Scottsdale, AZ (November 14, 2011) – Jim Colton has received the “2011 Walking Golfer of the Year” award for his passionate commitment to the walking game of golf. Members of The Walking Golfers Society chose Jim Colton unanimously after he walked 155 holes at Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club on June 22^nd in order to raise over $110,000 for injured caddie Ben Cox and his family.

“Jim Colton is an inspiration to us all. He turned his passion for walking Ballyneal into a mission to help a caddie who was seriously injured in a ski accident. Walking 155 holes in a single day is an incredible accomplishment that Jim hopes to surpass in 2012,” said Rob Rigg, founder of The Walking Golfers Society. “We are honored that Jim has accepted the award for the 2011 Walking Golfer of the Year and look forward to assisting Jim in promoting his future charitable endeavors that will be tied to walking when you golf.”

“I’m just a guy who really loves the game of golf and discovered a way to use that passion to impact one family’s life for the better,” said Colton after receiving the award. “That, in and of itself, has been prize enough. To win the 2011 Walking Golfer of the Year is the icing on the cake to an unforgettable year. Thank you to The Walking Golfers Society for this tremendous honor.”

Jim Colton received The 2011 Walking Golfer of the Year Award from Rob Rigg and Todd Rohrer on behalf of The Walking Golfers Society

In 2012, Mr. Colton, who resides in Chicago, IL and is the author of the popular golf blog, wegoblogger31.com, plans to launch a charitable organization called “One Divot” that aims to “help change the world for the better one divot at a time.” The cornerstone event for the new charity will be the Hundred Hole Hike, in which golfers around the world will aim to play at least 100 holes on the same day to raise money for local charities.

Mr. Colton is the first individual to win “The Walking Golfer of the Year.” In 2009, the award was presented to Mike Keiser on behalf of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and in 2010 the award went to The Evans Scholars Foundation sponsored by the Western Golf Association.

Jim reached the Pacific Ocean and realized there was nowhere else he could carry his bag in 2011

A leather plaque, created by Oregon craftsman Larry Eisenbach of Raygun Digital Artistry, and a MacKenzie Walker leather golf bag, crafted by The MacKenzie Golf Bag Company, were presented to Jim Colton at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort of October 30th. Rigg, who also is president of TRUE linkswear, and Todd Rohrer, president of The MacKenzie Golf Bag Company, represented The Walking Golfers Society and presented the awards to Colton.

The Walking Golfers Society was founded in early 2009, along with TheWalkingGolfer.com, to promote the many benefits of walking when you golf. The Society has over 750 members across the U.S. and around the world. There is no membership fee to join The Walking Golfers Society, just a passion for enjoying golf as a walking game. For more information, please visit www.thewalkinggolfer.com.

TRUE linkswear is an innovative golf footwear company that recently introduced a “barefoot” golf shoe that is comfortable, lightweight and worn on the PGA Tour by Ryan Moore. More information can be found at www.truelinkswear.com.

The MacKenzie Golf Bag Company was founded in 1985. Its leather golf bags are carried by thousands of passionate walking golfers around the world and each one is constructed by hand at a shop in Portland, Ore. More information can be found at www.themackenziegolfbagcompany.com.

Contacts:
Rob Rigg
The Walking Golfers Society, TRUE linkswear
rob.rigg@thewalkinggolfer.com

Todd Rohrer
MacKenzie Golf Bags
todd@themackenziegolfbagcompany.com

PORTLAND, Ore. (January 18, 2011) – The Evans Scholars Foundation, sponsored by the Western Golf Association, has received the “2010 Walking Golfer of the Year” award for its passionate commitment to the walking game of golf. Members of The Walking Golfers Society chose The Evans Scholars from a list of worthy candidates.

“The Evans Scholars Foundation exemplifies the positive impact that the great walking game of golf can have on society by providing full four-year scholarships to young motivated high school senior caddies with stellar academic records who would not be able to attend college without financial support,” said Rob Rigg, founder of The Walking Golfers Society. “We are honored that they have accepted the award for the 2010 Walking Golfer of the Year and thank them for encouraging our next generation of leaders to embrace golf as a walking game.”

The Western Golf Association was formed in 1899 to promote golf in what then was considered the western region of the United States. In 1929, famed golfer Chick Evans Jr., asked the WGA to administer the fund he had established some years earlier to send deserving caddies to college. He could think of no finer organization to entrust his legacy and grow his vision. In 1930, the WGA awarded its first two scholarships to caddies Harold Fink and Jim McGinnis. The WGA currently awards more than 200 full tuition and housing awards annually, with 850 Evans Scholars enrolled at 18 universities. An estimated 100,000 golfers contribute each year in Chick’s honor to the Evans Scholars Program to help the WGA meet annual tuition and housing costs that exceed $11 million.

“We truly appreciate receiving this honor from The Walking Golfers Society,” said WGA President & CEO John Kaczkowski. “We believe golf is best enjoyed as a walking game. Supporting our mission to help send young caddies to college is one way the greater golf community helps to preserve the tradition and value of walking.”

(L to R) Todd Rohrer - MacKenzie Golf Bags, Jeff Harrison - WGA/Evans Scholars, John Kaczkowski - WGA/Evans Scholars, Rob Rigg - The Walking Golfers Society/TRUE linkswear

A leather plaque, created by Oregon craftsman Larry Eisenbach of Ray-Gun Imagery, and a MacKenzie Walker leather golf bag, crafted by The MacKenzie Golf Bag Company, were presented to the WGA during an Evans Scholars Selection Committee meeting at North Shore Country Club in Glenview, Ill., on Jan. 15. Rigg, who also is president of TRUE linkswear, and Todd Rohrer, president of The MacKenzie Golf Bag Company, represented The Walking Golfers Society and presented the awards. Jeff Harrison, Vice President of Education for the WGA and Evans Scholars Foundation, joined Kaczkowski in accepting on behalf of their members.

The Award and Golf Bag are proudly displayed in the lobby of WGA headquarters

The Walking Golfers Society was founded in early 2009, along with TheWalkingGolfer.com, to promote the many benefits of walking when you golf. The Society has over 500 hundred members across the U.S. and around the world. There is no membership fee to join The Walking Golfers Society, just a passion for enjoying golf as a walking game. For more information, please visit www.thewalkinggolfer.com.

TRUE linkswear is an innovative golf footwear company that recently introduced a “barefoot” golf shoe that is comfortable, lightweight and worn on the PGA Tour by Ryan Moore. More information can be found at www.truelinkswear.com .

The MacKenzie Golf Bag Company was founded in 1985. Its leather golf bags are carried by thousands of passionate walking golfers around the world and each one is constructed by hand at a shop in Portland, Ore. More information can be found at www.themackenziegolfbagcompany.com.

Contacts:
Rob Rigg
The Walking Golfers Society, TRUE linkswear
rob.rigg@thewalkinggolfer.com

Todd Rohrer
MacKenzie Golf Bags
todd@themackenziegolfbagcompany.com

The Society has had a really big year with hundreds and hundreds of walkers joining our ranks.

Our goal in 2011 is to begin hosting events around the country that bring our membership together for memorable walks as we partake in the game as the Scots intended.

We are also looking into initiatives to help spread the word on the many benefits of walking.

Congrats again to The Evans Scholars sponsored by the WGA for winning the 2010 Walking Golfer of the Year Award as voted on by the Society membership.

When we travel to play golf, we play golf. On this trip it amounted to 15 rounds in 8 days – epic! We started the journey by driving from Heathrow Airport to play Southerndown, then Tenby, Pennard, Machynys Peninsula, Royal Porthcawl, Porthmadog, Nefyn, Pwllheli, Royal St. David’s, Aberdovey, Royal Lytham and St.Annes, Royal Liverpool, North Wales, Conwy and The Grove before heading back to Heathrow and home.

I walk the course most every time I play golf unless it is not permitted.

On this trip I wore a pedometer each day while we were golfing in order to track how much walking the trip would entail. We figured that each step is about a yard, so the total for the trip was just shy of 125 miles! Now if we had hit the ball a bit straighter the distance could have been less.

Wales has some wonderful courses, so I will highlight a few and include some pictures.

Southerndown -

While not a true links course, Southerndown is a challenging, fun golf course up and down hills with links style hazards including gorse and even sheep! Overall Southerndown is a very good test of your game.

Here is the approach to the second hole.

Approach to the 2nd at Southerndown

Spectators at Southerndown.

Spectators on the course at Southerndown

We traveled to Tenby the following day.

This is a picture of the par four 3rd hole.

Approach shot at Tenby

The downhill Par 3 17^th at Tenby.

17th at Tenby

The afternoon took us to Pennard, “The Links in the Sky”. Pennard is an incredible golf course that inspires you to play it over and over again. After a short introduction from Mike the Pro we were off to take on the tumbling fairways and interesting green complexes.

The challenging 7^th green at Pennard.

7th Green at Pennard

A walk down a fairway at Pennard.

An inspiring walk down the fairway at Pennard

The next day we started at Machynys Peninsula, a Jack Nicklaus design, which is a likable course but we both decided it was similar to any resort golf course you could play in the U.S.

Next stop on the agenda – Royal Porthcawl.

Royal Porthcawl is a true links course and should not to be missed on a trip to Wales. The course has some very tough par threes, firm ground and windy conditions which made it one of the most memorable rounds of the trip.

Second shot on an uphill par five.

The magical links at Royal Porthcawl

One of the well guarded one shotters.

A well guarded green at Royal Porthcawl

The next day we arrived at Porthmadog before the course opened, but were allowed to play at the blessing of the green keeper. Porthmadog has rather bland opening holes followed by a stretch of fun holes in the dunes which lead to several mediocre parkland holes to finish.

The sporty 12^th hole at Porthmadog, par 4 –358 yards.

The 12th at Porthmadog

From Porthmadog we traveled to Nefyn and District Golf Club which is a course that gets mixed reviews. While not the strongest test of golf the views are spectacular. Here are a couple sample holes.

Tee shot from the second hole at Nefyn.

Tee shot on #2 at Nefyn

Tee shot on the 13^th hole at Nefyn.

Tee shot on #13 at Nefyn

The 13^th green at Nefyn.

13th Green at Nefyn

From Nefyn we decided we had not played enough so we headed to Pwllheli Golf Club for a third round of the day. The course is another mix of parkland holes at the start and finish and fun true links golf in the middle.

Next up after a good nights sleep is Royal St. David’s or Harlech.

This is another very good course with holes that meander through heath and dunes. Unfortunately there are not more holes in the spectacular dunes that border the golf course.

The inspiring landscape at Royal St. David's

A trip down the road a ways brings us to Aberdovey a links course that plays true to the style with wind, rain and firm conditions.

Chipping up to the par three 12^th at Aberdovey.

Chipping on the 12th at Aberdovey

Since we were “in the area” we had to check out two of the Open Championship courses in Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham and St. Annes. These were two highlights of the trip. Lytham will be hosting the Open Championship in 2012 and I look forward to watching the tournament. The course is very difficult, well bunkered and makes you think on every shot.

Blasting out of a fairway bunker at Lytham.

Blasting out at Royal Lytham and St. Anne's

A par 3 at Lytham.

One shotter at Lytham

Coming home on the 18^th at Lytham with the clubhouse as the backdrop.

The home hole at Lytham

The first hole and historic clubhouse at Royal Liverpool.

Clubhouse at Hoylake

The second green and a sample of the green complexes that await the golfer at Royal Liverpool.

Second Green at Hoylake

We returned to Wales to play North Wales Golf Club and Conwy. Conwy serves as an Open qualifier course. Then it was off to London with tired feet for one last round before heading home. We decided to play The Grove, a resort course outside London that hosted the 2006 American Express Championship won by Tiger Woods at –26. Though we prefer the links courses this is a superb layout and in perfect condition.

Looking back from greenside on the 5^th hole at The Grove.

5th at The Grove

The green on the 13^th at The Grove.

13th at The Grove

We walked 214,397 steps through 15 courses in Wales and England and not a golf cart in sight. Golf as it was meant to be.

Tom Bielanski – A walking golfer.

Our company is called TRUE linkswear and Ryan Moore is wearing our shoes on the PGA Tour.

Please visit www.truelinkswear.com for more information.

http://www.chapeaunoirgolf.com/chapeaunoirblog/2010/5/2/the-bag-for-the-stylish-walking-golfer.html

Lorne Rubenstein is the voice of golf in Canada and I have enjoyed reading his books and articles for a long time.

Please check out his article if you get a sec – it’s a great read.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/golf/the-clubhouse/why-dont-more-golfers-walk/article1551795/

O yeah, the link to TWG towards the bottom is really cool – Thanks Lorne!

http://www.thewalkinggolfer.com/60-at-60-completed.html

TWG is heading to Maui for a week – at this point The Plantation Course at Kapalua is the only confirmed walk that I have planned. Yes, I did write “walk” and “Plantation Course” in the same sentence. I will be accompanied by a caddie and hopefully he (or she) does not mind carrying my MacKenzie Walker and 9 clubs! The camera has been commanded to take some great shots if the weather cooperates.

I give Kapalua a lot of credit for letting golfers CHOOSE to walk or ride on their courses.

Most of the other tracks on Maui, as far as I can tell, are “cart golf” so those will be avoided. I have heard that The Experience at Koele (Ted Robinson/Greg Norman) and The Challenge at Manele (Nicklaus) are worth the trip to Lanai so the wife and I might head over there. Both of those courses are walkable and The Challenge has several holes running along the Pacific so it might be worth a visit – even if the scenery is better than the golf (I hope not).

For the rest of the week it will be beach and beverage time while watching the whales breach just off the shore – Maui is a spectacular place. Feel free to email – I’ll have the iPhone.

Mahalo

BDGR was announced as the award winner about a month ago, click here for the press release.

Mike Keiser, a visionary who has created one of the premier golf destinations in the world, accepted the award on behalf of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

From L to R: Todd Rohrer (The MacKenzie Golf Bag Company), Mike Keiser (Bandon Dunes Golf Resort), Jeff Brinegar (PGA Head Professional at Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald), Rob Rigg (The Walking Golfers Society). Photo by Wood Sabold. www.woodsabold.com

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, which is without a doubt the walking golf capital of North America, is a special place on many levels. It boasts three, soon to be four, of the best golf courses in the world and all of them are walking only. The positive energy and passion for playing “golf as it was meant to be” hums through the Resort. From the head professionals and the caddies, to the waitresses and shuttle drivers – it is clear that Bandon Dunes is a source of immense pride for everyone associated with the Resort.

The four spectacular venues at Bandon should not be missed if you are a passionate walking golfer.

Photo by Wood Sabold. www.woodsabold.com

The award presented to Mr. Keiser was designed by Larry Eisenbach of Ray-Gun Digital Artistry, based in Hillsboro, OR. The plaque is a steel plate, with bonded bridle leather covering the top two thirds.  Words and images have been laser etched onto the steel and leather.

Josh Smith’s painting of the 11th at Pacific Dunes is depicted at the bottom of the plaque and it sums up in a single image the main reason that the Resort won the award. It is a place where you will truly enjoy the walk – over and over again.

The Walking Golfers Society and The MacKenzie Golf Bag Company are very grateful for Larry and Josh’s help in making the award a one of a kind work of art.

The 2009 Walking Golfer of Year Award - A Laser-etched Steel and Leather Plaque created by Larry Eisenbach. Photo by Wood Sabold. www.woodsabold.com

Todd Rohrer and the talented team at The MacKenzie Golf Bag Company created a Sunday Bag to commemorate the award.

The logos for each course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort are stitched onto the ball pocket and “The 2009 Walking Golfer of the Year” has been written in script along the barrel.

The 2009 Walking Golfer of the Year MacKenzie Golf Bag with Resort Logos. Photo by Wood Sabold. www.woodsabold.com

Mr. Keiser, in addition to receiving the plaque and golf bag which will remain at the Resort, was presented with a Custom 8620 Wedge from Scratch Golf and a Fairway Wood Headcover from MacKenzie. We hope these mementos remind him of the award with a sense of pride.

Todd and I would like to thank Mr. Keiser, Todd Kloster, Jeff Brinegar, and the entire staff at Bandon Dunes for making us feel like a part of the Bandon Dunes family from the moment we stepped onto the property.

It was an honor to present the Resort with “The 2009 Walking Golfer of the Year” on behalf of our Society members.

We had a wonderful few days and were fortunate to play some “dream golf” as well!

Here is a great image from Wood Sabold:

11th Hole at Pacific Dunes. Photo by Wood Sabold. www.woodsabold.com

Read on for some photos and commentary about an epic mid-February trip to Bandon Dunes.

Rob and Todd on the 3rd Tee at Pacific Dunes

The weather for the trip was incredible, starting with our Tuesday afternoon round at Bandon Dunes. The hi-lite for me was draining a 55 foot putt on the majestic 4th hole for par, while Todd managed to shoot even par on the back nine which is pretty amazing considering it was his first round of the year!

Not that we were keeping track of score . . . no really, we didn’t.

It was all about enjoying the walk.

Rob enjoying the sun on the 6th Green at Bandon Dunes

After the award ceremony on Wednesday, Todd and I had a chance to play Bandon Trails which is a fantastic challenge.

My most enjoyable golfing memory of the trip was hitting driver off the tee on the two shot 4th, followed by an 80 yard putter from the fairway and then a 2 foot tap in for birdie. I think that Grant Rogers, the long time Director of Instruction at Bandon and a “yoda of the links”, would have approved.

Todd striding up the fairway on the 6th at Bandon Trails

Few things in golf are better than walking Pacific Dunes and we were fortunate to be the first group off in the morning. It was a bluebird day for 4.5 holes, before the fog rolled in.

Todd taking a rip on the 3rd Tee at Pacific Dunes

Ironically, neither Todd nor I lost a ball while playing through the mist that created a very “Golf in the Kingdom” atmosphere. Just aim off into the fog and take a nice smooth swing.

Rob walking into the soup on the 8th at Pacific Dunes

Todd’s bunker shot to a few feet on the 11th at Pacific should have been good enough to halve the hole, but I was fortunate to drop a ten footer for birdie to take the honor on the next tee. What a fun game this is.

Todd blasting out on the 11th at Pacific Dunes

A final photo to sum up an incredible trip to the Oregon Coast . . .

13th Hole at Pacific Dunes with The Sheep Ranch in the distance

and Josh Smith’s painting of the 11th at Pacific Dunes for good measure. Just brilliant.

The 11th Hole at Pacific Dunes - Painting by Josh Smith. www.joshsmithart.com