TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - ONTARIO’S FIRST HOLE IN ONE OF THE SEASON?

I just got a call from Deer Creek Golf & Banquet Facility in Ajax to report their first hole-in-one of the 2010 season (which is also the first I’ve heard of anywhere in the province so far). The lucky man is Don Lanau, who today buried an eight-iron on the eighth hole of Sapphire nine on the South Course—a downhill, 128-yard par-3. You don’t see many aces in March, but you can expect a few more in early April considering how many golfers will be out this long weekend given the forecast.

Count me among the horde. My first game of the year will be Friday at Rockway Glen, which will mark my first time at the facility—an excellent place to start the season since there’s also a winery there to drown your sorrows in case you really suck.

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - LITTLE DEVIL BREAKS OUT

David McIntyre celebrates a goal in a 4-3 OT win for the New Jersey Devils’ farm team, Lowell, Friday night.

My nephew David, who had played well but not registered a point in his first four games as a professional, tied the game with less than three minutes to play, then scored a shootout goal to help pace the Lowell Devils to a 4-3 win over Springfield last night in American Hockey League play.

David, who also had an assist, was named the game’s first star. His dad, my brother Don, was watching with his wife and friends at his home in Pefferlaw, northeast of Newmarket.

David, who wrapped up his college hockey career at Colgate less than two weeks ago, signed with the New Jersey Devils before joining their AHL affiliate a day later. He had just stepped on the ice when Springfield scored off a turnover with 3:54 left in regulation—it was the first time David had been on the ice for an opposition goal since joining Lowell.

It was a bit of an old-home week for David, who was reunited with a one-time Whitby Wildcats linemate, Brad Snetsinger, who potted the winning goal in the shootout. Another former teammate Ryan O’Marra, was on the ice for Spingfield, as was yet another familiar face from Whitby, Edmonton Oilers prospect Liam Reddox, who spent most of the 2008-09 season in Edmonton.

David feels the gorilla is off his back now. I can’t wait to see what he does next. And there’s still a chance New Jersey will call him up before the season ends.

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - ONE SMALL STEP FOR TED; ONE GIANT LEAP FOR DAVID

Just a pic, courtesy photographer Peter McCusker, of a goal I had during a ball hockey tourney in Oakville last weekend. Our team, the Red Cats, won our first two 12-8 and 6-2, respectively, before dropping a 9-8 affair in the elimination round. Not a lot of room for guys who like to run, but what a cardio workout with 25 minute-games and serious competition in each game. Can’t wait for next year!

But if you want to see some real talent, my nephew David McIntyre, who will graduate from Colgate University next month after getting a full scholarship there, was signed by the New Jersey Devils last week. A talented centreman, David’s played four games with New Jersey’s AHL farm team in Lowell, Mass—no points yet, but his line also hasn’t had a single goal scored against them despite Lowell dropping three of those four games. There’s a chance he might be called up to New Jersey before the season ends. I’m expecting free tickets, although I probably have to pay for the flight to New Jersey.

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - TOP 10 FLY-BY’S OF ALL-TIME, AND WHERE WAS TIGER DURING THAT “SEXTING”?

Tiger said nothing of significance in his two interviews last night—big surprise. And Harvey’s hasn’t responded to my “Fries from Hell” rant, so I have nothing overly intriguing to say today—part of which I attribute to working like crazy to get the first issue of Ontario Golf and the second issue of BIZ magazine ready for publication. One possibly interesting note, though. I checked the dates of Tiger’s “sexting” his former porn star lover, Joslyn James, and discovered that on the two events where they actually hooked up, Woods won both—by three shots in early August at the Buick Open at Michigan’s Warwick Hills GC, and by a whopping eight at the BMW Championship at Cog Hill outside Chicago. The event that the twosome didn’t pair up, but texted extensively instead—The Barclays in New Jersey—Tiger finished tied for second. Read into that what you will.

Possibly of greater interest, office associate Doug has kindly forwarded something worth watching: the Top 10 Fly-By’s of all-time. Enjoy.

BURIED ELEPHANT - THE AVATAR OF GOLF - THE MASTERS GOES 3D

The Masters has had a history of innovation in the world of golf including;

• First tournament to use four days of 18 hole stroke play
• First tournament to be broadcast on TV
• First to change mound locations
• First to use the current scoring system using colours for over/under par
• First to use leaderboards around the course for “live” scornig

On Monday Augusta National and The Masters Tournament announced another first. The 2010 Masters will be the first golf tournament broadcast in 3D.  While most of us won’t be able to take advantage of this new technology new TVs specially designed for this technology will give viewers unprecedented perspective on this storied course.  I’ve been told that you cannot appreciate how hilly the course is on TV.  Maybe that’s changing.

Back in November our editor visited Panasonic’s launch of this technology.

If you’re in the market for this technology you can visit Panasonic’s website here for more details.

If you have a 3D TV log in below and let us know what the broadcast looks like.

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - UGLY TIGER, UGLY FRIES, THE 2010 CANADIAN AMATEUR AND SUNICE HOOKS UP WITH THE PGA TOUR

If you didn’t already see Tiger Woods in a different light, you will after you take a look at the (presently alleged) text messages he sent former porn actress Veronica Siwik-Daniels, a.k.a Joslyn James, who has set up a website devoted to Tiger’s sexting. But be warned—this is seriously graphic, 18-and-over material. Click here for the 100+ text messages.

FRIES FROM HELL
On the side of the box it says “A Beautiful Thing,” but today’s fries from the Harvey’s at the corner of Appleby Line and Upper Middle Road in Burlington were more like the fast food they serve in hell. And this was after a more than 15-minute wait in line.

That’ll teach me to forget my lunch on the counter at home!

RCGA’s ALL-STAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
This year’s Canadian Amateur, in case you haven’t heard, is a tag-team affair with two of the best courses in Ontario: the London Hunt & Country Club (artist Tony Harris’ fine depiction of the 14th hole at bottom) and the very exclusive Redtail Golf Course in nearby Port Stanley (image below). That ought to add some extra incentive to qualify for this year’s big event, which runs August 10-15.

SUNICE MAKES IT OFFICIAL WITH THE PGA TOUR
Montreal-based Sunice, which makes some of the best outerwear in golf, has signed a new three-year licensing agreement with the PGA Tour that has Sunice serving as an official outerwear licensee of the PGA, Champions and Nationwide Tours.

“We value our very important relationship with the PGA Tour,” says Mark Fletcher, president of Sunice. “The PGA Tour is the largest and most important golf tour in the world, and this new three-year licensing agreement gives us numerous opportunities to associate our company with an organization that represents the cream of the crop in golf.”

BURIED ELEPHANT - CAN’T WAIT TO GOLF? DON’T!

The weather in southern Ontario has been unseasonably warm all winter and now more than ever.  While courses in the area don’t usually open until Mid-April the lack of snow and warm weather means that some courses will be opening early this year.

Here are three courses that I’ve heard are opening this week.

Carlisle (North of Burlington, West of Milton) - open on Wednesday

Tarandowah (Sout East of London) - open on Wednesday

Piper’s Heath (East of Milton) - open on Thursday

If you know of more courses that are open early please post a comment below and let our readers know.

Once you’ve played these courses don’t forget to go to the Ontario Golf Course Directory and post your ratings.

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - TIGER WOODS COMEBACK STARTS AT THE MASTERS

Well, there we have it. Woods has announced his return to golf will commence with the Masters, showing the world that he has healed both his and Elin’s psychological deep wounds just in time to continue his assault on Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 major championships at the season’s first major. What a remarkable stroke of luck that timing proved to be!

“The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta,” Woods said in a statement. “The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it’s been a while since I last played.

“I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment,” Woods adds. “Although I’m returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.”

Whatever. Woods picked the tournament he most likely can win in his return, and one which absolutely guarantees the least amount of public scrutiny and media attention. It’s calculated, yes, but also selfish. It shows he’s still not ready to bare his soul—like we expected anything different. Woods’ time away has clearly not been about healing—except perhaps for the physical wounds from the memorable post-Thanksgiving Day car wreck—it’s been about letting things cool down so that his return would be celebrated and, hopefully, triumphant. Nobody fixes what he had wrong with him in two months of therapy. I doubt he made a dent in it. This is about getting back to dominating golf as soon as possible, which, clearly now, it was always about.

TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - TIGER WOODS COMEBACK TO BE ANNOUNCED TODAY?

Yawn. Just before PGA Tour commissioner’s teleconference began today, a press release was sent out noting that Farmers Insurance will continue as title sponsor of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Club in San Diego for the next four years. Well, thank God for all that secrecy. We wouldn’t have wanted that story to break too early today!

BURIED ELEPHANT - ONE TOO MANY SWING TRAINING AIDS

I love watching Dragon’s Den and the American version Shark Tank.  I enjoy seeing some really creative people pitching passionately their vision for the future of their business. I also like watching people get ripped apart who present under-developed, poorly planned or just plain bad ideas.

Recently the Dragons heard a pitch for yet another golf swing trainer.  This guy has spent 9 years on this product, invested $300,000 of his own money and has sold 120 units. Ouch.

The good news is it only takes “5 minutes to fix any swing”

To see how it’s done properly look to Burlington, Ontario based Swingnature [http://swingnature.com/].  This product is based on sound mechanics and has good marketing. Since the release of their infomercial in September on The Golf Channel the company sold 2,000 units before the end of the year.

Swingnature Infomercial

Ontario Golf, the official publication of the Golf Association of Ontario, featured Swingnature and the company’s President Kelly Curry in a recent issue. To learn more about how this product came about and why Hank Haney endoreses it click on the image below.