Kawartha Pros In the Mix

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl., November 25, 2010) - Defending Ontario PGA Pro Am Champions, lead by Canadian PGA Professional David Banks, have taken the early lead at the 2010 Ontario PGA Pro Am at TPC Sawgrass. Under beautiful conditions on U.S. Thanksgiving 26 Canadian PGA Professionals from Ontario are leading 78 amateurs in hopes of catching Banks' and winning the third annual Merit Golf Vacations Ontario PGA Pro Am.

Teams Banks shot 15-under-par in the two person best ball tournament on Dye's Valley course at TPC Sawgrass. Banks will take a four shot lead over Michael Farrugia heading into the second of the four round tournament.
"Our team played ok on the front at 4-under but we really came together on our back nine at 11-under," said Banks following his round. "Andy Pavletich played really well and Ric Wilson made some great birdies for the team," added Banks, who finished tied for 61st place at the Canadian PGA Club Professional Championship earlier this week in Port St. Lucie, Fl.

Kawartha Golf and Country Club's Dan Bathgate (above) and Cameron Thin (St. Catharines) share low professional honours after day one. Bathgate and Thin both shot 2-over-par 74 which is one shot better than Kawartha Head Pro Mark Ahrens and David Banks (Within Range).

Tomorrow teams will play Deer Creek Golf Club in Ponte Vedra Beach followed by a tour around the famed Stadium Course on Saturday and concluding Sunday on Dye's Valley Course.



Click here to view first round scores

Hughes Hits Pebble

On the Links co-host Wilf Hughes recently returned from a trip out west where he was able to tee it up at Pebble Beach among some other great courses on the coast.

Here's a shot of Wilf teeing off on the very short but very famous par 3 # 7. For the record Wilf just missed his par but tapped in for a bogey 4 but when you get a chance to play such a historic course, who's counting ?

All Aboard at Pristine Bay Resport

Pristine Bay Resort, one of the western Caribbean’s most-anticipated resort communities, announces its Black Pearl golf course will open for Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers visiting Roatan December 1.

Roatan, an idyllic tropical island 40 miles off the coast of Honduras, is a favorite of scuba divers and an increasingly popular destination on Caribbean cruise itineraries. Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships will dock several times per week from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. allowing plenty of time for passengers to play the par-72, 7,179-yard layout followed by lunch at the Sky Lounge or 19th Hole restaurants. The Black Pearl, designed by Pete and Perry Dye, will open to the public at large on January 1, 2011.

“After many months of hard work by the Dye Designs team, The Black Pearl is ready for golfers to tee-it-up in one of the most scenic locales in the Caribbean,” says Mario Toriello, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Pristine Bay Resort. “Our cruise ship visitors will be among the first to sample Roatan’s extraordinary introduction to world-class golf.”

Golf aficionados will be thoroughly impressed by the Dyes’ handiwork. The Black Pearl’s signature hole is the 157-yard (145 yards from the Blue tees), island-green, par-3 11th. From the tee, players enjoy an exceptional view of the golf course and Caribbean. The green sits in the middle of a lake and is ringed by a narrow bunker to give slightly awry shots a chance of remaining dry. Given the elevated tee and ever-present trade wins, proper club selection will be key to avoiding a big number on the scorecard.

“Pete and Perry Dye’s inspired vision and hard work in creating the dramatic Black Pearl has come to fruition,” says Toriello. “Pristine Bay and Roatan are now on the way to becoming one of the world’s spectacular golf destinations.”

Additional information about golf membership, real estate options and the coming-soon, 120-room, five-star Resort and Spa at Pristine Bay can be gleaned by visiting www.pristinebayresort.com, emailing information@pristinebayresort.com, or calling 323.203.0623 or 786.315.8657.