In for review are a couple of pairs of Eagle Eyes Sunglasses. These sunglasses utilize cutting-edge NASA-certified technology. Sure, the golf courses are closed for the winter right now in northern Utah, but I’m testing the Ramble model out on the ski slopes in the meantime. I sported them for three straight days this past Sat-Mon in some bluebird skiing conditions. I may have to do a post about them on my ski website at www.hike.ski as well!
The lovely bride is digging the Eagle Eyes Memory Flex Aviators, shown in the photo below.
I have to admit, I’m a bit jealous about the aviators. I may need to snag a pair of those for myself, though I’m extremely happy so far with the Rambles.
Let’s hope the snow melts down here in the city soon so I can start testing these out on the golf course. The “TriLenium 7” polarized lenses should be great in terms of bringing out detail on the fairways and greens. Stay tuned for my full review of the Ramble and the Memory Flex Aviators after the snow melts!
Greetings from the Albion Grill at Alta Ski Area. I’m golf blogging today from a ski resort, waiting for the lifts to open. Had an hour to kill so thought it would be a good time to do a shoulder update.
Yesterday, Valentine’s Day, was the one year anniversary of my surgery for torn rotator cuff, torn bicep tendon, torn labrum and bone spurs in my right shoulder. My recovery has gone slower than I’d hoped, and it has now been about one month that I’ve not had nagging pain or soreness. I was in pain for a solid year and a half including pre-surgery. During my rehab I developed “frozen shoulder” which was a total pain in the ass. Scar tissue and inflammation built up, restricting my range of motion and increasing the pain. It took about six months to shake that.
It has now been a year and three months since I last played golf. My last round was at TPC Danzante Bay, and I have the fond memory of making birdie on the stunning par-3 17th hole. Picture below for fun.
My shoulder is about 85% I would say at this point. I don’t get sore when I do regular activities, or even do heavy skiing. I can now do some shoulder exercises in the gym and it doesn’t get mad at me. I’m not pushing it though. I’ve tested out a golf swing without a club, just to see how the shoulder reacts. The backswing is probably 90% but the followthrough is probably only 75%. That’s the killer. I don’t think I’ll really be able to generate much swing speed yet because of lack of flexibility and fear of pain at the end of the swing. No high finishes for me. I may have to develop a 100% punch shot game if I’m going to play any serious golf. I’m sure the shoulder still has more healing to go as some say the frozen shoulder can take years to completely go away.
For now I’m in ski mode here in northern Utah. Spring is around the corner and it is going to be interesting to see not only how my shoulder situation unfolds, but how my mental situation unfolds as well. I haven’t missed playing like I thought I would. I’ve used my time to pursue other interests, like building and flying drones, skiing, hiking and so forth. I wonder how I had the time, the money, and the patience to golf in the first place. Perhaps that part of my psyche will come around when the snow melts and I see green grass and hear some birds chirping.
What I miss the most about not playing golf isn’t the game itself or the golf courses or anything like that. I miss competing. I miss my buddies…. I miss taking money from my buddies. That’s probably what I miss most… LOL.
Bird Golf Academy boasts the “Ultimate Golf Learning Experience.” How can they make such a claim? Bird Golf has 350 years of teaching experience among their PGA/LPGA staff and a one or two student to teacher ratio. This small ratio gives each student a much more personalized and focused learning experience.
Each personalized golf learning experience is tailored for the student’s specific needs and requirements.
Methods
Bird Golf Academy employs fundamental teaching methods with help simplify the learning experience and avoid giving the student too much information or too much to think about. Each student’s custom learning plan includes tailored home practice plans, application of learned skills, playing lessons, and use of modern digital and/or video analysis.
Locations
Bird Golf Academy is available in Arizona, California, the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.
There are comprehensive packages available for students including high end golf courses and first class accommodations. Photo above: Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Arizona.
School Categories
Bird Golf offers numerous packages for men, women and juniors. Packages include several options for 3-5 day schedules which offer from 24 to 40 hours of individual instruction.
Final Thoughts
For golfers who want to seriously improve their skills and enjoyment of the game, Bird Golf Academy is a fantastic choice with convenient locations around the country.
The HOG World Tour recently made a 2nd trip to Temecula, California and Pechanga Resort and Casino to check out the new expansion. This is a follow-up review of the resort. The last tour stop at Pechanga was back in 2015. You can find the original Pechanga Resort review here. Onsite is the “Journey at Pechanga” golf course, which was also reviewed here at Hooked on Golf Blog back in 2015.
Already the top Resort/Casino in California, Pechanga invested roughly $300 million to double its occupancy and make tremendous strides in expanding their resort experience. Let’s take a look at what’s new.
Expansion Quick Hits
- Additional 568 rooms/suites.
- New luxury spa
- 70,000 square foot event space
- 4.5 acre pool complex
- Two new restaurants
Sweet Suite
I was excited to stay in one of the new suites in the new tower. The layout of the suite featured a separate family room with a master bedroom. The whole suite was wrapped in windows which overlooked the golf course, Journey at Pechanga. See below.
And here’s the master bedroom below. What you don’t see in the photo is the master bath, which is huge, and the jumbo flat screen TV which is located where guests lounging in bed can enjoy it.
Pool
The old pool at Pechanga was not much to write home (or a blog post) about. The new 4.5 acre pool area is tremendous. It features adult and kid’s pools, bars, food, slides, fountains, and terrific gazebos. Below is a shot of the huge, adult pool.
Pool food and beverage services are terrific. My family spent two straight days there and enjoyed great food and adult/kid beverages while lounging in our personal gazebo.
Be warned! The pool is not a calm and quiet place to relax. There is DJ music playing constantly and often times it gets loud. It was too loud and obnoxious for my personal taste and I was disappointed that there wasn’t a “quiet area.” But if you want to party at the pool and enjoy hours and ours of “boom tss boom tss boom tss” music, you’ll dig it.
Junior Golf
This time around I was thrilled to get my 6 year old boy into the Journey at Pechanga Junior Golf academy. He had a terrific time learning some of the basics of the game and getting some great instruction. The instruction staff was terrific and made it really fun and interactive for the kids. After one lesson my boy’s swing already looks better than mine.
Spa & Fitness Center
I hit the fitness center for some calorie burning and cardio building. The fitness center is well equipped for the needs of any gym rat. I was very pleased to find a Peloton bike which I took advantage of.
After some long hours at the pool and then the fitness center, I was able to get a well needed massage at the resort spa. The spa facilities are huge, and feature private saunas, pools, steam rooms, as well as individual or couples massages. The whole spa experience is as good as you’ll find. I was thrilled to get rid of those pesky knots in my lower back! That will help the golf swing for sure.
Food and Beverage
There are numerous terrific restaurants at Pechanga. My family enjoyed Italian at “Paisanos,” sushi at the award winning “Umi Sushi and Oyster Bar,” and some Irish pub style food and brews at “Kelsey’s.” In the mornings we would hit the “Lobby Bar & Grill” for the best latte I’ve ever had, and some solid breakfast offerings.
Casino
The casino space at Pechanga is huge. It rivals large Las Vegas resorts. But size isn’t everything. The casino is super clean, well laid out, thoughtfully designed and enjoyable. Playing games of chance or simply enjoying “adult” activities is terrific at Pechanga.
Architecture
The lobby of the resort is architecturally tremendous. I found myself wanting to photograph the lobby more than anything else at the resort. It’s quite stunning.
The architecture of the Journey at Pechanga golf course clubhouse is amazing as well.
Final Thoughts
Pechanga was already the #1 casino/resort in California. They didn’t need to make a move, but they did. Pechangla doubled down and hit the jackpot. New additions like the new tower suites, pool area, and spa make Pechanga a must-go destination. Forget Vegas, especially if you’re from California!
I may actually play golf in 2020. The shoulder hasn’t really hurt for a good month or so now. You have NO idea how awesome it is to not have shoulder pain. Having been in pain for a solid 1.5 YEARS, I’m thankful for modern medicine.
I’m sure when I finally pick up a golf club, the swing will be very bad. My club-head speed right now has to be about 15mph. Not sure any golf company makes golf balls soft enough for that. But hopefully I’ll eventually be able to get that speed back up to where I can hit real golf shots, and play real golf balls like the 2020 Bridgestone Golf Tour B lineup. Now I’ve got some proto’s to test out.
When will this happen? Not soon. We are in about a six month frost delay in northern Utah. It’s called winter. The golf clubs are in storage and the powder skis are in the trunk. When the snow melts and the courses open, I’ll be trying out those swings.
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