FROM THE EDITOR

With September come thoughts of the Big Apple. As New Jersey-based freelancer Brett Avery observes in this issue, "While it might seem hectic and unforgiving, New York has rekindled its warmer side." Brett visits three clubs that offer members extraordinary experiences in Midtown Manhattan. He also has a suggestion about how to "wow" a corporate group with a visit with a Broadway producer or cast members, thanks to arrangements through Broadway Inner Circle.

What is not in Brett’s New York story is the breaking news about a ClubCorp affiliation with the James Beard Foundation, which is named in honor of the late "dean of American cooking." Among its many activities, the foundation operates the James Beard House in Greenwich Village, where chefs from around the world are offered a place to "perform." The new agreement will include special pricing and advance notice of these culinary events for members with Signature Gold benefits. Watch for details.

Also in this issue, we travel to North Carolina where The Spa at Pinehurst offers LPGA president Donna Andrews a little help with her golf game — and the assistance doesn’t include swing instruction. It’s an innovative approach to analyzing a golfer’s physical structure and posture as it relates to playing golf. Pinehurst is involved in a variety of research to help golfers improve their games and you’ll hear more about this in coming issues. With this in mind, I was intrigued with the publicity about the Mayo Clinic’s investigation into the yips. I asked Pinehurst’s director of instruction Eric Alpenfels about his approach to dealing with students plagued with this malady that literally causes a golfer to become a nervous wreck trying to sink a one-footer with a couple of bucks on the line. The cases of the yips that Eric has encountered have been categorized as psychological disorders. In his experience, he says, this can be cured by improved technique — a change in mechanics or pre-shot routine, the choice of intermediate targets, and so on. He suggests this fix: Separate (or split) your hands when you take your grip. Eric says this seems to have a positive effect, not only in the short term, but often in the long term. (Let me know if this helps.)

Finally, thanks to Clint Eastwood who made our day when he agreed to be our cover interview subject.

Patricia Baldwin
Editor in Chief