{"id":692,"date":"2012-12-24T07:24:17","date_gmt":"2012-12-24T12:24:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tomharack.com\/?p=692"},"modified":"2013-01-03T16:37:21","modified_gmt":"2013-01-03T21:37:21","slug":"birds-eye-perspective-kicks-off-perfect-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/golf\/instruction\/692\/birds-eye-perspective-kicks-off-perfect-day","title":{"rendered":"Bird\u2019s-Eye Perspective Kicks Off Perfect Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\"\"<\/a>\n

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Every day should be like our last one in Scottsdale.<\/p>\n

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We left the lobby of the Westin Kierland<\/a> just prior to dawn and, after a half-hour drive, arrived at a somewhat secluded spot in the Sonoran Desert. \u201cSomewhat\u201d because it was in fact proximate to a major thoroughfare, although one devoid of development; and because it was the staging area for a dozen or so hot air balloon flights.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>

A hot-air balloon ride offers a singular vantage of the desert ecosystem, and in the hands of a capable captain, the balloons are remarkably maneuverable. This shot was taken as we hovered just feet from the desert floor.<\/p><\/div>\n

Ours was run by an outfit called Hot Air Expeditions, Inc.<\/a>, but there seemed to be a kind of ballooning fraternity \u2013 not unlike our foursome, in a sense \u2013 of collegial competitor companies. Our captain, Patrick, combined technical know-how with a likeable running stand-up comedy routine designed to quell any acrophobic anxieties among the nine passengers.<\/p>\n

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It worked, at least as far as this writer, mildly fearful of heights, was concerned. And the flight provided a mesmerizing perspective on a larger-than-life ecosystem. There\u2019s even a small breakfast-celebration champagne toast \u2013 a century-old ballooning tradition, apparently \u2013 following your return to earth.<\/p>\n

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We didn\u2019t have time to relax, though, as we were running late for the Scottish Golf Experience back at the Westin: 18 holes in a rented kilt, belt, leather sporran (the reverse fanny pack), socks and garter-like \u201cflashes.\u201d Oh, yeah, and we got around the Ironwood and Acacia nines on Segways, at least some of the time.<\/p>\n

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Designed by Scott Miller, the three sides are a good meld of the pure desert target model and a lusher look more familiar to resort players. Dry desert washes abut lakes and the 27 holes (the third nine is called Mesquite) have 300 bunkers scattered amid scrupulously maintained turf.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNew Age\u201d and \u201cgolf\u201d don\u2019t often appear in the same paragraph, but Westin Kierland\u2019s approach to their golf program is as \u201cholistic\u201d as we\u2019ve seen. Not only is there traditional golf instruction, the resort has its own Cool Clubs satellite facility for clubfitting, as well as the FORE-MAX golf fitness studio under the direction of guru Steve Heller.<\/p>\n

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We also liked the idea behind their \u201cTee Master.\u201d He\u2019s a PGA pro named David Fisher who circulates among players warming up on the range. When asked by Fisher if there\u2019s anything they need prior to tee time, \u201ca swing\u201d is almost invariably the response. Fisher then checks their mechanics and suggests a quick fix \u2013 a swing thought for the day. The interaction also gives Fisher a chance to cover any special conditions relating to pace of play, course features, and so forth.<\/p>\n

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Some experiments are more successful than others. We surmised that they may nix the Segway concept, probably on advice of counsel. But even the Scottish thing \u2013 based principally on the area\u2019s connection to the immigrant population that built it \u2013 comes off as winsome, even as playing golf in the desert in woolen kilts initially seems silly.<\/p>\n

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#\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 #\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 #<\/p>\n

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  Every day should be like our last one in Scottsdale.   We left the lobby of the Westin Kierland… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":693,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[90615,676017,1387,112266,5,676019,9,3992,3729,676021,3913,676022,39217,676023,294737,676024,676014,676025,676015,676026,17],"tags":[115,6306,711839,712109],"class_list":["post-692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antigua","category-cool-clubs","category-partner","category-jim-mclean-golf-school","category-instruction","category-phoenician-gc","category-golf","category-the-phoenician","category-golf-travel","category-talking-stick-gc","category-scottsdale-cvb","category-talking-stick-resort","category-golf-road-warriors","category-raven-phoenix-gc","category-venues","category-sunridge-canyon-gc","category-grw-scottsdale-2012","category-westin-kierland-resort-amp-spa","category-venues-scottsdale","category-kierland-gc","category-courses-and-travel","tag-scottsdale","tag-westin-kierland","tag-hot-air-expeditions","tag-sonoran-desert"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2012\/12\/Scottsdale.balloon.122212.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=692"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":696,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692\/revisions\/696"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/tomharack\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}