Author: kris

When you play a golf course, how much do you really take in? Most players will focus on the course design and layout without giving much thought to how the entire property is laid out. Most local courses have been swallowed up and surrounded by developments that were never part of the original project. 

That’s where Augustin Pizá comes in.

“There’s a big difference between a course designer and a golf course architect,” said Pizá. “Anyone with a passion for golf can design a golf course, an architect will create a master plan that takes in the entire project and ties it all together.”

Pizá Golf, already recognized as a world-class architecture and golf course design firm, has now seen their founder named one of the top 100 most creative Mexicans in the world by Forbes Magazine. He has also been named one of the Nine Most Innovative People in Golf by Golf, Inc. Based on his body of work, these and other awards are well deserved.

“There are plenty of golf course designers, they’re honestly all over the world,” said Pizá. “Golf course architects, however, are more rare. I’m definitely the only one in Latin America with a Masters in Golf Course Architecture, and memberships in the European Institute of Golf Course Architects and American Society of Golf Course Architects.”

The edge that gives Pizá and his team is full control of a project from start to finish. That means he’s thinking about the balance between art and science in a project. That science includes studies of agronomy, irrigation, architecture, and technique. That science is mixed with the principles of art including balance, rhythm proportion, and melody.

“There’s no such thing as an ugly golf course. Every golf course is beautiful. You’re out there in the park, you’re walking, you’re listening to the birds and you’re playing the sport that we love. But there is such a thing as a bad design and bad maintenance.”

For Pizá and his team, choosing a project involves considering several things: sustainability, social impacts, economics, and ecology. Pizá said that regardless of the size of the project – resort, championship, or municipal course – he takes those things into consideration each and every time.

“In today’s world, a golf facility needs to have multiple revenue streams. It’s easier to think about adding things like a practice or training facility, a putting complex, or lodging and dining when you’re planning the project instead of trying to add them all later.”

Even though Pizá isn’t a household name – yet – the company’s portfolio is extensive. With projects throughout Europe and Latin America, Pizá has been busy. His latest project, in Mexico City, is “The Pit,” something Pizá calls a “grass sculpture, upon which beautiful golf can be played.”

The Pit is a ‘golf lounge’ centered around a putting complex with four bunkers. The central bunker, sunken with a firepit, makes the facility a place to play and practice, and then a place to relax with friends and family. 

“I think my client had a regular putting and chipping green in mind, but I don’t do regular things,” said Pizá when asked about the scope of the project. Regardless, it was a hit and more such golf lounges are in the works in places like San Diego.

In addition to complete projects, Pizá Golf has also made itself available for restoration projects. That’s how the company got into the Cabo San Lucas area of the Mexican Baja. When a hurricane took out the backside of the Cabo San Lucas Country Club, Pizá was called in to help. The results were a major improvement.

 “We came in on an emergency basis and re-worked holes 10 thru 16. It’s a big change when you go from the front nine to the back, and I hope we’ll be able to go back and keep working on the property. 

Moving forward, Pizá Golf is looking to expand into the United States, having recently opened an office in the San Diego area. 

“Designing in the United States will expose more golfers to our work, which we’re excited about.”

The next time you’re planning a golf trip and are trying to decide where to play, make sure you look for a Pizá-designed course. You’ll be pleased with whichever course you choose.

One thing everyone can agree on is that golf is one of the most frustrating games on the planet. You can play great one day and follow it up the next day with one of your worst performances ever. 

Few golfers can admit to never having slammed a club or – even worse – breaking one in anger after a bad shot. But, what if there was something available on the course that would give you an outlet for that anger without breaking a club or injuring yourself.

Meet the Bogey Bag.

In the words of its inventor, Steven Schnobrich, the Bogey Bag was born out of his own frustrating stretch of golf. “I was joking with my uncle that we’d love to have a punching bag on the golf course so we had something to take our anger out on. So I started coming up with an idea that was barely functional beyond a few good punches.”

Simply put, the Bogey Bag is a redesigned speed bag that fits almost any golf cart. Hanging from a post on the cart, the bag can spin 360 degrees around its crossbar. It’s a satisfying way to let off a little steam.

While the idea seems like a no-brainer, the Bogey Bag’s path to reality was unusual. Schnobrich had no training as a designer. Instead, the finance major at the University of New Hampshire said he was lucky to have access to several great resources.

“The university had an entrepreneurial center with a maker space to encourage inventors. I was able to use a 3D printer, a laser engraver, a CNC mill, and industrial sewing machines. In two years, I went through over 100 iterations of the bag using continuous trial-and-error. I enjoyed the process and it’s amazing to see the response to our finished product.”

Throughout the process, Schnobrich took the bag to the course so people could see it. People loved to try them out, take pictures, and post videos on their social media feeds. It was social media that put the Bogey Bag into the spotlight, with a popular Instagram account sharing it with their followers.

“Sales skyrocketed after that share,” said Schnobrich. “We went through 30 percent of our inventory in no time. The question is whether or not we can sustain that traction.”

What started as a DIY project has turned into a high-quality product, featuring a leather speed bag, a stainless steel rod (to attach to the golf cart), and a high-tension spring. While the bag was designed in the United States, the final parts come from all over the world. Schnobrich said the price may be a little high, but he wanted the materials to hold up to wear and tear in a high-stress environment.

The Bogey Bag is now available for purchase at www.thebogeybag.com. Get your hand – or fist – on one today.

One of the first things new golfers hear is that they should get lessons to learn the fundamentals of the game and start with a solid foundation. When established players are struggling, they typically turn to PGA professionals to help improve their technique and get better at the game they love. While a few lessons may fix things in the short-term, the only thing that creates long-term success is practice.

The problem is that most players don’t know how to practice effectively.

When Nico Darras (left) walked off the final green of a one-day mini tour event in Scottsdale three years ago, he was on top of the world. A final hole birdie gave him a score of even par, a number he thought put him on the path to PGA TOUR stardom. He finished in 68th place, 11 strokes off the pace.

On the drive home, he heard an interview with Kevin Moore (right), a University of Georgia professor specializing in applied mathematics, analytics, education, and psychology. Darras emailed him right away, hoping to apply Moore’s theories to improving his performance on the golf course.

“I’ll admit that I didn’t read Nico’s email right away, but when I did I thought I’d be able to help him,” said Moore of his first interaction with Darras. “He had a great skill set and we got some great analytics and strategy data. After working on his driver, we figured we had to improve his wedge game.”

During that time, Darras said he was working on the assigned reading for his doctoral program and a line in one of those books hit him. “It was about criterion referenced instruction, the idea of having an end goal in mind and working backwards. I brought it up to Kevin and we started using ourselves as guinea pigs for developing practice plans.”

It may sound like things came together seamlessly, both Moore and Darras said that was hardly the case. The first player to try a practice plan was No Laying Up’s Chris “Soly” Solomon. He shared it with his podcast audience and soon more than 200 people were lining up to learn how to practice.

Moore described the response as eye-opening. “We realized it was bigger than the two of us. We spent 40 days keeping up with demand, eventually getting the website up and zooming with clients. We found they almost all wanted structure, practice plans built around data and research. So that’s what we did.”

The first plans were hand-built, with designed drills and how they should be completed. After five months, the pair had a large database of drills and plans, and an algorithm to apply to golfers. Golf Blueprint is now the largest online instruction service available with clients in 45 states.

Golf Blueprint works off a membership model, with players getting different levels of access to practice plans and Moore and Darras. Members can join on a monthly basis, but are rewarded with a free month when they commit to a six-month improvement plan.

“Month one, that algorithm is really good, it’s dialed,” said Darras when advocating for a multi-month commitment. “Month two, the algorithm learns more about the golfer. By month three it’s really good and it’s all about tightening up those practice plans.”

One of the things that sets Golf Blueprint apart from other instruction programs is that it’s easy to understand. Moore said that when a client has trouble understanding a particular drill, they re-word it to make it easier to put into practice. “It’s important that players of any ability and experience can follow our plans without having a specific golf vocabulary.”

While Golf Blueprint may sound like a fix-all for any golfer, Darras said they’re really focused on golfers between four and 20. “We really think players with handicaps lower than a four already know how to practice, but the sweet spot for improvement lies with those players between four and 20. We can help them.”

To learn more about Golf Blueprint or to purchase your membership, visit www.GolfBluePrint.com.