Posted on May 07, 2009 under Archives, Interviews, Other interesting people |
Michael Lamanna, golf pro at the Phoenician
While staying at the lovely Phoenician resort I was lucky to grab a private golf lesson with pro Michael Lamanna. He taped my swing and provided a detailed CD of our lesson at the end of the hour, which is really helpful if you are trying to improve your game. Michael began playing golf at age 4 and earned a golf scholarship to the University of Idaho. After graduating he worked as a club professional for 10 years. He has taught golf using video training techniques since 1979. During the past 18 years he has dedicated himself to teaching full-time. First as a Master Instructor, then as Director of Instruction and Director of Schools for three Jim McLean Golf Academies. In 1998, he became the first Director of Instruction for Resort Golf Group and opened and operated golf academies at Sierra Nevada Golf Club in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Mesquite Golf Club in Palm Springs, California, Cimarron Golf Club in Cathedral City, California, The Westin Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California and at Doral Arrowwood Resort in Rye, New York. In 1999, he was named Director of Schools at the PGA TOUR Golf Academy in Saint Augustine, Florida and in 2002, he was named Director of Instruction at the prestigious The Academy at La Cantera, located at The Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, Texas.
Michael has worked with teaching legends Jim McLean, Bob Toski, Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Scott Sackett, and Golf Digest Top 50 Teacher, Tim Mahoney. He has conducted clinics with Hall of Fame members Billy Casper, Ben Crenshaw, Gary Player and Tony Jacklin, and with tour legends Bruce Lietzke, Calvin Peete, Bill Rogers, Dale Douglass and Gay Brewer.
Michael has been affiliated with the PGA and teaching golf for more than 27 years and is a Certified Golf Fitness Instructor with the Titleist Performance Institute. He was named “2004 Harvey Penick Teacher of the Year” in the Western Chapter of the Southern Texas PGA and has written articles for About.Com, Avid Golfer magazine, Texas Golfer, AZ Golfer, Northwest Golfer and numerous local and regional newspapers and periodicals. He has hosted local golf talk radio programs and has appeared in numerous TV golf tip segments. He has taught players of all levels, including the San Antonio City Girls, Boys and Men’s Champions, the Texas State Mid Amateur Champion, Arizona Amateur Champion, Phoenix Men’s Amateur Champion, Montana State Open Champion, Arizona State Boys and Florida State Girls Junior Champions, collegiate golfers, members of the LPGA, Nationwide Tour, The Champions Tour and PGA TOUR.
Here is our conversation about golf and the three nine hole courses at the Phoenician.
Posted on May 07, 2009 under Archives |
Biltmore Arizona Lobby
A few weeks ago I travelled to Phoenix and stayed at the lovely Biltmore hotel. Located six miles northeast of downtown Phoenix on 36 impeccably landscaped acres, this Frank Lloyd Wright influenced resort is a nice weekend getaway destination. A unique architectural gem, the resort houses 739 large rooms and 72 villas with Mission-style furniture, eight swimming pools, seven tennis courts, a 20,000 square foot spa and four restaurants.
Suite at the Biltmore
I was lucky enough to stay at their new Ocatilla Wing and was greeted with a nice chocolate plate and goodies.
chocolate plate
goodies
I also enjoyed the spa, beautiful pools and had a private golf lesson with pro Ron Heraty. Golfers will enjoy the 18-hole putting course and two 18-hole PGA courses, The Links and The Adobe, at the adjacent Biltmore Country Club. The Adobe Course (6,428 yards) is one of the oldest in Arizona, dating back to 1928. Stately and grand, this course is spacious and offers wide flat fairways. The younger, eccentric shorter Links Course (6,300 yards) houses unexpected swerves, ups and downs and turns amidst rolling fairways lined with luscious pines surrounding some of the most stunning homes in Phoenix.
My friend Sheila joined me for dinner at the resort’s Wright restaurant. Here are some pics:
Shrimp appetizer
Salmon
Chocolate Souffle
Sheila joined me for dinner
The Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa is located at 2400 E. Missouri Avenue in Scottsdale, Phoenix. To make reservations, call 602/955-6600.
Posted on May 07, 2009 under Archives, Interviews, Other interesting people |
Ron Heraty, Head Golf Pro at the Arizona Biltmore
While in Arizona for a golf story I got to take a private lesson with head golf pro Ron Heraty at the Arizona Biltmore. Ron has been a member of the PGA for 15 years is a graduate of the Professional Golf Association Business School in San Diego and in Denver.
View of adobe course, 14th hole
We talked about his golf background and the two 18-hole courses, The Links and The Adobe, at the Biltmore.
Posted on Apr 23, 2009 under Archives, Chefs, Interviews |
Master Baker Ben Hershberger at the Phoenician
While visiting the Phonenician in Scottsdale for a story on golf getaways I was lucky enough to sit down with Master Baker Ben Hershberger. I was there to write about golf, but after tasting some of his bread I had to speak with him. Holding the esteemed title of Certified Master Baker through the Retail Bakers of America, Hershberger is an expert on the “science” of bread making. By manipulating the time, temperature and hydration rate of the dough, he creates the recipes for the wide variety of breads that are baked fresh daily on property and featured at Il Terrazzo, the resort’s signature Italian restaurant, as well as through In-Room Dining and the Banquet Department. Hershberger uses organic flour, natural sourdough (which has been passed down for more than 100 years) and Mediterranean Sea salt for the highest possible quality.
Hershberger, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, has been baking for more than 20 years. He first started as a young child growing up in Nevada, where he would make home-made pastries and breads by milling whole grain millet, rice, barley and wheat by hand to use in his creations. In the corporate world, Hershberger held the distinctive title of corporate baker and trainer for Ritz-Carlton Hotels, opening bakeries in Japan, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Colorado, here in the United States. Most recently, he was an instructor at the Florida Culinary Institute, teaching students the art of baking. He was also a baker at Maddy’s and Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. In addition to tasting his lovely breads at the resort, he was nice enough to bake me fresh loaves of rosemary, rye, olive walnut, sourdough, chocolate cherry and a huge baget before I took off back to LA. I received many requests on the plane for samples, which I quickly refused, as I selfishly wanted all that bread for myself. Here are some pics of his delicious bread:
Pieces of loaves of different breads
My fave, olive walnut
Chocolate Cherry - very nice as a dessert bread
I highly recommend stopping in to try Chef Hershberger’s breads, or if in the Phoenix area you can pick them up at the Saturday Farmer’s market. I spoke with the chef about his baking philosophy and background – interview is below.
