The Club at Bond Head and ClubLink part ways amid ending lease agreement

ClubLink and The Club at Bond Head part ways amid ending lease agreement 

(image: Toronto Golf Reviews)

 

 

BOND HEAD, ONTARIO - The Club at Bond Head is a hidden golfing gem within the GTA.

 

Opened in 2005, the club features two par 72 championship courses, the North Course and the South Course, both designed by architects Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Jason Straka of the prestigious Hurdzan Fry Design company. Their quality is recognized, with both courses being featured in the Top 100 courses in Ontario in various years. 

We at Toronto Golf Reviews have been lucky enough to review both of these courses and were greatly impressed. They currently hold the top two spots in our course rankings and are probably the two courses I've played the most in the past few years.

Since 2009, Bond Head has been operated by ClubLink, Canada's largest owner/operator of golf courses, under a lease agreement. Under ClubLink's daily fee program, members of the public were able to play the courses, in addition to ClubLink members.

Yesterday, an email was sent out to those affiliated with Bond Head informing us that ClubLink had reached the end of their lease agreement and that a new operator would be taking over operations. 

What exactly does this mean for The Club at Bond Head? At the moment, without knowledge of who the new operator is, it is difficult to say. 

 

We can speculate on a few things however. 

 

A staffing change is a possibility, as it is unclear if the current staff are tied to ClubLink or not. The new operator may want to take the club in a different direction, with new directors, superintendents, instructors, etc.

Some of our readers have mentioned rumors that the club will close in 2022. I was initially skeptical but this recent news has made me rethink this. Why didn't ClubLink renew their lease agreement? The daily fee program was very popular, according to those I've spoken to over the years, one would assume profitable as well. At the time of the takeover in 2009, a news release from the club cited that the ensuing lease agreement was beneficial to all parties. What has changed?

 

Perhaps the most important question for golfers however is if the course will remain public and at what cost. Bond Head's popularity over the years has been directly tied to its pricing. The price-to-quality ratio of Bond Head is unmatched, in our opinion, and a great way for golfers to see what a playing a high-quality course is like, without breaking the bank. 

 

I think this puts Bond Head in a unique and lucrative position in the GTA golfing market. I hope that the new operator recognizes this and keeps the prices affordable, and the club public for that matter. We've seen countless times the trend of great courses coming under new management and increasing drastically in price; so much that it was simply not worth it any more. I hope Bond Head is the exception to this.

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More details about this news are bound to emerge in the coming months. We've reached out to both ClubLink and The Club at Bond Head for more information and are awaiting responses as of now. 

Stay tuned for more details on this story,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Callaway JAWS Full Toe Wedge Review

Name: Callaway JAWS Full Toe Wedge
Price: $200-$210 depending on store
Features: Full face JAWS grooves, offset groove-in-groove technology, all-new raw face, specialized C-Grind, full toe for high CG

Pros: Large sweet spot, very well balanced club, versatile for a variety of wedge shots, very forgiving, great for spin generation
Cons: None

Value:
Build/Quality:
Effectiveness:
Features:
 

Overall Rating:  5 out of 5

 

The JAWS Full Toe wedge is the latest addition to Callaway's current line of wedges. In this edition of the club, Callaway claims to have achieved something quite special; the perfect wedge for both full control and ultimate spin generation.

 

The club is loaded with Callaway's latest tech including a raw face filled with JAWS grooves and new offset groove-in-groove technology. The Full Toe design also claims to raise CG away from the heel of the club, resulting in better contact and feel.

I've been testing out the 60 degree steel-shaft version of this club for about a month now and am genuinely impressed with it.

 

Aesthetically, this is a great looking club and an eye-catcher when sitting in your bag. Immediately one notices the grooves on the face running right to the top and the distinct four recessed weight cavities on the back. The design lines on the underside of the club are very attractive as well. The club screams high-quality, as it should for a club in this price range.

 

What struck me when I first picked up the club was its weighting. I wouldn't say its a light or heavy club, but its balancing is spot on. It feels great in your hands even when gripping up or down for different shots, allowing you to always make smooth and consistent swings, which are key for wedge play. It's a club that puts you in control and once you get comfortable with it, it's a genuine pin-chaser.

 

Throughout my usage, I tried out the club from practically every location within 60 yards of the hole and I am happy to say it performed excellently every time. From bunkers, to thick rough, to tight fairway lies, this wedge could do it all. It's one of the most versatile wedges that I've ever played. Bunker play, in particular, was actually quite fun with this club; it seemed to get out of everything.

 

Some must be said about the spin this club can generate, which is quite a lot. It's a real game changer knowing that you can play into any green with confidence that there's enough spin on your ball to stick the landing. I loved hitting this club from the fairway into the green and watching it just stop immediately when it lands. And when paired with Callaway's Supersoft ball, the results are jaw-droppingly good.

In addition to versatility, the wedge is very forgiving. Callaway's claim of a large sweet spot may be true, but for me, I like seeing a face full of grooves when I look down at the club/ball in a bad lie. To me, it makes the club head appear larger. Plus it gives me that extra bit of confidence that I can make good contact with the ball. And when I didn't make good contact, the results were not as poor as expected. Thin or fat shots still seemed to work out.

 

In terms of function, this club hits all the marks and I've found absolutely nothing wrong with it. The only thing I could see becoming an issue for some is the recessed weight cavities filling up with dirt, but to me, that's no issue at all.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Callaway has outdone themselves with the JAWS Full Toe wedge. This is a well thought out club that does what it claims to do. From forgiveness, to versatility, to all-round feel, this club does it all, and looks good doing it. It's a club that gets better and better the more you dial it in and can easily become the go-to club in your bag. I know I will be gaming it as much as possible from now on.

I would recommend this club for every golfer who wants to become a great wedge player. This is the club that will get it done for you and the club that will get better as your skills develop. High handicappers who may not always make clean contact will benefit from this club's forgiveness, whereas low handicappers will be able to take full advantage of this club's versatility.

 

It is for these reasons that we are giving the Callaway JAWS Full Toe wedge our first ever 5/5 product rating! A worthy recipient without question. 

 

***

 

Have you gamed the Callaway JAWS Full Toe wedge? If so, leave a comment below about your experience with it.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

2021 Zozo Championship Preview and Picks

 

Xander Schauffele is our top pick this week to win the 2021 Zozo Championship

 

This week, the PGA Tour travels over the Pacific Ocean to Japan, for the 2021 Zozo Championship. Narashino Country Club plays host this week to an elite field of some of the best players on the PGA Tour, in what is Japan's only PGA Tour event.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

First contested in 2019, the Zozo Championship is the first and only PGA Tour event to be played in Japan. Tiger Woods won the inaugural event, which too was hosted by Narashino Country Club.

 

In 2020, due to Covid restrictions, the event was forced to move to the US, where Patrick Cantlay won with a score of 23-under at Sherwood Country Club in California. 

The Zozo Championship is very similar to its Korean counterpart, the CJ Cup, and is part of an effort by the PGA Tour to bring PGA Tour golf to East Asian markets and fans.

Like the CJ Cup, the tournament is an invitational. 78 players receive invites, including the Top 60 of last season's FedEx Cup Rankings, the current Top 7 players on the Japan Golf Tour's money list, the Top 3 players in the Bridgestone Open, as well as 8 sponsor exemptions.

Narashino Country Club is no stranger to hosting large events. The tight, tree lined course measures 7,224 yards in length and will play as a par 72. Like many Japanese courses, the holes at Narashino feature two greens. The idea behind this is that, in an effort to play golf across multiple seasons, one green is used during the summer and one during the winter, with the greens featuring different grass types to accommodate this. Winter greens will usually feature bentgrass, whereas summer greens bermuda grass. 

OUR PICKS THIS WEEK

Like the CJ Cup, we are seeing some of the best golfers tee it up this week. Given this, here are our picks this week:

1) Xander Schauffele

2) Tommy Fleetwood

3) Mackenzie Hughes

For Xander, Japan holds great memories, especially after his gold medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics. Let's see if he can channel that positive energy into a win. For Fleetwood, he has been playing good golf post-Ryder Cup including a T7 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. For the Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, his season is off to a good start as well, including a T25 finish last week at the CJ Cup.

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Since the event is being contested in Japan, play will kick off Wednesday evening, with the first tee times starting at 7:30PM Eastern Time. This is sure to be an exciting event with lots of drama and great golf.

Stay tuned for our Weekend Update post to see the storylines heading into the weekend,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Rory McIlroy Wins 2021 CJ Cup

Rory McIlroy wins the 2021 CJ Cup; his 20th PGA Tour win (image: Getty Images)

 

 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - Things were heating up this weekend in the desert at The Summit Club, particularly for one Irishman.

Rory McIlroy has won the 2021 CJ Cup with a final score of 25-under par and a one shot lead over Collin Morikawa. This is McIlroy's 20th win on the PGA Tour and second this year after the Wells Fargo Championship in May. 

 

The Northern Ireland native is in his 14th year on tour; his win this week ensures he will receive lifetime membership on the PGA Tour, which will begin at the end of his 15th season.

A WEEKEND OF CHANGING STORYLINES

Heading into the weekend of the 2021 CJ Cup, the storylines were completely different.

As we wrote about in our Weekend Update article, Keith Mitchell held a dominant lead over the rest of the field and showed no signs of letting up. But this all changed on Saturday, when Mitchell carded a 1-over 73, on a day that saw scores as low as 62, shot by none other than McIlroy, and a 63 shot by Rickie Fowler.

McIlroy and Folwer were the main headlines heading into the final round, each with their own devoted fanbases and story; fan favorites of the PGA Tour and some of the nicest players on it.

 

Fowler, who entered the tournament on one of five available sponsor's exemptions, was looking for a resurgence in his career and a return to the elite level of golf he was known for. McIlroy, who was performing well this year, was struggling with inconsistencies in his game as of late. 

 

It was McIlroy who would make the most out of their final round however. He shot a 66 that included four birdies on the front nine and a birdie and eagle of the back nine. His eagle came on the par 5 14th hole, where he sank an incredible 34-foot putt after driving the green.

Fowler, on the other hand, was in the mix until a double bogey on the 6th hole. Another bogey on the 10th hole negated the three prior birdies he carded. Folwer would finish his round with a score of 71. Fowler's efforts did not go unrewarded. His T3 finish launched him from 128th to 82nd in the World Golf Rankings and is further confirmation that his game is in a good place. It will be exciting to watch Fowler this year and his ensuing comeback.

In the group ahead of McIlroy and Fowler, Morikawa was on fire, carding a 29 on his front nine. An eagle on the par 5 18th hole, concluded his 10-under round of 62, the low round of the day, and put the pressure on McIlroy and Fowler.

Keith Mitchell was not completely out of the mix. He made a back nine resurgence after four birdies to rally back to a T3 finish.

HOW DID OUR PICKS FINISH?

 

1) Dustin Johnson: T45 at 14-under

2) Marc Leishman: T38 at 15-under

3) Justin Thomas: T18 at 18-under

Not bad finishes at all. The top of the leaderboard was crammed coming down the stretch, with 13 players at or lower than 20-under.

***

That concludes our coverage of the 2021 CJ Cup hosted by The Summit Club. Next week, we stay with the PGA Tour as it travels to Narashino, Japan for the 2021 Zozo Championship. This is another invitational event and again will boast an elite field. 

 

 

Stay tuned for our picks later this week,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Keith Mitchell Leads 2021 CJ Cup Heading Into Weekend

Keith Mitchell holds an impressive five shot lead at 18-under at the 2021 CJ CUP
 

 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - The weekday rounds of the 2021 CJ Cup hosted by The Summit Club have concluded. American Keith Mitchell leads the tournament with an impressive score of 18-under and a five shot lead over Seonghyeon Kim, Jordan Spieth, Harry Higgs and Adam Scott.

Since this is an invitational event with a smaller field, there is no cut this week.

 

MITCHEL ON FIRE AT THE SUMMIT CLUB

Keith Mitchell is having himself a week so far in Las Vegas.

 

He started the tournament on Thursday by shooting 62 in a round that included ten birdies and a five-hole birdie streak on the front nine. 

 

A 64 on Friday saw Mitchell take the lead early into his round and soon afterwards a runaway was looking imminent.

All parts of Mitchell's game were firing on all cylinders, from making long putts, to excellent wedge shots when he found trouble, to impressive approach shots; he was locked in.

 

Mitchell even received praise from Rory McIlroy, who has been impressed with his quality of golf for quite some time now. 

 

 

HOW ARE OUR PICKS DOING?

1) Dustin Johnson: T55 at 4-under

2) Marc Leishman: T49 at 5-under

3) Justin Thomas: T28 at 8-under

Not too great, considering the field size. Johnson nearly carded an albatross during his second round on the par 5 3rd hole, which measures a staggering 606 yards. Johnson nearly holed out from the fairway from 283 yards, his ball landing on the green, then hitting the flagstick before coming to rest, inches away from the hole. 

 

The shot of the day however belongs to Abraham Ancer, who actually holed out for albatross on the par 5 14th hole, from a distance on 250 yards.

***

It may be looking like a runaway for Keith Mitchell. Will someone be able to catch him this weekend? Will Mitchell be able to hold on? 

Stay tuned for our summary article to see who has won,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews