2014 PGA Championship Picks

The first round of the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky is set to start in just a few hours. While there is sure to be much excitement of these next few days, only one can be the winner. Here are our picks on who we think that winner could be:

1) Rory McIlroy: He said in his press conference earlier this week that the PGA Championship is the major that he's done best in. He's also won twice in his last two starts (one which was a major) and is playing hot golf at the moment.

2) Rickie Fowler: Also playing great golf at the moment and had good finishes in his last tournaments including a top-5 finish at the Open Championship.

3) Ian Poulter: We haven't heard too much of him lately, but were hoping he can break through this week and win his first major.

We'll also be keeping an eye out on our favourites Graeme McDowell and Miguel Angel Jimenez, who are also in the field this week.

Stay tuned for our Day 1 recap of the PGA Championship later on today,

-Nick
 Toronto Golf Reviews

Cardinal Golf Club - East Wing Course Review #1

Name: Cardinal Golf Club - East Wing Course
Location: Newmarket, Ontario (~45 minutes north of Toronto)
Type: Public with membership options
Holes: 18 (72 including all Cardinal courses)
Length and Par: 3187-6300 yards / 71
Tees: (Shortest to Longest): Tee Forward, Red, White, Blue
Website: https://cardinalgolfclub.com/rates-season-passes/

"The East Wing course is part of Cardinal’s original 9 holes, although the course has since been redesigned throughout the late 90’s by Kevin Homes. The East Wing is a par 71 and is suitable for all levels of play, providing golfers with an enjoyable variety of terrain changes on the front 9 and mature tree lined fairways where accuracy is a must on the back 9." -www.cardinalgolfclub.com/ 

Course Layout:  
Pace of Play:
Staff:  
Value:
Course Conditions:

Price:
Difficulty: << Based on play from Blue Tees

Overall Rating: 4.9 out of 5

The East Wing Course at Cardinal Golf Club is one of the best all-around courses I've ever played at, accommodating golfers of all skill level, no matter how good or bad. As part of Canada's largest golf facility, you receive access to Cardinal's large clubhouse filled with great dining facilities, a large proshop, as well as a large driving range and mini-putt course. I also found that a low-key relaxed country-club atmosphere is present all over the clubhouse and courses as well as funny/friendly staff, which I find makes my round much more enjoyable.

Before talking about the course, it's worth mentioning how much the course can change depending on which tees you play from. You'll notice that on most holes, the easier tees are placed much further ahead and placed in a  way such that some of the difficulty of the hole is removed. For example, on some of the dogleg holes part of the dogleg will be removed depending the the tee you're playing on, thus making the hole easier as you play easier tees. This is what makes the East Wing course playable for all skill levels.

The East Wing course itself is made up of two distinct set of nines. The front nine primarily focuses on elevation changes, drastic in some cases, and is generally more open and not as grassy around the edges. Simply put, it's easier to find a lost ball on the front nine. The back nine is the complete opposite with most holes featuring tree-lined fairways, large water hazards, and tough rough/grassy areas. This difference between the two nines allows golfers to experience a variety of features of a golf course and hit a variety of shots, all while playing the same golf course. You won't find yourself hitting that same shots over and over; each shot requires thinking and is a good test of your skills, especially from the longer tees. This is not a course that you'll get bored playing time after time.

All of the holes are very scenic as well and laid out very nicely. However, due to the close proximity of some holes, you do get the feeling that a bad shot could end up in another hole's fairway. One hole of note and perhaps the best hole of the course is the 8th hole, a par 5 250-538 yards, that plays as the toughest hole of the course. The hole starts out wide and downhill with a small river at the bottom, then goes uphill, narrowing to a small opening in the trees which gives you a nice target to aim for on your tee shot. Your second shot is a blind shot through this opening; beyond it is a steep downhill, with about 70 yards of unplayable brush and another river running across the brush. At the bottom is a small fairway with a green that is protected by a large lake on the right side. This is one of the hardest holes I've played, but also one of the most fun, at the same time.

Course conditions were generally great most of the time. However I played my last round there before a rainstorm and noticed that some of the fairways on the back nine were flooded. The greens and white bunkers (which were renovated last year) however were dry; the greens actually played fast despite the rain. Pace of play is not usually an issue except probably for peak times such as weekends, as with any other course.

The best part of all is the value and pricing of the course. Prices vary anywhere from $50-$80 for a round and a power cart, depending on the time and day, walking green fees as low as $34. However, Cardinal constantly offers specials so at times the price can be even lower. Considering the quality and course you get to play, this is probably one of the best "bang for you buck" or best valued courses in the GTA.

Overall, I'd go out and say that The East Wing course is probably the best-valued 18-hole course in the GTA at the moment and the perfect course for any golfer of any skill level. I'd recommend it to everyone who swings the sticks.

Have you played East Wing? Comment below and let us know what you thought of it.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

2014 PGA Championship Preview

Golf's last major of the year is set to start in just a couple of days. The iconic PGA Championship will be played at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky this year, a course with just as much notoriety as the PGA Championship itself.

The PGA Championship is hosted by the PGA of America and to the everyday person, might not seem as prestigious as the Masters, or the US Open, or the Open Championship. And that's because it's not like any other major, in fact to some, it's considered the hardest major to win and to me,  I think the most underrated major.

To find out what makes the PGA Championship so different from the other majors we asked, via Twitter (@RickSCOREGolf), Rick Young of SCOREGolf, what he thought made it so different:

As Rick said, the PGA Championship attracts the toughest set of players behind the Players. This, coupled with tough course set-ups by Kerry Haigh (Chief Championships Officer of The PGA of America) results in a tough field for any competitor. Ernie Els even calls it a “PGA Tour event on steroids.”

Valhalla is known for hosting several PGA Championships, Senior PGA Championships, and the 2008 Ryder Cup. It's last PGA Championship was won by none other that Tiger Woods in 2000. Since then, the Jack-Nicklaus designed and PGA of America-owned course has been remodeled twice. As it stands today, it is a par 71/7,458 yards long. A hole of note is the 10th hole, a 590 yard par 5 double-dogleg (right to-left; then left to right), where today hosted a long-drive competition during the practice rounds. For a hole-by-hole look, check out Coast Reporter's article about it.

As with any other major, we'll be having daily coverage of the 2014 PGA Championship starting tomorrow with our picks of win and raise the Wanamaker Trophy come Sunday evening. Stay tuned for those posts!

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

2014 WGC Bridgestone Invitational Picks - Results

The final round of the 2014 WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club has concluded and the winner this year is none other than the Northern Irish star Rory Mcilroy, who rallied against Sergio Garcia to win the tournament by two shots. Rory finished the tournament at 15-under and took advantage of a faltering Garcia; the two were paired together in the final round.

This is his second win in just two weeks, his last of course being the Open Championship, as well as his first WGC win. With this win, he regains his spot as No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings, overtaking Australian Adam Scott.

Garcia struggled today slightly and shot a 1-over 71 during his final round, along with his 61 Earlier this week. To be fair, no one wants to be chased by McIlroy in a tounament

Tiger Woods also withdrew from his final round today due to back pains. He hit an awkward shot out of the bunker on the second hole and shortly after on the ninth hole withdrew.

As for our picks, here is how they finished their rounds:

1) Graeme McDowell: T8 at 7-under (-7)
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez: T45 at 3-over (+3)
3) Adam Scott: T8 at 7-under (-7)

McDowell records another great finish and Scott needed to finish just a few spots higher to hold onto his No. 1 spot.

Stay tuned  next week for our coverage of the year's final major, the PGA Championship,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 McIlroy Wins the 2014 WGC Bridgestone Invitational (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

2014 WGC Bridgestone Invitational Picks - Weekend Update

The weekday rounds have now concluded at the 2014 WGC Bridgestone Invitational at the South Course at Firestone Country Club. The leader going into the weekend is Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia, who shot an impressive 68 61 to stand at 11-under (-11) with a three shot lead over Englishman Justin Rose. And since this is a WGC event, there is no cut this week.

Garcia shot a stunning back nine score of 27 earlier in his round today, which is a new record. He birdied every single hole on the back nine except for No. 11 and made eleven one-putts over his entire round. His spectacular play even impressed playing partner Phil Mickelson, who fist-bumped him after his round.

Weather conditions were not too bad over the two rounds, but there was a lingering threat of precipitation during the end of the last round. Saturday's tee times have also been moved up slightly to take into account possible weather conditions.

As for our picks, here is how they are doing:

1) Graeme McDowell: T36 at 1-over (+1)
2) Miguel Angel Jimenez: T18 at 2-under (-2)
3) Adam Scott: T12 at 3-under (-3)

It always amazing to see Miguel Angel Jimenez near the top of the leaderboard week after week. Truly a remarkable player no doubt.

Tiger Woods is also tied for 25th and 10 shots back

Stay tuned Sunday evening to see who ended up winning the tournament this year,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Is Sergio Garcia's lead good enough for the win? (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)