, re-emerged as Clarke’s main challenger with two birdies at the beginning of the inward nine.

Then, the sort of mistake Johnson is becoming known for — from the middle of the fairway at the par-5 14th, he inexplicably knocked the ball out of bounds. That led to a double-bogey and, suddenly, Clarke’s lead had gone from a tenuous two strokes to a commanding four.

Johnson was playing in the final group at a major for the third time. At last year’s U.S. Open, he squandered a three-shot lead on the final day with an ugly 82. Then, two months later at the PGA Championship, he missed out on a playoff when assessed a debated two-stroke penalty for grounding his club in a bunker on the 72nd hole.

Mickelson, who has three Masters titles, one PGA Championship and five runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open, has never been much of a factor on the other side of the Atlantic. In 17 previous Open appearances, he managed only one top-10 finish.

He came into the week saying he wanted to forget his past woes and just act like a British Open rookie. That attitude was giving him one of his most impressive performances, but it wasn’t good enough to catch the steady leader. Clarke kept rolling in clutch putts, getting out of trouble when he needed to and seemed to have the wacky British weather on his side.

Storms rolled in and out, producing drenching showers one moment, bright sunshine the next. It wasn’t usual to hit a tee shot in the rain and finish that same hole needing sunglasses.

Clarke is an old pro at links golf, so these sort of conditions were much to his liking and he didn’t seem at all bothered as he strolled along the course, taking a drag on his cigarette.

Tom Lewis, who began the week as the first amateur to hold the lead at a major in 35 years, finished with a 74 for a 289. He still finished as the low amateur, his goal coming into the week.

“This week has been amazing for me,” the 20-year-old from England said. “It was a shame the last three days. I haven’t played anywhere near as good as I had hoped. But to win the silver medal is a great honor.”

Lewis’ playing partner the first two days, 61-year-old Tom Watson, had another age-defying Open. He closed with an impressive 72 to finish at 286.

“I played pretty well,” Watson said. “A 72 on this golf course is not a bad score. It just wasn’t good enough to get close to the leaders this week.”

But, it was all about Clarke and as he entered the final two holes he had four shots to play with. He dropped a shot at the 17th and then another at the 18th but it didn’t matter one bit as he won by a score of 275 and three shots as he strolled to his first Open and the famed Claret jug as Johnson dropped a shot at the last to be joint runner up with Mickelson on a score of 278.

“I want to share it with everyone. I’m your normal everyday guy and I just want everyone to enjoy it” Clarke said of his win. Yes, Darren…we’ll be sure to do that. Fabulous achievement. Congratulations... now to the Guinness!

Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland shot a 1-under 69 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead to the final round of the British Open. Clarke is at 5-under 205 for the tournament and will play in the final group with American Dustin Johnson, who shot a 68 to leave him at 206.

After his round, a jovial Clarke said “I’m 42 now, going on 14, but I’m officially 42 and I haven’t got many more chances left and I said I’d like to prepare properly this time so I came and spent a good 8 hours practice round getting to know the course again.” When asked about his putting, that might have seen him 4 or 5 strokes ahead of the field had a few of them dropped, he said “I couldn’t ask any more from my tee to green play but my putting was off and I didn’t have the pace with the putting and I struggled with it….I kept giving myself chances and it was a frustrating day but I’m pretty proud of myself and I stayed incredibly patient and I got something out of the round. I’m pretty pleased.”

American Rickie Fowler, also shot a 68 and is tied at 208 with first-round co-leader Thomas Bjorn of Denmark and they will be in the penultimate group tomorrow followed by Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and Lucas Glover of the U.S. who are four strokes back. The weather was the big story in the third round. The day began with howling rain and wind, which sent scores soaring for those teeing off in the morning but the sun came out in the afternoon and made things a little easier for those with later start times.

Have to say, I’m very pleased with the leaderboard as it contains some of my favorite golfers. Here’s me pictured with a few of them when they were in Orlando earlier in the year…all great guys and all quite happy to pose for a picture :

Darren Clarke & Nigel Worrall

Dustin Johnson & Nigel Worrall

Rickie Fowler & Nigel Worrall

Hot on the heels of Rory McIlroy’s fabulous win at the US Open came the chance to visit Grand Cypress Golf Resort in Orlando. Previously Grand Cypress was a private members club but that’s all changed now and the 45 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature golf are now open for guests of Florida Leisure Vacation Homes to play.

The resort truly has a diverse selection of Orlando golf with its 27-hole North/South/East Course providing the ultimate test of accuracy while the 18-hole New Course provides a Scottish links masterpiece. Within the 27 holes, the Jack Nicklaus Signature-designed North, South, and East Nines provide three distinctly unique 18-hole masterpieces. For the full round of 18, courses can be combined as the North-South, South-East, or East-North Course. Each combination provides a distinctive playing experience, which will challenge even the best of golfers.

Grand Cypress Golf Club is proud to host the LPGA for a tour event every year and this is your chance to play the same course that the top professional ladies play. The whole facility is both elegant and oozes class in every aspect. From the moment you walk through the club house door to the time you walk off the 18th green you’ll thoroughly enjoy an unforgettable Orlando golf experience.

If you’re looking to hone you game then there’s no better than the Grand Cypress Academy of Golf. It features a variety of golf school programs offering one to five days of unparalleled instruction and the most advanced teaching methods to improve your performance. The Grand Cypress Academy of Golf, has won countless awards for it’s high level of instruction and all of the instructors are among the best in Florida.

Grand Cypress is located just 15 to 20 minutes from Florida Leisure’s vacation homes and our staff would be delighted to book your tee time when you’re next in the Central Florida area.

More photo’s are here and if you enjoyed this blog post feel free to share it with your friends and family by clicking the “Send” button.

Showing no signs of slipping, let alone melting down, Rory McIlroy won the U.S. Open by eight-shots in a mesmerizing performance.  Jason Day came second on -8 while Lee Westwood, Y.E. Yang, Robert Garrigus and Kevin Chappell shared third place in a field that trailed so far behind that you could only sit back and enjoy the sheer brilliance of the young man from Northern Ireland. Coming on the back of his disappointing final round at The Masters you could sense this was a young man on a mission for his first major win.

The 22-year-old  never came close to a repeat of the Masters, where he blew a four-shot lead on the final day. He made his third birdie of the day on No. 10 to get to 17 under but gave a stroke back after driving into a bunker on No. 12. It was only the third over-par score he’d posted over nearly four days at Congressional.

His score for the four days was 268 and broke the U.S. Open scoring record of 272, held by four players, including Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

“Heck of a performance,” Woods said, in a statement read by NBC’s Dan Hicks during the final nine holes. “Looks pretty comfortable that Rory will raise the U.S. Open trophy. Congrats and well done. Enjoy it. This was an impressive performance.”

McIlroy has also earned himself a big fan in Jack Nicklaus, the career leader in major victories. McIlroy and Nicklaus had lunch shortly after his Masters meltdown, with McIlroy seeking advice on how to finish out tournaments.

“I think he’s going to have a great career and be great for the game,” Nicklaus said in a telephone interview with NBC during the final round. “He’s a nice kid. He’s humble when he needs to be humble and he’s confident when he needs to be confident. He wants to learn and he wants to get better. That’s everything you need.”

Praise indeed.

Congratulations Rory. Fantastic performance.