Denny Hepler has been around the golf industry for most of his adult life and has seen – and done – quite a bit. . He played his collegiate golf at Ball State University before transferring to Florida State University where he was a First Team All-Conference selection, he advanced to three NCAA finals during his college career. Denny turned pro in 1978, obtained his PGA card in 1986, and rose quickly up the world rankings, ultimately reaching No. 158. He was also the first American to win the Malaysian Open in 1982. Denny played on the PGA TOUR and…
Author: David Theoret
David Theoret
The Golfin’ Guy aka David (or Dave, but never Davey) Theoret grew up in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, where it was naturally assumed he would play hockey. Beginning at the age of 3 and continuing into his late 30's, he did just that. However, after one too many pucks to the head, he realized that golf was a lot easier on the body and took the game up. Whoever said hockey players were slow? Since that time, golf has become his passion – just ask Belinda. From 2003 until 2009, David ran the sales and marketing department of TravelGolf Media and took his team to over $1M in annual advertising revenue. While at TravelGolf, an editor told him he had a flair for writing and the lightbulb came on. He started writing articles about anything golf related: courses, destinations, resorts, shoes, apparel, equipment and training aids and sending them to websites and magazines. At first, his articles were picked up by a few golf websites and magazines, but the number steadily grew – enough that he could call it a career. Most days he’s on a course somewhere, either working or playing. Actually, to him playing IS work. Occasionally you’ll find him on the practice range reinforcing bad habits. David plays to a 12 handicap - unless there is money involved in which case it goes considerably higher. He currently resides in Lakeland, FL with his wife Belinda and their two "kids", Louie and Molly.
Calvert Crossing Golf Club is a private golf club located in the Calvert Estates community of West Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, and is one of the best conditioned private golf courses west of Monroe. This 18-hole championship golf course was co-designed by the late Tim Zimmerebner and Jack Nicklaus protégé, John Floyd, and has been carved through the rolling hills of Calhoun. It is considered by members and visitors to offer not only a challenging round of golf but also a serene and pleasant walk in the woods. From the back tees, Calvert Crossing plays 6.807 yards, with a course rating…
Millions of golfers each year flock to the Sunshine State to play golf. From Destin in the Panhandle to Key West, the year-round warm weather makes Florida a golfer’s paradise. While there are great courses to be found all over the state, the Orlando area seems to be the most popular among golf travelers. In addition to some fantastic golf courses, there’s a lot to do off of the golf course. One of the areas that seem to be overlooked is St. Augustine, which in my opinion has the most to offer golfers: World Golf Village. World Golf Village is…
When you’re thinking about where to go on your next golf vacation, Fort Wayne isn’t likely to be top of your list. But if you live in the upper Midwest, maybe it should be. There are no less than 25 courses in the area that are open to public play and several of the top tier courses have been packaged together by Great Indiana Golf, which operates out of Cobblestone Golf Club in Kendallville, IN. Here are three “must-play” courses when you’re in the area. Cobblestone is one of those elite courses I was talking about. The course has been…
I recently had the opportunity to visit Terri Pines and play the course with Barry McGriff, whose family built and owns the course. As we played our way around the course, Barry gave me some of the history of the course and shared some interesting stories. It was Barry’s father Bert McGriff, who originally bought the land and built the course back in the early 1980s. I had the opportunity to meet Bert and he struck me as a man who doesn’t half-do things. With Barry, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the family tree and owning and managing…
Located in the Mississippi Delta, 30 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, the town of Tunica, MS is truly a “rags to riches” economic development success story. For years Tunica was recognized as the most impoverished city in the country; the neighborhood known as “Sugar Ditch Alley” was recognized as America’s most deprived neighborhood. That all changed in the early 1990s when the casino industry hit the area and legalized gambling put Tunica on the map. Tunica quickly became the third-largest gaming destination in the United States, trailing only behind Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Currently, there are 6 casinos in…
Arthur Hills left nothing on the drawing board when he designed The Virtues Golf Club in Newark, Ohio a mere 40 miles from downtown Columbus. Up until 2016, The Virtues was known as the Longaberger Golf Club; on your way odds are you’ll drive by the abandoned basket-shaped office building that was once home to the world-renowned basket company. The Virtues Golf Club is the top-ranked public course in Ohio and #73 in Golf Digest’s 2019-20 list of America’s Greatest Public Courses. In 1999 Virtues hosted Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf featuring Dottie Pepper and Karrie Webb; they also hosted…
Seminole Lake Country Club has a long and storied history. Back in 1911, William Cunningham moved his family to the St Petersburg area from Fletcher, North Carolina. The Cunninghams opened a hardware and grocery store on Central Avenue that from all indications was very successful. In the early 1930’s William’s son Howard was able to purchase a 300-acre piece of property west of St. Petersburg with some of the profits from their successful business ventures. The property was named Pine Ridge Farm and became a working cattle ranch with all of the family members contributing to its operation. Because it…
In the early ’70s, Columbus Ohio native Jack Nicklaus was winning all of the major tournaments and the golf industry was on the verge of a boom. The Southern Stark County and Northern Tuscarawas in the Central Ohio area needed a high end, top quality public golf course to capitalize on the golf momentum. In 1973, the Frank family envisioned what could be and took up the challenge. One of the Frank brothers was an experienced land surveyor with the government and identified a piece of land on the edge of Zoar Village. A second brother was in the finance…
Golftini’s Traveler Pull-On Stretch Skort will get you moving! The Medallion print may be just like your golf game, bold and beautiful. The Medallion navy and yellow print golf skirt features a soft 4-way stretch fabric that moves with you whether you’re on the course, at the office and wherever your travels take you! The 18” length and 3” contour stretch waistband create a slimming silhouette and the hidden tee pocket in front and large scorecard pocket in back are pure ladies golf. The Navy & Yellow Medallion Pull-On Stretch Skort is available in sizes XXS – XXL Golftini’s favorite…