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From the Editor by Scott Seward


NCGA Golf, and we back that up by featuring some of the best golf writers in the business every issue. Sports Illustrated ’s Alan Shipnuck is


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one of the most decorated golf writers in the history of the Golf Writers Association of America. His in-depth and insightful stories on golf ’s biggest tournaments and players frequently grace the cover of Sports Illustrated. The Carmel resident is an NCGA member via Bayonet and Black Horse GC. This issue we are pleased to kick off his new column “On the Beat,” which will allow Shipnuck to explore the people and places that make the game special in our region. He also writes about the process of qualifying for the Champions Tour, centered around two of the NCGA’s best players in the last decade—Bob Niger and Randy Haag. Josh Sens is new to NCGA Golf, but he


is an accomplished veteran of the business, having served as a contributing editor to Golf magazine. The Oakland resident and Poppy Ridge member writes about the game’s his- tory in San Francisco, where city residents can play the same historic courses that have produced some of golf ’s great champions. Ron Kroichick is a perennial contribu- tor to this magazine, and with good rea- son. The San Francisco Chronicle golf scribe is a four-time GWAA award winner, and brings his deep knowledge of Northern California golf to our magazine each issue. The Moraga resident and Hooked on Golf club member contributes a point- counterpoint defending that Tiger Woods is still the king of the golf world. Most people know Brian Murphy from


his role on Murph and Mac in the morn- ings on KNBR 680 AM. But the Mill Valley resident also preceded Kroichick as the golf writer for the Chronicle. He contributes his witty insights on the back page of each magazine. And the NCGA’s own Kevin Merfeld


6 / NCGA.ORG / FALL 2014


Golf Gives Us the Best Writing


he late George Plimpton posited that the smaller the ball, the better the writing about the sport. We like to believe that’s true at


and Jerry Stewart bring their deep newspa- per backgrounds to the Association. In this issue, Merfeld contributes features on 2015 U.S. Open host Chambers Bay, a Youth on Course golfer’s perspective on participat- ing in the First Tee Open at Poppy Hills as well as a point-counterpoint that explains why Rory McIlroy will win more majors than Tiger Woods. You can read Stewart’s writing on NCGA.org where he covers all of the NCGA’s 50-plus championships. He also regularly contributes features, such as this issue’s Nancy Lopez Q&A. Both regularly post to the Shag Bag


Blog, the news section of NCGA.org that covers golf comprehensively in the re- gion. Frustrated that your local newspaper doesn’t cover the game you love enough? The Shag Bag Blog can fill that void. If you have a tablet computer, it is an easy read right from your couch via the optimized NCGA.org. Following the NCGA on Twit- ter @NCGA1901 will make it easy for you to know when the blog has been updated. This issue finds your mailbox as the


golf season is winding down throughout most of the country. But not here. The NCGA tournament calendar adds its first net Scramble Championship in December. And check your inbox for special offers from our partners, including the five Golf Mart locations in the region. One of the NCGA’s best partnerships over the years has been with the Pebble Beach Company. We are pleased to feature an image of the iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links’ 17th hole on the cover of this edition, as well as a story on the resort’s new practice facility. We are in the midst of the NCGA’s


Annual Fall Renewal Period. Please renew with your club (or consider trans- ferring your membership and enjoying a new club at no additional cost). We look forward to sharing our passion for this great game with you again in 2015.


NCGA GOLF


Editorial & Business Office 3200 Lopez Road/P.O. Box NCGA Pebble Beach, CA 93953 P: (831) 625-4653 F: (831) 625-0150 NCGA.org


ncgainfo@ncga.org


Poppy Hills Golf Course Golf Shop: (831) 622-8239 PoppyHillsGolf.com info@poppyhillsgolf.com


Poppy Ridge Golf Course Golf Shop: (925) 456-8202 PoppyRidgeGolf.com


Editor & Publisher Scott Seward


Assistant Director of Communications & Marketing Kevin Merfeld


Marketing Manager Richard J. Cerame


Media Manager Jerry Stewart


Art Direction & Production Great Graphics, Laurie Lee


Advertising Managers Tom Black


P: (562) 590-5143


Jim Whittemore P: (503) 292-4000


2015 Publication Dates Winter edition ................. Jan. 26 Spring edition ................. Apr. 20 Summer edition .............. July 22


Fall edition ......................Oct. 26 Photos in the magazine: Scott Seward, Kevin


Merfeld and Jerry Stewart, unless otherwise noted. Additional supplied photography credited when necessary. Cover photo: The Henebrys, courtesy of Pebble Beach Company. NCGA Golf (ISSN-1524-4385) is published quar-


terly by the Northern California Golf Association, 3200 Lopez Road, Pebble Beach, 93953. All rights reserved, including right of repro- duction in whole or in part in any form. Members pay an annual sub- scription fee of $1. Printed in U.S.A. Please send change of address no- tice on Member Change form (avail- able at your club). Periodical post- age paid at Pebble Beach, CA and additional mailing offices. Advertis- ing contained herein does not con- stitute endorsement by the North- ern California Golf Association. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NCGA Golf, P. O. Box NCGA, Pebble Beach, CA. 93953-1157.


SCOTT SEWARD


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