golf & tourism magazine

Andrew Kozan victoriousat the Junior Puerto Rico Open

Learning from the MastersBaseball Movements thatCan Improve Your Golf

EDUARDO FIGUEROA

Your Passion is Our Purpose

Spring 2015

Complimentary Copy

EDUARDO FIGUEROA“FROM THE BALLPARK TO THE GOLF COURSE”

Learning from the MastersBaseball Movements thatCan Improve Your Golf

Andrew Kozan victoriousat the Junior Puerto Rico Open

Meet Caparra’s Executive Chef José MeléndezMeet Caparra’s Executive Chef José Meléndez

Six “Boricuas” at theLatin America AmateurChampionship

Six “Boricuas” at theLatin America AmateurChampionship

Mixology | restaurants | gastronomy | wines | sports | places to v is it

“FROM THE BALLPARK TO THE GOLF COURSE”

Director/Publisher

Charlie Bautista

Sub-Director and Coordinator

Verónica Rosario

Editor, Proofreader, Translator

Oscar Peñalber

Art Director & Graphic Designer

Laura Wood

Photography

Priscilla Rivera

Writers and Collaborators

Julio Soto

Iván O. Puig

Alberto C. Medina Gil

Jorge López

Andres Subira

Chip Koehlke

Dr. Rosa Echavarría

Ricardo Picorelli

Joseph Nelson

Consultant

Julio Soto

Executive Director PRGA

Sales and Marketing

Charlie Bautista

Advertise your businessPlease contact us at:[email protected]

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners, Golf & Tourism Magazine Published by JVS Media Corporation.

©2015

JVS Media CorporationPO Box 9023856San Juan, Puerto Rico 00902-3856

your passionis our purpose

Find us on www.golftourismpr.com

10 Golf News Amateur Golf News by the PRGA

11 Golf News Dominican Republic’s “Casa de Campo” to Host the LAAC 2016

12 Six “Boricuas” at the Latin America Amateur Championship

18 Interview Music & Golf: the Twin Passions of “Apy” López By Alberto C. Medina Gil

20 Learning from the Masters Baseball Movements That Can Inprove Your Golf By Chip Koehlke

24 Cover Story From The Ballpark To The Golf Course By Alberto C. Medina Gil

31 Junior Golf Kozan Victorious At The Puerto Rico Junior Open

36 Interview Juan González: A Prodigious Golf Legend In PR By Charlie Bautista

44 Meeting On The Green An All Heart Tournament

46 Our Concierge Recommends

48 Interview With Rum Expert Javier Herrera

52 Meet Caparra’s Executive Chef

56 Golf Gusto Daimajin Restaurant

58 Barbakoa Restaurant

6 Golf Courses Guide

8 Opening Shot Director’s Letter

38 Fitness & Health Golf Is A Sport For A Lifetime By Ricardo Picorelli

42 Fitness & Health Correlating The Transition From Baseball To Golf By Ricardo Picorelli

50 Mixology Spring Break!

Golf & Special Features Tourism

CONTENTS

Regulars

6 G&T | SPRING 2015

PUERTO RICOGOLF COURSES GUIDEAguirre Golf Club Road 705, Km 3, Aguirre, SalinasType: Public

Bahia Beach Resort &Golf Club

Route 187 Kilometer 4.2,Rio GrandePhone: (866) 529-3996

Caguas Real Golf &Country Club

700 Alhambra Blvd., Caguas Phone: (787) 653-4653

Club Deportivo Del Oeste Carr. 102 KM 15.4 Int.,Joyudas, Cabo Rojo

Costa Caribe Golf &Country Club Ponce, Porta Caribe

Dorado Beach Resort & ClubEast Course

West Course

100 Dorado Beach Drive, DoradoPhone: (787) 626-1010

El Conquistador Resort and Golden Door Spa 1000 Conquistador Avenue, Fajardo

Embassy Suites Dorado del Mar Beach & Golf Resort 201 Dorado Del Mar Boulevard,Dorado

El Legado Golf Club18 holes championship golf club

Puerto Rico 53, GuayamaPhone: (787) 866-8894 / 400-0042

Fort Buchanan Golf Course Building 171, Fort Buchanan

Las Bambuas Golf Course Road 189 Km. 10.1 Jardin, Gurabo

Palmas Athletic ClubThe Flamboyan CourseThe Palm Course

#1 Country Club DriveHumacao, PR 00791Phone: (787) 656-3000

Punta Borinquen Golf and Country Club Base Ramey, Aguadilla

Rio Bayamon Golf Course

Verdes Carr. 177, BayamonType: PublicPhone: (787) 740-1419

Trump InternationalGolf Club100 Clubhouse Drive, Rio Grande

The Wyndham Rio Mar Beach ResortOcean Course

River Course

6000 Rio Mar Blvd., Rio GrandePhone: (877) 636-0636

“Insight and strategy from the best caddy”

(787) 503-5437 / [email protected]

Be a part of Golf and Tourism Magazine andlet our readers cross paths with you

8 G&T | SPRING 2015

Opening Shot

You don’t need to be a world champ to appreciate the beauty and variety of our golf courses. And there are spec-

tacular courses on the island. Most have been designed by golf legends such as Rob-ert Trent Jones, Rees Jones, Greg Norman,

George and Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Arthur Hills, and Puerto Rico’s super-star, Chi Chi Rodriguez. The courses have remark-able landscape architec-ture that impresses golfers and non-players alike.

All of Puerto Rico’s cours-es share the island’s year-round summer weather, tempered by cool, gentle breezes. You are almost guaranteed a brilliant tropical sky and glimpses of sparkling white sand beaches backed by the blue Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Most greens are natural green, planted with strains of Ber-muda grass adapted for our climate.

Just to mention some of our great courses, here are my picks: I’ll start with Dorado Beach and Plan-tation. The island’s best-known golf complex was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. All four layouts bear Jones’ signature runway tees, ample bun-kering, and big, sculpted greens, but with the inim-itable island flavoring of

wind, ocean views and lagoons. The first (and the best) is the East Course, a clas-sic route that roams through hills on the front nine, and then drops to the scenic coast for its second act. Dorado East and Plantation South have been renovated and upgraded recently. You can get more information at www.doradobeachclub.com or 787-796-1234.

My second choice is Palmas del Mar. In 1999, the existing Gary Player-designed Palm Course was joined by a Rees Jones layout, the Flamboyan Course. Jones fresh-ened up the 1975 Player track, an enchant-ing safari trail trapped with tangles of sea grape, tall marsh weeds, and stands of co-conut palms. The fourteenth hole drops 200 feet, with the ocean and Vieques Island as a backdrop. Jones outdid himself on the dra-matic Flamboyan. After circling a 23-acre lake, the route crosses the Candelero River, flirts with the ocean and then climbs into the hills for spectacular views. The terrain was rife with wetlands and streams, to which he added deep (as much as 14 feet) bunkers and tall, waving grasses. Additional infor-mation about the Golf Club is available at www.palmaspac.com or 787-656-3000.

One of the island’s most dramatic settings belongs to the elegant El Legado Golf Club, Puerto Rico’s native son Chi Chi Rodriguez designed this course. The course recently opened its new clubhouse and changed the configuration on the 18-hole alignment and it is great. New carts, spanking new pro shop and clubhouse. The course is in excellent shape and can challenge the nov-ice or the pro. Price is very reasonable for what you get, and the location is generally dry year round. The winds off the coast can provide some deviations of ball flight, but that is part of the fun. The golf course, too, has vistas of the Caribbean Sea and moun-tains, but the layout snakes through hospi-table terrain, demanding full attention. Chi Chi made full use of elevation changes. You can get more information at www.ellegado-golfclub.com or 787-866-8894.

Some notable courses worth a spin and which are considered the fairest by local players are: Aguirre Golf Club, Club De-portivo del Oeste, Wyndham Rio Mar, Fort Buchanan Golf Club, Las Bambúas Golf Course, Punta Borinquen Golf Club and Rio Bayamón Golf Course.

Puerto Rico’s embarrassment of riches is getting richer every day.Visit www.golftourismpr.com for aditional course information, as well as the latest information on the world of golf, tourism, sports and much more.Cheers, Charlie Bautista Director and Publisher

Dear Reader

grains of Ber-dapted for

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ation. The island’s best-known golf complex was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. All four l outs bear Jones’ signaturerunway tk

provide somethat is part of thas vistas of tains, buttable terChi macan gegolfcl

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10 G&T | SPRING 2015

Golf News

Amateur Golf Newsby the PRGA

Two Puertorrican placed among TOP 20 at LAACA total of five birdies helped Erick Morales to complete the 18 holes below par at the Latin America Amateur Championship played in January 15-18 at Los Olivos Golf Club in Argentina. Morales finished on the 15th Place and his performance placed him among the Top 20 golfers on the Leaderboard of the regional championship for Latin American amateurs.

Five out of the six local players invited to the event made the cut established, and two of them, Erick Morales and Edward Figueroa, finished among the TOP 20. The LAAC offers the winner, among many other great benefits, an invitation to the Masters in 2015.

For complete coverage of the LAAC, visit www.laacgolf.com.

Playing his fi rst AJGA event ever, 13 year-old Melvin A. Morales Valle, from Humacao, Puerto Rico, made Top 20 Juniors at the Leaderboard and best local player on the fi eld of the PR Junior Open, presented by Eagle Dreams Golf Academy and played at Trump International Golf Club January 16-19.

The other Puertorrican players competing were: Alberto Firpi, Ian Aldarondo, Kenneth Martinez, Mitzel Chevres, Jayson Gonzalez, Hector Rivera and Francisco Millan.

Melvin Morales makes Top 20 at AJGA’s PR Junior Open

11WWW.GOLFTOURISMPR.COM

Golf News

Dominican Republic’sCasa de Campo

Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo has been confi rmed as the host venue for

the 2016 Latin America Amateur Champi-onship - LAAC, as announced during the recent inaugural staging of the champion-ship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The LAAC, which was played at Pilar Golf in January, is scheduled for January 14-17 2016.

Founded by the Masters Tournament, The R&A and the United States Golf Associa-tion (USGA), the LAAC was established to further develop amateur golf in South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. Each year, the LAAC champion will receive an invitation to compete in the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. In addition, the winner and the runner(s)-up will be exempt into the fi nal stages of quali-fying for The Open and U.S. Open Cham-pionship. Finally, the champion will receive full exemptions into The Amateur Cham-pionship, U.S. Amateur Championship and any other USGA amateur championship for which the player is eligible.

The 2016 LAAC will bring the region’s best players to one of the region’s most highly re-garded venues. Designed by Pete Dye and built in the early 1970s, Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo features seven holes along the Atlantic Ocean and is routinely ranked as one of the best courses throughout all of Latin America.

“It is a great honor for us to have been se-lected to host this prestigious champion-ship,” said Rafael Torres, President of Casa de Campo. “We are fortunate that the se-lection committee has seen fi t to bring the LAAC to what we believe is the fi nest golf resort in this region. The employees and the residents of Casa de Campo will be proud to be a part of Latin America’s premier ama-teur golf competition.”

Casa de Campo was named the number-one golf resort in the world by the Interna-tional Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) for its collection of golf courses, professional facilities, luxury amenities, as well as its executive team’s commitment to service and exceeding guest expectations.

This year’s LAAC featured 109 play-ers from 28 countries throughout Latin

America. Television coverage included two hours of live broadcast on each of the four days being aired in more than 150 countries. Entry into Pilar Golf for the 2015 LAAC was free.

The LAAC follows a model established by the Masters and The R&A when, in 2009, the organizations created the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) to advance the sport in that part of the world and to create heroes other aspiring golfers could emulate. The event in the Asia-Pacific has been an astonishing success with the likes of Hideki Matsuyama and Tianlang Guan winning the championship and going on to make an impact in the Masters Tour-nament and on the PGA Tour. Australia’s Antonio Murdaca won the 2014 champi-onship at Royal Melbourne.

to Host 2016 LAAC


Golf International

As part of an excitingnew strategy by the mostimportant organizations inthe golf industry worldwide(The Masters, The R & Aand USGA) the best amateur players from LatinAmerica, including a totalof six Puerto Ricans, were invited to participate in this special event.

With over 100 invited players and a total of 28 represented countries, the inaugural edition of the Latin

America Amateur Championship - LAAC was played at Pilar Golf Club in Argentina.

Representing our island were our current national amateur champion, Jerome Es-tevez with his teammates at the World Amateur past (WATC/Japan), Robert Calvesbert and Edward Figueroa, cham-pions of the PR Championship in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Rounding out

the group, Erick J. Morales, who won the same title as his colleagues in 2013, and like Joseph Oscar Rodriguez, played for the NCAA with Team Alabama State University and was Junior Champion PR in 2010, and the young José Cardona, whom even before concluding his youth career with the PRGA was very excited about this opportunity. Each of these six players, like the rest of the participants, has been invited to the championship due to their current position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

The award for winning this tournament is perhaps the dream of any golfer– an invi-tation to play in the 2015 edition of Mas-ters in Augusta, among other privileges that have been agreed between different host organizations and their sponsors. All with the goal of promoting golf in the region and raise the level of competition between fans.

“No doubt this is a great idea and The Masters, the R & A and the USGA provide an excellent opportunity to amateur play-ers in our region. It is an excellent and im-portant stimulus for our athletes in Puer-to Rico, and at the same time a privilege that is received through relations of Puer-to Rico Golf Association with these orga-nizations,“ said Sidney Wolf, President of the PRGA. “We are pleased to see our players be part of history. It’s definitely an extremely especial honor that many of our players have been considered to participate in this event and will have the opportunity to pursue a new title and get invited to other major championships and international competitions,“ said Julio Soto, Executive Director of the PRGA.

Six “Boricuas”at the


Golf International

AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 33 YEARS OLD / JULY 07, 1981BIRTH PLACE: SAN JUAN, PRPERMANENT RESIDENCE: WINDMERE, FLHANDICAP: +3.3 – REGISTERED HANDICAP INDEXPERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:(Tournament Wins, Most Important Results, Team Participation)

Member of the PUR National Team for the Caribbean Amateur Team Championships, World Amateur Team Championships and the Men’s State Team Championships in 2014. Current Puerto Rico Amateur Champion (June 2014).PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY AS AN AMATEUR:Jerónimo has been playing competitive golf for a long time, and became actively involved in amateur championship golf since 2009 throughout the state of Florida within the mid-amateur division. More recently he has participated from a number of tournaments and championships in Puerto Rico including a few with a professional fi eld involved (2012 Puerto Rico Classic). In 2014, Esteve led the the Men’s Team to another Hoerman Cup title during the CGA Championships and later was the low individual player on the team at the WATC in Japan. He also fi nished as the best score in the team during the USGA’s State Team.

AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 23 YEARS OLD / JUNE 28, 1991BIRTH PLACE: SAN JUAN, PRPERMANENT RESIDENCE: GUAYNABO, PRHANDICAP: +1.2 – REGISTERED HANDICAP INDEXPERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:(Tournament Wins, Most Important Results, Team Participation)

Member of the PUR National Team for the Caribbean Amateur Team Championships, World Amateur Team Championships and the Men’s State Team Championships in 2014. Puerto Rico Amateur Champion in 2011.PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY AS AN AMATEUR:Playing Golf since age of 3 years old, played golf for the PRGA during his entire junior golf career and later joined the Mississippi State University Men’s Golf Team.

AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 21 YEARS OLD / NOVEMBER 23, 1993BIRTH PLACE: GUAYAMA, PRPERMANENT RESIDENCE: GUAYAMA, PRHANDICAP: – REGISTERED HANDICAP INDEXPERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:(Tournament Wins, Most Important Results, Team Participation)

Member of the PUR National Team at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships between 2010-13 and the 2010 World Amateur Team Championships in Argentina.PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY AS AN AMATEUR:Became the PR Junior Amateur Champion in 2010 and later joined the Alabama State University Men’s Golf Team were he won few events at the individual level and his team recently won the Conference Championship. Played the Junior Orange Bowl International Junior Championship in 2009.

@JEROESTEVE

@ OSCARJOSY

Jerónimo Esteve

ROBERT CALVESBERT

Jose O. Rodriguez


Golf International

AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 33 YEARS OLD / JULY 07, 1981BIRTH PLACE: SAN JUAN, PRPERMANENT RESIDENCE: TOA BAJA, PRHANDICAP: +2.4 – REGISTERED HANDICAP INDEXPERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:(Tournament Wins, Most Important Results, Team Participation)

Member of the PUR National Team for the Caribbean Amateur Team Championships and the Men’s State Team Championships in 2014. Puerto Rico Amateur Champion in 2012 and Caribbean Individual Amateur Champion in 2009PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY AS AN AMATEUR:Playing golf since the early age of 3 years old, participated from the PRGA Junior Golf Program during his entire career as a junior and winning the Junior Amateur Champion title in 2001. He later joined the Rutgers University Men’s Golf Team. Lowest competitive round registered is a 65 at PGA South Florida Section – Island Chapter Championship this year and has made three Hole-in-Ones during his golf career. Has played in two (2) World Amateur Team Championships in past, 2004 / 2010

AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 21 YEARS OLD / NOVEMBER 17, 1993BIRTH PLACE: SOUTH CAROLINA, PRPERMANENT RESIDENCE: NAPLES, FLHANDICAP: +2.9 – REGISTERED HANDICAP INDEXPERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:(Tournament Wins, Most Important Results, Team Participation)

Member of the Puerto Rico Team at the World Amateur Team Championships in Japan, and the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships in Puerto Rico during 2014. PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY AS AN AMATEUR:Edward, who is a fi rst generation of puertorricans who moved to the US became the PUR Amateur Champion in 2012, the same year he won the AJGA’s Puerto Rico Junior Open. Recently Figueroa has qualifi ed to participated from the Web.com TOUR.

AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 17 YEARS OLD / FEBRUARY 18, 1997BIRTH PLACE: SAN JUAN, PRPERMANENT RESIDENCE: GUAYNABO, PRHANDICAP: +1.1 – REGISTERED HANDICAP INDEXPERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:(Tournament Wins, Most Important Results, Team Participation)

Member of the PRGA Junior Amateur National at the Caribbean Junior Amateur Golf Championship and Captain for his teammates for the last two (2) years.PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY AS AN AMATEUR:Joito, as he is known by his family and friends has been playing competitive golf as a member of the PRGA Junior Golf Program since the young age of 6 years old. Cardona has played at the AJGA PR Junior Open for the past three years (2012-14) He has represented PUR at the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships in San Diego, CA and recently participated from the Junior Orange Bowl International Junior Championships in Fl.

@ERICKJUAN

@ JOITO_18

ERICK J. MORALES

EDWARD FIGUEROA

JOSE L. CARDONA


Golf International

Erick Morales fi nished at the top twenty.

Matias Dominguez, of Chile, award winner of an invitation to

play in the 2015 edition of the Masters in Augusta and runner up

Alejandro Tosti of Argentina.

FINAL RESULTS FROM THE LATIN AMERICAN AMATEURS CHAMPIONSHIP 2015


Interview

Music and olf:The Twin Passions of

“Apy” López By Alberto C. Medina Gil


Interview

“I started playing golf when I was nine at Dorado del Mar,” says López, who took golf lessons with some

of the fi nest players and teachers on the Island, like Jesús Rodríguez, Butch James, and Juan González, “and then I played un-til I was almost 13 with the PRGA (Puerto Rico Golf Association) Junior Program.”

López also excelled as an all-around ath-lete in school, playing everything from volleyball to soccer, baseball, basketball, and football. During that time, golf took a bit of a backseat in his life, though he still played recreationally with his cousins and partnered with his father for numer-ous amateur and charity tournaments. “I was still passionate about golf,” he says. “I’ve always been passionate about it.”

A few years later, López found another pas-sion: music. “Ray López (no relation) had his group Zona Roja, and I started out with him; he gave me the chance,” says López. He later went on to sing in another me-rengue ensemble, Grupo Heavy, alongside well-known model Peter Hance, before re-turning to Zona Roja.

“Those were some spectacular experi-ences,” says López of traveling and sing-ing all around Latin America. “Then, over Christmas, I’d put together a little plena group and we’d play all over and really have a great time.”

A few years ago, as opportunities in mu-sic started to dry up, López looked back to his fi rst love: golf. “I decided to get certi-fi ed as a teaching pro in 2008, and since then I’ve just gone about establishing a ca-reer in golf,” he says. “I spent two years in Dorado; I began as a starter, then I was a ranger, and for the last six or seven months Aaron West (former Golf Director) gave me the opportunity to be Assistant Pro.” Since June of 2014, López has been the Assistant Pro at Río Mar, where he also contributes to pro shop operations and has begun de-veloping offerings for individual and group golf lessons and activities.

“We do company outings, corporate team-building; we’ll put together a great pack-age that includes meals and it can be a great day for spending time together and also learning,” he says. “There’s a lot of potential here, a lot of things that I want to implement that won’t just benefi t me, pro-fessionally, but also Río Mar as a company and every individual taking part in it.”

López has also realized that, though he may no longer be up on stage in front of a microphone, he is still connected to the world of entertainment thanks to the large group of actors, TV personalities, and musicians who enjoy an afternoon on the golf course.

“Just the other day I played in a tournament with ‘Sunshine’ (actor Emmanuel Logroño),” he says, adding that he has shared the course with fellow singers like Michael Stuart, Meli-na León, and “Chucho” Avellanet, as well as other celebrities like recent Golf & Tourism Magazine “cover girl” Cordelia González. “It’s a really special group, and the great thing is that whenever there’s a tournament for a good cause, they all come together and it’s really a great time,” he says.

It should be no surprise that López feels es-pecially at home when those two worlds—entertainment and golf—come together, just as they have throughout his life. “I’ve lived them both and I love them both,” he says. “For the past few years I’ve been experiencing the professional side of golf, but I also spent more time with music, and I’m really passionate about both.”

When Rafael “Apy” López was a young boy

learning the game of golf, he probably did not

imagine that he would one day be singing

merengue and dancing in music videos. When

he was making a living as a professional musician,

he likely did not envision that he would wind up

back on the course, helping to teach and grow a sport he has

always loved. But such has been the winding

life and career of López, the 42-year-old Assistant

Golf Pro at Wyndham Grand Río Mar, who went

from golf to music and back again.

Contact Rafael López for golf classes or

more information at: (787) 675-6433.


I learned early in my career as an instructor and coach that, with few exceptions, good athletes make better golfers. Why is this? You might think it is because of their talent in eye-hand coordination, and that is part of it, but more importantly is that they are familiar with a kinetic chain which uses ground force required to play stick and ball sport, including golf. Also, they have a great sense of physical awareness, which allows them to make changes. In this article we are attempting to give you some insight as to how you can improve you golf swing by associating a couple of movements from baseball. If you struggle with getting the desired contact and direction or are frustrated with your lack of power and consistency, follow my tips to start changing your game and visit your local PGA Professional.

Learning from the

You can learn a lot associat-ing baseball batting with

your full swing in golf, but un-derstand that there are some differences. When you are bat-ting you are doing so on a rela-tively horizontal plane, mean-ing your swinging level to the ground, where as golf is played on a vertical inclined plane, more up and down, as well as around from side to side. That said, most people struggle with golf either from incorrectly ap-plying their previous sports ex-perience or mistakenly concep-tualizing the swing motion. In my experience, from elite tour

player to beginning golfers I have seen many variations of this error. This is mostly seen in how your shoulders arrive at impact, specifi cally the amount of shoulder tilt or incline. There will normally be a slight tilt at address because your right hand is lower on the club than the left, and for the purpose of this comparison we will call this position neutral or level as long as it isn’t manually exagger-ated by the golfer. That said you want to return to neutral or level or the same position of your set-up.

Your G lf

Baseball Movements That Can Improve

BASEBALL BATTING VS. GOLF SWING

BATTINGTRAJECTORY / FIELD

SHOULDER INCLINEAT IMPACT

GOLF TRAJECTORY /DIRECTION /

CLUBHEAD PATH

GROUNDER / LEFTTILTED WITH LOW LEFT

SIDELOW OR POP-UP / STARTS

LEFT / LEFT

LINE DRIVE / CENTER LEVEL TURNCORRECT TRAJECTORY

/ STARTS STRAIGHT /STRAIGHT

HIGH FLY / RIGHTTILTED WITH LOW RIGHT

SIDETOPPED OR HIGH /

STARTS RIGHT / RIGHT

TILTED RIGHT SIDE LOW CORRECT NEUTRAL TILTED LEFT SIDE LOW

By Chip Koehlke


“...most people struggle with golf

either from incorrectly applying

their previous sports experience

or mistakenly conceptualizing the

swing motion.”

Chip Koehlke is a highly experienced PGA Professional, with 2013 marking his 30th anniversary as a golf professional. He brings extensive experience to his clients, including developing and coaching many top professional tour players on the PGA, LPGA, Champions, European and Asian Tours. Mostimportantly his holistic coaching philosophy has assisted countless golfersjust like yourself to truly change their game!

Tilted Right Side Low Correct Neutral Tilted Left Side Low

How the shoulders incorrectly return at impact fall basically into two groups. Look for your symptoms and follow the corrective measures below:

PUSH/HOOKS / FAT /TOPS -If you tilt or incline your shoulders so that the left shoulder is higher and the right shoulder is lower when you return to impact, you will tend to swing too much inside out toward the right. You may hit varying degrees of pushes to sweeping hooks and either hit higher than normal trajectory and either tend to hit fat, top or hit overly high shots. Correct this by making some swings on the horizontal like baseball and try to get the club head traveling level to the ground like hitting a line drive. If you have an extreme version of this error you may have to swing trying to get the club head

swinging from high right to low left as if you were trying to hit a grounder down the third baseline.

PULL HOOKS / SLICES /LOW FLIGHT / POP-UPS If you tilt or incline your shoulders so that the right shoulder is higher and the left shoulder is lower when your re-turn to impact, you will tend to swing too much outside in toward the left. You may hit varying degrees of pulls

from hooks to slices and tend to either hit lower than normal tra-jectory shots or pop-ups with driver. If you are in the pull slice group you may hit overly high shots as well. Correct this by mak-ing some swings on the horizontal like baseball and try to get the club head traveling level to the ground like hitting a line drive. If you have an extreme version of this error you may have to swing trying to get the club head swinging up through impact from low right to high left as if you were trying to high fl y ball to right-center fi eld. If you are in the pull slicer group you will begin to hit the ball right because you haven’t been releasing or rotating the club face from open to closed through impact. You will need to improve this as well to see straighter shots.


Learning from the

In the beginning we mentioned the kinetic chain shared by sev-eral sports. Golf and throwing a baseball are very closely related

when it comes to the kinetic chain even though they are played on very different planes as stated before. Throwing a baseball is performed more horizontal across between over-hand to side-arm, and golf is played on a vertical incline plane with the right arm (throwing arm) working from vertical downward toward an almost an underhanded or side-arm throw. However how we load the kinetic change, unload and sequence the motion is very similar.

The kinetic change starts with the upper body turning away from the target which then turns the hips loading weight and torque into a stable right leg until the turn is complete. Then from the ground upward beginning with the left side the left knee, hip and shoulder begin to turn back toward the target, while the right side (right knee, hip, and shoulder) hold momentarily in or-der to separate the right arm and begin unwinding it with spread toward the target. When you watch a baseball pitcher throw you will see what appears to be a distinctive separation between the left side of his body and the right side of the body.

This is easier to see and to do with a one arm throw versus a golf swing with both hands on the club, which is why many players mistakenly try to turn both the left and right side simultaneously and never create ground force power and struggle to return the club on the proper path and plane. Additionally you have to consider the direction of this unwinding as it relates to the arrival of the shoulders as described above. Many players don’t understand the direction of the unwind.

BASEBALL PITCHING VS. GOLF SWING

THROWING ABASEBALL MOTION GOLF SWING

Turning away from target while keeping right foot planted

Loading into right leg Turning away from target while keeping right knee fl exed and right

foot planted

Leading back toward target with kick and step of left leg holding the right side back, allowing the right arm to extend and throw

Unloading through neutral weight distribution re-extending the right

arm in a whip-like fashion

Turning left knee, hip, and shoulder back to address, while holding

right side back allowing right arm to begin to lengthen and unwind

delivering the strike

Both motions require timing in addition to the kinetic chain. In baseball you must time the release of your grip on the ball at the right moment to get the desired direction, and likewise, in golf you must square the club face to the desired direction at the moment of impact.

“Golf an throwing a

baseball are

very closely

related when

it comes to

the kinetic

chain, even

though they are

played on very

different

planes.”

WWW.GOLFTOURISMPR.COM 23

Creating Load, Torque, and Weight Shift on back swing

Right Arm Unwind, Separationand Extension

Unloading with left knee, left hip, left shoulder while keeping right knee, right

hip, and right shoulder back

“You can learn a lot

associating baseball batting

and pitching

with your full swing

in golf.”

TO IMPROVE YOUR KINETIC CHAIN FOLLOW SOME OF THE SUGGESTED TIPS BELOW AND SEE YOUR PGA PROFESSIONAL:

Creating load, torque, and weight shift on back swing – Try hit-ting balls standing only on your right leg, setting your left foot on its toe behind you with your left knee folded. This drill will force you to rotate around your right pivot point and maintain a connec-tion to the ground with your right foot.

Unloading with left knee, left hip, left shoulder, while keeping right knee, right hip, and right shoulder back – Try setting your right foot back behind you and keeping it on the ground as your start turning your left side back into the set-up position.

Right arm unwind, separation and extension – Try gripping a lofted club like wedge or 9 Iron with your right hand only and go-ing through a complete swing. If you lead with your right side or over rotate or tilt your shoulder path you will have diffi culty making contact. If you tend to slice, this is a great drill combined with the right foot back drill to create the proper sequence. Whether your looking to improve your contact and direction or power and consistency, understanding your body’s positioning through the swing and sequence of your kinetic chain will help.

Visit me at the Tour Academy at Dorado Beach Resort if you would like personal assistance improving your game.


Cover Story

Former Yankee Eduardo Figueroa traded his baseball glove for a golf glove long ago, and the same talent and poise that fueled his success on the mound now shape his game on the course.

By Alberto C. Medina Gil


Cover Story

F ew moments in sports are as nerve-wracking as standing over a short par putt—a five-footer, perhaps, with

just enough break to make you doubt your stroke—and drawing your club back knowing that the slightest mishit will cause the ball to stop just short of the hole, or to sail past it. Whether in a tour-nament, during a round among friends, or alone on the course, that half-second on the green can make the most power-ful, confident person in the world shake in his golf shoes.

But to a man who has stood on the mound at Yankee Stadium and stared down some of the greatest sluggers of his or any other generation, a tricky putt, or just about anything else on the golf course, is child’s play. That’s the case with Eduardo Figueroa Padilla, a former Major League pitcher who holds the distinction of being the only Puerto Rican to win 20 games in a season, and who has been carrying on a love affair with golf that now rivals his passion for the sport in which he reached the highest possible achievements.

“I’m a good player,” says the 66-year-old Figueroa, displaying some of the unflap-pable confidence that he displayed on two championship teams, and which now serves him well on the golf course. “I’m a 6-handicap. I can hit the driver pretty well; my putting is very good, as is my chipping. I might have a day where I shoot 82 or 83, like anyone else, but I have my days where I shoot 74 or 75.”

There used to be a celebrity tournament in

Puerto Rico for athletes: the American Airlines

Golf Classic at El Conquistador,” he remembers. “I didn’t play back then, but they called me

because (Yankee teammate) Bucky Dent couldn’t

make it. I went over there and played—or, well,

tried to play—and I liked it; so from then on I

started playing.


Cover Story

Picking up the ClubsFigueroa, a former Marine who saw action in Vietnam before he pitched in the Ma-jors, fi rst played golf in 1980. By then, he was near the tail end of an eight-year big league career with the Angels, Yankees, Rangers, and Athletics, in which he ap-peared in 200 games with an 80-67 record and a 3.51 ERA.

“There used to be a celebrity tournament in Puerto Rico for athletes: the American Airlines Golf Classic at El Conquistador,” he remembers. “I didn’t play back then, but they called me because (Yankee team-mate) Bucky Dent couldn’t make it. I went over there and played—or, well, tried to play—and I liked it; so from then on I start-ed playing.”

He had to put his new-found passion on hold for a few months, as legendary Yan-kees owner George Steinbrenner forbid his players from golfi ng during the season. But 1980 would be Figueroa’s last year in New York—he was traded to the Rangers mid-season—as well as his last full year in the Majors. With professional baseball in his rear-view mirror, he traded one sport for another and found that his golf game came along with surprising ease.

“I just practiced a lot in the beginning. I would go out to play by myself, and I would watch professional golfers on televi-sion and try to learn from them,” he says. “As a ballplayer who knew how to hit and how to have a constant swing, it wasn’t too diffi cult.”

That wasn’t the only advantage that trans-lated well from the diamond to the golf course. While he wasn’t a power pitcher in the vein of his contemporary Nolan Ryan (he struck out 571 batters in just over 1,300 innings of work), the right-handed Figueroa had no problem with his driving distance. He still regularly hits the ball 280 to 290 yards. However, his greatest asset isn’t physical, but mental. “As a pitcher, you’re alone on that mound with 50,000 people watching you, more than they’re watching anybody else on the fi eld,” he says. “And you have to concentrate on ev-ery pitch, just like in golf you have to con-centrate on every shot.”

A Fierce CompetitorThose powers of concentration have served him well, as Figueroa can boast his share of low scoring rounds and strong perfor-mances in amateur tournaments, Pro-Ams, and charity events. “My best score was in Rio Mar, about 13 years ago,” he recalls. “I

shot a 67: fi ve under par with three birdies and an eagle, and my partner and I won the tournament.”

Even when Figueroa, a long-time member at Palmas del Mar Golf Club, isn’t playing in a tournament, he is playing competitive-ly. “I’ve never played golf just to have fun with it. I like to compete, I like to play well, and I like to beat whoever I’m competing with,” he says. “I play to win.”

That attitude holds even when he’s playing with his regular foursome of friends from the business world (Figueroa owns long-standing Mexican restaurant Lupi’s, in Old San Juan), which he tries to convince to get out on the course with him three or four times a week, but can usually only manage one or two. Even though their rounds to-gether are very much a social outing, he’s not shy about demanding that his partners allow him to focus on the next shot.

“We have great conversations, but there comes a moment when you want to be able to concentrate really well, and even though we’re friends we kind of become enemies,” he says with a chuckle. “But af-ter the round it doesn’t matter; we’ll have a drink and we’ll talk some more, and that’s the great thing about golf, too.”

Figueroa relaxes a little bit more when he’s playing with some other Puerto Rican sport greats: “‘Cheíto’ Oquendo (a fellow former big-leaguer and current third-base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals) plays re-ally well. Félix Millán (a three-time All-Star second baseman) plays well; he’s learned a lot,” says Figueroa.

He has even shared the course with other sports luminaries at charity tournaments here and in the United States, including another great who became passionate about golf after a successful career in his fi rst sport—Michael Jordan. Figueroa, however, wasn’t impressed. “He’s not the player people think he is,” he says. His encounter with Jordan was in Chicago, just one of the many destinations where Figueroa has had a chance to play. Just as his baseball career once allowed him to travel across the United States, golf has now taken him even farther. “I’ve played in England, Hawaii, Australia,” he says. “Ev-erywhere I’ve gone I’ve had the opportu-nity to pick up my clubs and play.”

As a pitcher, you’re alone on that mound with 50,000

people watching you, more than they’re watching

anybody else on the field,” he says. “And you have to

concentrate on every pitch, just like ingolf you have to concentrate on every shot.

just like into concentrate


Cover Story

I’ve never played golf

just to have fun with it. I like

to compete, I like to play well,

and I like to beat whoever I’m

competing with,” he says.

“I play to win.

WWW.GOLFTOURISMPR.COM


Cover Story

Just as his baseball career once

allowed him to travel across the United

States, golf has now taken him even

farther. “Ive played in England, hawaii,

australia,” he says. “Everywhere I’ve gone I’ve had the opportunity to pick up my clubs and play..

s his baseball career once

him to travel across the United

golf has now taken him even

. “Ive played in England, hawaii,

a, “Everywhere I’ve go” he says.

I’ve had the opportunity t


Cover Story

Fond Baseball MemoriesFigueroa has now played golf much longer than he played baseball, and these days he’s more likely to be watching the fi nal round of a tournament on Sunday after-noons than catching a ballgame. “I follow baseball, but I follow golf even more be-cause that’s what I’m interested in now,” he says. “But I still like baseball and I still love the Yankees; I always follow how they’re doing and what new players they’re bring-ing in.”

It should be no surprise that the Yankees still hold a special place in Figueroa’s heart. He enjoyed the golden years of his career in New York alongside legendary players like Reggie Jackson, Rich “Goose” Gossage, and Catfi sh Hunter, winning the American League pennant from 1976-1978 and the World Series in the last two of those three years.

It was also as a Yankee that Figueroa achieved his greatest individual accomplishment. “That experience in 1978 was tremendous,” he says of a 20-win season that for much of the year had seemed out of reach. Figueroa went into the last month of the year with a solid but unspec-tacular 13-9 record be-fore winning six straight decisions in September to give him a shot at the milestone in the next-to-last game of the season.

“That was a game that everyone in Puerto Rico was watching,” recalls Figueroa, who pitched a complete-game shutout against the visiting Cleveland Indians to become the fi rst Puerto Rican to win 20 games in a year. It’s a feat that has not been repeated since, and that he thinks may not be re-peated anytime soon.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a Puerto Rican pitcher who will do it,” says Figueroa. “The problem is that the kids here, they grow up playing and wanting to hit; no-body wants to pitch. They want to hit three or four times a game, and that’s why we’re not developing many good pitchers.”

It’s a good thing, then, that Figueroa didn’t discover golf until after he accomplished that historic feat, or Puerto Rico might still be waiting for its fi rst 20-game winner. “I’m very happy and proud of everything I did as a Major League Baseball player,” says Figueroa. “But if I had learned golf at a young age, and I had been good at it, I think I would’ve chosen golf as a career, instead.”

“But I still like

baseball and I still love the Yankees; I always

follow how they’re doing and what new

players they’re bringing in.

I follow baseball, but I follow golf even more because that’swhat I’m interested in now,” he says.


Juniors Golf

The Puerto Rico Junior Open was played at the Trump International Golf Club - Championship Course in Rio Grande from January 16 -19.

KozanvictoriousPUERTO RICO JUNIOR OPEN

P R E S E N T E D B Y

Eagles Dream Golf Academy

at the


Andrew Kozan of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, saved his best golf for the last round of the Puerto Rico

Junior Open presented by EaglesDream Golf Academy by shooting a 5-under-par 67 and punched his ticket to the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open. His three-day total of 10-under-par 206 gave him a three-stroke victory over the fi eld.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Puerto Rico Junior Open presented by EaglesDream Golf Academy is a 54-hole stroke play competition featuring 76 boys, ages 12-18, from 19

U.S. states and seven foreign countries, as well as eight players from Puerto Rico. For the fifth year in a row, the champion was awarded a sponsor’s exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open, March 5-8. The par-72 Trump International Golf Club — Championship Course played 6,995 yards.

Kozan, 16, is having a stellar beginning to 2015. He recently gave a verbal commitment to play at Auburn University and with his first AJGA victory also has an exemption into the Puerto Rico Open.

“It feels great to be an AJGA champion, especially this one,” said Kozan. “The fact that I won the tournament that also gives me an exemption spot is fantastic. It’ll be really fun to come back here in a month and a half and play some good golf.”

The fi rst two rounds, Kozan shot a 3-under-par 69 and 2-under-par 70, respectively. He noted that his putting allowed him to play consistently throughout the tournament. He totaled 53 putts the fi rst two days and was able to card six birdies in his fi nal round, including two on his fi nishing holes Nos. 17 and 18.

“My putting has been holding me back lately, everything has been good but that, and it fi nally came along this weekend,” said Kozan. “It felt great to fi nish this tournament with a great putt that gave me my fi nal birdie.”

Rounding out the top fi ve for the tournament are Yechun (Carl) Yuan of Lake Mary, Florida, William Buhl of Fairhope, Alabama, Jamie Cheatham of Rancho Santa Fe, California, and Won Jun Lee of Wesley Chapel, Florida, who all tied for second with 7-under-par 209.

Juniors Golf

Andrew Kozan First-time AJGA champion earns PGA TOUR exemption


Juniors Golf

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofi t organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.

The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-18) of more than 6,300 members from 48 states and more than 50 foreign countries. Through initiatives like the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, a fi nancial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation.

Titleist, the AJGA’s National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association’s success since 1989. Rolex, which is in its fourth decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Ralph Lauren became the AJGA’s second Premier Partner.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 600 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Jordan Spieth, Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Stacy Lewis, Vicky Hurst, Inbee Park, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome and Morgan Pressel.

“It feels great to be anAJGA champion, especially this one,” said Kozan.“The fact that I wonthe tournament that also gives me an exemptionspot is fantastic. It’ll be really fun to come backhere in a month and a half and play some good golf.”

G&T | SPRING 201534

Juniors Golf

BOYS DIVISION - CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE BOYS PAR: 36-36--72. YARDAGE: 6995. RATING: 74.5. SLOPE: 133

FINAL RESULTS FROM THE PUERTO RICO JUNIOR OPENpresented by Eagles Dream Golf Academy conducted by the

American Junior Golf Association at Trump International Golf Club

Andrew Kozan, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (2017) 69 - 70 - 67 -- 206 -10

Yechun (Carl) Yuan, Lake Mary, Fla. (2015) 72 - 70 - 67 -- 209 -7

William Buhl, Fairhope, Ala. (2016) 72 - 68 - 69 -- 209 -7

Jamie Cheatham, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (2015) 71 - 67 - 71 -- 209 -7

Won Jun Lee, Wesley Chapel, Fla. (2017) 71 - 68 - 70 -- 209 -7

Zhengkai Bai, Lake Mary, Fla. (2016) 69 - 71 - 70 -- 210 -6

Tyler Strafaci, Davie, Fla. (2016) 75 - 69 - 67 -- 211 -5

Sean Yu, Beaumont, Calif. (2015) 70 - 71 - 71 -- 212 -4

Gabriel Lench, Lake Mary, Fla. (2015) 67 - 73 - 72 -- 212 -4

Youxin (Robin) Wang, Lake Mary, Fla. (2017) 71 - 72 - 70 -- 213 -3

Blake Dyer, St. Petersburg, Fla. (2015) 79 - 66 - 69 -- 214 -2

Kaito Onishi, Irvine, Calif. (2017) 71 - 70 - 73 -- 214 -2

Steven Chervony, Boca Raton, Fla. (2015) 71 - 74 - 70 -- 215 -1

Zhijie (Tony) Jiang, Bradenton, Fla. (2016) 77 - 71 - 68 -- 216 E

Timothy Colanta, Reunion, Fla. (2015) 75 - 70 - 71 -- 216 E

Austin Hitt, Longwood, Fla. (2016) 74 - 69 - 73 -- 216 E

Jeg Coughlin III, Dublin, Ohio (2015) 73 - 70 - 73 -- 216 E

Marcos Montenegro, Loberia, Argentina (2016) 76 - 71 - 70 -- 217 +1

Ryan Grider, Lewisville, Texas (2017) 75 - 70 - 72 -- 217 +1

Noah Edmondson, Davidson, N.C. (2015) 76 - 74 - 68 -- 218 +2

Roberto Lebrija, Mexico City, Mexico (2016) 73 - 76 - 69 -- 218 +2

Eduardo Carrete, Queretaro, Mexico (2016) 72 - 77 - 69 -- 218 +2

Charlie Miller, Jackson, Miss. (2017) 77 - 69 - 72 -- 218 +2

Jackson Lang, Lexington, Mass. (2015) 74 - 71 - 73 -- 218 +2

John Lazor, Westwood, Mass. (2015) 71 - 74 - 73 -- 218 +2

Garrett Barber, Stuart , Fla. (2018) 72 - 71 - 75 -- 218 +2

Ryoto Furuya, Alpharetta, Ga. (2016) 68 - 74 - 77 -- 219 +3

Koichiro Ishika, Kakogawa, Japan (2017) 72 - 76 - 72 -- 220 +4

Alvaro Escalada, Clermont, Fla. (2015) 72 - 75 - 73 -- 220 +4

Seiya Liu, Beverly Hills, Calif. (2015) 76 - 72 - 72 -- 220 +4

John Mancinotti, Toledo, Ohio (2015) 73 - 74 - 73 -- 220 +4

Samuel Foust, Edina, Minn. (2015) 78 - 74 - 69 -- 221 +5

Yinong Yang, Lake Mary, Fla. (2017) 73 - 73 - 75 -- 221 +5

Chase Furey, Newport Beach, Calif. (2017) 78 - 73 - 71 -- 222 +6

Tyler Joiner, Leesburg, Ga. (2015) 76 - 75 - 71 -- 222 +6

Melvin A Morales Valle, Humacao, P.R. (2018) 73 - 75 - 74 -- 222 +6

Daniel Whelan, Coral Springs, Fla. (2015) 73 - 73 - 76 -- 222 +6

Alberto Martinez, Weston, Fla. (2018) 78 - 73 - 72 -- 223 +7

Chase Ibbotson, Sanford, Fla. (2016) 73 - 78 - 72 -- 223 +7

Matt Hutchins, Sudbury, Mass. (2015) 79 - 73 - 72 -- 224 +8

Philip Loeb, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (2015) 76 - 77 - 71 -- 224 +8

Brendan O’Reilly, Hinsdale, Ill. (2017) 75 - 74 - 76 -- 225 +9

Robert Briggs, Novato, Calif. (2016) 75 - 73 - 77 -- 225 +9

Price Butcher, New Orleans, La. (2016) 83 - 70 - 72 -- 225 +9

Max Siegfried, Villanova, Pa. (2016) 80 - 73 - 72 -- 225 +9

Wanjoo Lee, Port of Spain,

Trinidad and Tobago (2015) 74 - 76 - 76 -- 226 +10

James Turner, Gloucester, Mass. (2016) 75 - 73 - 78 -- 226 +10

Chad McCann, Haymarket, Va. (2015) 71 - 76 - 79 -- 226 +10

Brett Barron, Suwanee, Ga. (2016) 79 - 77 - 70 -- 226 +10

Derrick Villarreal, Hartland, Wis. (2015) 75 - 75 - 77 -- 227 +11

Jimmy Hervol, Hopkinton, Mass. (2015) 79 - 74 - 74 -- 227 +11

Rodrigo Sanchez, Santo Domingo,

Dominican Republic (2017) 77 - 76 - 75 -- 228 +12

Thomas Allkins, Lake Mary, Fla. (2017) 75 - 78 - 75 -- 228 +12

Daniel Connolly, San Francisco, Calif. (2016) 75 - 78 - 75 -- 228 +12

Mahiro Sanda, Okayama, Japan (2020) 76 - 76 - 77 -- 229 +13

Felipe Ramirez-Velandia, Bucaramanga,

Colombia (2016) 75 - 81 - 74 -- 230 +14

Caleb Ramirez, Blythe, Calif. (2015) 79 - 76 - 76 -- 231 +15

Aaron Wirt, Des Moines, Iowa (2015) 79 - 80 - 72 -- 231 +15

Pierce Aichinger, Cherry Hills, Colo. (2015) 76 - 79 - 77 -- 232 +16

Zongfan Li, Bradenton, Fla. (2016) 77 - 77 - 79 -- 233 +17

Wilson Belk, Colorado Springs, Colo. (2015) 80 - 76 - 77 -- 233 +17

Alberto Firpi, San Juan, P.R. (2015) 76 - 85 - 73 -- 234 +18

Jose Cervantes, Jalisco, Mexico (2016) 80 - 81 - 73 -- 234 +18

Kenneth Martinez, Fajardo, P.R. (2016) 79 - 77 - 80 -- 236 +20

Joseph Chun, Irvine, Calif. (2017) 78 - 78 - 80 -- 236 +20

Enrique Valverde, Santo Domingo,

Dominican Republic (2017) 80 - 77 - 79 -- 236 +20

Ian Aldarondo, San Juan, P.R. (2017) 81 - 76 - 79 -- 236 +20

Simon Ospina, Medellin, Colombia (2015) 81 - 77 - 79 -- 237 +21

Christian Nido, Palmetto Bay, Fla. (2017) 79 - 79 - 79 -- 237 +21

Anton Serafi ni, Lake Mary, Fla. (2016) 84 - 80 - 74 -- 238 +22

Steven Weingroff, Upper Saddle River,

New Jersey (2016) 82 - 83 - 73 -- 238 +22

Austin Carmack, Newburgh, Ind. (2015) 78 - 80 - 82 -- 240 +24

Mitzel Chevres, San Juan, P.R. (2017) 86 - 78 - 76 -- 240 +24

Jayson Gonzalez, Guaynabo, P.R. (2015) 78 - 82 - 82 -- 242 +26

Hector Rivera, Bayamon, P.R. (2017) 82 - 82 - 87 -- 251 +35

Francisco Millan, San Juan, P.R. (2015) 90 - 88 - 77 -- 255 +39


Juniors Golf


Interview

Juan GonzálezA Prodigious Golf Legend in Puerto Rico

By Charlie Bautista


Interview

This story happened by accident. I was invited for a round of golf at Rio Bayamon Golf Club. My Japanese friend Keiho, who goes every day to play at that course and wants to be-

come a pro, told me that I needed to meet Juan Gonzalez. When I asked him why, he told me that Gonzalez is the public relations guy here and he knows a lot about golf and the history behind the game in Puerto Rico. I walked toward the range to practice a few shots and warm up before the game, and that’s when I saw Juan, a short and lean senior with a big smile on his face that you can’t miss from a mile away. Juan is a professional golf in-structor at the new Rio Bayamon Golf Club, with a long golf ca-reer, which began in 1950, and who knows almost everything about the sport in the Island.

Once I started to hit some balls at the range he told me that “with a few changes you will be a good player.” Then I asked him about his career and how come he knows so much about golf. With a smile he took me pitching and hit some balls on the back walk, two balls at the same time, and made some oth-er unusual tricks that really im-pressed me. Then he asked me: “do you know that I have more holes in one than anybody else? I even have two on the same day. Of course, that day, the fi rst one was aimed to the tar-get and the second was a lucky shot.” Then he told me that ev-erything started in the fi rst era of Puerto Rican golf, the era of the military and the fake hole in one. At that time, Juan lived in a tough, poor neighborhood in San Juan called La Perla. Not far from there, the U.S. Army built a nine-hole course, which not too many people know about it, with sand greens around the walls of El Morro. The course has been gone for years, but that was how golf came to Puerto Rico, with the American military.

Back in the day, he became a caddie. Caddies were paid from ten to twenty-fi ve cents a bag, so they were eager for tips. “Many people are wondering how I became a professional. Well, a cad-die could play for free on Mondays, and I did. At first, I had one club, a wedge, and played all nine holes with it.” He skipped

school to play. But he kept this secret, or his father would pun-ish him. Within a year, he was a skilled golfer. That prepared him for the second era of Puerto Rican golf, the era of the resort and the trick shot.

In 1958, Dorado Beach resort was opened as a luxury desti-nation with a Trent Jones’s golf course. So, the new course need-ed pros and hired Juan Gonzalez and Juan Rodriguez, best known as Chi Chi. Both did golf tricks to entertain the guests. He said that Chi Chi was a showman, “We de-veloped trick-shot routines. We hit shots out of paper cups, sit-ting and kneeling.” They would hit shots off tees two-feet high. They would take a fi ve-iron and hit one ball down the left side and fade it and then, very quick-ly, another ball down the right side and draw it, so the two balls would cross in fl ight. They would hit shots off the toe of the club and stop them on the practice green. This was the beginning of Chi Chi Rodriguez’ successful professional career in the Island. Meanwhile Juan continued his tricks shot routine; which he still remembers.

He worked for decades as a re-sort pro while golf spread along

the island’s north coast: from Dorado Beach to Rio Mar, to El Con-quistador, to Palmas del Mar, to Coamo, etc. Then the new era of Puerto Rican golf brought him to Bayamon. I am so lucky to have met such a wonderful personality.

Then he asked me: “Do you know that I have more holes in one than anybody else? I even have two on the same day. Of course, that day, the fi rst one was aimed to the target and the second was a lucky shot.”


Fitness & Health

For more information on how to get your TPI golf-specifi c physical assessment, you can reach us at:Facebook: RP Fitness LabTwitter: @rpfi tnesslabE-mail: rpfi [email protected]: 787-307-9473

Every now and then we all start contemplating and focusing on why certain motions or articulations we make feel funny or make us feel discomfort whenever we try to do simple tasks. Bending over, squatting, reaching, even walking could be altered just because our body has dysfunction or has created compensation for it to be able to work and stay operational. This can happen at any age, whether we are sports active or not.

As two of the great minds of function-al training, Dr. Gray Cook and Mike Boyle, stated after a long process

of research and development on how the body works, in their nowadays emblematic and sounding board of functional training: “The Body works in an alternating pattern of Stable segments connected by Mobile joints. If this pattern is altered, Dysfunction and Compensation will occur”. With this in mind, what do we need to look for when developing and maintaining our overall body functionality?

Juniors: With younger players, it is criti-cal for them to explore all sorts of move-ments (jumping, climbing, pushing, pull-ing, bounding, throwing, catching, sliding, skipping, hopping, galloping, stumbling, kicking), and not have them boxed in on a specifi c set of movement patterns, in other words, early specialization. This is a HOT TOPIC among sports performance train-ers and elite level coaches. As a Physical Education teacher I believe that broaden-ing the physical skills spectrum and diver-sifying their movement experiences at an early age will allow for better and higher performance when the body and mind are mature enough to deal with all competition aspects. This will happen only when THEY decide on concentrating on a sport. Our roll as parents of children who are playing a sport should always be one of support and supervision, and to be involved not only on his/her academics, but also on how well their motor learning is developing.

Senior Players: On the fl ip side, with these players we are looking to retain and enhance their fl exibility, aerobic endurance, and muscle mass. A decline in their aerobic capacity is present when it becomes diffi -cult to fi nish a round without fatigue. This mostly shows up by the end of the round on the fi nal 4 or 5 holes where most strokes are lost as tired arms and legs trudge off the 18th green. This is why it is vital to evaluate all their body functionality.

Whenever I evaluate a person, I lookfor some key points:

1. Any discomfort while performing any of the assessments.2. How well they can execute a specifi c movement. Classifying this into a Cogni-tive, Associative or Autonomous will give me light from where and how intense they should start their training program.3. Past Injuries. These will show any restric-tion of mobility or stability in the segments above and below where the injury occurred.4. Health condition is a major factor to con-sider whenever someone wants to begin golf-specifi c training or any type of physical activity.

When performing the TPI functional fi tness screening, this age group (senior players) does not score particularly well in some of the major tests, like the deep squat, touch toes, and balance tests. This is to be ex-pected due to the aging process. Creating a specifi c training to improve those areas is vital but, it is often the lack of overall mus-cular strength and endurance the reason you can be looking at a round in the 100’s instead of 90’s or 80’s.

I have a client in his 60’who started his TPI training fi ve months ago. His screen re-sults showed he had poor scapular stability and lack of fl exibility, which was restricting him to properly bend from his waist to go into his address position. Instead he had a rounded back, creating what we call a “C” posture. From this position it was very diffi -cult for him to properly turn his upper body on the take away. It would also restrict his left arm extension on his back swing and will get his club coming over the top on his downswing, thus creating the dreaded slice. Ever since he started doing the cor-rective exercises he has been able to setup properly at address, his scapular stability has increased and has allowed proper arm extension equaling to more yards of the tee and better sequencing.

By Ricardo PicorelliSaint John’s School PE Teacher /TPI Certifi ed Golf Fitness Instructor K-Vest 3D Level 1 Certifi ed

…only if you are aware that maintaining

overall body functionality is imperative for the

golfer who likes to play good pain-free golf.

Golf is a Sport

for a Lifetime,


Fitness & Health

“It is often the lack of overall muscular strength and endurance the reason you can be lookingat a round in the 100’s instead of 90’s or 80’s.”


Fitness & Health

How do I control my C-Posture?C-Posture can be fi xed by learning how to bend from the hip sockets and not fl ex from your upper spine. Plus, exercises to improve thoracic spine extension and rotation, shoulder girdle mobility, scapular stabilization and pulling strength are a must. (From: mytpi.com) Photos show some exercises you can do if you feel and know you have those faults.


Fitness & Health

Baseball pitchers such as Gregg Mad-dux and John Smoltz play really good golf. Why? Simple, when you swing a

golf club, the principle of creating potential energy from the ground up comes into ac-tion. You would think it has to do with the fact that baseball is similar to golf because is played from an “Off Line” body alignment. This means, that your body is parallel to your target. Sports played in an “On Line” body alignment are those that your body is aligned directly to the target. Another char-acteristic for the similarities of the sports are the swing of an implement. In baseball you swing the bat on a more parallel line to the ground. In golf, you swing the club in a more diagonal plane in relation to the ground.

For me, the physical component similarities are the key for baseball players to be able to enjoy and play golf at an optimal level, and in some cases, great competitive level.

To put this statement into perspective, when a pitcher winds up to pitch a ball it all starts from grounding his feet to fi re the kinematic sequence of pitching. From the feet, the en-ergy is transferred up to the legs where the pitcher is sustaining all that energy on one foot while the other is lifted and the upper body is rotating and the pitching arm is go-ing back. Then it transitions into transferring the weight into the front leg, rotating the hips, upper body and the arm coming for-ward to release the ball.

Muscle memory of these motions allows them to have the cadence and proper se-quencing when they transfer their physical skills to the game of golf. So, whenever you get a chance to play throw and catch with your child or grandchild focus on how your throwing sequence is. Are your feet prop-erly grounded? Is the back foot loading and your hips are turning away from the target? Is your upper body rotating? Is your arm go-ing back with good fl ex and extension?

Don’t limit yourself, throw a Frisbee, get a long wood stick and throw it like a Javelin. All of these throwing motions get you into the same sequence as the golf swing and get you moving and stay physically active.

Correlating the transitionfrom Baseball to GolfBy Ricardo PicorelliSaint John’s School PE Teacher TPI Certifi ed GolfFitness Instructor K-Vest 3D Level 1 Certifi ed


Meeting on the Green

The Hospital del Niño de Puerto Rico held it’s very successful 11th Annual Golf Classic recently, at the Palmas

del Mar Golf Course in Humacao, PR. Over 120 players enjoyed an excellent day at the tournament, which featured exciting putting contests, outstanding

tee prizes, and a live auction of a 72” TV. Each player left with raffl e prizes which included, resort stays for two at luxuri-

ous hotels, fi ne dining, airline tickets, twosome packages at award winning

golf courses and professional golf items, including golf lessons, among others.

The proceeds from the 11th Golf Clas-sic are aimed towards the overhaul and

upgrading of the Hospital’s facilities, which are over 80 years old. The funds will be allocated to the completion of

their master plan for the restoration of the halls that host their extended-care patients, comprised of 27 children that suffer chronic and severe physical and/or mental disabilities and have limited

economic resources.

Just for Kids



AN ALL HEART TOURNAMENTThe Dr. García Rinaldi Foundation held its 22nd Golf Tournament at Dorado Beach Resort & Golf Club directed by renowned golfer and long-standing friend of the institution, Jim Teale.

The tournament maintained a two people scramble format with participation of all handi-caps. There were trophies for three winning teams in low gross, fi ve teams in low net, clos-est to the pin and straightest drive. During the awards ceremony all shared a lavish banquet.

Besides two stations throughout the golf course offering hamburgers, hot dogs and a typical grilled pork, at the end of the tourna-ment a luncheon was held at Pavilion, where Dr. Raúl García Rinaldi, José A. Miranda, Esq., chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation and its executive director, Dr. Maura Tapia, presented the awards.

Among the organizations that supported this effort were the James & Barbara Cimino Foun-dation and the Mayaguez Medical Center.

G&T | SPRING 2015


Tourism

Vacationing in Puerto Rico means no rush, no stress, so leave everything behind, let your body adjust to the

warm weather of Puerto Rico, and head straight to any of our many restaurants, natural attractions, shopping centers, and entertainment venues. These recommendations will usually vary depending on the visitor’s profi le. A family with little kids and a family with teenagers are as different as young newlyweds and couples that have been married for many years. Also I try to see what the interests of each guest are before I recommend something. You don’t want to send someone who is afraid of heights to do a canopy tour or an adrenaline-fi lled daredevil to a museum tour – they simply won’t fi nd it attractive. With that in mind I have tried to come up with general options for a family and hope that these options are useful. If I were to recommend the perfect day to a family visiting San Juan, this would be one option: after a revitalizing night rest at one of Puerto Rico’s most comfortable hotels, wake up to the soothing sounds of ocean waves or the sound of birds and breeze to fi ll your senses and heighten your experience. Then, step into one of the many varied restaurants around the Island or one of the hotel restaurants that serve a hearty breakfast, or if you prefer a lighter fair, visit one of our new bistros in the Condado or Isla Verde area and enjoy the perfect coffee cup or some fresh orange juice. Head out to the rainforest in Rio Grande for a morning tour with one of our knowledgeable tour guides and fi nd out why a tour is always the best way to go sightseeing. Don’t forget a bottle of water and some snacks for the little ones. A certifi ed guide will provide you with commentary en route and on site and will answer any questions you may have.

Before heading back to your hotel or resort let’s stop at a roadside restaurant like Barbakoa for an amazing seafood or grilled meat, or do as locals do and venture into one of the kiosks at Luquillo beach – have you tried a bacalaito yet? You can also take a tour of Old San Juan, explore the dungeons and tunnels of Fort San Cristobal, fl y a kite on the grounds of Fort El Morro, sample a Piragua, visit Museo del Niño (The Children’s Museum), and feed the Pigeons at Parque de las Palomas before returning to the resort.

For some rest and relaxation, take an afternoon walk around the beach and enjoy a refreshing Piña cocktail and fun under the sun before heading out to the Bioluminescent Bay Tour. One of our many, friendly and knowledgeable guides will show you not only the amazing glowing waters, but point out the different components that makes this unique bay one of the most astonishing in the world.

For dinner, astonishing all your senses with one of the Japanese or creole cuisine restaurants. Are you ready for some adult fun time? Most hotels offer in-room nanny services. After such a fun-fi lled day I am sure the kids won’t put up much of a fi ght if you give them some cookies and a movie in room option while daddy and mommy attempt to learn to dance some salsa or merengue and dance the night away. Whatever you do, enjoy your stay!

Our ConciergeRecommends

Following is a list of things to do by municipality region and the suggested average time required:

Carolina Piñones Nature Boardwalk & Restaurants (Walk or Bike) – 4 hours or less

Canovanas The Outlets at Route 66 (Shopping, Food & Theaters) – 4 hours or less

Rio Grande Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort (Golf, Shopping, Food & Drinks) – 4 hours or less Bahia Beach Resort & Golf (Golf, Shopping, Food & Drinks) – 4 hours or less Trump International Golf Club (Golf, Shopping, Food & Drinks) – 4 hours or less Berwind Country Club (Golf, Food & Drinks) – 4 hours or less El Yunque National Forest (Hike, Swimor Relax) – 1 day or less Rain Forest Zip Line (5 or 8 Line Tours) – 2 hours or less Carabali Rainforest Park (Horseback Riding, Go Karts, Bike, Food & Drinks) – 1 day

Luquillo Luquillo Kiosks (Food & Drinks) – 4 hours or less

Fajardo El Conquistador Resort (Golf, Shopping, Food & Drinks) – 4 hours or less Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve (Educational Tour) – 4 hours or less Seven Seas, Playa Colora or Playa Escondida (Public Beaches) – at least 4 hours Bioluminescent Bay (Eco-Tour) – 4 hours or less (must go at night)

Culebra & Vieques Aquafari Culebra Island (All-Inclusive Day of Kayaking and Snorkeling) – 1 day Visit Culebra or Vieques for a day (Ferry or Flights Available) – 1 day Vieques Island Adventures Biobay (Eco-Tour) – 4 hours or more (must go at night)

47

Bahia Beach Resort

Rain ForestZip Line

Las Cabezas deSan Juan Nature

Reserve

Aquafari Culebra Island

Piñones Nature Boardwalk &Restaurants(Walk or Bike)

Fajardo

El YunqueNational Forest

Trump International

Golf Club

Bioluminescent Bay (Eco-Tour)

El ConquistadorResort


Tourism

Javier is a judge in numerous internation-al competitions, including the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival. He is the founder of Rum International Club, a member of the Association of Sommeliers of Spain and contributor to Got Rum? Magazine. He is also a lecturer specializing in market trends in the world of spirits and rum in particular. He works as a consultant for spirit brands regarding their introduction into European markets. He develops mar-keting plans, events, master classes and spirits campaigns.

Javier’s family comes from southern Spain and the Canary Islands, where sugar cane is abundant. He grew up in a family of wine experts, and he learned the art of the som-melier at University of Madrid, where he earned a degree in Hospitality Manage-ment. He also studied Imaging Science and Communications.In a conversation with Jorge Lopez (Presi-dent of Puerto Rico Bartender Association) Javier was very passionate about rum, its process and elaborations. He said “Rum

is more than a distilled spirit, it is history. Think about the process. How many peo-ple are involved in a rum production? Lopez welcomed Javier to Puerto Rico and told them that everybody is very proud of his visit.

What is the purpose of your visit to the Island?“I am here to give a quality control cer-tifi cate to rum companies. This time I’m evaluating the Bacardi plant. I come to

Javier is one of the leading rums experts in Spain, and his International Run Conference, held every

June in Madrid, is the leading event of its type in the nation. Rum is his profession, his hobby and

his passion. Along with the rum conference and gathering of rum professionals, Javier conducts an

esteemed blind tasting competition at his festival under the direction of Luis and Margaret Ayala.

Javier Herrera and Jorge López, President of International Bartenders Association (IBA)

rview with

Javier HerreraRum Expert


Tourism

make sure that the rum-making procedure is correct. I evaluate the development of quality inside the culture of rum-making. I evaluate all the stages of rum production, from the inclusion of molasses and its fer-mentation, to the yeast, to the water, until all procedures are in place. Keep in mind that aging plays an important role in the distiller’s process, and that is something that I am very aware of.”

“There is long tradition behind the rum mak-ing and culture. Rum can confi dently lay claim to being the most diverse of all liquors. Despite several countries around the world claiming their own varieties, the Caribbean is celebrated as the spiritual home of rum. Rum has been intertwined with its culture and heritage for nearly 400 years.”

“The spirit we now call rum evolved with the sugar industry of the colonial Caribbean. Al-though they are doing raffi a where sugar (the plant itself originates in Papua New Guinea) was cultivated long before sugar became a Caribbean culture, Caribbean rums soon rose to the top of the stack. In the seventeenth century, the spirit that is in the Caribbean was described as ‘hot, hellish and terrible’”.“However, a few years later, a Dutch cap-tain returning from the West Indies is re-ported to have written “The spirits are now softer language and have acquired a golden color during the journey.” Caribbe-an rum producers have spent the next two

centuries perfecting the art of distillation, aging and blending. Today, almost all the rum is aged in oak barrels, the magical pro-cess that lasts up to thirty years or more, and allows rum to acquire a golden to dark brown hue.”

“As important as aging, the fi nal stage of production is the mix, truly an art form when it comes to creating the best rums. It is the time at which a number of different incarnations of rum are skillfully combined with the personality islands and an array of assets to produce something unique, au-thentic Caribbean rum.”

Tell me about the results of the Conference and the outcome.There are a lot of people from different coun-tries that come to focus on rum and its qual-ity and procedures. You see people from Panama, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Venezuela and many more that came to present their brands - we are talking about 145 rum brands from around the world. Basically, it is a rum contest. So, it is three days trying all those brands in 4 to 5 sections per day, with the purpose of promoting the acculturation of rum.

What local rum won the highest price this year?Destileria Serralles

What do you think about Puertorrican rum compared to other brands? Puerto Rico has a great product but not the best marketing. The local rum lost a signifi cant market share in Europe. I under-stand that United State represented better opportunities back in the days but it is not longer like that.

What do you thinkabout Puerto Rico?Well, I received a very warm welcome from the people of Puerto Rico. I have a very especial affection for Puertorricans, and no doubt that Puerto Rico produces the best rum in the world. People treat me very nice and make me feel at home. I would love to live here!

G&T | SPRING 201550

INGREDIENTS1¼ oz Rum Patches (use Don Q)

1 ¼ oz Lemon Ron (use Don Q)

½ oz Strawberry Syrup

½ oz Passion Fruit Syrup

1 ½ oz fresh orange juice

1½ oz Pink Grapefruit Juice

METHODShake

CUPHurricane

PROCEDURE1. Add all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake.2. Add ice in the glass.3. Add the mixture into the cup.

DECORATIONOrange, Lemon, Strawberry

“Viva” Lola


Mixology

Our Talented Bartender Jose Franceschi, Best Caribbean Bartender Bronze Medal 2014 and Member of the Puerto Rico Culinary Team Introduce his winning recipe to the readers of Golf & Tourism Magazine

SpringBreak!

INGREDIENTS1 oz Greygoose Le Poire (Pear Vodka)

¾ oz Grand Marnier (orange liqueur)

¾ oz Lychee Liqueur

½ oz Peach Tea (Monin)

½ oz Ginger (Real)

1 ½ oz Sour Citrus (Finest Call)

METHODShake

CUPHurricane

PROCEDURE1. Add all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake.2. Add ice in the glass.3. Add the mixture into the cup.

DECORATIONPear, Lemon, Ginger, Peach, Leaf Basil

TropicalFusion(South Africa)


Tourism

ExecutiveChefMeet Caparra’s


Tourism

For over 70 years, Caparra

Country Club has been a private

recreational club offering its

members dining, social events

and sports programs for all

ages and interests, promoting

a healthy lifestyle in a secure

ambience and a true “home

away from home” and place to

create memories. The expansive

clubhouse and grounds is also

available for private functions

for corporations and individuals,

and ideal for the perfect

business meeting, special

event or banquet. The wide

variety of rooms offer guests an

atmosphere of elegance and

distinction Caparra Country

Club is distinguished by its

excellent service and group of

professionals that will make any

event an unforgettable one.

Executive Chef, Jose A. Melendez makes dining dreams a reality, with an unforgettable culinary experience

for both members and private functions. Caparra has a team that is committed to providing the highest personalized ser-vice, and the most delectable cuisine.

Let’s meet the Chef!!!

How did you start in the kitchen and developed your passion for cooking?

Since I was very little, I have always loved being in the kitchen. I grew up watching my mother creating many dishes for our family and friends to enjoy, and the satis-faction she got from it. I started my stud-ies in Hotel and Restaurant Management, and there I sparked my passion for food. It was then that I changed career paths

to Culinary School to delight people with my culinary talents. What have you learned from your mentors?

My mentors taught me that cooking is an art and with discipline and dedication you can achieve success in your career and per-sonal goals.


Tourism

What is your favorite food and why?

I love Puerto Rican eclectic cuisine, where I mix different fl avors and textures, but always incorporating the best ingredients from our local farms, creating a “fresh-from-farm-to-table” experience. Recently we built a garden at the club where we grow and pick fresh ingredients to use in our cooking to provide guests the best quality and taste in every dish. What’s the best food or kitchen-related gift you’ve been given?

I have received many, but there are two that are most memorable to me. The fi rst was a set of Wusthof Knives that I still use today. The second was a trip to New York to the James Beard Foundation awards dinner which included shopping at JB Prince Company, which is categorized as the “Toys R Us” for Chefs. What do you like most about your profession?

To delight the members and guests at Caparra with dishes utilizing the freshest

ingredients and best techniques and the opportunity it gives me to create a gas-tronomic experience for them. How do you begin the creative process to develop your recipes and menus?

For me, creativity begins when I take time to relax and step away from the kitchen. To relax, I enjoy sitting on my terrace with a good bottle of red wine, music, and a plate of gourmet cheese. It is then that the ideas quickly begin to fl ow and I cre-ate the mixture of fl avors and techniques that I seek for my dishes.

What ingredient do you alwayssplurge on?

Anything with truffl es – I love truffl e hon-ey, butter, and oil. What advice do you have for young chefs?

That cooking is an art; it is a way to ex-press their thoughts and who they are. If they dedicate their time and effort, they will have a career of great success and satisfaction.

G&T | SPRING 201556

Golf Gusto

Golf Gusto


A real japanese food culture experience

Tue - Sat: 11:30 am - 10:00 pmSun: 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Ph.: (787) 287-1785Avenida Esmeralda 27 Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

If you are searching for an authentic Japanese restaurant, visit Daimajin, where Chef Keiko Yanagawa, a native of Osaka, Japan prepares exquisite traditional and experimental Japanese high cuisine dishes.

At Daimajin you can expect chef Yanagawa to treat you with amazing sushi and authentic Japanese cuisine. On the menu you can fi nd Udon Soup, Okonomiyaki, Yakisoba Noodles, Yakiudon Noodes, and Mochi, just to name a few. So if you are in the Guaynabo area and craving for outstanding Japanese food, make sure to pay Daimajin a visit.


MENU SPECIALTIESUrayoanMouth watering Salmon Filet in an exciting Flavored Caper honey sauce

CanobanaSmoked Spare Ribs, Flavored with Tamarind sauce

YuisaJuicy Cornish Hen stuffed with Yuca in creamy white wine cilantro sauce

Caguana (Vegetarian Delight) Nutricious sautee of Garbanzo Beans with a side dish of Mofonguitos

JumacaoCombination Platter. Assorted combo Chicken Wings, Spare Ribs, grilled Sausage and Yuca “mofonguito”

Great food. Great Atmosphere. Great Prices.

On your way to or from El Yunque make sure you stop by for some traditional Puerto Rican food...we give old world dishes, new world fl avors that will tantalize even the most discerning of taste buds.

Located in El Yunque rainforest our restaurant is set on the tranquil Mameyes river. If you want to relax, listen to good music and have the best food you ever tasted you should defi nitely stop by the restaurant.

Carr.191, Km 1.1, El Yunque, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico787-415-2317 / 787-354-5977

Experience aTaino Restaurant where the fl avors and the beautyof “El Yunque” come together

break timeA short flight away from the cold front is a warm place in the sun.

For reservations or information for families, events or groups please contact us at [email protected]

| 500 Plantation Dr. Suite 1 Dorado, PR 00646 | T. 787-626-1001 | F. 787-626-1011 www.doradobeach.com

Fly to Puerto Rico and enjoy all that Dorado Beach Resort has to offer discerning executives as yourself. Inspired by the legacy of its original

developer, Laurance S. Rockefeller, Dorado Beach is Puerto Rico's premiere Resort destination-home to the only award winning Ritz Carlton

Reserve in the western hemisphere. A magical place in paradise where protected tropical flora merges harmoniously with three golf courses

including the world famous East course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. Experience a plantation clubhouse, tennis club, kite-surfing

school, gourmet dining and a unique tree house botanical spa.

Stay & Play packages in modern three bedroom residences available for long and short-term vacations for golfers, individuals, groups or

families seeking a unique destination in the Caribbean.

golf & tourism magazine

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