Life Coach in Troon, AZ

Tucson, Ariz. (March 21, 2023) – Tucson City Golf’s Director of Player Development Landyn Lewis was recently honored by the Southwest Section of the PGA, winning the 2022 Player Development Award. The award recognizes a PGA Professional for extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of player development. Lewis received the award last month at the Southwest PGA Awards Ceremony.

For Tucson City Golf, which includes Randolph Golf Complex, El Rio Golf Course, Fred Enke Golf Course and Silverbell Golf Course, Lewis created the Tucson Golf Program with various player development programs to introduce people to the game, help existing players improve, provide classes/clinics/camps and encourage people to get out on the golf course. Those programs include Get Golf Ready, Operation 36, PGA Jr League, PING Interclub and PGA Family Cup. Lewis coordinates, promotes and conducts all the initiatives, which has resulted in all of the programs flourishing.

“It truly is a blessing to be presented with this opportunity to help grow the game within the Southern Arizona community,” said Lewis. “I always say that golf has a ton of medicine intertwined with it and how lucky I am to be able to spread that medicine to as many people as possible. We have such a diverse group of people in the program, from five and six year olds, to high school, blue-collar workers and retired. We help people develop confidence while learning a new skill, help build new friendships, and most importantly, we have heard how much our classes and the game in general have benefitted an individual’s mental health. I love this game and I want to get as many people as I can to try it and see how it can change their life.”

Lewis has served on the Southern Chapter PGA Board of Directors since becoming a PGA member in 2017 and is currently the Secretary of the Chapter. He serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the Section and co-chairs the Southern Chapter PGA Junior Golf Committee. In addition, Lewis serves as the associate head coach for the men's golf team at Pima College. Among his numerous awards received in the Southern Chapter, Lewis was honored in 2018 with the Southwest PGA Youth Player Development Award.

Born and raised in Tucson, Lewis first played golf during his sophomore year at Tucson High School. After graduation, he worked at Omni Tucson National Golf Club as a player service attendant and quickly found his passion when he began coaching junior golfers. In 2017, Lewis became the program director for the First Tee Tucson, where within his first three years, the program doubled in size.

Owned by the City of Tucson and managed by Troon, Tucson City Golf has been part of the fabric of the city since the 1930s. Modern amenities, traditional designs and native Southern Arizona landscapes make these municipal courses standout in the area. The collection is made up of five Arizona golf courses at four complexes, featuring well-stocked pro shops, dining options, meeting and banquet spaces and practice facility options.

For more information on Tucson City Golf, visit www.TucsonCityGolf.com.

About Troon

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon is the world’s largest golf and golf-related hospitality management company providing services at 750-plus locations, including 740-plus 18-hole equivalent golf courses around the globe. In addition to golf, Troon specializes in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues. Troon’s award-winning food and beverage division operates and manages 600-plus food and beverage operations located at golf resorts, private clubs, daily fee golf courses and recreational facilities. With properties located in 45-plus states and 30-plus countries, Troon’s family of brands includes Troon Golf, Troon Privé, Troon International, Indigo Sports, CADDIEMASTER, ClubUp, Cliff Drysdale Tennis, Peter Burwash International, True Club Solutions, RealFood Hospitality, Strategy and Design, Casa Verde Golf and ICON Management. For additional news and information, visit www.Troon.com.

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CLEVELAND — Two Cleveland City Council committees approved legislation on Monday that would hand over management of the historic, city-owned Highland Park Golf Course located in suburban Highland Hills. Under the legislation, a newly-created non-profit of local business leaders, frequent Highland golfers and golf-industry experts would assume management of the nearly century-old course. Troon, an Arizona-based company that manages 140 municipal courses across the country, would handle day-to-day operations at Highland.

The Council’s Municipal Services and Properties Committee as well as the Finance, Diversity and Inclusion Committee approved the legislation on Monday. As part of the agreement, the city would contribute $250,000 annually to the non-profit Highland Park Golf Foundation. The foundation, in turn, would pay Troon $66,000 annually to handle the daily operations of the course. Additionally, the city would contribute up to $1.5 million over the first five years of the contract to help fund capital improvements at the course, including the construction of a revenue-generating driving range later this year. If and when the golf course turns a profit, the excess revenues would first go to reimburse the city’s $250,000 annual outlay.

The $1.5 million in “seed money” is right in line with the amount paid by the city in recent years to help offset financial losses at the course. In each of the past five years, the city’s general fund has had to cover financial shortfalls at the course, prompting a long simmering debate over whether the city should cede control of the course. In 2022, the course required $1.3 million to operate while only drawing in $700,000 in revenue. The city’s general fund had to cover the estimated $600,000 loss, according to city financial statements.

Some city council members initially balked at the length of the original ground lease agreement which spanned 30 years. However, the agreement was amended to 20 years with two, five-year options. The contract also gives the city additional leverage to terminate the agreement if the foundation and Troon Golf fail to meet certain criteria.

The Bibb Administration deemed the Highland Park Golf Foundation and its partnership with Troon Golf to be the best, most qualified proposal to come from the city’s recent request for proposals. Although Cleveland Metroparks issued a letter of interest, it did not submit a formal proposal.

Some council members, including Councilman Mike Polensek, expressed skepticism about the agreement.

“I don’t want to see people hurt. I don’t want to get [Council] in a situation again where we are going to have to figure out how to clean up something. We’ve had to do too many clean-up acts around here with this Council,” Polensek said. “I’m telling you: I’ve been here longer than anybody. That golf course, you’re going to hear the sucking sound of money.”

Bonnie Teeuwen, the city’s chief operating officer, expressed confidence in the arrangement and its potential to ultimately end the continued cycle of annual losses at the golf course and, potentially, begin turning a profit.

“We are all very competitive and we’d like to make sure that you guys are proud of the results that happen at Highland Golf Course. Any naysayers, we’d like to prove them wrong,” Teeuwen said.

Opened in 1928, the city-owned golf course has a deep, rich history — and not just in the game of golf. The course welcomed minority golfers before most courses did. Highland was also considered to be the home course of Charlie Sifford, who is known as the “Jackie Robinson of Golf.” In 1987, the course hosted the PGA Minority Golf Championship.

Some of golf’s most storied names, including Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, played at Highland in the mid-1960s as part of the PGA Tour’s Cleveland Open.

The course’s storied history isn’t lost on those that play it today.

“This course is pretty special to me. It’s a historic course. My grandfather played here when he lived in the area. He played with a lot of the old Cleveland Browns players,” said golfer Nate Livingston. “Jim Brown used to come to this course and play golf. It has significant value for the city of Cleveland and it’s where I learned to play, too.”

Livingston’s golfing buddy, Sam Bistritz, said the course has tremendous opportunity for growth, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic prompted many people to play golf for the first time.

“This was our home course growing up in high school. This course, especially the location, has a really good opportunity to bring in a lot of money for the city,” Bistritz said. “I think if you put some more money in and invest in it, this has a very good opportunity to grow and become one of the top public courses in our area. Growing the game is really important.”

Former Highland superintendent Tommie “Moon” Conley, who worked at the course for 30 years, said the course has suffered under city management in recent years, citing the seldom-used clubhouse, pro shop and restaurant. He is optimistic that new management can inject new life into the golf course.

“It’s a money maker if you run it like a golf course. When you have people that run it like anything else, it’s going to fail,” Conley said. “They need to put somebody in there that knows how to run a business. They need a PGA professional in here. They need to revitalize this area here as a driving range.”

The construction of a new driving range is listed under the potential capital improvements coming to the course in 2023 under the new management agreement. Other improvements include a renovated clubhouse, chipping and putting center, as well as improvements to the course as well, including renovated tee boxes.

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Golfweek

The LPGA is back in Arizona. It’s also back at one of its most popular stops.

Perhaps it’s fitting that the golf club hosting the event is owned by a woman, and the company hired to run concessions during the tournament is also female-owned.

All that wasn’t done by design, but it does speak to a convergence of events that puts women at the forefront of the LPGA’s first full-field event on the 2023 schedule.

The Drive On Championship will be held at Superstition Mountain Golf Club Thursday-Sunday. It’s the fourth event of the season, but the first three were limited field tournaments.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee aren’t in the field but the best of the rest are going to play, as Nos. 2, 3 and 4 — Nelly Korda, Jin Young Ko and Atthaya Thitikul — are set to tee it up, as are Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson, Lilia Vu, Danielle Kang and Jennifer Kupcho.

“It’s going to be a star-studded field,” said Scott Wood, the 2023 tournament director. Six of the top 10 and 14 of the top 20-ranked golfers in the world are in the field of 144.

Arizona golf fans will remember Superstition Mountain.

It hosted the Safeway International for five years, from 2004 to 2008. Those events are remembered for the three World Golf Hall of Famers who won there: Annika Sorenstam in 2004 and 2005, Juli Inkster in 2006 and Lorena Ochoa in 2007 and 2008.

The location was a hit for fans, as well, with more than 150,000 spectators roaming the galleries those weeks.

The LPGA returned to Arizona with the Founders Cup in 2011. That event was last staged in Arizona in 2019 when Jin Young Ko won her first tournament in the U.S. at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club. The 2020 event was canceled by the COVID pandemic, and then the tournament was moved out of state.

In the ensuing years, Susan Hladky, owner of Superstition Mountain, and her general manager, Mark Gurnow, started working behind the scenes to bring professional golf back to their corner of the world.

One of their first efforts was to try to attract the KPMG Women’s PGA. They aimed high right off the bat, swinging for the fences to land a major. While that didn’t pan out, it did help get them in front of some of the movers and shakers in the tournament world.

“That never quite came to fruition but it got our juices flowing, and we were saying, ‘How are we going to do this?'” said Gurnow, who had several talks with the LPGA.

Then, suddenly, his phone rang.

“I guess it was last fall, they said ‘Might you be interested?'” he said. Indeed they were, even though they had to be ready a mere six months later.

Neither Hladky nor her husband, James, played golf, but the opportunity to purchase Superstition Mountain was too good to pass up in late 2009. Lyle Anderson had developed the site with Jack Nicklaus but fell on hard times, and had to let the club with two 18-hole layouts go as the economy hit the skids.

Less than two years later James, a Wyoming oilman, died when his helicopter crashed. Susan was suddenly the sole owner and operator of the golf club.

She has a strong team behind her, starting with Gurnow, who’s been at the club for almost 10 years and was with Troon for seven years before that. Superstition Mountain’s director of agronomy, Scott Krout, has been with the club since it opened in 1999. He still has tournament notes from those Safeway events 15 years ago.

It’s believed Hladky is the only woman to own a course on the LPGA schedule, but she’s quick to not make a big deal about that.

“Maybe not a pioneer,” she said of her status. “But it’s exciting to think that maybe it’s influential to women’s golf.”

More:LPGA's return to Arizona features stellar field

Her commitment to women’s game goes beyond hosting an LPGA event. Hladky has also opened her course to eight players who have memberships: Carlota Ciganda, Mina Harigae, Dana Finkelstein, Jaclyn Lee, Charlotte Thomas, Caroline Inglis, Jennifer Kupcho and Brianna Do.

Superstition Mountain has been the site of a variety of events including Arizona Women’s Divisional Stroke Play, U.S. Women’s Open qualifying (twice), events for the universities of Kansas and Denver, Southwest Section Pro-Lady Championship (twice). It will host the 2025 NCAA women’s regional.

“When I grew up, it was more of a man’s sport, women got a day a week or whatever,” Hladky said. Her efforts now are opening doors for so many.

“We’re definitely making a concerted effort across the tour to work with more women-owned or diversity-owned companies,” Wood said. “When we bring a tour somewhere there’s a significant economic boost to that town so if we can help support business owners that look like our players, and are as successful as our players, that’s a win for all of us.”

Superstition Mountain’s membership is well north of 400. Last November, the members raised $80,000 for Sunshine Acres, a local charity that provides for homeless children. The membership is taking to the LPGA event, too, with many of them making up the volunteer crew of about 400 people.

The Drive On Championship is owned and operated by the LPGA and has been held in other states previously. The tournament for now is only slated for 2023 but if all goes well, who knows?

“We hope this goes well and the event returns in 2024,” Hladky said.

“Success for us is to bring the tour back to the fans of Phoenix. Have great crowds, great weather, competitive rounds,” said Wood. “We’ll crown a champion next Sunday and take a look at things and see how we can improve next time and see where the ’24 schedule develops.”

The beautiful capital city of Arizona attracts travelers all year long. Offering warm sun, beautiful desert, wellness retreats, nature getaways, sophisticated urban scapes, rich southwest culture, and tons of Arizona outdoor adventures, the desert resort destination is breathtaking in all seasons. People come to the Phoenix Metropolitan Area to benefit from world-class golf and to take in major events, from concerts and NASCAR races to spring training. The desert oasis of Arizona's stunning capital includes several cities that are spread out and offer some of the finest resorts and many of the attractions and activities which are in the south and eastern areas. Here are 10 top-rated resorts in Phoenix, Arizona, that will make people unwind and experience a glamorous stay.

The Westin Kierland has what it takes to keep young and old occupied during their stay. Known as one of the finest Scottsdale's family-friendly resorts, it features various amenities, such as a waterslide, a lazy river pool, and the FlowRider that brings out guests' inner surfer or wakeboarder. For people wanting to exercise, there are three golf courses on the property that are beautifully set along the rolling desert vista. Other guests can also relax and recharge in the pool or feel energized at the Agave Spa, offering signature baths.

9 Four Seasons Scottsdale At Troon North

Set in a spectacular landscape of gorgeous boulders and desert flora, the Four Seasons Troon North is an oasis of luxury and serenity. The property blends in beautifully with the surroundings and integrates natural elements. Guest rooms and suites feature beautiful decor, including Mexican and handmade Indian art. The resort offers guests a combination of activities, from guided hikes up nearby Pinnacle Peak to stargazing, as well as fine dining at restaurants offering outstanding views.

8 Royal Palms Resort & Spa

The historic Royal Palms Resort delivers an oasis of peace with its lovely gardens and courtyards. Its 1929 architecture has been maintained and improved with modern touches, including serene sitting areas, fountains, and comfortable interior rooms that will allow guests to find a place to rest and unwind. The service at Royal Palms is excellent, and guests can expect their requests to be answered efficiently.

Related: The Ultimate Travel Guide To Phoenix: Everything You Should Know About Visiting Arizona

7 Boulders Resort And Spa, Curio Collection

Set among the dramatic rocks of the Sonoran Desert in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Boulders Resort merges gracefully into the landscape. Being golfers' favorite, this resort features spacious golf courses that include desert features in the design of the course. For guests wanting to be pampered, the spa can help with its variety of treatments featuring local components. Two of the spa characteristics include the labyrinth and shamanic tipi specially designed for those wishing to rejuvenate.

6 Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurney’s Resort & Spa

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurney’s Resort & Spa is a unique high-end resort delivering an intimate atmosphere with personal service. It features a remarkable mix of luxury rooms, casitas, and private homes spread along the beautiful Camelback Mountain slopes. People indulge in fantastic views from the dining room across Paradise Valley to Piestewa Peak. The Sanctuary Spa delivers a wide variety of services with a focus on Asian-themed treatments.

5 The Phoenician

Located at the bottom of Camelback Mountain, the Phoenician is a lovely complex that blends well with the desert's surroundings. The resort presents a new style of luxury and seeks to please families, couples as well as business travelers, and conference attendees. The complex offers pretty rooms, including 60 canyon casitas, where guests find the utmost in luxury and exclusivity.

4 JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

This giant resort has it all and more. Guest rooms and suites have been refurbished to four-star standards, and most rooms feature balconies with views out to the mountains. The property's restaurants offer a wide variety of cuisines. Located in the far north end of Phoenix land, JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa is suitable for day trips from Phoenix to areas like Sedona, Prescott, or Jerome.

3 Hotel Valley Ho

For a memorable experience that calls the hip and fun of the 1950s and 60s, the Hotel Valley Ho is the place to be. Located in Scottsdale, this mid-century modern hotel offers rooms and suites featuring different floor plans and designs as well as patios or balconies and cool retro decor. Guests can choose between an energetic and vibrant scene or a quiet place to read a book or soak up the sun.

Related: Beyond The Grand Canyon: 15 Incredible Places To Visit In Arizona

2 Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows

The Andaz Scottsdale is a unique resort and part of the Hyatt family of hotels. It is beautifully restored and modernized, with mid-century contemporary bungalows spread around the property, with Camelback Mountain serving as a stunning background. Rooms are decorated in the 1950s style but with luxurious modern advancements. The Weft & Warp restaurant serves locally sourced food inspired by the Sonoran Desert.

1 Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa At Gainey Ranch

The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale is a relatively sized resort with under 500 rooms and suites. The hotel is particularly well-known for its vast pool areas. Golfers will discover courses at the Gainey Ranch Golf Club situated next door. Guests have a bit of rest at the Avania Spa, which offers a variety of skin and body treatments to help them recharge. Rooms are big and have all the luxury amenities of a first-class resort, with private balconies or terraces with a pool or mountain views.

Planning a golf trip this year?

We've got some ideas. Our decades of experience visiting and evaluating the world's best golf courses, destinations and resorts has given us a pretty good idea of what golfers want when it comes to the places they play, at home and especially on vacation.

But it's not only our expertise being put to work. We also aggregate hundreds of thousands of golf course reviews each year from golfers like you from courses across the world. These reviews come together as part of our annual Golfers' Choice lists, which provide a snapshot of the golf courses that you and your peers are enjoying the most.

Many courses that earned acclaim on our 2023 Golfers' Choice lists - nationwide, state-by-state and according to several sub-categories like Friendliest Golf Courses, Best Value, Best Layout and more - should be on your radar for any upcoming trip, from a long weekend to a buddies getaway to an extended family vacation.

GolfPass' golf vacations department helps golfers coordinate trips every day, and many of the packages they promote include rounds at Golfers' Choice-honored courses. Here are 10 such packages that might fit your travel plans this year:

Alabama: Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

Of the 20 courses that made Alabama's Golfers' Choice best-of list for 2023, seven of them are part of the state-wide Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. One of the best of the Trail's sites is Cambrian Ridge, located just outside the town of Greenville. It ranked #1 in the state this year; its Sherling and Canyon nines wind around lakes and careen over ravines, with a hilltop clubhouse lording over the challenging, uphill 9th and 18th holes.

FROM $197 (USD)

GREENVILLE, AL | Enjoy 3 nights' accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express - Greenville and 2 rounds of golf at Cambrian Ridge Golf Club.

Click here to browse all Alabama golf packages.

Arizona: Whirlwind golf trip through the desert

One of America's hottest destinations, Arizona has seen its most sought-after golf courses' green fees soar recently, with the likes of TPC Scottsdale demanding more than $500 for a round in peak season. Packaging lodging with golf has never been more important to maximizing value for your golf travel dollar, especially in the desert. GolfPass partners with Troon Golf Vacations on several packages to the Valley of the Sun. The Phoenix Ironman Package includes six rounds in total, including at Whirlwind Golf Club, whose Cattail (#23) and Devil's Claw (#19) courses rank among Arizona's top 25 golf courses.

Click here to browse all Arizona golf packages.

El Dorado, Arkansas is a little off the beaten path, but it is home to the semi-private Mystic Creek Golf Club, which has been a fixture on recent Golfers' Choice lists. It currently ranks #2 on Arkansas' best-in-state list. It opened in 2013 to relatively little fanfare but it consistently receives rave reviews. Visitors to Mystic Creek can parlay their rounds there with a stay at a hotel that is part of Hilton's Tapestry Collection.

The greater Lake Tahoe area is home to beautiful mountain scenery, moderate summer temperatures and some great golf. The PGA Tour's Barracuda Championship visits the Jack Nicklaus-designed Old Greenwood Golf Club, as does the Best of Truckee Stay & Play package, which gives golfers access not just to Old Greenwood, #2 on our latest California list, but also Coyote Moon Golf Club, which is #16. The Golf Club at Gray's Crossing rounds out the itinerary.

Every avid golfer has to get to Pebble Beach at least once, right? The famed seaside classic ranked #11 on our California list and features in several packages.

Click here to browse all California golf packages.

The home of the PGA Tour's flagship event doubles as a bucket-list-type golf destination, and as maximum green fees skyrocket past $800 at times on the Players Stadium course, its companion Dye's Valley course looks more and more attractive to many visiting golfers. It ranked #6 on this year's Top 50 U.S. Courses list, and claims the top spot on our Florida Golfers' Choice list. The associated Sawgrass Marriott resort keeps investing in its product.

Both of Tiburon's golf courses - the Black (#4) and Gold (#10) rank among the top 10 in Florida, and the on-site Ritz-Carlton resort is one of Florida's most luxurious. Tiburon hosts LPGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions events each year.

Click here to browse all Florida golf packages.

Big Sky Country is also home to some spectacular golf, and #1 on Montana's Golfers' Choice list is the Wilderness Club, a Nick Faldo design at the center of an acclaimed community and resort.

Seaview is a historic resort not far from Atlantic City. Its Bay Course, ranked #18 on New Jersey's Golfers' Choice list, hosts the LPGA Tour's Shop-Rite Classic each year and offers scenic views across Reeds Bay.

Among beachcombers, Kiawah Island is hard to beat. Among avid traveling golfers, the Ocean Course is a must-play. Sounds like a perfect vacation opportunity, doesn't it? Not only does the Ocean Course (#11) feature on South Carolina's Golfers' Choice list, Kiawah's Oak Point (#16), Osprey Point (#12) and Cougar Point (#7) courses do, too.