Canadian Getaway: Pristine Bay Resort

Honduras does not come immediately to mind when you think of golf resorts but more Canadians than you can imagine are finding the Central American country to be the perfect winter oasis. And 50 kilometres off the Honduran coast, on the island of Roatan, there will soon be plenty more reasons for golfers to make the journey. Here, on an island enhanced by the world’s second largest barrier reef, a spectacular new destination, Pristine Bay Resort, is coming to life.

Stephen Reynolds of Buffalo Communications , the company the represents the resort, says that even in light of the recent economic woes in other parts of the world the massive 400+ acre project is right on target with their golf course expected to debut at the end of this year.

The golf course will clearly be the main attraction among the housing properties. The “Black Pearl at Pristine Bay” features a co-design between Pete Dye and his son Perry. Dye, an iconic designer, is best known for projects like the TPC Sawgrass Stadium course and the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, and his immense talents are in full force at Pristine Bay. The eighteen hole layout has no less than 14 holes with ocean and barrier reef views – a simply stunning backdrop for the 7157 yard layout (click on layout image or a larger view). The course plays from ocean level property, into the foothills and back to the water side clubhouse.

Like the Ocean Course at Kiawah the Black Pearl course will use salt-water tolerant Paspalum turf – grass that provides a brilliant hue to contrast the beauty of the nearby ocean.

Supplementing the golf course will be a first-class practice facility that includes a short game area and multiple putting and chipping greens.

The Pristine Bay resort community will eventually feature a 120 room luxury hotel, deepwater marina, and beach club.

Those looking for a more permanent housing solution will be able to choose between bay and golf course condominiums, 2,3, and 4 bedroom villas and custom lots on which they can build their dream retirement or second home.

www.pristinebayresort.com

Getting Life and Golf In Tune With NeurOptimal

I'll admit it right now, it's been a tough summer. There is no doubt that it was one of the busiest on record for me in my role as Flagstick Editorial Director. Between print magazine work, Blogging, Tweeting, Facebook updates, newsletters, and Flagstick Golf Photography clients it has been a real juggle of time and physical resources.

And somehow within all that I have been trying to do some volunteer work with the Golf Association of Ontario, maintain a normal family life and even try to golf at a reasonable level.

The last part might have been the toughest. I once had big aspirations as a player but some time ago my golf game went into a bit of a limbo. To try and maintain a plus index and play strongly at competitive golf events is just too tough to do without dedication to practice and the time to do so. And playing enough "real" golf to keep my scoring abilities sharp? It's just not in the cards. Throw in a hand injury that just won't seem to go away and you have a scenario none too conducive to decent golf results.

With that said I was very pleasantly surprised about how my golf game turned out this year..so far. I still have a couple of events left to play and I am hopeful that things will stay on pace.

With the physical part of the game: practice, play, and physical conditioning (more the hand injury that anything else - I feel very fit otherwise) being less than optimal I have leaned on another pillar this season and I give it a lot of credit for helping me along.

Before I get to that I want to make a few things very clear. In a year I get to test a lot of golf products - some good, some bad, but rarely do I find something so unique that it revitalizes my focus on the game that I became so passionate about almost three decades ago. Lots of things hold a fleeting promise in golf but more sporadically something comes along that really gets me excited. So when I actually gush about a product you can be assured that my enthusiasm is genuine.

After many years of playing to a scratch index or better in the last few years that began to hover in the 2-3 range. That was just fine by me; me expectations lowered in relation to the time and effort I had to give.

And then this year came. I know I would actually have LESS time to practice but still set out some lofty golf goals for myself. So how did I expect to reach them without the benefit of more extensive practice and play? I used my head instead.

The brain is a wonderful thing and while poor thoughts have dismantled more than one golf score (many of them my own!) , being calm, focused, and thinking well can yield surprising results.

As an ally in this process I enlisted Neuroptimal Golf.

After being introduced to the innovative and simple to use Neurofeedback System, www.neuroptimalgolf.com, back in January at the PGA Merchandise show I saw a huge upside to it's use. Offered a system for a 6-week trial period in the Spring, I doubled that session so that it would coincide with my busiest golf and work season. What better way to test the effects of this system than by "fire" when my stress levels were high and my work and golf expectations were just as much so.

So, once or twice a week I "hooked up" to the Neuroptimal system that monitored by brain activity and provided feedback that would help to get that activity more organized. As much as my wife thought it was unusual to see me with wires running from my head to a computer - she saw how the effort was bearing results.

I would often hook up to the system while writing or researching on the Internet, sounds flowing through a headset into my ears. It was pretty easy to do once I got into the habit.

So how did it play out for me? Very positively in fact.

While my golf swing has not returned to what I would say is peak form, in most cases I have been able to manage myself better - resulting in a much more rewarding golf experience.

Instead of being frustrating by poor shots I am more accepting of them (that from an admitted former hothead in his youth). And this carried through into tournament rounds - a place where I have always needed extreme confidence in my game in order to trust myself enough to play well. Instead, even without that assertiveness, I have been able to "work" my way through each shot and each round to get what I feel is the maximum result. I was calmer, seem to think more clearly and was able to keep the adrenaline under check when necessary - all key tasks in tournament play. A little less anxiety was also obvious.

While no trophies came my way except a few garnered during team events I did work my way into the final group on the last day of my club championship this year, eventually earning a top 5 finish and a spot on the club's Intersectional Team. My index is also now back under one for the 1st time in several years - and that is playing and practicing about half as much!

Physically I have had some knee and thumb issues but I have somehow not let them nag me enough to bother me as I play. I am not saying Neurofeedback made pain go away, I just seem not to focus on it as much.

Off the course, the Neurofeedback has been paying dividends as well. Feeling calmer (hard for me to do sometimes) I have been able to keep a strong focus and get myself much more organized. That is important when you write the equivalent of 2 novels throughout the golf season.

My sessions with the NeuroOptimal System are over now but I feel the time spent allowed me to tap into my potential - from both a mental and physical aspect.

Neurofeedback is a growing realm and I believe that Neuroptimal Golf is slightly ahead of the curve, especially in the golf specific neurofeedback business, with their easy to use system.. Unlike decades ago, people now appreciate the importance of the brain in optimizing sport performance and Neuroptimal should continue to grow as their network of trainers expands.

Thanks to Samantha Diavatis, CEO of the Zengar Institute and Tim O'Connor for the opportunity to change the way I looked at the world while allowing me to have better control of my life and golf without a lot of extra effort.

For more information see www.zengar.com, www.neuroptimalgolf.com or search out Neuroptimal on YouTube to see what a session is all about.

The New Nike Method Putter Promises To Deliver

With a strong stamp of approval by their playing staff (major championship wins never hurt!) the new Nike Method putters promise to bring the company strongly into the premium putter market.

You can expect that like many Nike products they will grab their share of the marketplace. The putter laboratory and milling facilities at "The Oven" in Ft. Worth are second to none and having witnessed the operation first hand I can tell you that people like David Franklin and Tom Stites of Nike live and breathe every club design.

Here is a little taste of what the Method is all about.

Broome Looking To Sweep Dual Championships

Like many other burgeoning young golfers Matthew Broome of Barrington, Rhode Island, has his eye on winning the United States Amateur Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma in a few weeks but in the meantime he has another trophy to chase.

The winner of the the 2008 New England Amateur and standout player for Furman University (school photo to left) is competing in Canada this week, trying to win the Canadian Amateur Golf Championship. While it seems like an unlikely warm up for the U.S. Amateur, his family roots makes it a lot more relevant.

You see, Matthew, who was a standout amateur at Barrington High School playing out of the Rhode Island Country Club, is the son of Peter (and Sandy) Broome, the Vice President of Business Partnerships for Acushnet. Yes, that Acushnet - the makers of Titleist & Cobra products, and dear old dad happens to hail from Canada.

On top of that, Peter used to be an assistant golf professional at the Beaconsfield Golf Club, a course not far from Le Blainvillier Golf Club, where the Canadian Amateur is being played this week.

"He really has a busy schedule...it's good to be young," said the proud papa via email earlier today.

Just last week Matthew got to explore his Canadian roots a bit by spending some time with family in Brockville, Ontario - the small city where his dad grew up playing golf at the Brockville Country Club. Matthew's grandfather John Broome is a former mayor of the city and a prominent member at the club.

They all took a few laps together over the venerable Brockville layout that dates back almost 100 years and was designed by famed Canadian architect, Stanley Thompson. Playing alongside them for nine holes was regional Acushnet Rep, Gawain Corbeil, who was impressed by what he saw in 20 year old Matthew. "You could just tell that he is a really, really solid player," said Corbeil who has seen a few in his time in the industry.

What many people don't know is that Matthew was actually born in Canada as well, right in Montreal.

So don't be surprised if you see Broome win this week at the Canadian Amateur. He has the heritage and pedigree that should actually make him a local favourite - even if they don't know it. And what a story that would be if a young man born in Canada but raised in the United States could manage to win both country's amateur golf championships!

With an opening round of 68 and sitting in a tie for 3rd place, Matthew Broome is on his way to making that a possibility. He'll just have to deal with chasing NC State golfer and Canadian Matt Hill - who just recorded one of the greatest seasons in NCAA history.

Hill shot -7 on day one and leads the way but Broome looks like he is ready for the battle on his "home" turf.

Ohhh...summer!!

The wettest July in Ottawa history is finally over and hopefully that means summer temperatures have finally arrived.

Just to help the cause I am off to find summer - I figure it might take a week and may even involve a trip to as far south as Florida. As soon as I find it I promise to bring it back for the rest of you to enjoy!

Cheers for now...

And while I am gone be sure to sign up to our VIP Club Getaway Contest here. It's free to enter and on top of the chance to win a free trip you get early access to the digital edition of the magazine, a free informative newsletter with unique content, as well as VIP-only specials and offers.

There might be a few Tweets this week from my secret summer-seeking locale so be sure to follow our Twitter www.twitter.com/flagstick