Best Golf Shops in Texas

What are the best golf shops in Texas? Golf World's annual ranking of the "100 Best Golf Shops" in America is included in the Feb. 2 issue. Only four Texas pro shops made that list, but here they are:

Off-Course
PGA Tour Shop, DFW Airport

Public
Redstone Golf Club, Humble

Resort
Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas, Irving
Westin La Cantera Resort Course, San Antonio

The magazine explained its criteria this way:

On- and off-course golf shops submit financial statements, photographs and an essay. Shops are judged on three criteria: (1) revenue per square foot/per round; (2) shop appearance/layout, using supplied photos; and (3) articulation of successful promotions and recent initiatives within the last year.

Ah, no wonder some of the really cool shops with great staff and great variety from around the state didn't make it ...

What are your favorite golf shops around Texas?

Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Plano Course

(Photo by Cody Duty/Dallas Morning News)

You know, this is a situation that really isn't all that unusual. Stories like this aren't exactly common, but they sure aren't rare. And it's easy to understand why. You're the pilot of a small plane. Something goes wrong, but you have time to consider your options. Where are you going to try to set the plane down? On a busy highway? No, if you spy an open field, great. And if you spy a golf course, almost as good.

In this case, the emergency landing took place at Prestonwood Country Club in Plano. The pilot was the only passenger. Everyone - pilot and golfers - walked away OK.

Story

NTPGA Names Junior Award Winners

The Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation recently announced its 2008 Player of the Year award winners in the East, Metro and West Chapters and the Masters Tour of the NTPGA Junior Golf Tour. Players were able to earn points during each of the four tournament series conducted by the NTPGA Junior Golf Foundation: Ewing Automotive Junior Tour, Camp Olympia NTPGA Spring Break Series, NexBank NTPGA Cowboys Series and NTPGA Holiday Series. Players were awarded Player of the Year points by placing in the top ten (10) of a tournament in all Boys Age Divisions and the top seven (7) of all Girls Age Divisions.

The following junior golfers were named as 2008 NTPGA Player of the Year award winners:

East Texas Chapter Boys Player of the Year
Ages 16-18: Brandon Sledge of Longview
Ages 14-15: Trey Volentine of Brownsboro
Ages 12-13: D.J. Godoy of Hideaway
Ages 10-11: Garrett Landers of Sulphur Springs
Coed 7-9: Chase Allison of Palestine

East Texas Chapter Girls Player of the Year
Ages 15-18: Christa Williams of Ben Wheeler
Ages 12-14: Haley Mills of Tyler
Ages 10-11: Kenzie Wright of Frisco

Metro Chapter Boys Player of the Year
Ages 16-18: Boom Sritart of Keller
Ages 14-15: Isaiah Huerta of Duncanville
Ages 12-13: Vincent Whaley of McKinney
Ages 10-11: William Blaine Hale Jr. of Dallas
Coed 7-9: Carson Horak of Wylie

Metro Chapter Girls Player of the Year
Ages 15-18: Chantry McMahon of Kaufman
Ages 12-14: Vanessa Ha of Plano
Ages 10-11: Chaithra Katamneni of Coppell

West Texas Chapter Boys Player of the Year
Ages 16-18: Austin Jung of Lubbock
Ages 14-15: William Paulsell of Borger
Ages 12-13: Hunter Montgomery of Andrews
Ages 10-11: Tanner Montgomery of Andrews
Coed 7-9: Jansen Smith of San Angelo

West Texas Chapter Girls Player of the Year
Ages 15-18: Shelbye Hill of Hereford
Ages 12-14: Sarah Black of Andrews
Ages 10-11: Christian Curnutte of Midland

Masters Tour Boys Player of the Year
Ages 16-18: Patrick Russo of Lewisville
Ages 14-15: Gates Lopez of Fort Worth
Ages 12-13: Matthew Gilchrest of Southlake

Masters Tour Girls Player of the Year
Ages 15-18: Chantry McMahan of Kaufman
Ages 12-14: Megan Thothong of Dallas

NTPGA Offering Fitness "Summit" for Juniors

Junior golfers interested in learning more about the role of proper fitness and how it can help their scores will be interested in the 2009 Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Fitness Summit.

The event is scheduled Jan. 18 at Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving. "The event is open to junior golfers who would like to learn the importance of health and fitness as it relates to preventing injuries and improving golf performance," the NTPGA announcements states. "Through this education summit, junior golfers will discover how to maximize their potential to become better golfers and ensure a long term quality of life."

The is $25 per junior or $40 for a family. Deadline to register is 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16. Entry forms are available online at juniorgolf.ntpga.org.

Included among the speakers/clinic leaders are golf fitness trainers and teaching and club pros, along with PGA Tour veterans Paul Stankowski and Brian Watts.