The Stonehouse Golf Blog

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

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.

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!

2010 marks the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship, and we’re extremely honored that an image from the Stonehouse Golf Collection has been selected to help recognize this important milestone:  A special Limited Edition gicleé of our “Rainbow” image of hole #17 on the Old Course will be signed by all of the players and hung in the St. Andrews clubhouse.

I personally oversaw the print’s production and numbering – 1 of only 125 editions – and I believe this is the first time a photographic image has been selected for this purpose, so I’m very grateful.  It’s the best of all possible scenarios for Stonehouse.  We’re here to create and preserve lasting memories of golf, and this image, with its panoramic view of the 17th green, Swilcan Bridge, the 18th “Tom Morris” tee and fairway, and the historic R&A clubhouse overarched by a delicate rainbow, is a fitting tribute to the game’s oldest and most revered Championship.

This week, as you watch the drama of the Open Championship unfold, you might give a thought to the fact that you’re seeing more than a golf tournament.  You’re witnessing the continuation of a historic tradition, a 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.

Best regards,

Patrick

Among the year’s most pleasant developments so far is an arrangement between Stonehouse Publishing and Premier Golf, one of the nation’s best-known golf destination travel agencies.

Premier Golf intends to use Stonehouse Mini Prints as confirmation gifts for clients who book golfing tours – customized golf-centric packages that can range from attending the Ryder Cup, to virtually any destination golf course in the UK or U.S.

Patrick Drickey, Stonehouse photographer and founder,  sees the arrangement as a natural extension of both firms’ expertise.  “For over 20 years, Premier has been recognized as the “go-to” travel specialist for golf enthusiasts,” he said, “and the addition of Stonehouse Mini Prints as confirmation gifts is the perfect way to say “thank you” to clients.

“Chris Gurney, Premier’s Director of Business Development told me our first effort for the agency, a Turnberry image, was a ‘huge hit’, and we’re proud of that.  It underscores what we know about how our golf course prints can help meet client-relations goals on an on-going basis.  People tend to hang to our golf prints.”

The Premier Golf print program will include customized stickers, special feltweave envelopes, customized vellum inserts and logos.

First of all, we must thank everyone who entered the “Show Us Your Stonehouse Print” contest by sending us photos of where you’ve hung your Stonehouse Golf prints. It’s humbling to see our images displayed so nicely in so many homes, offices, clubhouses and yes, even bathrooms. It’s great to think about golf anywhere, isn’t it?

Our winner really impressed the judges and his story exemplified one of the things we have always believed about golf pictures from the Stonehouse Collection: looking at the photo is a great way to share the experience and re-live the experience of having played a great course.

So congratulations to Jay D. from New Palestine, Indiana on winning a framed Signature Edition print from the Stonehouse Golf Collection! Jay – we hope to get a picture of where you hang your latest addition to your own collection! Thank you for entering and for being such a great collector.

Here is Jay’s entry:

To whom it may concern:

Please see the attached photos of my Stonehouse prints.  I have a total of 15 prints which surround the inside wall of my pool room.  These are all of my top courses I have played and these make for great conversation while playing pool or when having visitors in our home.

I like Stonehouse prints because of the panoramic view of the course and you have a wonderful selection of courses.  This is the only room in our home where I can decide what pictures are hung on the wall… which means my wife likes them too.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Jay D.

Well said, Jay! A gift certificate for your framed Signature Edition print is on its way!

Tiger Woods. Phil Mickelson. Tom Watson. This week, golf’s top players and stories gather for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach – one of the world’s iconic venues – to contend for the coveted championship of the United States.

We’ll all have to wait until Sunday to see who hoists the winner’s trophy, but in the meantime fans around the world will able to enjoy the unmatched beauty and windswept challenges of Pebble Beach.

Big Sur’s most famous golf course holds a special place in the history of the Stonehouse Golf Collection.  Pebble was the first course shot by Patrick; the first venue captured in his trademark panoramic format.  And it should come as no surprise that his image of hole number 7 continues to be the most requested in the Stonehouse Collection.

This week the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach holds center stage in the world of golf… and in the hearts of all of us at Stonehouse.