Toughest hole on tour in '06
Source: San Jose Mercury News (Bay Area Sports)
At long last, the secret to winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is revealed. Forget about the narrow fairways of Spyglass Hill, or the tiny greens of Pebble Beach. The key is the fifth hole at Poppy Hills.
Considered by many to be the easiest of the three AT&T courses, it turns out Poppy has teeth. According to PGA Tour statistics, the 426-yard par-4 fifth hole at Poppy Hills was the toughest hole on tour for 2006. Tougher than any hole at Winged Foot or Augusta National.
'We are significantly proud that it is a difficult golf course,' General Manager Tyler Jones said. 'We have that 18-hole ranking posted at the golf counter.'
The fifth hole played nearly a half-stroke over par (4.492) this year, making it considerably tougher than the next hardest hole, No. 11 at Augusta (4.474).
Jones said the back-right hole location turned the fifth into a beast.
'That hole is not that difficult,' Jones said. 'But when they put it back right, you have to go over water to get there.'
Poppy Hills was also the 26th-toughest course on the PGA Tour this year, which put it behind Pebble Beach (No. 19) but ahead of notoriously tough Spyglass (No. 31).
Jones said that although he's pleased with the attention the ranking brings, he also wishes that the course was set up a bit easier for the AT&T.
'I would like to see it a little more defenseless,' Jones said. 'We don't need people walking off here upset because they couldn't score here.'
At this year's tournament, eventual champion Arron Oberholser parred the fifth at Poppy during a first-round 65, but Rory Sabbatini, who finished second, had a double-bogey at the fifth during his second-round 69. Sabbatini finished five strokes behind Oberholser.
Overall, Poppy Hills played about a third of a stroke over par (72.302) to finish far behind the toughest course of the year: Winged Foot Golf Club, the site of this year's U.S. Open. Winged Foot played nearly five strokes over par (74.993) and featured three of the top-six toughest holes on tour.
Golf Digest named Callippe Preserve Golf Course in Pleasanton as one of the best new courses in the United States.
Callippe, designed by Brian Costello, was ranked ninth among public courses with greens fees under $75. King Carter Golf Club in Irvington, Va., was the top course in the category.
A dual legend effort produced the best new private course. Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin teamed up to design The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.
Osprey Meadows in Donnelly, Idaho, was the best new course over $75, and The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn., was the best new remodel.
Retail Sales in U.S. Rise for First Time Since July on Holiday Discounting
By: Joe Richter
Source: Bloomberg
Retail sales in the U.S. rose for the first time since July as shoppers took advantage of early holiday discounts, increasing the odds the economy will withstand the slump in housing.
Sales jumped 1.0 percent last month, more than forecast, after a revised 0.1 percent drop in October that was less than previously estimated, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Purchases excluding motor vehicles rose 1.1 percent, the most since January.
Consumers, buoyed by an expanding labor market and rising wages, are keeping the economy growing at the moderate pace predicted by the Federal Reserve. Consumption accounts for about 70 percent of gross domestic product, dwarfing real estate and manufacturing. The dollar rallied and bond yields climbed.
``The consumer appears to be riding to the rescue, just when it appeared that housing and manufacturing would steal the economy's holiday joy,'' said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut. ``Feels like the fourth quarter may not be so weak after all, even with the twin drags of autos and housing.''.........
CNBC Mad Money Host Jim Cramer to Appear on ''Corporate Strategies...
Source: Biz.yahoo.com
... Corporate Strategies Business Talk Radio Show which may be heard on KSEV AM 700 in Houston, Texas, WGCH AM 1490 in Greenwich, Connecticut, WSBR AM 740 in Boca Raton, Florida, WSMN AM 1590 in Nashua, New Hampshire, KVWM AM 1450 in Show Low, Arizona, ...
Trade of The Year
Source: Under the Counter
... gunslinger was fresh off an amazing year in which he created an estimated $800 million in profits for his Greenwich, Connecticut, employers, earning himself some $100 million in the process. Nothing seemed to sate Hunter's appetite for betting on ...
Lash: Time to talk redistricting
By: Michael Dinan
Source: Norwalk Advocate
First Selectman Jim Lash yesterday called for Greenwich public education officials to decide which elementary schools to close and when, saying failure to address declining student enrollment hinders classroom diversity and wastes taxpayers' money.
'Very unpopular subject. It was a very unpopular subject the last time we went through it. It, in effect, means redistricting and there's nothing that towns like less than redistricting,' Lash told more than 70 residents, officials and nonprofit agency leaders gathered in a Town Hall meeting room.
'Either we have to lop off some schools or we have to substantially raise the cost per student of providing education in Greenwich. We already have if not the highest this year, then one of the top four or five per-student spending rates in the state, so our issue is not whether we're spending enough.'
He spoke during an annual legislative forum sponsored by the United Way of Greenwich, a nonprofit organization. The 90-minute event featured Lash and Greenwich's representatives in the General Assembly talking about affordable housing, human services, traffic and other topics.
Public schools officials re-sponded to Lash's comments by saying that redistricting is a last resort and that they're working on alternative solutions to problems caused by declining enrollment. A policy is being developed now and should be completed by next September, Board of Education Chairwoman Colleen Giambo and Superintendent of Schools Betty Sternberg said.
'We're certainly on top of and aware of the issue of declining enrollment,' Sternberg said.
Greenwich spends more than $14,000 per year per student, according to Lash. The figure doesn't include taxpayer dollars spent on school construction projects.
Total enrollment at Greenwich elementary schools has been falling since 1999, and is expected to drop by another 127 students --AOEto about 8,827 total children -- in the 2007-08 academic year.
Three of the town's 11 elementary schools --AOEGlenville School, Parkway School and Old Greenwich School --AOEare projected to sink below 70 percent use by next academic year, according to public schools officials. It's projected to continue falling for at least the next decade, according to Greenwich Public Schools' projections.
Under school policy, if an individual school's use falls below 70 percent and 10 percent below the townwide average, officials will consider closing it. Projections show that Parkway School will meet that criteria as early as the 2008-09 academic year............
Wreaths Across America rolls through
Source: Norwalk Advocate
... Yesterday, more than 40 motorcycles, a dozen cars and several police vehicles from Stamford, Darien and Greenwich provided a first-ever escort for the wreaths as they made their way through Fairfield County on a donated tractor-trailer. In ...
Uma Thurman flick shoots at Round Hill
Source: Stamford Advocate
... but they also needed a church to use for the wedding. With Connecticut's rebate in mind, location scouts searched Greenwich to find a church that fit the profile of Emma, who the storyline says grew up in Great Neck, Long Island. Some aspects of the ...
Source: San Jose Mercury News (Bay Area Sports)
At long last, the secret to winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is revealed. Forget about the narrow fairways of Spyglass Hill, or the tiny greens of Pebble Beach. The key is the fifth hole at Poppy Hills.
Considered by many to be the easiest of the three AT&T courses, it turns out Poppy has teeth. According to PGA Tour statistics, the 426-yard par-4 fifth hole at Poppy Hills was the toughest hole on tour for 2006. Tougher than any hole at Winged Foot or Augusta National.
'We are significantly proud that it is a difficult golf course,' General Manager Tyler Jones said. 'We have that 18-hole ranking posted at the golf counter.'
The fifth hole played nearly a half-stroke over par (4.492) this year, making it considerably tougher than the next hardest hole, No. 11 at Augusta (4.474).
Jones said the back-right hole location turned the fifth into a beast.
'That hole is not that difficult,' Jones said. 'But when they put it back right, you have to go over water to get there.'
Poppy Hills was also the 26th-toughest course on the PGA Tour this year, which put it behind Pebble Beach (No. 19) but ahead of notoriously tough Spyglass (No. 31).
Jones said that although he's pleased with the attention the ranking brings, he also wishes that the course was set up a bit easier for the AT&T.
'I would like to see it a little more defenseless,' Jones said. 'We don't need people walking off here upset because they couldn't score here.'
At this year's tournament, eventual champion Arron Oberholser parred the fifth at Poppy during a first-round 65, but Rory Sabbatini, who finished second, had a double-bogey at the fifth during his second-round 69. Sabbatini finished five strokes behind Oberholser.
Overall, Poppy Hills played about a third of a stroke over par (72.302) to finish far behind the toughest course of the year: Winged Foot Golf Club, the site of this year's U.S. Open. Winged Foot played nearly five strokes over par (74.993) and featured three of the top-six toughest holes on tour.
Golf Digest named Callippe Preserve Golf Course in Pleasanton as one of the best new courses in the United States.
Callippe, designed by Brian Costello, was ranked ninth among public courses with greens fees under $75. King Carter Golf Club in Irvington, Va., was the top course in the category.
A dual legend effort produced the best new private course. Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin teamed up to design The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.
Osprey Meadows in Donnelly, Idaho, was the best new course over $75, and The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn., was the best new remodel.
Retail Sales in U.S. Rise for First Time Since July on Holiday Discounting
By: Joe Richter
Source: Bloomberg
Retail sales in the U.S. rose for the first time since July as shoppers took advantage of early holiday discounts, increasing the odds the economy will withstand the slump in housing.
Sales jumped 1.0 percent last month, more than forecast, after a revised 0.1 percent drop in October that was less than previously estimated, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Purchases excluding motor vehicles rose 1.1 percent, the most since January.
Consumers, buoyed by an expanding labor market and rising wages, are keeping the economy growing at the moderate pace predicted by the Federal Reserve. Consumption accounts for about 70 percent of gross domestic product, dwarfing real estate and manufacturing. The dollar rallied and bond yields climbed.
``The consumer appears to be riding to the rescue, just when it appeared that housing and manufacturing would steal the economy's holiday joy,'' said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut. ``Feels like the fourth quarter may not be so weak after all, even with the twin drags of autos and housing.''.........
CNBC Mad Money Host Jim Cramer to Appear on ''Corporate Strategies...
Source: Biz.yahoo.com
... Corporate Strategies Business Talk Radio Show which may be heard on KSEV AM 700 in Houston, Texas, WGCH AM 1490 in Greenwich, Connecticut, WSBR AM 740 in Boca Raton, Florida, WSMN AM 1590 in Nashua, New Hampshire, KVWM AM 1450 in Show Low, Arizona, ...
Trade of The Year
Source: Under the Counter
... gunslinger was fresh off an amazing year in which he created an estimated $800 million in profits for his Greenwich, Connecticut, employers, earning himself some $100 million in the process. Nothing seemed to sate Hunter's appetite for betting on ...
Lash: Time to talk redistricting
By: Michael Dinan
Source: Norwalk Advocate
First Selectman Jim Lash yesterday called for Greenwich public education officials to decide which elementary schools to close and when, saying failure to address declining student enrollment hinders classroom diversity and wastes taxpayers' money.
'Very unpopular subject. It was a very unpopular subject the last time we went through it. It, in effect, means redistricting and there's nothing that towns like less than redistricting,' Lash told more than 70 residents, officials and nonprofit agency leaders gathered in a Town Hall meeting room.
'Either we have to lop off some schools or we have to substantially raise the cost per student of providing education in Greenwich. We already have if not the highest this year, then one of the top four or five per-student spending rates in the state, so our issue is not whether we're spending enough.'
He spoke during an annual legislative forum sponsored by the United Way of Greenwich, a nonprofit organization. The 90-minute event featured Lash and Greenwich's representatives in the General Assembly talking about affordable housing, human services, traffic and other topics.
Public schools officials re-sponded to Lash's comments by saying that redistricting is a last resort and that they're working on alternative solutions to problems caused by declining enrollment. A policy is being developed now and should be completed by next September, Board of Education Chairwoman Colleen Giambo and Superintendent of Schools Betty Sternberg said.
'We're certainly on top of and aware of the issue of declining enrollment,' Sternberg said.
Greenwich spends more than $14,000 per year per student, according to Lash. The figure doesn't include taxpayer dollars spent on school construction projects.
Total enrollment at Greenwich elementary schools has been falling since 1999, and is expected to drop by another 127 students --AOEto about 8,827 total children -- in the 2007-08 academic year.
Three of the town's 11 elementary schools --AOEGlenville School, Parkway School and Old Greenwich School --AOEare projected to sink below 70 percent use by next academic year, according to public schools officials. It's projected to continue falling for at least the next decade, according to Greenwich Public Schools' projections.
Under school policy, if an individual school's use falls below 70 percent and 10 percent below the townwide average, officials will consider closing it. Projections show that Parkway School will meet that criteria as early as the 2008-09 academic year............
Wreaths Across America rolls through
Source: Norwalk Advocate
... Yesterday, more than 40 motorcycles, a dozen cars and several police vehicles from Stamford, Darien and Greenwich provided a first-ever escort for the wreaths as they made their way through Fairfield County on a donated tractor-trailer. In ...
Uma Thurman flick shoots at Round Hill
Source: Stamford Advocate
... but they also needed a church to use for the wedding. With Connecticut's rebate in mind, location scouts searched Greenwich to find a church that fit the profile of Emma, who the storyline says grew up in Great Neck, Long Island. Some aspects of the ...
