Gray Gryfflepuff - Blog Golf Talk

I love Golf and orther Sport. I will share with you many things which I exposed. Thanks All.

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How to Manage Your Roster of Golf Clubs

Mixing the old, the new and the misbehavers

Timeout will end, provisionally, as soon as we've both cooled off.

The 14-club limit doesn't apply to attics, basements, car trunks or garages-and thank goodness for that. Like all avid golfers, I own more clubs than I can legally carry. The extras aren't necessarily cast-offs, though. Mine can be divided into several categories, among them:

WORK RELEASE. There are four hybrids in my bag. They all hit the ball basically the same distance, but I carry all four because my elbows still ache from the last time I tried to hit a 3-iron, in 1996. That doesn't mean I've abandoned my long irons, however. My trusty 4-iron is still the perfect choice for repositioning burning logs in a fire pit, removing the remains of a raccoon nest from the chimney, and unclogging gutters and downspouts. Pro tip: Need to prop open an old window sash so that you can remove the screen? Try a 2-iron.

TAXI SQUAD. I replace my wedges every few years-pointlessly, since I'd gain more by regularly cleaning their grooves. But I enjoy buying new clubs, and I now own half a dozen second-string wedges that are still in first-string condition. I scatter them around the house and grab one when I take the dog out for a romp in the yard. I used to test my match-play nerves by lobbing Cayman balls over the swing set while my kids hung from the monkey bars. I never harmed either child, but I did once crack my wife's windshield with a shot over the house. The insurance guy gave me a look when I said I didn't know what had happened-you could see dimple prints on the glass-but he replaced the windshield anyway.

Reference: http://gray-gryfflepuff.tumblr.com/post/150022792381/martha-burk-takes-a-swing

ASSISTED LIVING. I own an awesome-looking "strong" 3-wood, but when I use it to go for the green in two it acts as though I'd asked it to lay up. I now carry it only during the off-season, because it works much better from preferred lies-especially if the preferred lies are in tee-high frozen rough.

TIMEOUT. The old-school response to bad shots-wrapping the shaft around a ball washer, heaving the bag into a lake-fell out of favor years ago; the modern approach, as with misbehaving children, is to disengage. My timeout corner is in my office, across from my desk. Its current occupant is my 8-iron, which (apparently) believes that chunking easy approach shots is funny, especially if the divot flies farther than the ball. My so-called friends are indeed amused-but I am not, and, at the moment, my 8-iron isn't either. Timeout will end, provisionally, as soon as we've both cooled off.

INJURED RESERVE. Two years ago, on the night before a big golf trip to Scotland and Ireland, I decided to re-grip all my clubs. When I was doing my driver, I tightened my bench vise a tiny bit too much, and the shaft cracked. My pro didn't have the right replacement shaft in stock, so I had to buy a new driver. Then, when we got to Scotland, I discovered that I didn't like the new driver, so I emailed the pro and asked him to order a new shaft for the old one. By the time I got home, I did like the new driver-but by then I was too late to cancel the shaft. So now I have two slightly different starting drivers. And that has turned out to be a good thing, because when the one in my bag misbehaves I can remind it that I have a backup. To find best golf clubs for beginners ( You can find it here ), I had an exciting match.

STANLEY. My complete set of Natural Golf irons-along with all the other clubs I never use but can't sell (because no one would buy them)-are in Siberia, the unheated storage space above my garage. More desirable deaccessioned items I take to my golf buddy Stanley, who used to work at the post office and now, in retirement, runs a part-time eBay business. Used clubs don't sell for as much as they did during the early days of online auctions, but they sell for something, and if you unload enough of them you can build a nice little pile. Which you can then spend-duh-on new golf clubs.

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Several irons in the fire

Golfer Al Wagner sits in his Rancho Murieta home, just a 6-iron away from the nearest fairway, and adjusts his bandaged leg on an easy chair.

The 76-year-old is nursing the leg because surgeons cut out his old knee and inserted a stainless-steel model a few weeks ago. It's the penalty for twisting the original on a Belgian course.

Wagner, who started swinging clubs shortly after he learned to walk, is hot to get back on the links. "I told my doctor I will not pay him if this doesn't work," he growled.

When he does tee off again, he will definitely be swinging clubs made by his own firm, DiamondheadGolf Club Manufacturing Co. Inc. in Rancho Cordova. The 37-year-old firm vends clubs in the mid- to high-end range, averaging $700 per set.

In the 1950s, Wagner was a pro golfer and clubmaker in Southern California, outfitting celebrities like Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Willie Mays, Lawrence Welk and the Lennon sisters.

More recently, after moving to Rancho Murieta in the late 1970s, he's outfitted actor Leslie Nielsen and pro golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez.

For decades, Wagner has more or less coasted, making clubs for duffers who call in after hearing about Diamondhead on the links. But now, Diamondhead is in the middle of its first serious expansion. It has not only discovered an international market, but plans to franchise a chain of custom club-makers.

During the past two years, company sales have nearly doubled, going to more than $40,000 per month from $22,000, Wagner said. That's mainly because golf is taking off in places where it hasn't been big -- such as Korea, Iceland and Ghana.

But it's also because golfers like the Diamondhead computer that analyzes their swings, telling them where they're going wrong, and offering possible remedies.

Those factors are likely to bring about big changes at the small, six-employee firm. Diamondhead -- named after the Hawaiian volcano -- is part of a "second-tier" of golf-club manufacturers. It sits between big companies like Wilson Sporting Goods Co. and tiny custom club-makers, said Jim Fitzpatrick, a prominent Rocklin-based golf artist who, like Wagner, has played the game for a long time.

There are a couple of similar firms around, according to local golfers, including River City Golf and Par 72 Golf.

Over the years, Diamondhead has perfected its own manufacturing techniques. Like some of the larger companies, Wagner designs club heads and has them forged to his specifications. Custom makers typically don't get involved in designing basic components, ordering them instead from companies that do, Fitzpatrick said.

On the other hand, Diamondhead, like many custom makers, buys its shafts from club-component firms that design and build them. And it custom fits most of its clients, using a computer to analyze individual swings.

Diamondhead also designs its own putters -- the result of Wagner's inveterate tinkering. The Vice Versa putter, for example, puts a forward spin on the ball so it will roll straighter, Wagner said.

"One night I was in the garage at 4 a.m., dreaming up ideas," he recalled. "I looked at this water pipe and put a shaft on it and it felt good. I tried it in a tournament, and the guys were looking at me like they're thinking 'This guy's out of his mind.'

"But it worked. So I made 12 and brought them to the next tournament and put $25 tags on them, laid them around the putting green and sold them all in 10 minutes."

It's that combination of inventiveness and marketing that has given Wagner a comfortable living. His other creations include the Blizzard Wizzard and Big Headed Retaliator putters.

Although Diamondhead distributes standard clubs to its foreign dealers, fitted sets are more in demand, said Larry Landis, company president.

Other local firms take different approaches. River City Golf -- probably the largest of the big local custom-club makers -- doesn't use a computer or design and forge its heads, said owner Wayne Foster.

The computer just doesn't give enough information, he said, so it's not worth the expense. River City uses experienced staff members and video to analyze individual swings, an approach Foster said does the job at least as well.

River City long ago gave up making its own heads. It costs something like $30,000 to develop a new head, Foster said. Yet, almost as soon as it is brought onto the market, it faces competition from some "deep-pockets" manufacturer.

Par 72, which is smaller than the other two firms, combines instruction, video and customizing to sell its clubs, said owner Michael Gluck.

Demand is burgeoning, Gluck said, and Sacramento is one of golf's hot spots. By some estimates, the number of golfers nationwide has risen by 7 million during the past seven years.

Although there was a dip in sales industrywide this year, Gluck is going ahead with plans to franchise his little venture. He plans to charge around $65,000 to franchisees.

Wagner, of course, believes his own approach is paying off. Although Diamondhead doesn't advertise abroad, people looking for a custom fit sometimes hear about the company and call.

Some of them eventually become Diamondhead dealers. A South Korean tooling-company owner, for example, recently worked out a tentative deal to buy 250 sets a month if he became the country's sole Diamondhead distributor, Wagner said.

Despite its success overseas, Diamondhead doesn't have outlets in the United States. Wagner, admitting that the competition is overwhelming, said he has been satisfied vending to a small, steady line of customers brought in by word-of-mouth.

But now he sees a glimmer of high-tech opportunity in Diamondhead's golf-analysis computer. The machine, set beside an indoor driving cubicle, measures the characteristics of a player's swing.

One golfer was told he sliced the ball into adjoining fairways -- something he already knew. But it also told him he could hit harder with a more flexible shaft, which he didn't know.

It's this machine that has helped bring Diamondhead its clients. And it's this machine that is the cornerstone of Wagner's franchise notion. He plans by next year to sell it and the rest of his method to franchisees, who will then order from Diamondhead custom clubs for their clients.

But Wagner continues to experiment. He's currently fiddling with designs for both titanium and brass club faces. Titanium is the latest craze because the superhard metal is believed to hit the ball farther.

But Wagner suspects brass may have virtues of its own. "I'm experimenting with brass inserts in the irons," he said. "I like the idea because it doesn't take off as fast, because brass is softer than steel or titanium, and the shots may be straighter because it's softer in the center."

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Beem's Credit Good With PXG, Even If His Card Isn't

Beem's Credit Good With PXG, Even If His Card Isn't

Fourteen years removed from his PGA Championship win at Hazeltine National, Rich Beem was playing in his first PGA Tour event of 2016 at Baltusrol Golf Club. If there was concern about rust, it went away when the 45-year-old who also works as a TV analyst for Sky Sports in the U.K., shot an opening-round 69 to help him make the cut in his first tour event since 2012. Behind his play was also an interesting story surrounding his clubs. Beem used irons and wedges from PXG (Parsons Xtreme Golf), although getting them in his bag has not been as simple as one might have thought. Where as most tour players get their clubs for free, those that don't play frequently or have conditional status sometimes have to pay for their sticks. That was the case with Beem, except there was a hiccup-the credit card Beem used for the $2,800 purchase a few months ago was declined. "We knew we'd see Rich [again] so there was no urgency," said Matt Rollins, PXG's tour rep, about the late payment. "Just some sort of mix up. Not a big deal. He gave me another card about a month ago, but I hadn't gotten around to running it." In the meantime, Beem asked Rollins to re-shaft the irons. "When I saw him earlier this week," Rollins noted, "I said, 'If you play well we won't charge you for them.' After his 69 he texted me, saying, 'Was that good enough?' " Indeed, it was. Although Beem had new clubs, his putter at was an old friend-a Bulls Eye blade that clearly had several years on it.

NEW TITLEIST DRIVER FOR SCOTT

It's been roughly a month since Titleist launched its 917 line of drivers at the Quicken Loans National, and the company's "tour validation process" seems to be going well as several staff players have put the club in play. Adam Scott put a 9.5-degree 917D2 in play at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational then went back to his 915D2 for the Open Championship. At the PGA Championship, however, Scott was back with the 917. The D2 has a 460cc clubhead, slightly larger than the D3 that is also now available. Although the company, as per its custom on tour launches, remained quiet on the club's specifics, the primary differences from its predecessor, the 915, is the addition of adjustable weights (SureFit CG) on the sole, that move toward the heel or toe area to affect directional ball flight. This concept was first seen from the company in its C16 driver, introduced this spring. Scott had the weight in the neutral position at Baltusrol, where he finished T-18, ranking first in driving distance (312.5 yards).

Reference: How to manage your roster of golf clubs

ANOTHER NEW PUTTER FOR THOMPSON

It's been a substandard year on the greens for Lexi Thompson, prompting her to change putters several times during the season, trying putters from smaller companies such as Cure and the Happy Putter from Brainstorm Golf. At the Ricoh Women's British Open, Thompson was at it again, using a Bettinardi Queen B Model 6. "I went to Bettinardi and got fitted for a putter," said Thompson, who came into the event ranked 51st on the LPGA Tour in putts per green in regulation. "I feel very comfortable with it and I feel like I'm stroking it pretty well." The Queen B is a made from a soft carbon steel with a honeycomb mill pattern on the face. Thompson played well in her debut with the club, finishing T-8 at Woburn G.C. while taking just 23 putts in the second round. And what does Thompson do with all those discarded putters? "They are still hanging around," she said. "They are just at home in a collection."

PRESENTED BY GOLF DIGEST

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-E. Michael Johnson/@EMichaelGW

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Capturing the magic of Mexico

With continuous demand among U.S. travelers for the country's beach destinations and a near-perpetual presence on top trend lists, Mexico is holding fast to its reputation for first-rate vacation experiences. And now more than ever, an endlessly evolving roster of resort, activity and destination offerings--at the beach and beyond--are creating new opportunities for agents to cater to the specific needs of each and every client.

As has become the norm, Mexico and its cities continue to achieve recognition on a number of notable lists: Virtuosos 2016 Luxe Report ranked Mexico among its Top Global Destinations, Top Honeymoon Destinations and Top Family Travel Destinations; Guadalajara snagged the number-two spot on Travel + Leisure's Best Places to Travel in 2016 list; and San Miguel de Allende was named number three in the magazines 2016 World's Best Cities list.

In addition, two 2016 trend reports by travel insurance comparison site Square-mouth found Mexico to be among the most popular international destinations for Americans for both spring and summer travel this year, and Sojern's 2016 North America Travel Trends Report compared the top destinations for U.S. travelers from 2015 to 2016--and ranked Mexico in the number-one spot for both years.

According to the Mexico Tourism Board, visitor arrivals to the country have increased 44 percent over the past five years, reaching 32.1 million in 2015. Developers are working tirelessly to keep up with demand, with STR reporting 7,981 rooms in 58 hotels under construction in Mexico as of May 2016.

AIR TRAVEL IMPROVEMENTS

Air access to Mexico also continues to increase, making the trip between the two neighbor countries an easy journey as well as a cost-effective one.

"It's very economical to fly there," says Michael LaBaw, who owns World Travel Agency, a Virtuoso member in Maple Valley, Washington, with his wife Cheryl LaBaw. "Clients looking for sun and beach properties can find them very close by without a hassle."

And flying to Mexico is getting even easier for Americans--in April, the Mexican Senate ratified an aviation agreement that the two countries agreed to last December, stating that there will be no limits on the number of carriers that can serve any U.S.-Mexico city pair. The finalization of the deal is already resulting in a positive outlook for travelers, as increased flight options between a multitude of destinations have begun to crop up.

Southwest Airlines, for example, has applied for a number of new routes, including Los Angeles to Cancun, Puerto Vallaria and Los Cabos. The airline has also applied to offer the first U.S. carrier nonstop service between Oakland, California and both San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta. In March, American Airlines also launched flights between Daflas/Fort Worth and Merida, making it one of the only carriers to offer nonstop service between the two cities.

Mexican low-cost carriers have also increased their American presence, both from U.S. destinations into Mexico and between Mexican destinations, making it easier for Americans to visit off-the-beaten-path parts of the country. Interjet has started offering flights between Dallas/Fort Worth and Mexico City, as well as a new direct flight from Los Angeles to Guadalajara, while Volaris has announced a new route from Phoenix to Culiacan (in northwestern Mexico). In addition, VivaAerobus signed an agreement with Sabre earlier this year, giving agents who use the GDS an easier method of booking regional travel and niche destinations in Mexico.

WHAT'S SELLING

Travel Leaders Groups 2016 Travel Trends Survey ranked Cancun and Playa del Carmen among its Top International Destinations for 2016 (listed at number 2 and number 10, respectively), reflecting a trend that travel agents confirm in conversations with Travel Weekly. American travelers can't get enough of Mexico's beach destinations.

"Most of my Mexico bookings are all-inclusive beach vacations," says Carmen Schaffer, founder of Viva la Vida Travel in Lakeville, Minnesota. "My clients are going to Riviera Maya, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Cozumel ... we have cold winters and everybody wants to get away--and they want a beach."

In part, the demand for these beach cities can be traced back to Mexico's reputation for offering idyllic coastal getaways, a longtime selling point for the country. But reasonable airfares and the affordability of Mexico's upscale resorts make Mexico's beaches a reliable suggestion even when clients don't know exactly where they want to go.

"Clients normally come in without a destination in mind and say, 'We want a beach vacation,' " says Tammy Valery, a travel consultant with The Travel Authority in Bloomington, Indiana. "Nine times out of 10, there's also a budget involved--so I always start off with Mexico. For the resort rates and flights from the Midwest, Mexico is the best price."

To further match clients with the right Mexico destination for their beach escape, Valery considers the age of the clients as well as their interests and travel companions. "The younger set like to go to Cancun proper, in the Hotel Zone," she explains. "I tend to put families in Riviera Maya, at the self-contained resorts that are an easy distance from attractions like Xel-Ha or Xcaret. And clients in their thirties or forties, I like to put near Playa del Carmen, because they can walk Fifth Avenue and have a good time there."

On the West Coast, she finds that the differentiation is less about age, and more about the atmosphere the client is looking for. "Some people want to go to Cabo to experience that rocky, desert feel on the ocean, which is really unique. Others want to see a more tropical, lush area, and I'll send them to Puerto Vallarta."

ACTIVITY ADVICE

Between the immaculate all-inclusive properties with activities galore and the stunning beaches just steps from their rooms, it's understandable why some clients choose just to relax once they reach their destination--which makes the choice of resort a recommendation of utmost importance for travel advisors to get right.

"If they don't want to leave the resort, I really try to get them a nice property that has everything: nightly entertainment, activities by the pool, beach activities, children's programs, even cooking classes or something along those lines," says Valery. "I try to make sure there's something for everybody, and that they don't have to move much."

But with so many diverse offerings in such close proximity, from ancient ruins to natural wonders and outdoor adventures, many clients traveling to Mexico will want to take at least one daytrip. And if they don't immediately request any activities, they just might need a little inspiration, creating a prime opportunity for agents to showcase their local knowledge.

"I encourage my clients to enjoy activities outside of the resort," says Marianne Braly, managing director of Now Voyager Travel in Huntington Beach, California. "Take a daytrip to a place like Rio Secreto, which is an underground cenote and one of the coolest things I've ever done in my entire life. You put on your wetsuit and your miner's cap and go into these caves underground--an unbelievable thing to do for a day'

"I always encourage an excursion or two. If they're in Riviera Maya, they can go to Chichen Itza or Tulum, parasailing or paragliding, or to visit a cenote," adds Schaffer, "while in Puerto Vallarta, it's catamaran sails or ziplining."

If clients are interested in venturing off-property, it also presents an excellent chance for agents to introduce them to Mexico's more unusual local offerings, beyond the typical sites and activities. In Tulum, for example, clients can visit the famed ruins, but Braly also suggests a lesser-known option: "You can go into the little town of Tulum, which is the funkiest little hippie community. Then you can walk on this gorgeous beach or eat at a little restaurant with your feet in the sand."

Unique ideas for travelers in the Cancun/Riviera Maya area range from the 400 submerged statues at the Cancun Underwater Museum to the new Xenses Park, which opened this year as a companion to the popular Xcaret eco-archeological park; the sophisticated Museo Maya de Cancun, an exploration of the ancient people of the Yucatan Peninsula, located right in the Hotel Zone; or a trip into the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.

On the west coast, in Baja California Sur, travelers can take advantage of what Schaffer calls "the aquatic dreamland," with opportunities for sailing, camping on the beach, swimming with whale sharks and more activities in a one-of-a-kind setting. Puerto Vallarta, meanwhile, affords opportunities like food tours or daytrips to colonial towns such as San Sebastian, Mascota and Talpa, listed among the Magical Towns of Mexico.

BRANCHING OUT

Of course, any advisor familiar with Mexico knows there's much more to the country than its incredible beach towns. And while many clients may not be branching too far outside their coastal comfort zones at this time, agents who want to break into more of the Mexico market might have some surprising opportunities to do so.

One approach is to combine a beach trip with a nearby destination that offers a different take on Mexico, whether it be a colonial town with authentic local culture or a world-class metropolis like Mexico City.

"I was at Tianguis Turistico and discovered that from Cancun, you can go to Campeche or Merida and see a different side of the Yucatan," says Schaffer, who actively promotes engaging with the cultural side of Mexico. "So travelers could split up their time and have a beach vacation in Cancun or Riviera Maya, and then have a colonial experience. I think people should be aware that there's this opportunity--it's so close and easy to make happen."

The same is true of visiting Huatulco, in Oaxaca, Schaffer explains, where travelers can enjoy the beach before flying to Oaxaca City for a few days. "You can merge the two together really beautifully--and in my opinion, that's all-inclusive," she says. "You get a little relaxation and then you get a little cultural stimulation. It's the balance of resting your body and then invigorating your mind." LaBaw, who travels to Mexico three or four times a year, agrees that multi-destination trips are getting easier to arrange: "I cant think of many airlines that don't fly down there anymore, and it's much easier to get around than it once was. You can go to Puerto Vallarta and hop over the mountains and get to Guadalajara in about an hour."

For clients who are interested in exploring Mexico but aren't quite ready to visit the country's interior, agents can find other ways for them to interact with a more authentic side of Mexico. In addition to daytrips and tours, advisors can suggest unique accommodation options that will give clients the chance to have a variety of experiences both on and off the property.

And while Mexico's many all-inclusive resorts continue to trend, LaBaw also finds that many of his clients are willing to try something different. "I would say most of the trips we book are not all-inclusive," he says. "A lot of times, we have people that call for an all-inclusive and we talk them out of it, simply because they'll miss part of the experience." Without an all-inclusive plan in place, LaBaw is able to encourage clients to visit town, eat at local restaurants and really "experience Mexico."

Schaffer offers another option as well that clients may not be aware of: "There's a whole line of hotels and restaurants throughout Mexico called Tesoros, which are high-end and culturally enriched--and I don't think a lot of people know about them. These hotels and restaurants maintain the culture of the state and the area, and are something travelers should be aware of when they're looking for something different."

Agents wondering which clients to tap for a more unusual trip might consider repeat Mexico travelers, who might already feel comfortable with the country and be willing to try a new experience. "All-inclusives are a great, safe way for somebody to travel to Mexico for the first time," says Schaffer. "Then, for repeat travelers, I encourage them to step a little further out, like maybe Manzanillo. Once they've gotten comfortable with Mexico--which might take two times, or maybe three times or five times--they might be really able to step off the beaten path."

TAPPING INTO NICHE TRAVEL

Another emerging trend in the Mexico market that presents more prospects for agents to sell diverse Mexico experiences is the rise of niche travel opportunities throughout the country.

"What's happened over the years is that Mexico has become more and more customer-centric," says LaBaw. "With the increases in tourism, they have increased their focus on the customer; they've taken it to a whole other level."

This traveler-focused approach has shown itself in the resort market, with an increasing array of experiential, interest-driven opportunities and customizable activity options on offer at a variety of properties. From on-property craft beer tastings, tequila-blending lessons and pre-Hispanic cooking classes for foodies to yoga retreats for wellness travelers or on-site nature tours for outdoor enthusiasts, there's something available for just about every client's specific interests.

And the trend is taking hold outside the resorts, as well. "There are so many different niches of Mexico offerings, and those kinds of experiential trips are really trending in Mexico," explains Schaffer. "For example, there's a Frida Kahlo tour in Mexico City, and you can basically walk in her footsteps, from learning how to cook her favorite food to visiting her house. So I tell people that whether it's gastronomy or music or textiles or language immersion or art, wherever your interests lie, I can get that for you, because Mexico will offer it."

Today's guided tour options in Mexico run the gamut from exploring the wine-producing Valle de Guadalupe to immersive art and archeological experiences, adventures in the impressive Copper Canyon (which is longer and deeper than Arizona's Grand Canyon, and less known to U.S. travelers) and much more. But clients with specific interests don't have to join a group to explore Mexico's niche offerings. "I did a lot of travel to the cities in colonial Mexico, and I visited the artists in their shops," says Braly. "I have an amazing collection of Mexican folk art in my house."

And experiential opportunities aren't limited to cultural pursuits. "For people who are ecologically minded, one nice thing about Mexico is that the turtle population is big on both coasts," says LaBaw. "So there's an opportunity for a lot of people to get involved in the hatching and release of turtles, or watching the turtles lay their eggs on the beach at night."

Adventure, nature, art, culture, beaches, cities, history--whatever the request an agent is looking to fulfill, Schaffer assures advisors and clients that Mexico should be at the top of the destination list. "I think people need to understand that there's so much available in Mexico, and it's so easy for Americans to check off a lot of their bucket list travel there," she says. "Anything you want, you can find it in Mexico."

A LOOK AHEAD

Travelers are flocking to Mexico's coastlines--and soon they'll have even more to experience there; namely, three large-scale resort projects scheduled to arrive in the next couple of years.

Slated to open in 2017, Rancho San Lucas will be a private resort community in Los Cabos, spread over 834 acres with 12 miles of beachfront. Features of the complex are set to include a Greg Norman-designed golf course, a tennis center, an all-suite resort, and dining and shopping facilities within a pedestrian village. Development kicked off in January with the start of construction on the Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas. The first phase of the project, including the Grand Solmar, is planned to debut next winter.

Announced at this year's Tianguis Turistico, Costa Canuva will be one of the biggest luxury projects in Mexico. The new coastal development will be located in the state of Nayarit, about 40 miles north of the Puerto Vallarta airport, along more than four miles of coastline. The project will encompass 630 acres of beach, estuary and mountains, as well as five luxury hotels, a PGA-caliber golf course, specialty restaurants, mountain biking trails, a marina and more--adding up to an investment of more than $ 1.8 billion. Costa Canuva is slated to open in stages, the first of which is planned for 2018, including the new Fairmont Costa Canuva, the golf course and a beach club.

Also on tap for 2018 is Playa Espiritu, a massive Mazatlan-area project that has been in the works since 2008. Earlier this year, the Mexican government guaranteed funding for the development through at least 2018, at which point the first phase of the project is expected to open. Located about 50 miles south of Mazatlan, Playa Espiritu is being developed on approximately nine square miles of coastal property, with plans to include 100 hotels totaling 44,000 rooms (more than all of Cancun, which offers 32,000); over seven miles of beachfront, retail and entertainment offerings; a golf course; a nature preserve; and a convention center.

FAMILIES FLOCK TO MEXICO

Mexico remains a favorite for family vacations. For example, Virtuoso listed Mexico as the number-two Family Travel Destination on its 2016 Luxe Report. And travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth found Mexico to be the most popular international destination both this summer and last summer for families (customers traveling with children 18 and under), with a 20 percent increase in the number of families traveling to Mexico in summer 2016 compared to summer 2015. "People want all-inclusive family vacations--no-hassle beach getaways," says Carmen Schaffer of Viva La Vida Travel. "That's most of my requests."

Luckily for families, Mexico's tailored offerings are continuing to increase and evolve to meet the needs of this group. In addition to enhanced features for children at a multitude of resorts--including the introduction or expansion of kids' clubs at properties like Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun and Grand Oasis Palm, to name just a few--the biggest news for families comes from Karisma Hotels & Resorts and Viacom, which have announced plans to open the first Nickelodeon resort in Mexico in December 2017. The all-inclusive Riviera Maya property is slated to include 288 suites, interactions with Nickelodeon characters and other family-focused offerings. Early in 2017, Mexico is also expected to welcome Hurricane Harbor Oaxtepec, a water park from Six Flags Entertainment Corp., about two hours south of Mexico City.

LGBT UPDATES

The LGBT travel appeals of Mexico are on the rise this year, giving travel agents more reason than ever to recommend the country to this client base.

This past January, Jalisco became the fourth Mexican state to legalize same-sex marriage, joining the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Quintana Roo, as well as the country's capital, Mexico City, on the list of Mexico destinations where same-sex marriage is recognized.

The move creates new destination wedding business opportunities for agents in such popular Jalisco destinations as Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. In fact, Puerto Vallarta, long considered the country's preferred vacation destination for the LGBT community, has recently become the first city in Mexico to be deemed Gay Travel Approved. The title is GayTravel.com's seal of excellence, granted to select global travel partners who are found to deserve special recognition from the LGBT community.

Rosenfeld, Kelly

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Training With D.J - Golf Game

His golf game is at an all-time high, and so is his fitness

Dustin Johnson is a freak-in a good way. Whether you hand him a golf club, bowling ball or jai alai cesta, it won't take him long to figure out how to use it, and use it well. We remind you of this because Johnson's typical fitness routine isn't necessarily something you should copy. Yep, it's a little freakish, too. The kind of workout only a world-class athlete like Johnson does. Earlier this year, Johnson told his longtime fitness advisor and friend, Joey Diovisalvi, that he wanted to ramp up their workout sessions.

Want to copy a piece of Johnson's workout? Try the medicine-ball throw.

Johnson wanted to see how strong he could get and to fully commit to winning major championships-plural, not singular, Diovisalvi recalls of their conversation. So here's an overview of what they're doing: Three days a week they focus on power training. Then they transition to what Diovisalvi calls "neurological training," making Johnson consciously activate and feel specific muscles. They finish the week with an oxymoron: an "active rest" day.

"I call it active rest, because he refuses to take a day off," Diovisalvi says. "So it's a day where he'll get on the bike and ride a little, do some light exercises, golf-specific movements and then head to the course."

Sometimes Johnson works out twice a day, and occasionally, just to add a little competition to his fitness routine, he'll race Diovisalvi by bike along the Palm Beach County coastline. Ten miles up, 10 miles back.

Total all that time, and you get 15 hours of vigorous exercise every week. That's more than double what Johnson used to do, he says, and he can't help but think it's part of the reason D.J. won the U.S. Open in June.

"I've been working out harder. I told Joey I wanted to go every day," Johnson says. "I look at it this way. I want to be stronger and be able to swing the way I swing without worrying about getting hurt."

Monday through Wednesday, when Johnson is training for power, he performs Olympic-style exercises such as deadlifts, rows and cleans. The focus is on strengthening muscle groups on the front and back of the body from his thighs up to his shoulders, especially to strengthen the body while working from a hip-hinged posture (just like a golf posture). "No surprise, he learned to do these exercises flawlessly pretty quickly," Diovisalvi says. "He starts light and keeps progressing to heavier and heavier weights."

In case you're wondering, Johnson, who is 6-4 and 190 pounds, has no problem deadlifting 315 pounds.

Thursday through Saturday the two transition to "muscle awareness" exercises, many of which have Johnson off his feet. He also performs exercises on one foot, or with his eyes closed, or both. The purpose is to concentrate on feeling a specific muscle contracting, such as a glute or an abductor or the deeper muscles of the body like those that protect the spinal column. He also does exercises where he has to resist gravity or external loads. Resistance training is believed to help him decelerate his powerful swing safely.

Johnson also does a lot of work throwing medicine balls that weigh 12 to 16 pounds. A favorite exercise is to take a ball and mimic his backswing. He'll laterally step and then slam the ball down in that direction. "That's one I'd recommend anyone can do with a lighter ball. Just remember to throw in both directions," Diovisalvi says.

All of this strenuous work might have you wondering if he's overtraining. Could it lead to injuries to a body that already has to absorb the energy created by swinging his driver 125 miles per hour? The lower part of Johnson's spine is an area of concern because of the torsion it endures.

Diovisalvi laughs at the idea of Johnson overtraining, asking if anyone would ever accuse gold-medal swimmer Michael Phelps or an NFL running back of spending too much time working out. He says he pays a lot of attention to protecting Johnson's spine and joints, especially his left wrist, which famously bows in his backswing-a stressful position to maintain with a hard swing.

"I even built a special device from PVC pipe and medical tape that lets him strengthen his grip and muscles around that wrist," Diovisalvi says.

So besides that U.S. Open trophy and his other recent successful performances, what are the results of D.J.'s hard work?

"I'd say he's increased his clubhead speed by 2 mph and his smash factor by 5 percent," Diovisalvi says. "He's longer than ever and hitting more fairways and greens. That's a pretty good combination."

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Martha Burk takes a swing

This year's Masters tournament has come and gone, but Martha Burk and her cause have not vanished. "Today, we are protesting with placards," she said, as the tournament got under way. "Tomorrow, women will be protesting with their pocketbooks."

Burk has been leading the fight to end the men-only membership rule at Augusta National Golf Club. For years, I'd seen William "Hootie" Johnson preside over the Masters, acting every bit the Southern gentleman. But last July, Burk cracked Hootie's folksy facade.

"We have been contacted by Martha Burk, Chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO), and strongly urged to radically change our membership," Johnson announced. "She suggested that NCWO's leadership 'discuss this matter' with us. We want the American public to be aware of this action right from the beginning. We have advised Dr. Burk that we do not intend to participate in such backroom discussions."

Most of NCWO's short letter, written by Burk, seemed tame in comparison. "Our member groups are very concerned that the nation's premiere golf event, the Masters, is hosted by a club that discriminates against women by barring them from membership," the letter stated.

From that time on, for the weeks and months leading up to this year's Masters tournament, the most recognizable face on the feminist frontline wasn't Gloria Steinem or Naomi Wolf or Alice Walker. It was Martha Burk. As Associated Press sports writer Paul Newberry wrote, "[Burk] might be the most symbolic female in the American sports world since tennis player Billie Jean King in 1973. That's when, in the so-called Battle of the Sexes, King defeated Bobby Riggs in an exhibition match at the dawning of the women's movement."

Much like the watershed "Battle of the Sexes," the campaign to address sexism at Augusta National began rather innocently.

"It wasn't really designed to bring it to the public attention," Burk told me during a phone interview a few weeks before the Masters. "When we wrote to them it was a private letter, and we intended for it to remain that way. We had read about the discrimination in USA Today, so it was already in the media. We had read that Lloyd Ward--who was at that time the CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee and an African American man who's a member of Augusta--was willing to work from the inside to get the policy changed. So our board decided to just write a letter to Augusta and copy it to Ward in an effort to help leverage those inside advocates. The club decided to make the letter public in a rather inflammatory press release saying that we had them at the point of a bayonet, we wanted a trophy in our trophy case, and lots of that sort of rhetoric."

Johnson maintained a studied silence on the subject for a while after that. But as the tournament date approached, Johnson began to offer more details on his position. Tiger Woods, after being pressured to take a stance, let it be known that he opposes Augusta's current membership policy. Johnson's reply basically was that Tiger should stay in his place. "I won't tell Tiger how to play golf if he doesn't tell us how to run our private club," he said. Johnson also indicated that Augusta would likely have a woman member at some point, but that it would be on a timeline of the club's choosing. But by the time tournament week arrived, Johnson was singing a different and much more strident tune: "If I dropped dead right now, our position will not change on this issue. It's not my issue alone. Single gender [association] is an important fabric of the American scene."

Burk actually offered qualified agreement on that point. "It depends on the club," she tells me. "If it's a Friday night poker group, of course there's a difference. That's clearly a private association, and we hold those values dear in this country for women and men. But when you're holding a public event, as they are, you're raking in millions of dollars from the public, you're on the public airwaves, it's an entirely different thing. And their membership is composed of the CEOs of America's largest corporations so this is not about a few friends getting together on the back nine. This is about power and keeping people out."

Burk had hit a nerve. Was she surprised by the vehement negative response she immediately received not just from Hootie Johnson but by many in the general public? "Well, yes and no. When you work on behalf of women's rights for nearly thirty years, as I have, you've pretty much been called everything and accused of everything. I am surprised that mere equality and the right to be part of a club whose membership includes America's largest corporations does bring the kind of hate mail that we're getting."

Burk's thirty years of fighting for women's rights have covered a lot of territory. She grew up in Tyler, Texas, in a relatively affluent and golf-loving family. Her mother was a college graduate, and both of Burk's parents were partners in the family business, which was a retail clothing store. Early on, Burk had aspirations of becoming a marine biologist. Unfortunately, she came of age during the gender-restrictive 1950s when women's career choices were limited to three major options: teacher, nurse, and secretary. Burk got married and had two kids before she turned twenty-five but eventually earned a degree in psychology.

Her feminist consciousness began to flower after being asked to take a typing test at one job interview and further bloomed when she discovered that she wasn't making as much money as her male counterparts who worked as researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington. She complained to her department head then and hasn't stopped voicing her opposition to gender discrimination since.

After divorcing her first husband, Burk moved to Wichita, Kansas, where she joined a local NOW chapter and took up a place on the frontlines of the abortion battle. Since those days Burk's resume has continued to expand. She has served as a university research director, management professor, and adviser, consultant, or board member for an array of political campaigns and organizations. As chair of NCWO, Burk coordinates a network of more than 100 national groups collectively representing six million women. NCWO focuses on such issues as Social Security, child care, pay equity, and economic security for women. "I cannot overemphasize what a small thing this letter [to Augusta National] was in terms of our overall program of action," Burk told The Palm Beach Post.

Still, she feels the issue of gender discrimination at a club like Augusta National is important. "So many people do not believe that this needs to be taken as seriously as other forms of discrimination, and they really don't get it," she says. "Part of my job is to make sure that from now on people do get it--to let folks know that there is no difference between race and sex discrimination. They are both discrimination."

Burk points a sharp finger at the corporate executives who are a part of Augusta National's membership. "This is about corporate power. It's about corporate disdain for women. Any time you have the likes of ExxonMobil, American Express, J.P. Morgan Chase, GE, Motorola marketing to women every day while at the same time their CEOs are the members of a club like this, we think consumers need to know about it."

Burk successfully pressured some corporations to pull their ads from this year's event. That's when Johnson decided to go sponsor-free. "Coca-Cola, Cadillac, and Citigroup had already pulled out because they were talking to me," she explained, "and Augusta was trying to preempt that to keep from getting embarrassed."

In the end, the tournament and accompanying protests were less eventful than the preceding buildup. After much legal wrangling, demonstrators on both sides of the debate were confined to a muddy field about a half mile from Augusta's front door, far away from the golf stars and visiting patrons. "Even Bush let us get closer than a half-mile away," Burk said at a sparsely attended rally during the tournament, though as Burk pointed out to me, "We don't think we need huge numbers of people to make our point."

Pro-Augusta protesters were also on site, including a representative from the Ku Klux Klan. Someone was selling T-shirts with a red slash through the word "Burk." Another person held up a sheet depicting a boy pissing on her name. That's the one aspect of the issue that seems to personally anger Burk. "What aggravates me more than anything are the people who are trying to make money off of this by putting my face on golf balls and T-shirts and things like that," she told me.

Tiger Woods didn't win three green jackets in a row, and most sports programs I caught commented more on the commercial-free golf than on the protests happening up the road. After the tournament, Hootie Johnson, for his part, became more entrenched than ever. Sounding like Lester Maddox, Strom Thurmond, or George Wallace, he said, "There never will be a female member, six months after the Masters, a year after, ten years, ever."

But Burk is not backing down. She plans on launching a "corporate accountability campaign" that will turn up the heat on Augusta's members. "I don't think they can remain silent any longer," she said. "The choice is too stark."

The battle at Augusta National may not have a direct effect in changing women's lives, but thanks to Martha Burk, many people will not be able to look at the Masters without thinking of its history of gender discrimination and our culture's continued inability to address it seriously.

I'm a golfer myself, and I've learned how closely golf and the business world are intertwined. The major golf magazines frequently run features on topics such as "The Best Golfing CEOs in the Country" and "The Etiquette of Conducting Business During a Round of Golf." It's clear that many important business decisions are made on the fairways and in the clubhouse, and that women aren't allowed in. Through the years, I've heard (and heard about) a number of sexist comments from male golfers directed at women. The attitudes behind those kinds of comments are the same as those that lead to policies that create pay inequity and foster domestic violence. By generally treating women as second-class citizens in the world of golf, clubs deny women the opportunity to participate equally in the business world and be treated fairly in the larger world.

Martha Burk's battle at Augusta is not just about "some privileged lady of leisure" seeking an expensive golf membership, as Greg Cote wrote in a Miami Herald column. It's about discrimination, pure and simple.

Some of Martha Burk's critics have labeled her a meddlesome troublemaker. I proudly call her a hero.

Andrea Lewis is a San Francisco-based writer and co-host of "The Morning Show" on KPFA Radio in Berkeley, California.

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