St. Louis golf fans are showing the world why St. Louis is considered by many to be one of the greatest sports towns in the country.

So just how do you go about maneuvering the grounds at Bellerive Country Club amidst record breaking crowds and still enjoy watching the 100th playing of the PGA Championship?

Here’s a cheat sheet of how to view the competitive rounds at Bellerive:

Best Viewing Location – Just left of the 14th green there is a hillside anchored by one of Bellerive’s large Oak Trees. You’ll access this hillside by entering near the stairs to the grandstand over looking the 11th green. From this location you’ll be able to watch action down the 11th hole, 12th hole, 3rd hole and until it gets really crowded you’ll even be able to watch the action directly behind you on the 14th green. Around 11:30am you’ll start getting shade from the big oak tree, so the closer you can get to the trunk of the tree the better. (Bring some binoculars and you’ll be able to watch play down the 4th hole and on #2 green well.)

#5 Tee – From around the 5th tee you’ll be able to see tee shots down the 5th, approach shots into the 4th and approach shots into the 7th hole.

#7 Tee – From this location you’ll be able to watch 2nd and 3rd shots into the 8th hole, action around the 6th green and tee shots from the par 4, 7th hole.

#8 (Around the 100 yard marker) – Here you’ll be able to watch approach shots into the par 5, 8th hole which is the easiest hole on the course this week. You can also watch the action up the 9th fairway.

#15 Green Area – While you won’t be able to stand and see action from multiple locations here, you are close to several good viewing areas. The 10th green is behind you, along with the tee shots to the par 3, 16th hole. And of course, players will be grinding their way down the long par 4, 15th hole.

Little Kids? – Check out the area along the 11th green, directly across the creek right by the gallery ropes.  This area is right in between the 3rd tee and 11th green. What’s nice about this location is that most to the gallery following players down 11 will be on the opposite side of the fairway and won’t make you claustrophobic. Galleries following play on the front nine will divide at the 2nd green with many of them watching the play on 3 from the inward part of the hole, making for an easy transition to 4; again staying away from your location. As soon as your favorite player is past 11, just turn around and get a prime location for watching shots from the par 3. Small children enjoy this location as they won’t be fighting looking around anyone and nobody can sit in front of you.

Congratulations to J.R. Howard, the winner of Free Golf for the rest of 2016 by Golf Around STL.  Golf Around STL is the area’s leader in offering online tee times to St. Louis’ top public golf courses.

Howard entered a contest sponsored by Golf Around STL and was the lucky winner.  He will literally enjoy free golf at Golf Around STL facilities for the rest of the season.

Golf Around STL is hosting another contest with the winner being selected August 1.  You can enter to win by registering at www.golfaroundstl.com.

The inaugural Golf Around STL Tournament Series is coming to a close this month with the season ending Tour Championship at Tapawingo National Golf Club on August 30th.  One points event remains on the schedule in the form of this Sunday’s 1pm shotgun at The Golf Club of Wentzville.

Go HERE to get more information on the updated point standings and links to register for this weekends event.

Below is an email I received this morning from Roy Wilson of the St. Louis District Golf Association.  Along with so many friends of golf in St. Louis, Larry Etzkorn impacted my life in such a positive way.

In 1996 I was just starting to realize my potential as a golfer. I had just missed out on a trip to Hawaii as part of the United States Golf Association Public Links Championship Qualifier at Forest Park. Immediately following the final round of the qualifying, after coming up a shot short of earning a spot in my first USGA championship, Tournament Director, Bart Collida and Larry Etzkorn approached me with an invitation to participate in an upcoming St. Louis District Golf Association Championship.  I’d never played in a STLDGA tournament as I was a public golfer, bouncing around on golf courses like Ballwin Municipal, Sunset Lakes and Paradise Valley.

Larry had followed my group at Forest Park almost the entire back nine as a rules official for the day. He was apparently impressed with what he saw and felt like I deserved an opportunity to tee it up in the St. Louis District Men’s Championship he was hosting at The Country Club at the Legends the following week.

I would spend a lot of time with Larry that week at the Legends as I was fortunate to capture my first St. Louis District Championship title and become the first bona fide public golfer to win the championship.  As the Executive Secretary for the STLDGA, it was Larry who awarded me the trophy at the conclusion of that memorable week.

Winning that week helped me to find the confidence I needed to realize future success in golf. I’m truly grateful to Mr. Etzkorn for the opportunity he provided.

A week after the championship I received a special letter in the mail from Mr. Etzkorn, which I still have today. Mr. Etzkorn took the time to write and let me know how much he enjoyed watching me play golf a week earlier.  He projected great things for me in the game of golf and in his words showed a young man what true class was all about.

As I got older and continued to compete in St. Louis District Golf Association tournaments, among other amateur championships, Mr. Etzkorn would often be present as a rules official. Never a day went by that I would see Mr. Etzkorn that he wouldn’t ask about my mom, who followed me shot for shot that week at The Country Club of the Legends. He would remind me of what my golf swing looked like that week in 1996, how much he enjoyed sharing that experience with me and send me off with an encouraging word.

St. Louis golf needs more people like Larry Etzkorn and I feel very lucky to have known the original himself.

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Email from Roy Wilson

Dear Golfers and Friends of the St. Louis District:

It is with much sadness that we inform you of the passing of past District Secretary and a longtime member and supporter of the District and area golf, Larry Etzkorn.  He died peacefully in his sleep this morning. As many of you know, over the past year Larry battled with pancreatic cancer. However, in his traditional high spirited nature and always good humor, he never let it get the better of him. His occasional appearances at local golf events brightened everyone’s day.

Larry’s involvement with golf goes back to his youth when he began as a caddie. In 1947, while caddying for Dutch Harrison at the U.S. Open at St. Louis CC, he had the pleasure of carrying a bag for Ben Hogan when he went out to play a few extra holes during practice rounds. The stories of his long association with men such as Jim Jackson were legendary.  For years, he played out of Normandie GC before moving to Algonquin GC. However, wherever he went, Larry continued to enjoy both golf and the card games that followed with his many friends. His knowledge of area golf history were of great inspiration when the history of golf in the region was first set to print. Those of us who were fortunate to call him a friend have certainly lost much today with his passing. Larry was Executive Secretary of the St. Louis District Golf Association 1984-1997.

The wake will be at Bopp Chapel on Manchester Road in Kirkwood on Sunday, May 31. The funeral will be at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Kirkwood on Monday, June 1.

We ask that you keep Larry, his wife Rose and family in your prayers.

Please check the paper for details as they become available.

It’s golf season again…finally!

If you are like me, you long for the wintertime to be short and mild here in St. Louis.  While mother nature does not often cooperate in the spring, it seems consistent golf weather is finally here.  So here is a short list of what to do when your golf season begins.

*DO NOT buy the jumbo bucket of balls at your favorite practice facility and pound drivers for 2 hours.  You will end up in the emergency room and mostly likely my office after that J

*DO go visit your local PGA professional to get a spring tune up.  You have probably been on You Tube all winter long exploring swing theories which you cannot wait to put into practice….here’s the deal…your body type and level of flexibility dictate the type of swing you should have.  Your PGA pro can figure this out…you cannot J

*DO expect less than ideal conditions at all of your local facilities.  Winter sucks for grass….it’s just the way it is.  Unless your home course has the maintenance budget of Augusta National, just be happy there is grass, it’s greenish, and you can get outside to play in the springtime!

*DO be early to your tee time and give your old, stiff body adequate time to warm up.  Sprinting from the car to the first tee in mid- April is a great for me, but not good for youJ

*DO NOT play slow!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is the reason golf sucks for too many people.  Find it, hit it, and hit it again.  You are not a Tour Player; you are most likely not going to be a tour player, so get a damn move on!!!!  If you miss the 2 footer on 18 after standing over it for 30 seconds to lose the $1 Nassau…send me the bill.

*DO patronize the many, wonderful, local public courses we have access to here in Missouri and Illinois!

I hope to meet many of you on the links this season soon!

Dr. Tobin Lingafelter
Owner, Back & Neck Care Center of Sunset Hills

Ok, I admit it. I’m a Tiger fan.

There’s just something about watching arguably the greatest player to ever play the game, even if we haven’t seen him in top form for years.

While the PGA Tour season is 10 events deep, for many (me included) the golf season gets going as the PGA Tour makes its way off the island and to the West Coast Swing. We’ll see great golf courses like Pebble Beach, Riviera, Torrey Pines and this week’s venue, TPC Scottsdale. While snow will be blanketing much of the United States, the world’s best golfers will be soaking up the sun on lush green golf courses with oceanside vistas.

Traditionally Tiger Woods would start his season at Torrey Pines, a golf course he’s won on multiple times, including a U.S. Open Championship on one leg. So when Tiger announced he would make his 2015 debut at the raucaus Waste Management Phoenix Open the entire golfing world, heck sports world, took notice.

To put in perspective the impact Tiger has on a tournament, especially one like the Waste Management Phoenix Open, there could likely be more people at the TPC Scottsdale on Saturday than will attend the Super Bowl being held 30 miles away in Phoenix.

Tiger appears to be entering the 2015 calendar season in a better frame of mind. He’s laughing again and interacting with fans and media. He’s talking about a return to his old golf swing, feeling things in his swing he hasn’t felt for years. He’s longer with the driver while at the same time more consistent. Time will tell, but Tiger is posturing as if he’s ready for a big year in 2015.

It’s not going to be easy for Tiger. The competition is better and 10 to 15 years younger than the 14 time major champion. Players like Spieth, Reed, Fowler are winning golf tournaments and have proven an immunity to the Tiger affect. But it’s important to keep in mind we’re saying that when Tiger hasn’t been at his best while these young guns have been establishing themselves on the PGA Tour.

And there in lies the big question.  Will we ever see Tiger Woods in a dominating position in the world of golf. How you define dominating is unique to everyone, but will Tiger return to the place where everyone in the field knows they are playing for 2nd place if Tiger is at his best?

Clearly we have more questions than answers at this point, but it’s refreshing that we’re at least able to ask the questions with Tiger Woods back inside the ropes.

It was two years ago at Medinah when many were questioning decisions, or lack thereof, of Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III. Being in the media center that week in Chicago I was among the group of people who felt like United States players had too much say in the pairings and influence making key decisions on who played and when.

This week in Scotland the United States Captain is once again under fire as Team USA finds itself trailing 10-6 heading into the 12 singles matches. Tom Watson took a risk and it paid off on Friday, sending out two Ryder Cup Rookies in Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed in the morning four-ball session. Spieth and Reed answered the call winning in dominant fashion.

Many were surprised to see Watson not ride the wave with Spieth and Reed in the afternoon foursomes, sitting the two Rookies as the United States struggled to earn a meager 1/2 point on Friday afternoon. I was among the group who thought Watson made the right decision in resting Spieth and Reed on Friday afternoon.

The last thing Captain Watson wanted to see was for the two Rookies who were riding high hit an immediate low should they not have success on Friday afternoon. Spieth and Reed expended a lot of energy as they embraced the stress, anticipation and anxiety of teeing it up in their first Ryder Cup. The odds of the dynamic duo being able to offer a repeat performance in the afternoon was slim. In resting Spieth and Reed, Watson had a hungry and energetic team to roll out on Saturday morning in a format in which they had already proven to excel.

Now the decision I question is the treatment of Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley.  After winning their four ball match on Friday morning, Mickelson apparently lobbied Captain Watson to stay out for the alternate shot match on Friday afternoon.  Mickelson and Bradley would lose to Dubuisson and McDowell, marking their first loss as partners in the Ryder Cup. Claiming Mickelson looked tired on Friday at dinner, Watson elected to sit Mickelson and Bradley on Saturday morning in the four ball format.  After Spieth and Reed dominated again in four ball, Watson elected to stick with the young guns which meant Mickelson and Bradley would sit in consecutive sessions.

Watson defended his decision claiming that Mickelson wasn’t playing well. Either he was tired or possibly the golf course set up didn’t favor Mickelson’s game. Either way, one of the United States lightning rods was put in bona fide cheerleader mode.

Watching the action on Saturday afternoon, the commentators noticed the lack of energy coming from the United States side. The looked tired, frustrated or both. Most importantly, they weren’t getting it done for the second consecutive day in foursomes competition and were in risk of letting the Ryder Cup get out of hand once again. One has to wonder what impact not having the team of Bradley and Mickelson on the golf course truly had.

Despite their struggles at times, Mickelson and Bradley always had the potential to go on a run. Their opponents knew it and so did their teammates. It’s hard to give a knock out punch when you don’t have your punching gloves on.

Instead of rolling out the pairing of Fowler and Walker, who went 18-holes for the third consecutive session, Mickelson and Bradley should have been given the opportunity to ignite Team USA.

The PGA Championship is the only major golf championship to feature a professional only field and boasts having the strongest field of the year. Yet for many, the PGA Championship ranks 4th in terms of majors you look forward to watching. The Masters, United States Open and Open Championship garners more attention from players and fans.

Yet this year the best may have been saved for last as the 96th PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club provided players and fans a lot of drama and amazing entertainment.  For some, it was the cast of characters in the hunt on Sunday afternoon, or better yet, early evening. World #1, Rory McIlroy went from leading and being the hunted after 54 holes to hunter with 9 holes remaining. Rickie Fowler, having produced the best aggregate performance across all four majors in 2014, was in prime position to capture his first major championship. And then there was Phil Mickelson. Mickelson birdied 4 of his final 5 holes on Saturday to punch his ticket into the Sunday madness and wasted no time making a statement getting off to a fast start in his final round.

For others, the excitement came from how the golf course was set up by Kerry Haigh and the PGA of America. The PGA Championship is regarded by many as offering the most fair, yet challenging, course set-up in major championship golf. Valhalla gave up it’s fair share of red numbers this week, providing a platform for the top players in the world to showcase their skills with birdies and eagles instead of grinding for pars like is often the case at a U.S. Open or Open Championship.

Tiger Woods in the field always attracts the largest golf audience. Unfortunately Tiger’s stay only lasted a few days as he missed the cut and continues to battle health problems with a bad back.

Claims are being made across social media that golf has been saved by the likes of Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler. McIlroy is our new Tiger and Rickie is evolving into this generation’s Phil Mickelson. Rickie could likely have two major championships in his pocket if not for Rory playing a little bit better at the Open Championship and PGA Championship. Let’s not forget, less than two years ago, Nike anointed Rory McIlroy as their next global superstar. Expectations soared through the roof and McIlroy struggled to maintain balance on and off the golf course beginning in early 2013. Yet this time around, it feels as if McIlroy is ready to occupy the top spot in golf. He’s clearly earned the opportunity.