Patrick's Blog

On the range this morning that’s Martin Kaymer (center), winner of last year’s PGA at Whistling Straights. This is a great place to watch your favorite players swing different clubs and put the golf balls out there with unbelievable accuracy…

Golf fans aren’t deterred by a little heat and humidity Thursday at the PGA Championship in Atlanta.

Hopefully everyone stops by the merchandise tent… be sure to say Hi to us!

WEDNESDAY EARLY EDITION: Caught this scene of greens crew out early making sure the Highlands Course is near-perfect in every respect. Gotta love these guys… their contribution to the game is immeasurable.

The 93^rd PGA Championship week is under way, and I’m at the Atlanta Athletic Club in John’s Creek (just north of Atlanta) ready to witness the year’s last major. First round play begins Thursday, but I thought I’d give you a small sneak preview of the course and a few of the pre-tournament preparations.

An early Tuesday morning stroll told me the ACC’s Highland Course is ready to take on all comers, especially holes like the 260-yard, par 3 15^th, shown here with a Golf Channel crew recording some last-minute player tips. David Toms scored an ace on this hole in 2001, the last time the PGA Championship was played here.

The course is immaculate, playing at 7,467 yards (270 yards longer than ’01), and despite some last minute afternoon thunderstorms on Monday it’s fast and firm, with sloping greens designed to challenge the game’s best players. And the players are here – on the range, in the bunkers, prepping on the course for the tests to come…

Heat and humidity will be factors, too, and the misting stations are in full-blast mode to accommodate golf fans, already arriving in force.

Of course, if the temperature gets to be too much, we’re here, in the air-conditioned PGA Golf Shop tent, ready to share stories and smiles, and of course, eager to show you our Stonehouse 2011 PGA Championship images and gifts.

Come by and say hi.

St Andrews Links, Hole #17 - Limited edition photo by Patrick Drickey

Here it is:  The special Limited Edition Stonehouse print of hole #17 on the Old Course, now framed and hanging in the St Andrews Links Clubhouse in Scotland.  Signed by all the players in the 2010 (British) Open Championship, it marks the 150^th anniversary of one of the most revered of all golf tournaments.

The famous “Rainbow” image is signed by Stonehouse Collection photographer Patrick Drickey, 1 of only 125 such editions.  It’s believed to be the first photographic image selected for such an honor, according to Drickey, who personally oversaw its production and printing.

The print features a panoramic view of the 17^th green, Swilcan Bridge, the 18^th “Tom Morris” tee and fairway, and the historic R&A clubhouse overarched by a delicate rainbow.  “ It bears witness to the continuation of a tradition,” says Drickey,  “a 150–year-old tradition in which the world’s most talented competitors have displayed their skills – a tradition now celebrated, in part, with the help of the Stonehouse Collection.”

It’s that time of year again… the 2011 Stonehouse Golf Calendar is almost ready to roll out, so I thought I’d give you a peek.

January

Ritz Carlton Orlando #9

Those of you trapped in the deep, cold snowdrifts might appreciate a look at this Sunshine State standout.

February

PGA Village Golf Club – Ryder #18

It’s a 7,000-yard Fazio design that can make you feel like you’re in the beautiful Carolinas.

March

Old Head #12, Ireland

There’s nothing in the world like the rugged environment at Old Head.

April

Cruden Bay #4, Scotland

Old Tom Morris played here in 1899.  A purist’s delight.

May

Colonial #16

One of the granddaddies of Lone Star golf, Colonial has hosted many of the game’s greats since 1936.

June

Congressional Country Club #10

A spectacular course, home of next year’s U.S. Open Championship.

July

Royal St George’s Golf Club #6, England

The late author Ian Fleming’s club hosts the Open Championship for the 14^th time this year.

August

Atlanta Athletic Club #18

The PGA Championship visits the Atlanta area.  Full of Southern charm.

September

East Lake #18

The permanent home of the PGA Tour Championship and Bobby Jones’s home course… ‘nuf said.

October

TPC Summerlin #16

Fuzzy Zoeller helped design this layout… the perfect antidote to that first blast of winter.

November

Hudson National #18

If this image doesn’t make you want to swing a club, you ain’t alive. This one also gets the nod for the Calendar cover shot.

December

Sherwood Country Club #17, California

Got a yearning for golf in SoCal?  This is one of the best.

Pre-order your Calendar now. Perfect for gifting, birthdays, any old reason… you won’t be disappointed.

Best,
Patrick

The finish at this year’s PGA Championship at Whistling Straits was exciting, perhaps even a little controversial, but there sure wasn’t anything arguable about the ace Tom Lehman scored on the par-three 17th hole Saturday afternoon.

Undoubtedly one of the most contentious holes the players face all season, 17 at the Straits Course is called “Pinched Nerve” for a reason, but the 1996 Open Champion barely seemed to notice as his tee shot found the cup.  223 yards.  One swing.  A great moment.

Ironically, I just happened to have a Limited Edition print of 17 with me in the merchandise tent.  Someone suggested we sign it and give it to Lehman, and… Voilà!  The moment was preserved.  All of us in the tent signed a letter to accompany the print, which was presented by the Whistling Straits management team to Tom.  I wasn’t at the presentation, but I understand TL was very pleased.

A fortunate coincidence – the kind we love at Stonehouse.  Preserving the memories of those special shots, holes and events is our mission, one we always appreciate sharing with friends and fans around the world.

Have a special golf moment you want to remember?  You’ve come to the right place.

Best,
Patrick

Being here at Whistling Straits this week reminded me of this:  When you watch the pros play golf on TV, you see them extremely focused, unsmiling for the most part, almost mechanical in demeanor and movement.  In the words of Jack Nicklaus, the players are “…in the midst of 50,000 people, alone with their game.”

That’s why I enjoy going to practice rounds – that’s where I get to see the players as human beings, not just golf machines.   In practice rounds the players can loosen up to an extent that’s impossible when millions of dollars in prize money are on the line.  They smile, sign autographs, and joke with each other and with fans.

Practice rounds allow amateurs like me to observe the world’s best players hone their craft, too.  Often the pros put three, four, or even five balls in play on certain holes so they can test clubs, ball flight or swing techniques.  It’s amazing to watch these guys, even when they’re just taking it easy.

The televised tournaments may generate more drama, but practice rounds definitely generate more fun.  If you want to really enjoy a tournament, take in some practice rounds.  And by the way, if you do, bring a couple Stonehouse mini-prints with you – they’re perfect for autographs.

The weather has been delightful since I arrived – light rain in the morning giving way to clear, sunny skies and temps in the mid-80′s by afternoon.  Wonderful golf weather to set the stage for the 2010 PGA Championship.

The Straits course appears to be in great shape.  In case you’ve never been here, this flagship of the Kohler Resort courses is a Pete Dye masterpiece of links-style design – over 7,500 yards of dunes, pot bunkers and rolling greens set along two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline.  This year I’ve brought images of #7 and #17, perhaps two of the most beautiful and challenging par-3 holes the players face all season.

Who will hoist the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday?  That remains to be seen, but I know this year’s PGA Championship will be fun to watch, and I certainly look forward to watching in the air-conditioned merchandise tent, where I’ll be signing prints and shaking hands with as many Stonehouse fans as possible.  If you’re coming up, I invite you to stop by.

We were delighted to see one of our very own Desk Caddies sitting on the table in the EPSN announcer’s booth during last week’s Open Championship. Looked pretty good – hopefully everyone who has been ordering them think they look great, too.

At about 18 seconds in, they start panning in on the announcers and right there on the left side of the table is one of our very own Desk Caddies! So, for everyone out there wondering what that really attractive-looking box was on the ESPN announcers desk was, now you know. And they make a great gift, too!