Chaz K Gets 2 days of lessons at the Jim McLean school and then plays Doral

Hey Neal,

I wanted to thank you again for setting up my trip for me.  It was the trip of a lifetime!  Everything from the hotel, to the golf school, to the cuisine and the local attractions as well  were awesome.  I learned a lot during the 2 day school and played the Blue Monster at Doral.  I could go on and on but I will keep this short, I have attatched some pictures for you that I thought you might like.

 

Chaz K

               

Brenda H get a trip to Texas and Adams!

Carl's

just wanted to let you know, the people from adams golf were wondeful. the went above and beyond to make me feel at home. i love my clubs and enjoyed my trip so much. i want to thank you and adams golf for such a spectacular gift.

brenda

Jane A gets a trip to Tour Edge and the star treatment!

Neal,
I wanted to take a moment to thank your organization for the opportunity to travel to Chicago and win a new set of golf clubs.
The folks at Tour Edge were wonderful to work with. Andy S was very accomodating and made certain I was looked after.
The factory tour was interesting since I had no idea what went into making a great golf club.
Wish I had one of those simulators at home. It beats the heck out of Tiger Woods golf on playstation three.
The Herrington Inn was a beautiful, very comfortable place to stay just as Andy said it would be.
I also had a wonderful Italian dinner and finally got to try gnoches with Andy and his wife, Deb.
Andy was probably bored on the course with me the following day since he is an experienced and consistant golfer.
It revived my interest in playing golf. I used to enjoy going out on our small three par course back in the 1980's.
I never really learned how to play properly but was fortunate enough to know how it feels when you make a good shot.
I plan on taking some lessons and getting out on a regular basis.
I thank you again for giving me the opportunity to rediscover golf and learn about the Tour Edge company.

Respectfully,
Jane A

ElinaB Gets Fit At The Titleist TPI Center!

Hi Neal!

 

I just wanted to say thank you for the amazing experience and the most wonderful set of clubs I ever owned! I had a great time at TPI with Cliff. He game me a tour and custom fit me with a set of Cobra clubs and they just came in today.

 

Thanks again so very much for this incredible opportunity. I can’t wait to go and try out my clubs this weekend!!!

 

Elina

RobK Spends a Day At Callaway

Neal,

Wanted again thank you for a GREAT trip, the people at Carls and Callaway both went the extra mile to made it even more memorable! On Thursday, I flew out of Richmond with temperatures in the mid 40s, I arrived in San Diego to temperatures in the mid 70s a few hours later!

I was picked up at the airport by a limo service, with lunch already picked up for me to eat on the 40 minute drive to the Callaway Performance Facility, I got fitted there and took a full tour of Callaway HQ.

I then took a limo over the La Costa Resort and Spa...where a Callaway travel bag, golf glove, golf shoes and golf shirt were waiting in my room. The next day I played 18 holes with my brand new clubs (made overnight) with 3 great guys from Callaway. We played the La Costa course, which has hosted the Mercedes championship on several occasions and was just re-seeded, looking immaculate.

I want to especially thank Corey at Callaway.

Kind Regards,

 

Robk

Jim A from Michigan Loves Carl's and His New Ecco Shoes!

Neal,
 
Thank you very much for arranging the prize for me and it was delivered very quickly after I provided the necessary information. 
They are fabulous shoes to say the very least..........the quality is outstanding. 
 
My 3rd and 4th grade church basketball coach In East Lansing was the MSU golf coach for many years (Bruce Fossum) and his wife was the woman's coach.  He did let me know that there is no substitute for practice.  Still and to this day I still see a lot of people thinking that a new set of clubs or a new putter, driver............or whatever will make their game better.  In reality they should spend the dough on lessons and time on the range or putting green.
 
I am not a huge spender on golf equipment...........I bought mine at the Plymouth Carl's  store a few years back and just went back to the Bloomfield store and bought 2 sets of clubs, one complete set for my wife and Irons for my son for Christmas...........and a bag for myself. 
 
I really prefer to go to Carl's to get what I need and certainly will continue to do so.
 
Many thanks and have a good holiday season.

Jim A

Carol A from Livonia, MI. Get's Custom Fit At Ping!

It truly was a "TRIP OF A LIFETIME" When I entered Carl's Golfland 50th Anniversary Sweepstakes, I was hoping to win some golf balls or a new pair of shoes. Winning the trip to the Ping facilities in Phoenix, Arizona to be custom fitted for a complete set of clubs was beyond anything I could have hoped for.

Thanks to Byron M who served as my host. He is the Fitting Cart Program Coordinator at Ping. He took me on a tour of the Ping factory, where I was able to see everything from the original castings for the club heads all the way to the completed club. Ping even has their own foundry. As part of the tour I was able to see the vault where golf plated putters awarded to Tour (LPGA, PGA, Champions, etc) Players are displayed. Wear your sunglasses!

My personalized fitting was done by Michelle Estill and Amy Fruhwirth, both former players on the LPGA tour. The fitting was very thorough, from physical measurements to trying a variety of club heads, shafts, weights and grips. I'd estimate that the fitting process took about 2 hours. The following day, Amy and Sara Sackett, a former college player at the University of Nebrask, arrived bright and early to take me to The Moon Valley Country Club ( Where Annika shot her round of 59) where I was able to play with my new set of Ping clubs. Thanks to Amy and Sara for all their patience.

I look forward to practicing during the winter months so that I can be ready for the 2009 golf season.

Thanks to Carl's Golfland and Ping for a great trip.

Carol A

 
 



 

50 Ultimate Expreiences Winner Robert and April I Tee it Up With Natalie Gulbis

Robert and April I from Waterford Michigan got the thrill of a lifetime yesterday. They flew to Lake Las Vegas, NV. Where they met Natalie Gulbis. Natalie gave them a one hour lesson on the range before leading them out to the first tee where the three of them tee'd it up for some mid-day golf. "Ms. Gulbis was an absolute joy, one of the nicest people I've ever met" said Robert. "Man... does she hit it pure" he said. "The golf course was spectactuar, the hotel is unbelieveable and golf experience was a chance of a lifetime for me and my wife. Thanks to Carl's Golfland and TaylorMade for this once in a lifetime trip. "

50 Ultimate Experience Winner Richard D Gets "Fit" The Nike Way

Nike Custom Fit trip Winner Richard D from Dayville, CT got the "Tour Star" treatment from the staff at Nike!  Here is his post!

I want to thank everyone associated with making my trip out to Nike the most enjoyable and carefree event that I have ever experienced.

 

From the Congratulatory and Welcoming message I received from Neal Feldman (Carls Golfland) to my final ”Goodbye” to Tim W, everyone has gone out of their way to ensure a pleasant, successful, and totally awesome event.  I never knew so many special experiences could be had in a day and a half!!

 

Robin H did everything possible to make sure that I had the experience of a lifetime!  Our conversations were geared to the Professionalism, Dedication, and World Class culture of Nike, and it's employees.  Robin really impressed me with her Knowledge, Dedication and Social Skills necessary to provide the Marketing expertise for this extremely well-run Golf Division.  Robin is one of the most energetic, dynamic and dedicated people I am proud to know.  Thank you, Robin, for making all of this possible.  

 

A special thanks to Aimee G, who was especially responsible to insure that I had the total Nike experience.  Wow...did I!!  Some of the items were:  Gift Packs, Shopping at the Nike store, Introductions, Meals, Discussions, etc.  Aimee is one of the most pro-active people I've ever met.  Thank you, Aimee, I will always associate Nike with your personality!

 

Tafena T is going places!  What a talent!  I could tell from our first “Hello” that this lady typifies the Recruiting, Training, and Placement of Nike employees.  Tafena showed me, and told me things about Nike, that I would never have thought possible!  I even know the story about the “duck” (Afflack).  I wish her continued success in her endeavors.

 

Now, let me tell you about dinner with these three wonderful women -  Robin, Tafena, and Aimee.  Oops, maybe I'd better not!  Let me just say that the conversations covered subjects from Britney, Children and Grandchildren, to Food Preparation - and lots in-between!  Times like this are meaningful and create a lasting impression!

 

I golfed with Marshall B, Tim W, and Anh N at Pumpkin Ridge Country Club.  Now, since I hadn't picked up a club in over 5 years (Shoulder, Knees, Elbow - I forgot which excuse I used!), I knew that I was not going to show any prowess on the course!  And I certainly did not.  But, let me tell you, I never met three people who were more diplomatic that Tim, Marshall and Anh!!  An especially warm “Thank You” to all three for the enjoyment of being together for golf and lunch.

 

My experience at the Tigard Facility for the Custom Golf Club fitting was simply amazing!  Tony F took me around and introduced me to the facility.  I feel very lucky to have gone through this fitting, discussion, and demonstration of golf at its finest!  I learned more in this session than at any other time, from anyone else, ever!  A special thanks to Jeff H for all the time, effort, and skills he put into working with me on this uplifting experience.

 

I think you get the drift of my experience at Nike Golf.  I am sure that I missed thanking some people....please excuse me.  I hope to see everyone again. 

 

Finally, I just want to say that this was one of the monumental events of my life.  To see a company and its employees who really know the true meaning, inspiration and working relationship of World Class, is truly amazing.  I wish you all continued success in all your endeavors

 

Sincerely,

Richard D

Dayville, CT  

Dan Z returns from Teeing It Up With Tiger!

Dan Z from Farmington Hills, MI won the Tee It Up With Tiger prize in our 50 Ultimate Golf Experiences.
The event was held at the Trump National Golf Course in CA. Here is the first report from Dan.

I just wanted to email you back and let you know what a wonderful time that I had attending the Tee It Up With Tiger event.  I just returned from LA yesterday, and still can't believe some of the experiences that I had over the last three days.  The entire event was first class.  Never have I been so impressed with a company as I am with Nike and Golf Digest.  We were treated like professional golfers throughout the event, and were made to feel so comfortable the entire time.  Nike has me as a lifetime customer.  The quality of the products, the quality of the Nike employees, and the quality of the Nike athletes were really on display throughout the entire event. 
 
I wanted to thank you as well, Neal, for providing the opportunity for me to have such a once in a lifetime experience.  I really appreciate all that you did to coordinate this event as well as your company, Carl's, for having this sweepstakes and this grand prize.  My golfing life will certainly never be the same.  I have always been impressed with Carl's Golfland and will continue to be a customer as long as I am playing golf and living in the Metro Detroit Area. 
 
Thanks again so much and if there is anything that I can do for you or for Carl's, please don't hesitate to ask.  Thanks again.
 
Dan

50 Ultimate Golf Experiences Winners!

Carl’s 50 Ultimate Golf Experiences Winners!

 

Tee It Up With Tiger:   Dan Z        Farmington Hills, MI

Golf With Annika:          Teodoro H  West Bloomfield MI

Golf with Natalie Gulbis:    Robert I   Waterford, MI

Jim McClean Golf School at Doral:  Charles K   Plymouth, MI

6 Days of Golf In Thailand:    Seth M  Ellicott City, MD

Golf with Steve Yzerman:      James M  Canton, MI

Trip for 2 to the 2009 Ryder Cup: Linda D  Sterling Heights, MI

FootJoy Factory and Custom Exotic Shoes: Brenda B Watkins, MN

TaylorMade Custom Fit Trip: Lisa P  Old Hickory, TN

Callaway Custom Fit Trip: Robert K  Richmond, VA

Titleist Custom Fit Trip: Elina B Glendale, CA

Powerbilt Custom Fit Trip: Alex N     Northborough, MA

Adams Custom Fit Trip:    Brenda H  Cottage Grove, OR

Ping Custom Fit Trip:       Carol A  Livonia, MI

MacGregor Custom Fit Trip: Robert W  Novi, MI

Tour Edge Custom Fit Trip: Jane A  Raleigh, NC

Wilson Custom Fit Trip: Chris H  St. Paul, MN

Nike Custom Fit Trip:   Richard D  Dayville, CT

Cleveland Custom Fit Trip: Chas W  Fallon, NV

Golf with Emily Bastel: Greg B   Manchester, TN

Golf with Emily Bastel: Michelle H   McAlester, OK

Golf with Emily Bastel: Steve L, Iroquios, ON, CAN

Puma Open:  Jan K    Northville, MI

Puma Open: Mike B   Waterford, MI

Trip to Garland Resort: Anna G   Palmyra, NY

Trip to Garland Resort: Larry W  Miramar Beach, FL

Trip to Boyne Resort:  Jack T  Surprise, AZ

Trip to Shanty Creek Resort: Danny C  Romulus, MI

Trip to Shanty Creek Resort: Heidi S  Sioux City IA

Trip to TreeTops Resort: Desire V  Rochester, MI

Trip to Yarrow Resort: Lance L St. Clair Shores, MI

Trip to Tulleymoore Resort:  Steve O   Toledo, OH

Trip to Grand Traverse Resort: Richard Z   Woodinville, WA

Sony 32” Bravia, Wii and Tiger 08: Arlene A  Edmonds, WA

Ashworth $1000 Apparel Package: Dan S Highland, CA

Nike $1000 Apparel Package: Susan S   Bethel, CT

12 Dozen Titleist Prov1: Steve T. Lincoln Park, MI

12 Dozen Bridgestone B330 Barry B, Schuylkill, PA

Tiger Woods Autograph Picture: George Q. Aurora, CO

Autographed Jack Nicklaus picture: Bruce V. Hockessin, DE

Autographed Fred Couples pin flag: Cheryl V. Brighton, MI

Autographed Vijay Singh golf bag: Gary V. Schaumburg, IL

adidas apparel package: Jeff W. Middletown, OH

Ecco World Class Shoes: Jim M. White Lake MI

Ecco World Class Shoes: Rick L. Waterford, MI

Ecco World Class Shoes: Kelly Grant. Gastonia, NC

Ecco World Class Shoes: Kelly Curry, Proctorville, OH

Jan K From Northville at the Puma / Maxim Open

First of all I want to thank everyone at Carl's Golfland, especially Carl Rose and Neal Feldman for making a great trip possible.  I won a trip for two to play in the Puma Open, a 9 hole four person scramble in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on Friday, September 19.  My friend Kim L and I left for Ft. Lauderdale at 9:30 am that morning, flying first class for the first time.  We met up with the other winners that we would be playing with, Mike Baand his friend Rick W and were driven to the Westin Diplomat  Resort and Spa, right on the Atlantic Ocean.  After check-in, a shuttle took us to the Diplomat Golf Course a few miles away.  There we were greeted with a nice Puma travel bag and free snacks and drinks.  The tournament was a shotgun start, with different games on each hole.  For example, number 7 (our first hole) had to be played with just a 7 iron.  We got our bogey 5 and moved on.  The next hole had cards to draw with different clubs, and each person had to play with the club that they drew.  The hole that was the most fun (although it was after the tequila hole, which may have helped!) was the "On the Clock" hole; our last.  You had to play it as fast as you could, and anything under 2 minutes was scored as a "1", no matter how many shots you took to hole out.  We just let Kim hit the tee shot, because she was hitting it farther than anyone and there was no point wasting any time with anyone else.  The guys took off as soon as she hit, and mostly thanks to Mike we got a par 4 in 1:51 for our "ace"!  It was only the fourth fast score, but we were still proud!

 

After the golf there was a buffet and casino gambling with our 500 "Puma Bucks".  Kim and I learned to play Blackjack while Rick showed his expertise at the Craps table.  The idea was to win as much as you could, and the total would somehow be combined with your golf score (ours was 33) to win a trip to the Dominican Republic.  With just a couple minutes left, Mike took his "$2500" that he won at Blackjack and combined it with Kim's $200 (Rick and I were broke by then) and put it all on a "hard 8" on the craps table at Rick's request.  It hit and we won "$27,000"!!  For a while we really thought we could win the whole thing after checking out everyone else's winnings, but one team won about $77,000 and won the whole thing!  I have to think we came in second though.  It was fun to think that we almost did it, though!

 

The trip was a great experience and we had a wonderful time.  We got to walk on the beach twice and swim in the pool before heading back to Detroit late Saturday morning.  What really helped make the trip so special were the two great guys that we met.  Mike and Rick could not have been nicer and we hung out together the whole time.  It was the best 25 hours I ever spent in Ft. Lauderdale!!  Thanks again Carls Golfland

                 

Linda and Sean D Enjoy The Ryder Cup

Linda D and her husband Sean of Sterling Heights, Michigan enjoyed 2 days at the Ryder Cup in Louisville, KY. They stayed at the French Link Resort and Casino and attended the Ryder Cup matches on Friday and Saturday. Although cameras and cell phones are not permitted on the grounds at Valhalla they did get a chance to stop at a PGA photo spot and get this great snap shot! A great trip and a victory for the USA.

 

Just One Of The 50 Ultimate Golf Experiences From Carl's Golfland 

Tip Of The Month

Focus on the fundamentals of a proper setup position. One of the most important fundamentals to a proper setup position is posture. Do the following actions in order with a golf club for good posture.

 

1. Position your feet shoulder width apart, with your weight evenly balanced between your heels and toes or what is considered the balls of the feet;
2. Bend from the waste by pushing your buttocks out, while maintaining a straight      spine and with your chin held high, until the golf club is 2 inches above      the ground.
3. Lastly, make a slight knee bend until the golf club soles the ground
4.  *It is very critical that you hold your chin high do not slouch so you are able to make a full proper shoulder turn. It is also imperative that you maintain these angles throughout the entire golf sing until just after impact to be a consistent ball striker.

 

 

 

Rule of the Month

 

The most common penalty strokes taken in a round are from water hazards. If your ball comes to rest in a yellow or red water hazard, you may play the ball as it lies, without penalty. If the hazard is marked yellow, then you have two of the following options under the penalty of one stroke:

 

1. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was      last played: or
2. Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and      the spot where the ball is dropped, with no limit as to how far behind the      water hazard the ball may be dropped.

 

If the hazard if marked red, you have two additional options under penalty of one stroke:

 

1. Drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club lengths of, and not nearer      the hole than the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of      the water hazard: or
2. Drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club lengths of, and not nearer      the hole than a point on the opposite side of the water hazard equidistant      from the hole.

 

 

New Cobra L5V Driver

Here is a sneak peek of the new Cobra L5V Driver. Looks pretty sweet!

Click here for a sneak peek!!!

More to come!

Winners List

Hey Everyone! Here is an update on the winners list. First of all everything is fine and the contest completed without a hitch. Our sweepstakes company West Coast Marketing is in the process of contacting all the winners (When you have 50 people to contact it takes a while) and getting them to respond to our correspondence. Some winners have chosen not to take their prize and then an alternate winner had to be contacted. It takes some time.   

We are waiting for West Coast to give us a "certified" list of winners and as soon as they do we will post it! This week we have a couple from Sterling Heights, Mi. heading to the Ryder Cup in Louisville, KY and two other groups heading to Fort Lauderdale, FL to play in the Puma / Maxim Open.

The Tee It Up With Tiger, Golf with Natalie Gulbis and Golf in Thailand winners have responded and I am in the midst of setting up there trips this week.

Look back for winners blogs, pictures from trips and the FULL winners list.

Thanks,

Neal Feldman
VP Marketing
Carl's Golfland

Winners Will be Announced....

Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for helping us here at Carl's Celebrate our 50th Anniversary! The event was a great success for us and for golfers of all ages. And the response to the "50 Ultimate Golf Experiences" sweepstakes definitely reflected just how spectacular the prizes were! We received thousands of both on-line and in-store entries. For everyone who entered,.. the drawing will take place on August 22nd with prize fulfillment to follow.

Good luck to everyone who entered! Keep an eye out in your in-box or check back here @ the blog for all the winner announcements!

Thank you!

By the Numbers

23 > years in a row Carl's Golfland has been named to the Golf World Business top 100 Golf Shops.

1,000 > Original square footage of the Bloomfield Hills location. Today, it's more than 20,000 sq/ft.

$2.50 > Price of an extra large bucket of range balls in the early 60's. Today it's $8.

4 > Major equipment manufacturers in the 1960's. Today it's more than 50.

2002 PGA Champion Rich Beem At Carl's Golfland.

Thanks to Callaway Golf Metro Detroiters were treated to a fun filled and interesting evening.

On Monday, August 4th 2008 The 2002 PGA Champion Rich Beem was on hand to give a clinic to the crowd of over 200 at Carl's Golfland in Bloomfield Hills. After the over one hour clinic which featured a very light hearted sytle and great shot making Mr. Beem graciously signed autographs, took pictures and chatted with many of the fans that remained to get a little closer to this major champion.  

At the end of the event a Tour Authentic Callaway Staff Bag signed by Mr. Beem was given out to one very lucky attendee!

When all you do is golf, you do golf best… and you get some of the best golfers in the world. It’s just another reason Carl’s is the only game in town for Golfers. Thanks to Mr. Beem and Callaway for helping us put on a great clinic. Take a look at some of the other great events at Carl's in the recent past (scroll down the "events" page), including visits and clinics from Annika Sorenstam, Gary Player and John Daly! You can see videos of all three at the carlsgolfland channel on You Tube. Enjoy! And be sure to stay tuned for future can’t-miss events at Carl's!

Only A Few Days Left To Win One of 50 Ultimate Golf Experiences From Carl's Golfland!

After all the planning. After all the Hype. After thousands of visits to our stores and Web Site to get in on the 50 Ultimate Golf Experiences, 50th Anniversary Sale action... it's hard to believe it's almost over!

Our 50th Anniversary Celebration has been a great success and a fabulous event. Fifty years is a long time, and as we've said over and over, we're proud to still be here serving golfers. And we know we could not have done it without the help of some very special people -- our loyal customers. It's too bad we'll all have to wait another fifty years for something this big to happen at Carl's. But for that next generation of golfers who love the game, we're betting our 100th will be as big for them as this one has been for you!

On that note, if you haven't already entered to win a chance to tee it up with Tiger, Annika or Natalie Gulbis, you've still got today through Sunday 8/10 to register. There are 47 other pretty amazing prizes, too. And don't forget, you can increase your odds by registering once a day through the 10th. Hey, someone's got to win right and, yes, it could be you!

Something else to remember, during the 50th Anniversary Sale we're celebrating with some great savings for you on some of the best brand name equipment.

Again, thanks to all our customers. And feel free to always let us know what else we can do to help you get the most enjoyment out of your game and serve you better.