Before we do, we must first congratulate Houston’s Mark Stenmark on his tournament win. The dude’s a beast, simple as that, and he’s become a dominant force in Golden Tee this past year.

Now, however, it’s time for the top 32 players to play it out. Those that accumulated the most PEGT Points over the past 6 tournaments will now duke it out for Player of the Year honors.

It’s double-elimination, and should be a whole lot of fun. We’re cracking open another live blog (and another drink, or two, or three) to celebrate.

We hammered through some early matchplay games on Saturday knowing that there were two tournaments to be finished today. Once the Dallas Holiday Classic finishes (hopefully) sometime late this afternoon, the 32-man Player of the Year tournament will begin shortly after.

Another excellent day is in store and we’re firing up the live blog once again. Feel free to jump in or just stay tuned to find out the latest updates.

Cheers,
-ak

And we’re back at Volcanos.

The 2011 Dallas Holiday Classic begins today, and we plan to live blog the all the festivities from start to finish. We’ll begin with the 5-course qualifier starting early this afternoon and then get a few matches in this evening once we’ve got our 32-man field filled.

It’s going to be an outstanding (but very long) day, and we’ll be trying out our new live blog widget below. Feel free to comment and jump in if you please, and we’ll keep you tuned in to what’s going on. Comments have to be approved (on the first post) so if your comment doesn’t show up for a little while (or it’s just an insane, curse-loaded rant), it may not show up for a short while.

Grab a cold one and tune in…

Cheers,

-ak

We made it to Volcanos in Hurst, Texas for Power Events’ 2011 Dallas Holiday Classic.

The bar is massive, beer is a flowin’, and tonight should be outstanding. The handicap tournament gets underway at 7:00, and GT will be played late into the evening. The actual Classic gets underway tomorrow at noon and we will be live-blogging qualifying scores and matches after.

For details on how the weekend will shape up, check out the details here.

Stay tuned and be sure to join us for a brew if you’re in the area.

Cheers,

-ak

Our GT road trip has reached its final destination, and we’re celebrating another year by going out with a bang. If you’ve ever wanted to climb Mount Everest but don’t have the time, energy, money or physical stamina to do so, well, you’re in luck.

Welcome to Nepal – and more specifically Mount Everest – for the 5^th and final GT course on 2012. Nicknamed “Holy Mother,” you’ll certainly find yourself saying that on occasion with perhaps an added word tacked on the end.

Tundra Peak is a fitting name for a course that’s more or less a journey up the world’s largest natural obstacle. Instead of a slow, gradual climb, however, we’re taking this Jim Z. design head on.

This baby is a monster, so buckle up.

The Elements

Snow makes a Golden Tee cameo for the second straight year, and in 2012 its role has been expanded a great deal. Last year we saw a decent amount of the flaky white stuff on Alpine Run, but this year we’re surrounded by it. I mean, it is Mount Everest.

For those of you that avoided Alpine or have somehow never hit it in the snow before (cough, cough LIAR), here’s how it works. If your ball even grazes it, it’ll stop dead in its tracks. This hasn’t changed and in this instance there’s more snow than ever. And snow isn’t the only winter surface in this one.

The ground that surrounds the fairways is a sort of frozen mountain surface that will stop your ball from going much further. Its effects aren’t as pronounced as ice but it’s certainly something to be aware of.

Speaking of… there’s also ice, some of which is perfectly placed, that can help and hurt you if you happen to hit it. Just a little tip: your backspin will be nullified if your ball bounces off this surface, and it will. There are a couple of shots where this will most certainly come into play, and you’ll have to account for it while deciding between lofts and clubs.

At the Top of the World

You might as well file this under “Holy #$% that’s obvious,” but Tundra Peak is being played at the top of the world. No, really. Like the very top. Because of this, you’ll be dealing with these heights in a variety of different outlets. And unlike Grand Canyon, which starts at the top of the creation and works its way down, here we’re playing our way up to the peak of Mount Everest.

Because of this, players will be forced to deal with unique shots as they move along through the round. The drop offs become much more severe, the penalties become more frequent and the stakes get higher.

In more than a few circumstances you’ll be left with putts that could be the difference between a birdie and falling off the world’s largest mountain. These are crucial, obviously, and can send your round into a tailspin if you happen to miss your line.

The same can be said about tee shots and approaches into greens. If you’re not careful, your ball will be destined to do a snowy, deadly base jump and your score will rise rather quickly. Luckily, however, you won’t have to watch your shot fall thousands of feet, ala Black Hills.  No, there’s no waiting around in this one. As soon as you fall off, we’re saving you the pain and aggravation of watching your ball 29,029 feet.

We love you all that much…

Closing Time

Our final point of emphasis in our “Hands on in 2012” is a fitting way to go out. The 17^th and 18^th holes on Tundra Peak are absolute game-changers, and while they’re not as difficult as some of the other holes in the game, they provide a majestic challenge to finish things off.

The 17^th is a par-3 with very little room to miss. The green, which is more or less sitting on a convenient piece of ice near the top of the mountain, is not quite at the very top just yet. We’ll get there in a minute. This design can be deadly and missing short or long will result in OB and likely a bogey at the very best. You are going to absolutely want a 7 and 9-wood here, so make note of that right now. It’ll make the shot into the green easier, and you’ll also be able to comfortably spin it back before it rolls off.

Escape the 17^th unscathed and you’ll reach the top of Mount Everest – one of the most superb scenes in the history of GT and one of the game’s best drivable par-4s. There will never be another hole that reaches this kind of altitude (unless we eventually go to the moon) and you’ll have to hit to the very top of the world to get your eagle.

Anything off to the right or deep on this hole will result in a penalty and a re-tee, so take note on tougher conditions. Also, be sure to explore the possibilities of using a high tee here to reach the green (seen above) with some winds. You’ll

Well, ladies and gentlemen that’s about it for now. You’ve read our take and soon enough you’ll have your hands on the game. Stay tuned to Goldentee.com for all the latest news on the release date as Ship Day fast approaches.

Signing off,

-ak

In the year 2000, Granville, Vermont had a population of 303 people. Eleven years later it has certainly increased in size and is now the proud owner of its very own virtual golf course.

You know that exclusive country club that your dad talks about at dinner? The one that he says sucks, the membership’s WAY too expensive, and that only rich, d-bag doctors play there? Then finally, one of those rich, d-bag doctors invites him to play and he does a celebratory kitchen dance because he’s been DYING to play it all these years.

Auburn Glen is that country club, although no d-bags are allowed. Take note, folks.

And so we continue on our whirlwind adventure, which is suddenly nearing a halt. Here are some items of note when it comes to Auburn Glen as the 2012 ship date fast approaches.

Hooray.

A Taste of Traditional Golf

The majority of the courses featured in Golden Tee 2012 are extravagant in setting to say the least, and while Auburn Glen no doubt has characteristics that make it unique from any GT gem ever created, it’s also closer to a “traditional” golf course than any of the five new creations.

Translation: this is not the course to wear your favorite pair of jorts or an ol’ school football jersey. This is a virtual club and they won’t tolerate that kind of dress code destruction. No D-Bags, remember?

The Glen has almost a fall-like feel to it. The trees are all colors, the setting is warm, but somehow a pullover seems like the proper wardrobe choice here. You’ll get your fill of green – whether it’s the trees avoiding the fall season switch, the rough situated all over the course, or the fairways that you’ll want to stay on – green is everywhere, and make sure you take note of that last part. Trust me on that.

On the surface, this course reminds me a bit of the 2010 monster that was Southern Oaks. Not necessarily in the way the course sets up but in look and feel.  Don’t let that comment scare you if you weren’t a fan of SA. While Auburn has it’s fair share of challenges, I don’t believe it’s quite on that difficulty level.

It’s a Trap(s)!

Now would be a good time to update your buddy-hitting-out-of-the-sand joke arsenal.

Auburn Glen is absolutely jam-packed with sand traps, most of which can come into play if you’re not careful. While many of the greens are surrounded with ‘em, it’s the fairway bunkers that can pack a punch, especially on par-5s and long par-4s. In these instances, missing the fairway means your giving up at least one stroke and potentially depending on your recovery.

While there’s no doubt a great deal amount of traps on the course, the depth of some of these bad boys is also impressive. The back nine in particular features a couple of deep, deep, deep bunkers – not quite pot bunkers we’ve seen in the past – but some intimidating possibilities if you happen to find them.

These greenside bunkers come equipped with elevation, and to stay out of them I must pass along some advice. Tackle this course with a full arsenal with fairway woods. The 7-wood in particular on this course will be your best tool to avoid these bunkers and you’ll likely want it for tougher winds and pin placements.

The Barns and the Bridges

Although you wouldn’t consider hole 7 or hole 14 the typical spot for trademark holes on a golf course, Auburn Glen isn’t just any other golf course. Holes 7 and 14 are similar because a) they are both drivable par-4s and b) each features a barn like obstacle in the center of the hole that will make getting eagle a challenge from round to round.

This obstacle that is featured on both holes is a covered bridge that resembles a barn. On hole 7, this barn is situated horizontally guarding the green, and  on hole 14 it’s situated on the left side with its opening facing towards you.

There will be a variety of different ways to tackle these holes depending on the winds, tee boxes and pin placements, but these holes also come with plenty of risk. There is water that is VERY much in play, as well as trees that can send your ball into the hazard. And then there’s the bridges themselves that serve as the true cog in the entire design.

My suggestion: Experiment with fairway woods and tee it up high if you’re at all concerned about getting there. Don’t be afraid to try some “unique” strategies on this one. I’ve already said too much…

One more course to go! Check back here next week as we climb the final mountain. Literally.

-ak

We’ve traded in our GT RV for a good ol’ fashion airplane and traded in our normal golfing attire for a pair of Golden Tee board shirts. No, wait, a thong. Yea, a Golden Tee thong.

Welcome to paradise and more specifically Royal Cove in Half Moon Bay, Antigua. Water is a plenty, (more on that in a bit), the scenery is gorgeous, and you’ll now be able to patrol the water, beach and dense jungle marsh even when there’s a foot of snow outside your local bar.

This particular paradise, however, comes with a bit of an edge. Old ruins, pirate remains and other items separate this gem from past tropical courses you might have played in the past. It’s a “bring your machete” type of paradise and you’ll want to stay on the short stuff. Easier said than done as you’ll see below.

By now, you know the drill. Here are a few interesting aspects of Royal Cove you can expect to see later this month… Boy, I love the sound of that

Water. Everywhere.

We’re in paradise, which means we’re privileged to scenic views on just about every hole. And while you’ll want to stop and enjoy the view every now and then, the beauty of this course also creates an 18-hole challenge.

The tropical blue waters surround you just about everywhere. While there are a handful of setups that are tucked inland, for the most part you can find the hazard on each and every shot. Some will be more dangerous than others, A LOT more, but the water is prevalent. Believe me.

More important perhaps than the addition to water is the new drops in Golden Tee 2012. We touched on this while exploring the Grand Canyon, and Royal Cove certainly deserves this disclaimer as well. Go in the aqua off the tee while trying to reach a drivable par-4 or par-5 (See Below) and you’ll have to hit a similar shot all over again.

The water is beautiful but also deadly. You’ve been warned.

Shot Shapin’ Paradise

While the journey on the Grand Canyon starts at the top and ends at the bottom, Royal Cove’s 18-hole path is more of a windy road that impacts you hole-to-hole and shot-to-shot. Simply put, you’re going to have to be accurate off the tee if you want to set yourself up for success with your next shot.

Although you can likely hit every fairway with ease, your positioning on these fairways is crucial. Pin placement, obstacles and wind will all play a major roll in how you want to set yourself up. If you don’t end up where you want to be, you’ll make life very challenging and the next shot much more difficult then it needs to be.

This advice would work on all Golden Tee courses but seemed very prevalent while testing my luck on ol’ Royal. The placement of trees and overhanging branches/leaves, the positioning of smaller bodies of water strategically placed in the fairway, and the intriguing shapes of the majority of the holes really will test you. Play smart, study up the hole before you play it each time, and play safe if you’re not comfortable with a certain look.

The Par-5 17th

For the second consecutive year, Golden Tee LIVE has a drivable par-5. There’s no question that these designs are a fan favorite, because frankly who doesn’t love having the opportunity to go -4 on one hole? Hitting the elusive super albatross isn’t exactly an easy accomplishment, but in GT 2012 the possibility is there.

Without getting too deep into a hole description, you’ll have to avoid trees, stay away from the water and hopefully land safely on the green with a C-3-type shot. It certainly can be done, and I’ve already mustered up a handful of double eagles in limited rounds on the course. And if I can do it, so can you.

The true problem, however, gets back to the point we made above and something I’ll probably beat you over the head with until the game ships. If you go in the water, you’ll no longer get that favorable birdie drop as you did on Laurel Park 18. Nope, you’ll basically have to re-tee and getting par will be a feat.

Great spot for a great hole. This baby will certainly decide close games and be a beast in match play.

Tune back in next week for our look at Auburn Glen and the fourth course on 2012. We’ll leave you with a live look at paradise as we depart.

Cheers,

-ak

Jerry is a Golden Tee player who just hit a handful of impressive Golden Tee shots and putts while playing and has decided to celebrate this joyous occasion.

The following ensued.

While his moves are surprisingly impressive and fluid (beer does wonders, y’all), it makes us wonder about other Golden Tee celebrations out there. Oh, do tell.

Consider this your open thread to share your Golden Tee celebrations. What do you to do when you hit that 80-foot plus against your buddy? What’s your absurd, over-the-top reaction to a hole out?

Tiger Woods has his fist pumps, sure, but he doesn’t have moves like many of you out there. I’m curious to see where this one might take us and what your emotion responses are made of.

And go…

Nature’s playground is impressive.

What’s more impressive then the sheer beauty of this massive creation is the fact that we’ve been able to wedge a golf course – albeit a damn impressive one – right in the middle, on top and at the bottom of this thing. More on that in a bit.

Welcome back to the Golden Tee 2012 Road Tour. Our camper has ample gas and we’re on our way to Tusayan, Arizona which is right in the heart of the Grand Canyon. Although Dusty Trail was unique in its own way, GT has never seen a gem quite like this.

I know what you’re thinking. You’ve played canyon courses before and can casually assume that this is more of the same. Before you begin to tell me that this course is just like Monument Valley or [insert canyon course of choice] here, however, wait until you give this one a test drive or two. Trust your buddy here.

And away we go…

From Top to Bottom

Playing Grand Canyon is a journey. That’s not just marketing speak, (okay there’s a hint of marketing speak in there), but it’s also indicative of where you start and where you’ll finish the round. Hole one starts at the very top of the Grand Canyon, giving players perhaps the best view they’ve ever had in Golden Tee. No joke.

Elevation will come into play early on and you’ll hit both up and down into a variety of fairways and greens. There’s also some significant drop offs that come into play – TRUST me on that – so staying on the short stuff will be key on the front.

From that point, however, players will begin maneuvering their way over and around various canyon drops while slowing working their way down the canyon itself. By the ninth hole, the views of the giant canyon backdrops will be long gone and suddenly players will find themselves nestled between canyon walls.

The back nine is a 180 from what you just played, and you’ll have to adjust your game accordingly. The room for error will decrease significantly and canyon walls will be everywhere. On the 18^th hole, you’ll notice a helicopter positioned 50 yards from the green ready to take you to the top once your done. Hell yeah we thought this thing through.

The Drivable Par 4s

Do you go for the gusto or play it safe? This is what you’ll have to ask yourself on the tee box on a handful of drivable par-4s that are scattered throughout the Grand Canyon.

By now you’ve probably read about the new and improved drops in GT 2012. For those of you that haven’t, here’s the deal. On drivable par-4s, if you go for the green and end up in a hazard or OB you’ll be put back on or near the original tee box. It hurts, and it’ll certainly make you think twice about going for the green or laying up. “Pshhh, I never lay up, it’s Golden Tee, bro.” –a few of you right now.

You will, or at least you should on this course. There are a handful of drivable par-4s that can be reached with your drive, but it also comes with significant risk. I mean, it is the Grand Canyon. How you decide to play these holes will determine your score and where you finish up.

The stroke you gain by driving the green is a big, but the potential strokes you give up by missing can be even bigger.

The Par-3 17^th

Each year, there is one hole that truly separates itself as being THE statement design in the game. While each course has their own unique creations, the par-3 17^th on Grand Canyon is one that sticks out more than any other Jim design in the game.

It’s not a short hole, and you’ll likely be hitting fairway woods or short irons into the green. After a decent amount of attempts on this, I’m not exactly sure which option works best. Sticking the green with a fairway wood can be a tough task with a strong wind in your face. The loft, however, can be incredibly beneficial with an out wind and in calmer situations. You also have a new spin option in Bite, which will come in very handy when just trying to land safely.

Another interesting tidbit was that a sand trap was added to the front part of this green to give players a legitimate bailout spot in tougher conditions. T Use this to your advantage. While we all hope to birdie each and every par-3 we play, there’s nothing wrong with par here, especially with a nasty wind.

Play smart, and most of all avoid the blowups. It’s a possibility here if you’re not careful.

So there you have it. We’re done with the Grand Canyon but still have 3 courses to dive into in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to the GTB for all of ‘em and enjoy some scenes of this beauty on your way out.

Cheers,

-Ak

We’ve gassed up our Golden Tee tour bus, plane and boat and we’re once again taking our show to the road. Welcome to our 2012 course preview on the Golden Tee Blog; I’ll be your host for the next five weeks.

I’ve now had ample time to play all five of the new courses (#humblebrag) and I’m ready to pass along some observations for each. Note: I haven’t perfected the art of course domination just yet, but I’ve been in plenty of places on each that you’ll hopefully avoid.

Our 2012 journey begins in the golfing hotbed of Sayre, Oklahoma at the fascinating Dusty Bend, which is positioned directly on Route 66. Known for motels, diners, and awkward truck stops that you’ll likely want to avoid after 10:30 p.m.

Dusty is a unique creation that provides challenges and designs new to the GT. There’s also a dinosaur on this course. Not a real one… OR IS IT?

In any event, here are a handful of things to take note of for when you get your paws on GT 2012.

Dusty Dirt 2.0

The surface that surrounds a giant portion of Route 66 could be classified as deadly. Not in a sense that you won’t be able to hit out of it if you happen to find it (and believe me, you will), but because if your ball even glances this surface it’ll stop dead in its tracks. If you’ve seen how your ball will react in snow, you can expect something very similar in this regard.

Where dusty dirt really comes into play is around the greens. Anything short of the green will likely stay short and not roll on. This shot is especially prevalent on the par-3 17^th, where water surrounds the back of the green and dusty dirt lies just in front. Shot planning becomes more important, and you’ll need to evaluate distances a little more with your approaches.

While hitting the dirt with your tee shot won’t kill you, it will kill your distance and likely crush your chances of reaching par-5s in two. If there’s a penalty stroke in Golden Tee without actually splashing down or going OB, this just might be it.

Oh Hello, Design-a-Hole

David Donovan’s 2012 Design-a-Hole wining creation calls Dusty Bend home.

Abandoned Railyard, which is hole #12 on the course, is a beauty and you’ll certainly recognize this baby once you get there. In terms of the level of difficulty, it’s hard to assess this early on. For those unfamiliar with the design, it’s a drivable par-4 tucked in between, you guessed it, an abandoned railyard.

How you attack this hole will depend a great deal on your tee box. Although you’d like to be closer to the hole in almost all cases, too close here and you may get up close and personal with a railcar. Believe me, I’ve had my fair share of run-ins, and I’m happy to report that “TING” sound of ball hitting steel is indeed in the game.

When you do get past the railcars and over the other obstacles, you’ll also have to deal with a massive green. And I mean massive. While it may not be the largest green in the history of LIVE, it’s damn close. My advice: avoid the railcars and get your ball close to the pin so you don’t have a putt over 100 feet.

Got it? Good.

Get Your Golden Tees Ready

I don’t want you to view the following as a sales tactic to encourage you to purchase Golden Tees, but I fear it may come off as such. Oh well. /adjusts corporate hat

Off the tee, I’ve used more Golden Tees on this course than I have on any other course in 2011 or 2012. I know they cost money and some of you likely scoff at the idea of buying further equipment, but my goodness they are useful on a handful of reachable par-5s and par-4s with impressive obstacles.

Without getting into specifics and ruining 2012 strategy for y’all, a fairway wood and a high tee can do wonders on this course. Whether you’re looking for extra distance or need to get over some large farming structure/obstacles, trust me when I say this is an option that you should examine closely on various occasions.

That’s all for now, trackballers. Check out the Dusty Bend trailer below if you haven’t seen it quite yet, and come back soon for our look at the four remaining courses. Next up… Grand Canyon.

Cheers,

-ak