July 10, 2004

By: Jay Cristal
Website: http://www.1st-in-golf.com

A personalized golf fitness program that you can take home and follow

A cutting-edge approach to providing the perfect marriage between golf and fitness will make its debut June 1 at Sunriver Resort, recently honored by GOLF Magazine as a Gold Medal resort.

Golf-In-Balance will be open to men and women golfers of all ages and abilities, and guide them through a training and education program designed to fine tune the body and make a commitment to a long-term personalized fitness program, all the while improving their overall game.

Available through Sept. 30, Golf-In-Balance joins Sunriver Resort’s already unparalleled lineup of three championship golf courses, a luxurious spa facility, superior lodging accommodations and outstanding conference facilities, as well the myriad recreational activities that come with being located in Central Oregon.

Nancy Devine, Sunriver Resort’s vice president of sales and marketing, said today’s top pros who have subscribed to total golf fitness programs serve as the role models for Golf-In-Balance.

We will emulate those pros who have embraced fitness, nutrition, flexibility, understanding one’s limitations and how to work around injuries, Devine said. This program will combine the mental and physical aspects of the game and bring it all into balance … hence the name.

While the golf instruction, which will be one-on-one, will target swing and alignment, it also will place a focus on strategy and developing consistency.

One woman who was involved in last year’s test program of the Golf-In-Balance program at Sunriver Resort said it helped her decrease her handicap by seven strokes. She says she now has a better understanding of her physical and technical weaknesses as they relate to her swing.

Jennifer Yockey, with the Ron Seals Golf Academy at Sunriver Resort, and Susan Hill, a certified fitness trainer at the Resort’s Sage Springs Club and Spa, will supervise Golf-In-Balance. Yockey, who played collegiate golf at University of Washington, has been certified by CHEK Institute as a golf biomechanist.

She previously was a golf instructor with the David Leadbetter Golf Academy and is a coach for PGA Tour professional Todd Fischer, who already has recorded eighth- and 14th-place finishes on the PGA Tour this season.

Hill, also certified by CHEK, was among the final three nominees under consideration for the International Sports Sciences Association Trainer of the Year for 2003.

She is also a contributing writer to an on-line fitness magazine and has been a feature co-host on the radio program Physically Tweaked with Cat Smiley, a nationally ranked professional skier and fitness enthusiast.

The Golf-In-Balance packages are being offered with three options - green fees and lodging accommodations are independent:

* Fit and Function: This package is designed for all levels of players looking for a minimal investment of time and money yet seeking direct results. It includes a one-hour golf fitness assessment and a one-hour personal golf instruction.

* Masters: This package is designed for the most committed player looking for incorporating the mind and body into improving his or her golf game. It includes a one-hour golf fitness assessment, a one-hour individualized fitness program design and national consultation and three one-hour personalized golf lessons, including video analysis.

* Customize: This package is designed for those golfers who want it their way – an a la carte customized program using all the Golf-In-Balance components.

For each golfer who participates in the program, Yockey and Hill will design a personalized golf fitness program that they can take home and follow.

While at Sunriver, participants will have access to the resort’s practice facilities, which include two expansive, all-natural turf hitting areas, six target flags, a 9,000-square-foot putting green and a 9,500-square-foot short game practice green with chipping and pitching areas and large practice bunker.

The three championship 18-hole layouts include Crosswater, hailed by Golf Digest as one of Americas 100 Greatest courses, the Meadows Course and Woodlands. Tee times can be scheduled when registering for the program and are based on availability.

In addition to the three golf courses, the 35,000-square-foot Sage Springs Club & Spa offers the latest in therapeutic body and beauty treatments within its 10 private rooms, including full-body specialty massages, natural body scrubs, personalized facials, deluxe manicures and pedicures, and aroma-therapy body wraps.

Located in Central Oregon, Sunriver Resort also has 28 tennis courts, 35 miles of paved bike paths, three swimming complexes, horseback riding, canoeing, whitewater rafting, flyfishing, and a shopping village and nature center, allowing for plenty of activities for non-golfers. The Resort also is a designated as an Orvis-endorsed property, one of only 38 in North America. Also see: fitness for golf.

Author Notes:

Jay Cristal contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.1st-in-golf.com.  A source of information on golf equipment, golf manufacturers, supplies, tips and more.