a chance to test their precision as golfers, for the
3,000-yard layout is all about accuracy and putting
drives and approach shots in just the right places.
Golfers will also find a very enjoyable pair of
courses to play in the Italian-speaking canton of
Ticino, which is the southern-most region of Switzerland. Neither has the dramatic vistas of Crans-sur-Sierre nor the overall deftness of a design that
is good enough to attract a European Tour event.
But they provide panoramas that are as easy on
the eyes as well as a number of well-crafted holes.
The finest of those layouts is found at Golf Club
Lugano. A semi-private retreat built on 80 acres
just outside that Swiss city of 40,000 in the heart
of the country’s temperate lake region, it feels as
much like an arboretum as a golf retreat, with its
stands of palms and birches, ginkgoes and cedars.
Rows of luscious merlot grapes running up and
down fields that border the layout remind golfers
that the Swiss can make some tasty wine here
as well, and the sound of the Magliasina River
snaking through the middle of the course, which
was built in 1923 and remodeled a decade ago
by former Robert Trent Jones associate Cabell
Robinson, provides a soothing sense to a round.
So do the vistas of the gentle alpine foothills,
all of which are dotted with villages that consist
mostly of stone buildings with red-tile roofs. One
day on the course, I discovered a stone shrine
Golf Club Patriziale in Ascona opened in 1928
and was re-designed by famed British architects Colt and Alison in 1932.
the size and shape of a house window. Called a
“capella” and located just off the club grounds,
it stood about six feet high and had a weathered
fresco of the Madonna painted on the front. And
the first time I walked up the 12th hole on the par-
71, 6,200-yard layout, I came across an ancient
Roman wall bisecting the hole. The club pro said
forces occupying the area more than 2,000 years
ago had built it.
An equally enchanting option about an hour’s
drive away is Golf Club Patriziale in Ascona, a
small town of 5,000 residents famed for its annual
music festival and set on Lake Maggiore near the
Italian border. Palm trees flourish along its quiet
streets, and outdoor cafes fairly bustle with locals
drinking coffee laced with grappa, also known as
café correttos. Originally, a nine-hole course, Golf
Club Patriziale opened just after Lugano, in 1928.
The great British architects Colt and Alison redid
the layout in 1932, and nine more holes were added
in 1957. The end result is a testy course that lies
hard on the lake and evokes that wonderful sense
of playing in a park.
Like Crans-sur-Sierre and Lugano, Ascona is
as much about the ethos of the setting as it is the
score on the card. They combine with a number
of other first-rate layouts to make golf another
of Switzerland’s secrets – and one the country is
only too happy to share. l
FOR MORE INFO MYSWITZERLAND. COM
Sunday, August 29
marked the end of one of the busiest
weeks in the global game of golf. A new
U.S. Amateur champion was crowned
on an exciting new course, Michelle Wie
won the second tournament of her pro
career and Edoardo Molinari played
one of the rounds of the year when he
birdied the final three holes to win the
Johnnie Walker Championship on the
European Tour and gain a spot on Colin
Montgomerie's Ryder Cup team.
GlobalGolf Post captured all
of that and more in our three regional
editions. And we delivered the news to a
worldwide audience of serious golfers
within hours of the final putts being holed.
To The Victors
Go The Spoils
Italy’s Edoardo Molinari birdied the last
three holes on the Euro Tour in Scotland
Sunday to win a wheelbarrow full of pounds
sterling. But his real reward was a berth on
the Ryder Cup squad of Colin Montgomerie,
who swiftly made him a Captain’s pick and
announced his playing partner would be
Edoardo’s brother, Francesco.
Americans beware: Here come the Flying
Molinari Brothers.
Meanwhile, Michelle Wie ripped off three
straight birdies of her own in Canada to
capture her second LPGA victory. Her takeaway? A respite from the critics who insist
she is an overhyped underachiever.
Matt Kuchar moved to the head of the
FedEx Cup class in overtime at The Barclays
in New Jersey and collected 1.35 million U.S.
But maybe the biggest winner of all
Sunday was American Peter Uihlein, who
outlasted all comers at the U.S. Amateur on
a reclaimed gravel pit called Chambers Bay.
Uihlein prevailed in the final and hauled in
about as much legal golf swag as an amateur can. For starters, this was the kind of
cool 21st birthday present an Oklahoma
State Cowboy golfer can only dream about.
Then there are the exemptions into the 2011
Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship.
Uihlein won 4 and 2. Five years ago, the
U.S. Amateur final ended 4 and 3. That day
at Merion the winner’s name was ... Edoardo
Molinari. Thirteen years ago, the score in
the final was 2 and 1. That day at Cog Hill
the U.S. Amateur winner’s name was ...
Matt Kuchar.
FootJoy Introduces
Layered Look ( 6)
Kuchar Wins
Barclays Playoff ( 11)
Wie Dusts Field
In Canada ( 16)
GEAR WOMEN’SPRO MEN’SPRO AMATEUR JUNIOR GATEWAY
VOLUME1ISSUE13 AUG.30,2010 1
To The Victors
Go The Spoils
Italy’s Edoardo Molinari birdied the last
three holes on the Euro Tour in Scotland
Sunday to win a wheelbarrow full of pounds
sterling. But his real reward was a berth on
the Ryder Cup squad of Colin Montgomerie,
who swiftly made him a Captain’s pick and
announced his playing partner would be
Edoardo’s brother, Francesco.
Americans beware: Here come the Flying
Molinari Brothers.
Meanwhile, Michelle Wie ripped off three
straight birdies of her own in Canada to
capture her second LPGA victory. Her takeaway? A respite from the critics who insist
she is an overhyped underachiever.
Matt Kuchar moved to the head of the
FedEx Cup class in overtime at The Barclays
in New Jersey and collected 1.35 million U.S.
But maybe the biggest winner of all
Sunday was American Peter Uihlein, who
outlasted all comers at the U.S. Amateur on
a reclaimed gravel pit called Chambers Bay.
Uihlein prevailed in the final and hauled in
about as much legal golf swag as an amateur can. For starters, this was the kind of
cool 21st birthday present an Oklahoma
State Cowboy golfer can only dream about.
Then there are the exemptions into the 2011
Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship.
Uihlein won 4 and 2. Five years ago, the
U.S. Amateur final ended 4 and 3. That day
at Merion the winner’s name was ... Edoardo
Molinari. Thirteen years ago, the score in
the final was 2 and 1. That day at Cog Hill
the U.S. Amateur winner’s name was ...
Matt Kuchar.
Brian Hewitt
Michelle Wie
D CANADA EDITION
CANADIAN EDITION PRESENTED BY
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Cobra Debuts S2, ZL Drivers ( 7)
Rubenstein: Kane Still Tops ( 10)
Kuchar Wins Barclays Playoff ( 14)
VOLUME1ISSUE21 AUG.30,20101GEAR
GEAR MEN’SPRO WOMEN’SPRO AMATEUR JUNIOR GATEWAY In. To The Victors Go The Spoils Italy’sEdoardoMolinaribirdiedthelast hreeholesontheEuroTourinScotland Sundaytowinawheelbarrowfullofpounds terling.Buthisrealrewardwasaberthon theRyderCupsquadofColinMontgomerie, whoswiftlymadehimaCaptain’spickand announcedhisplayingpartnerwouldbe Edoardo’sbrother,Francesco. Americansbeware:HerecometheFlying MolinariBrothers.Meanwhile,MichelleWierippedoffthree straightbirdiesofherowninCanadato capturehersecondLPGAvictory.Hertake- away?Arespitefromthecriticswhoinsist sheisanoverhypedunderachiever. MattKucharmovedtotheheadofthe FedExCupclassinovertimeatTheBarclays inNewJerseyandcollected1.35millionU.S. Butmaybethebiggestwinnerofall SundaywasAmericanPeterUihlein,who utlastedallcomersattheU.S.Amateuron areclaimedgravelpitcalledChambersBay. Uihleinprevailedinthefinalandhauledin aboutasmuchlegalgolfswagasanama- teurcan.Forstarters,thiswasthekindof cool21stbirthdaypresentanOklahoma StateCowboygolfercanonlydreamabout. Thentherearetheexemptionsintothe2011 Masters,U.S.OpenandOpenChampionship. Uihleinwon4and2.Fiveyearsago,the U.S.Amateurfinalended4and3.Thatday atMerionthewinner’snamewas...Edoardo Molinari.Thirteenyearsago,thescorein thefinalwas2and1.ThatdayatCogHill theU.S.Amateurwinner’snamewas... MattKuchar. BrianHewitt Cobra’s S2, ZL Drivers( 7) Lewine Mair On Monty’s Picks( 10) Michelle Wie Wins In Canada ( 17) EdoardoMolinari JustinRose(left) andPaulCasey UNITEDKINGDOM/IRELANDEDITIONPRESENTEDBY Out.
