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Raffy Pena Barreto and his Golf Grew In Puerto Rico

My Lovely Wife Lesbia and I

Hi to all from the sandy beaches of Puerto Rico.  Here are my Golfing Buddies.

Don Tito Rivera, Raffy Pena Barreto, Celestino Arias, Hon. Luis Gutierrez

                             Chi Chi Rodriguez & Raffy Pena Barreto

                             Raffy Pena Barreto & Jose Luis Moreno

                             Raffy Pena Barreto, Carlos Morales & Miguel Olmeda

                                         Wine after Golf? Great!

                             A great bunch of guys together, best in Golf.

                                   MCS Golf Classic, Westin Rio Mar, AWinner?

The best Golf in the Caribbean with the best of friends!  A Toast To ALL

Try These Golf Shops for Clubs,  Shoes and Apparel

 For Golf Shoes

Pictures of Golf Spots

This Was some of Our Golf  Vacation Spots While In Puerto Rico

Pictures Of My Wife And I At Our Golf Spots

Here we are in Cost Caribe Golf & Country Club, Ponce, Puerto Rico.  This course is long and very windy as it sits in the south of Puerto Rico on the Caribbean Sea, however, it’s breath taking views and beautiful landscape overwhelm you.  This is golf at it’s best, extremely challenging and great fun.  A great golf outing!

We Also Played At Dorado Beach Golf & Country Club, Dorado, Puerto Rico

 It Was a Slice

How About These Breath Taking Pictures From El Conquistador, Fajardo, Puerto Rico

I made this Putt

There’s will be much more golf playgrounds featured in the near future, in the interim keep the golf club swinging and make all your putts.

Book You Next Golf Vacation

Pre shot Practice

What You Must Do Prior To Address the Ball

by Phil Rodgers with Al Barkow

This involves the rehearsal swings you should take before getting up to play your shots during a round of golf.  It is a very simple business and follows my basic precept for every golf swing…Make it even paced.  With the rehearsal swing you imitate the feels you’re after when it’s “show time.”  Try to simulate mechanics as much as you do the tempo and synchronization of the Swing

Practice Practice

Work on swing technique is more productive when done in short, concentrated sessions.  Long periods of ball hitting are fine to relieve the frustrations and tensions of life in general, and if you stand there just hammering at balls long enough you may eventually find some timing and rhythm that will produce decent shots.  But such sessions are invariably worthless in terms of developing a swing you can use on the golf course.

For one thing, on the golf course you are hitting a shot about ever five minutes.  But on the practice range the tendency is to hit a ball every 30 seconds.  That’s on reason why I think no practice session should be over an hour long, that you shouldn’t hit a great number of balls and that there should be a reasonable pause between each shot.  I don’t expect you to hit a practice shot every five minutes, but you want to come as close as you can to simulating on-course conditions.  Then, too, each practice shot tends to be hit with thought and purpose–you’re more likely sto concentrate well on each swing, and the work becomes productive.

With the exception of tour pros who through constant practice build up golf strength and stamina, golfers cannot usually sustain themselves physically for more than an hour of practice.  Every individual has his own level of physical endurance, and some people may be able to practice a little longer than others, but a person should quit when he finds himself or herself not thinking about each shot he hits and/or feels he is no longer able to put out a maximum physical effort.  Thoughtless and tired golf swings on th practice range make the session counter productive.  The muscles are left with a poor “memory,” and there is no psychological benefit, either, from leaving the range frustrated.

It pretty much follows that if each practice session is going to be relatively Short and concentrated, then at each one you can work on only on element of your swing–at most two.  Go into each practice session with a single thought.  When you’re satisfied that you have reached a goal with the work, leave.  If you’ve reached that goal after hitting only 40 balls, still leave.  Don’t get into another idea.  Go chip and putt.  or better yet, go play.

Practice, but practice for a reason and not just to hit golf balls.

Managing Your Golf Game

Have A Plan, Draw A Picture

by Phil Rodgers with Al Barkow 

A lot of golfers don’t think about the next shot!  But that’s at the heart of the game.  Look at the good pool or chess player.  He is always thinking ahead.  That’s the way good golf is played, too.

You are always going to be more successful in the long run if you have a plan for every shot, even if it fails occasionally.  I think many golfers get upset with poor shots and simply blame bad swing mechanics.  They should realize that bad swing mechanics often are the result of not thinking about where and how they want the ball to go, and why.  Somehow, when the purpose of a swing is more than merely getting the ball properly airborne, the shot is always better.

Having a plan involves strategy, which is the intellectual part of the game.  Creating a visual image is the artistic side of it.  The intellectual part is involved in calculating distance, weather conditions, the contour of the terrain.  the artistic side makes a picture with it all, adding instinct to the mix.  You can play golf with only one or the other, but the best golf is played when the two are a team.

Positive Practice

Golf practice come in three different packages.  There is the warm-up before starting a round, the pre shot routine during the round, and the session when you work on various parts of your swing seeking to learn and improve your long-term performance.

The Pre Round Warm-up

I’m not going to dwell on the fact that everyone should hit a few balls on the practice range before starting a round of golf.  Everyone can appreciate that loosening up the muscles and joints is necessary.  However, I will make a point many golfers don’t seem to be aware of; that is, the warm-up should be only that, it is not the time when you work on swing mechanics.  You should hit balls only to develop a good rhythm and swing pace.

To establish rhythm and pace, hit more shorter irons so that you won’t be temped to press for distance.  Hit a few drivers at the end of the warm-up to stretch y;ourself to the maximum, but after you do, wind down the session with some Short pitches and chips.  The thing all great player have is the ability to carry the rhythm and pace they develop on the practice tee to the course.  Pay attention to your tempo, and you have a better Chance of taking it into your round.

Your concern with aiming and hitting for certain distances is not as great, but you should always be aware of what your ball is doing in the air.  If you’re drawing the ball during your warm-up, that is probably going to be your shot for the day, so be prepared to play it during the round.

It is also a good idea in the warm-up to mimic your pre swing routine–the way you get into address when playing on the course.  Don’t just beat out some balls.  Get behind the ball for each practice shot, pick out a target area, walk into address and take the positions exactly as you do when playing on the course.  This also helps you establish you rhythm.  The idea is to prepare yourself so that when you get on the course it is not a foreign experience.  Make your warm-up a rehearsal, not just practice.

It also helps allay tension when you’re in a pressure situation on the course to have a simple routine to go through.  when you go through a familiar pattern of activity you are comfortable, and it gives you a sense of self-confidence.  Get into the pattern on the practice tee.

People will say they don’t see the pros warming up that way on the practice tee.  In many cases that’s true, which is why I maintain that 70 percent of the warm-up practice the pros do is not as productive as it should be.

After the ball-hitting warm-up, always stroke a few putts on the practice green.  Here again, work primarily on the rhythmic, even-paced stroke and the system you use for getting up to a putt.  You’ll probably putt for a hole, but a mark on the green would do just as well.  You can concentrate better on tempo.  In any case, make most of your practice putts no longer than 12 feet.  As I mentioned earlier, that’s the length from which you can reasonably expect to make putts.  A 12 footer is long enough to give you a feel for the speed of the greens with a stroke of sufficient length.  And if a few go in, you start the round with a positive psychological felling.

Remember, always warm-up the way you play, and play the way you warmed-up.  Plan to hit them, then hit them strait.  


 

Caribbean Golf Vacation Destination

The Caribbean – Your Final Golf Vacation Destination

Have you thought of dreamed of vacationing in paradise with white sandy beaches, the best Golf Courses you will ever play, alive with vestiges of the past and a sunset that leaves you breathless. You have just found Puerto Rico – Travel to a tropical Island with miles and miles of beaches, plus an unbelievable rain forest, and the most exciting night life you will ever encounter.

Puerto Rico is alive with vestiges of the past – even though the Island is a commonwealth of the United States, it’s hard not to think you’ve stepped into a Spanish colony when you arrive at your hotel in San Juan. In fact, if it weren’t for the American flags waving throughout San Juan, you might as well be in Spain. Music is everywhere – salsa is impossible to avoid, but all music is heard and various other Latin-flavored beats pulsate through the night. For the young at heart, Puerto Rico tourism has also adopted a Cancun-like atmosphere, hoping to attract carefree teens on spring break; but the country especially San Juan, is alive with the country’s history. Few other places in the Caribbean have preserved the past as well – Puerto Rico history thrives in the carefully restored harbors and colonial architecture that remains from its days as Spanish colony.

One small downside to this beautiful Island. San Juan is nothing if not a polarizing city. One of the largest in the Caribbean. San Juan is an urban Jungle. This is, of course, a problem for many vacationers. Most visitors choose the Caribbean to get away. To disappear. And that is unlikely to happen in such a place as San Juan. Instead, the city has welcomed the crowds and aggrandized them as one of the main selling point of the Puerto Rico Tourism industry – thousands and thousands of people certainly cannot be wrong. Regardless, many move immediately from the airport to the Puerto Rico hotels in more remote locations on the Island. But those that ignore the capital city, and Old San Juan in particular, are missing out on one of the most fascinating locales in the sea. Though it has taken its rich Puerto Rico history and diluted with Americana and the carefully insinuated designs of the Puerto Rico tourism industry, San Juan is still a wonder to behold.

The capital city, San Juan also has easy access to some of the best Puerto Rico beaches. Who needs anything else when you’ve got sun and sand and fruity rum drinks at hand? the city beaches of San Juan are an anomaly – the ones closest to the urban areas are often the best Puerto Rico beaches imaginable. City high-rises almost melt into the warm summer sea. Executives on break, interns just off work and mid-level managers mix seamlessly with locals and tourists and there is always a beach side bar within walking distance.

There are plenty of fine Puerto Rico beaches all across the Island. The eastern side is growing in popularity. In fact, many Puerto Rico vacations are based solely on the Island’s Atlantic side, where the sand is more powdery, the crowds thinner and the surfing at its peak. many of the most luxurious Puerto Rico hotels are also located on this end, growing exponentially the further southward you travel.

There are Golf Courses that take you breath away.  Close to San Juan you have Dorado Beach Resort & Club and Embassy Suites Dorado del Mar Beach & Golf Resort.  Swing east, and you will find Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club, Berwind Country Club, Trump International Golf Club Rio Grande, PR, the Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort.  Further east you will fine El Comquistador Resort & Golf Club.  Try driving south to El Legado Golf Resort, Where ChiChi Rodriguez make his home.  A little further south you will arrive at Coame Spring Golf & Tennis Club, then to Ponce, PR, where you will find Costa Caribe Golf & Country Club.  There are many more going West.  You can find them all in the Puerto Rico Golf Course Guide at www.worldgolf.com.  Hit them strait and far, and if not, post a good score.

After Golf and If fine dining is your specialty, while in the San Juan metropolitan area you will find the most exquisite restaurants in the Caribbean. first on the list of fine dining is Pikayo, located at Jose de Diego Ave, in Santurce. Plan to linger for several hours at this formal, white-on-white restaurant, set inside the Puerto Rico Museum of Art; the dishes here are as rich, complex, and deserving of careful appreciation as the surrounding art exhibits. Chef Wilo Benet, widely regarded as one of Puerto Rico’s culinary rock stars, draws on the country’s African, Indian, and Spanish flavors to create what he calls “exotic criollo” cuisine. The menu is seafood-heavy; three perpetual standouts are the sesame-glazed tuna carpaccio, served with a scoop of wasabi sorbet; the blackened salmon drizzled with caper butter, and the risotto, a must, mama mia! Tip: check out the interior walls, which are often alive with arty video installations.

The second restaurant that stands out from the rest is Los Chavales, located at FD Roosevelt Ave, in Hato Rey. Here you will find the most in Spanish cuisine. Typically a Spanish cuisine restaurant with an international flare, their menu is complete from seafood to steak to Paella, and their food preparation and presentation is second to non. They pride themselves in their hospitality, friendly atmosphere, and more important, fine dining. Their three perpetual standouts are the rice paella marinara, a combination of fresh fish, clams, lobster, shrimp, and mussels; fried whole red snapper with fried green plantain (tostones), and a NY strip sliced with a special sauce and a rich tasting rice. On Thursday and Friday you may find most of the CEO’s and Excutives from major companies along with some politician, chatting and exchanging views, a great place to socialize.

So, if your thinking of a Golf vacation filled with everything and close to home, think Puerto Rico, a never ending destination. Remember, there are no Passports or visas required for U. S. Citizens.

You will lavish in the most brightest sunshine, white sandy beaches and play the best Golf Courses ever, Puerto Rico your final destination.

Golf Vacation U.S. Virgin Islands

The United States Virgin Islands - St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, is the most popular tourist and golf destination in the Caribbean.

Our long standing, enviable international reputation is not solely based on our pristine beaches, warm weather, and crystal-clear waters — we’re also the most culturally diverse, ethnically rich, and artistically vibrant society in the tropics.  Our biggest asset is our sun-kissed people. Our residents are island-spiced, friendly and quick to smile. Contemporary Virgin Islanders are literally from everywhere. We are as diverse as the peaceful Arawak and fierce Carib Indians—and as culturally rich as the peoples of Africa, England, Holland, Denmark, Spain, France, India and the United States.

Nowhere else in the Caribbean offers such a good vacation value as the US Virgins. Secluded beaches.  National Parks. Duty-free shopping. Campgrounds.   Kayaking. Hiking. Ecological tours. World-class diving.  Superb  sailing. Tropical forests. Local craftsmen. Island art. Sunbathing. Fine Dining. Nightlife.

 Dining in The US Virgin Island

Welcome to the all new USVI ‘Tell It Like It Is’ Restaurant & Bar Guide!

Looking for an upbeat eatery on the beach? A romantic hideaway? An extravagant dining indulgence? The US Virgin Islands have it all — and more. Whether you are in paradise for a day, a week, or a lifetime, why shouldn’t you enjoy each and every dining out experience? With that in mind, this new guide was devised to help you make the best selections — and avoid any nasty unwanted surprises.

A few quick notes:

Each restaurant and bar listed here carries an automatic recommendation. No duds have been included. Food is rated good to excellent. “Good” equals tasty and satisfying. “Excellent” indicates truly superior meals. 

Although price guidelines are indicated, island dining never comes cheap.  Categories have been created to make selecting easier — OR investigate them all before you decide.  A ‘bow tie’ image indicates you may want to ’sharp up’ a bit — however, island-casual dress is generally accepted everywhere.

If Golf is you desire

Tee-off Virgin Islands’-style amidst a dramatic backdrop of sun, sand and sea.Configured by world acclaimed designers and putted-on by presidents, courses on St. Thomas and St. Croix cater to golf enthusiasts who love to `play a round’ while on vacation
St Thomas Golf Course: Mahogany Run  Ratee: Four Stars

This Tom Fazio-designed, par-70, 18-hole course overlooks the Atlantic ocean with a view of the neighboring British Virgin Islands beyond. Most spectacular is the Devil’s Triangle – a trio of holes so challenging that golfers who play through them without a penalty shot earn a prize in the pro shop. Overall, the course has rolling hills, tropical valleys and greens that are really green, thanks to a recently completed multi-million dollar renovation which included a brand new irrigation system, recently regrassed greens and renovated bunkers.

Call for tee times or come by to play, availability is excellent. Informal scratch tournaments held throughout the year give visitors a chance to pit their skills against local players with hometown course knowledge. Three-day special packages available to golf enthusiasts. Groups are welcome and special tournaments complete with prizes can be arranged. No need to lug clubs from home, Mahogany Run offers Callaway-brand rentals.
 

St Croix Golf Course – Buccaneer Hotel

Set on the grounds of a former sugar plantation and located just east of Christiansted, the Buccaneer Hotel is an island within an island, offering one of the most extensive roster of activities on St. Croix. The 18-hole golf course takes players over sloping hills, right to the edge of the Caribbean sea.

Golf pro Tim Johnston is on duty full-time. Guests and non-guests welcome. Breakfast on The Terrace, with views to Christiansted Harbor, makes a delightful way to start a round of play.  Hotel guests play at reduced rates. One-week golf packages are also available to guests. Discounted 10-play books are available to all golfers.

Carambola Golf Course  Rated Four Stars

Nestled in the valleyed northwestern section of St. Croix, is the Laurence Rockefeller built,

Robert Trent Jones-designed Carambola Golf Course. Since opening thirty years ago, the Carambola has been awarded a gold medal by GOLF magazine for being one of the finest golf resorts  in the world and has been given a four-star rating by Golf Digest.

The par-70 course winds through a deep valley, full of water hazards in the form of spring-fed lakes. Bright tropical foliage makes for an exotic appeal. The rolling terrain and nearly 100 bunkers provide a stern test for the accomplished golfer, but four sets of tee markers and ample landing areas make Carambola a golf course players of all skill levels can enjoy.

In addition to the 26 quaint two-story red-roofed villas of the Westin Carambola Beach Resort, facilities for golfers include an expanded clubhouse, a practice putting green, a driving range and full-time golf pro, Greg McCulloch. The pro shop has rental clubs and lockers.
Carambola’s New York Deli serves super sandwiches and salads at lunchtime daily, catering to golfers and golf widows alike. Sunday Brunch is an island institution.

THE REEF CLUB

This 9-hole mini- golf course on the northeastern part of St. Croix has a casual personality perfect for some carefree putting. Friday afternoon scrambles are an event. There’s also a driving range.  Hit them strait and far.

Whether the subject of a photograph – or a passionate conversation about mother nature’s greatest gifts, the beaches of the US Virgin Islands offer endless topics to one and all.

Swimmers, snorkelers, divers and wanderers alike, find endless bliss in and around these incomparable teal blue waters.

The relatively small size of the islands means that one of its most awe-inspiring natural resources is within easy traveling distance. The beaches routinely rate among the best in the Caribbean, and offer variety unheard of on many islands.

To help you discover the one that’s right for you, here is a brief overview of some of the island’s best beaches. By the way, all beaches are open to the public, including those adjacent to hotel and resort properties. Some may charge a small fee to outside guests wishing to make use of amenities such as lounge chairs and water toys. However, you are sure to find courteous staff members, eager to assist you in arranging the best possible activities for your party.

And it’s all wrapped up in the safety, security, and efficiency of the American flag. The United States Virgin Islands. St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. Three lively islands — one gentle people