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Shanks & 3–Putts D

Carolina on my Mind! IRON FORGE COURSE
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Mike Ahrnsbrak — Golf Guide Senior Writer FOUNDERS COURSE Foursome Special 100
PGA Professional, Pine Valley Country Club, Wilmington NC Seniors 60+
$ 55 Green Fee and Cart Green Fee & Cart
Having written Shanks and 3-putts for the better part of Monday thru Friday Anytime
two decades (thus, I am the Senior Golf Writer), I’ve had a Monday – Thursday Weekends After 11 am
wonderful time sharing my memories, fantasies, gripes, and
forecasts with you. I remember fondly chatting with The
Golf Guide owner and editor Nick Ciattei at Shenandoah
Valley when The Golf Guide was launched back in 1998.
We have seen so many changes in the golf industry over the
past twenty years – you know, real woods to metal woods to
Tiger Woods, steel spikes to soft spikes, Balata balls with
90 & 100 compression to multilayered balls that fit your
game, and steel shafts to graphite (some of which cost more
than a full set of clubs did back in the day).
Would you recognize the old Harley Davidson tiller bar golf carts with no roof? Play Three Rounds FREE GREEN FEES
Now your cart has a roof, storage, wifi, Bluetooth, cooler, divot mix bottle, phone Receive One Round Free!
charger, and microwave oven for snacks! Remember when you only had two wedges Pay Cart Fee Only
in your bag – pitching and sand – and you carried a one-iron because it looked so 13 Premier Area Courses Monday-Friday after 10 am
cool and was a great snake-killer? Don’t get me started on golf tees – I can recall One Card . . . Endless Opportunities Saturday-Sunday after 12 noon
when you could get one size in a bunch of different colors. Now you can pick up
different shapes, sizes, and colors, made of wood, plastic, rubber and brushes!
Technology has certainly changed the game and made it easier for many people
to enjoy and play the game better. For others, technology means hitting the ball
farther in the woods! Speaking of farther into the woods, golf ruling bodies (The
USGA and R&A) are looking at “rolling back technology” because the golf ball is
going too far. To be sure, the ball goes farther, but courses have also gotten longer.
Players may also be younger, stronger, and more fearless, but last time I checked
we all must still stick the tee in the ground 18 times and pull the ball out of the
hole 18 times. This game is hard to play and even harder to master. Golf courses
can mitigate distance by increasing the height of the rough, width of the fairways, 4 Play/ 3 Pay
and green speeds. Let’s hope the rule makers don’t do something rash without $ 5.00 OFF 18 holes with cart
anticipating the unintended consequences. Good for up to a foursome Green Fee and Cart
Finally, I’m writing this edition of Monday thru Friday Anytime
Shanks and 3-Putts from my new home Weekends After 10 am
in North Carolina. After 40 years in
the golf business in the Middle Atlantic
Section, PGA, Ann and I have moved Senior Special
to the Carolinas. I’ve accepted a
position at Pine Valley Country Club
(no, not Pine Valley, New Jersey) in
Wilmington. Although we will miss our
Pine Valley friends in Virginia and Maryland, this
was the right move, to the right place,
at the right time for us. Wilmington is a beautiful city, close to the beach with
wonderful golf courses! So, if you’re ever in the area, call or stop by and say HI! Anytime Mondays thru Thursdays
Foursome for 140 $ 48 Monday ─ Thursday
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Includes Green Fee & Cart Green Fee, Cart and Range
54 GOLFGUIDEINC.COM