50th Anniversary Winner Jim M. Tees It With The Captain!

Jim M of Canton, Mi not only got a chance to play Oakland Hills, South Course. One of the top 100 golf courses in the country and home to US Opens, Ryder Cup and The PGA Championship. Jim and his guest were the guest of "The Captain" Hockey Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman. The winners along with PGA professional Joe Portfilio had lunch and played 18 holes of golf on a glorious day in August.

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

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

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