Real Golf Newsletter

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

IN THIS ISSUE:

Destination Guide: The Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna

Equipment Updates: The Latest from Sun Mountain, TaylorMade & more

Editor's Pick: Callaway X Forged 2009

Monthly Swing Tip

Harvest Golf Club

THE HARVEST GOLF CLUB OFFERS MORE THAN GREAT GOLF

Brad Ewart, eNewsletter Editor

When was the last time your green fee included a ripe, fresh B.C. apple?

The Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna, B.C. sits in the middle of an orchard where nine varieties of apples hang on the trees that border this beautiful course in an idyllic setting. An additional 10 acres of land produce wine grapes on what has aptly been described as "one of nature’s most picturesque playing fields."

Canadian golf course architect Graham Cooke recognized the uniqueness of this site and takes the golfers on a wonderful journey through the working orchard. Each fall the apples and grapes are harvested and sold to market and what’s left— and there is always plenty of it—will be provided to the golfers to enjoy.

On every shot the golfer is offered spectacular views of Okanagan Lake on this 7,109 yard course that has been a western Canada favourite since it first opened back in the mid-'90s. With some of the finest weather in the country, the Harvest Golf Club boasts a playing season from mid-March lasting through the grape harvest in October.

A little local knowledge always helps and the advice at The Harvest is that the benchlands and the lake below will influence the roll and break of the putt. Just remember, all putts break towards Okanagan Lake.

Cooke has created an enjoyable, resort-type course that has been designed to challenge but not discourage players. The elevation and light desert air help to add a few yards to the tee shots and make some holes play shorter than the card suggests.

Finish the day at The Harvest Grill and savour the chef’s northwest cuisine accompanied by a glass of local wine. The Harvest staff, under the direction of general manager and executive professional Gilles Dufort, are committed to great customer service and will provide a dining experience to remember.

Of course, for the peripatetic golfer a trip to the Okanagan must include more than one stop. Besides The Harvest, be sure to play at the Kelowna Golf & Country Club; Tower Ranch; Gallagher’s Canyon; and The Bear and The Quail courses at the Okanagan Golf Club. Check out www.bcgolfguide.com for package deals.

Photo: The Harvest Golf Club

Real Golf takes a look at some of the leading manufacturers' products that will be hitting golf shops.

Stealth Polo Shirt

Firstar Performance Apparel launches the tour-inspired 211 Stealth Polo Shirt engineered using a state-of-the-art bonded material that combines Firstar’s exclusive MST (Moisture-System-Transference) Poly Microfibre with revolutionary THR (Thermo-Heat-Reduction) technology that reduces body heat up to six degrees celcius. Firstar Stealth Polo Shirt provides the ultimate in heat and moisture management, ensuring comfort and performance.

TaylorMade R9 Driver

Sun Mountain Lightweight Stand Bag

Sun Mountain’s new Four 5 golf bag combines the popular individual club divider system (14 full-length dividers) with a lightweight stand bag. Four 5 features Sun Mountain’s E-Z Fit dual strap system, the patented roller-bottom stand mechanism that adds stability and provides quick leg action, a lift assist strap to aid in getting it in and out of a car trunk, a top collar handle for easy on and off, and eight pockets to include a water bottle pouch, full-length clothing pocket, velour-lined valuables pocket and multiple accessory pockets.

Big Bertha Diablo Hybrids

Callaway Golf continues to improve upon their hybrid clubs with the introduction of the Big Bertha Diablo. Dual Runner Sole provides superior turf interaction from all types of conditions by reducing the surface area that comes into contact with the ground. Low and deep CG position promotes dynamic ball flight from fairway, rough or tee. Callaway’s proprietary S2H2 Technology moves weight from the hosel and repositions it to more advantageous areas of the clubhead.

TaylorMade San Marino Cart Bag

Weighing less than five pounds, the new San Marino Cart Bag features Internal Crushproof Construction, a new technology that maintains the bag’s original shape even under the most extreme duress. Also new this year are conveniently placed pockets, which have been strategically placed lower than on previous bags to ensure that golfers can access all of the pockets once the bag is strapped into the golf cart.

Exotics XCG-V Driver

The new Exotics XCG-V driver features a “v-shaped” titanium cup face, ultra light magnesium crown, and a heavier high-density steel sole plate which are brazed together for permanent bonding without welding. The larger face and hot zone delivers industry-leading rebound from more points on the face. The XCG-V also reacts well to off-centre hits due to its weight distribution: 49% of the club’s weight sits below the ball and in rear corners of the sole. This creates a deeper CG angle and CG distance that helps the club face square at impact.

A slower swing isn’t necessarily going to improve your game, but a smoother tempo almost always will.

EDITOR'S PICK +

Callaway X – FORGED – 2009 IRONS

Forged from soft carbon steel, the clubhead has been redesigned with more bounce and camber and a tighter sole radius. The thin topline, narrow sole and short blade length allow for excellent workability. The flighted CG design produces strong trajectories and premium distance control while the new double notch weighting allows weight to be precisely positioned for optimized performance throughout the set.

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