Barney Adams used to sell his custom clubs out of Hank Haney's Golf Ranch in
About a decade later, Plano-based Adams Golf has 16 staff pros, the leading hybrid club on three tours combined, and sixth-best market share in iron sales. Haney's empire includes the industry's biggest giant, Tiger Woods.
Adams and Haney are two examples of the
D-FW is steeped in history and overflows with quality courses, Tour players, teachers, agents, trainers, course designers and turf experts. Retailers continue to multiply, satisfying our high- tech needs regardless of the economy.
Talented juniors hone their swings with instructors from the nation's largest pool of PGA professionals. Well-run junior tournaments flourish on three tours.
Almost every week, it seems a local pro or amateur is contending for a trophy somewhere.
Connect the dots
Nowhere else do neighboring cities rival the golf-rich tradition of
To understand the impact our area has on golf, you need only connect the dots.
In
The $10 million center sits a football field away from Leonard Golf Links, a driving range owned by Marty Leonard. Her father, Marvin Leonard, founded Colonial Country Club. The storied course along the
Another Leonard, Justin, is not related, although you might think so as he's never missed a Colonial cut in his 11-win career.
A talented shotmaker like Hogan, Leonard played Hogan clubs until the Ben Hogan Company was sold. Leonard can now be found launching shots on test monitors outside Stites' office.
Rory Sabbatini, a South African who lives in Southlake, was using Nike clubs when he won last year's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. But he will wear an Adams Golf cap when he defends his title in May.
D.A. Weibring, another member of
That's where
Nelson, who developed his game working as a caddie with Hogan, befriended the teenaged Verplank, taking him to play at Northwood Club, site of the 1951 U.S. Open.
Verplank won the U.S. Amateur in 1984. Leonard won the national championship in 1992.
The Four Seasons is also Trip Kuehne's home course. Kuehne never turned pro after losing to Woods in the U.S. Amateur final two years after Leonard's victory.
But last year, Kuehne won the U.S. Mid Amateur, the U.S. State team title with Terrence Miskell, and played on the winning U.S. Walker Cup team.
Kuehne's brother, Hank, won the 1998 U.S. Amateur, and sister Kelli captured U.S. Women's Amateur titles in 1995 and '96.
As youngsters, the Kuehnes were taught by Haney at Stonebridge Ranch in
Major champions
Legends Nelson, Hogan and Ralph Guldahl won majors in the 1940s and '50s, followed by Don January and Lee Trevino, and then Leonard at the 1997 British Open.
Each generation has passed the torch, helping grow the game by encouraging young players.
Nelson remained an ambassador until his death in 2006. January still donates to the Junior Foundation of the Northern Texas PGA. And Leonard has been an NTPGA spokesman for 12 years.
Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth, the LPGA's career leader in wins, has been a major supporter of amateur golf.
The NTPGA boasts the largest regional office under the PGA of America umbrella. The organization includes 750 club pros, 2,750 juniors and 250 senior associates.
The NTPGA runs 250 junior tournaments a year, and has infiltrated 150 schools.
The Northern Texas PGA, Texas Golf Association and Legends Junior Tour provide competitive and developmental programs for amateurs of all ages.
"The PGA Tour players have been extremely helpful with their time and effort," said Darrell Crall, executive director of the NTPGA. "All the guys who live in the area support us in some way. Being validated by a star means a lot to a young player."
'A giant'
Dallas-Fort Worth was fourth in a recent ranking of Best Golf Cities in
The magazine listed D-FW's median green fee at $38, noting that "
There are about 135 courses and 37 driving ranges in and around
At the PGA Merchandise Show on Jan. 17-19 in
Everything from high-performance shafts at United Sports Technologies in
Long Drivers of America is based in
Need sand for bunkers or gravel for construction or maintenance? Try Neese Materials in
Major retailers Golfsmith, Edwin Watts and Golf Galaxy have multiple locations. And two PGA Tour Superstores opened last year in
A place for the pros
In terms of Tour players, D-FW probably has the second most of any metropolitan area, behind only
Pros have settled here because of the central location, international airport, relatively calm weather and lack of state taxes.
The Vaquero Club in
No telling who might be on the range at Royal Oaks in
Corey Pavin, B.J. Staten and Kris Cox are based in
Australians Rod Pampling and John Senden are neighbors in Flower Mound, Aussie Nathan Green lives in
Top teachers
If you want to find a top-100 national teacher, you don't have to travel far.
Haney has three facilities with a strong stable of instructors. Randy Smith of Royal Oaks, who recently reunited with Leonard, works with Frazar and Colt Knost.
Smith, Northwood's Bob Elliott and Bent Tree's David Price have made huge contributions locally and nationally.
Price has been one of the PGA's top rules officials since 1987. He has made important rulings in Masters, PGA Championships and Ryder Cups.
Smith and Elliott began raising money for junior golf more than 25 years ago. Smith's 24-hour marathons and other programs have raised about $1 million for the NTPGA Junior Golf Scholarship Fund.
More in store?
Back when
An infomercial for his Tight Lies fairway metals pushed sales to $36.7 million in 1997, and then overall sales reached $84.6 million the next year.
"It took me 11 years to become an overnight success,"
Woods has won five of the last 16 majors, leading many to believe he could win the Grand Slam this season. Considering Haney lives in
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