It was a big weekend for two golfers with roots in Southern California.
    Collin Morikawa, who played golf at La Canada High School in La Cañada Flintridge, became the third-youngest player in history to win the PGA Championship with an impressive two-shot victory today at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
    In only his second major championship appearance, Morikawa shot a final-round 64, the lowest final-round score for a PGA champion. The former leader of the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Morikawa began his professional career with 22 consecutive made cuts, the second-longest streak to start a career since Tiger Woods, who had 25.
    Shortly before Morikawa hoisted the Wannamaker Trophy, Irvine resident Rose Zhang won the second-longest final in U.S. Women’s Amateur history with a victory over fellow Southern Californian and reigning champion Gabriela Ruffels, a Trojan on the USC golf team who plays out of Rolling Hills Country Club.
    Zhang, 17, secured the victory at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland, when Ruffels’ putt on the 37th hole lipped out.

    Woodland Hills Country Club, a 95-year-old William Bell Sr.-designed track located in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains in the west San Fernando Valley, has a new general manager.
    Ron Banaszak, who previously served as the chief operating officer at The Fountaingrove Club in Santa Rosa, will oversee all elements of Woodland Hills CC from golf operations, agronomy, and sales/marketing to food & beverage and fitness club operations. Banaszak’s career has included leadership roles at St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, Long Beach Yacht Club in Long Beach, Glendora Country Club in Glendora and Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Corona Del Mar.

   With the PGA Championship taking place at San Francisco’s city-owned TPC Harding Park earlier this month, there’s been a lot of buzz in the golf world surrounding the merits of municipal golf courses.   
​   And after coming across a recent piece from golf.com's Josh Sens spotlighting 14 of the best municipal golf courses you can play in the United States, it’s easy to see why. As Sens puts it about his picks…

    Increased flexibility, improved strength, better balance and sharper focus are just a few of the benefits a yoga routine can bring to your golf game.
   You can find out for yourself as Tijeras Creek Golf Club in Rancho Santa Margarita is offering a yoga and golf instruction class on Saturday, August 15, at 9 a.m.
    The class includes a 45- to 60-minute yoga session, followed by refreshments and a stint on the driving range in which participants receive instruction from the club’s staff of golf professionals. The sessions are open to men and women of all ages and abilities.
    “Yoga fits in nicely with golf, because among many other benefits it can help your game with the breathing and focus that’s required,” said Bethany Coe, Tijeras Creek's Retail Merchandising Manager and a regular yoga participant. “It’s fun to tie the two together.”

​   Singing Hills Golf Resort at Sycuan has a great idea to help golfers cool off after their round.
  The resort’s Swing and Swim special begins Sunday, August 2, and offers golfers complimentary admission to Retreat Pool and Cabanas at nearby Sycuan Casino Resort.
    After receiving a voucher in the golf shop, guests can take a free shuttle to Sycuan after their round - or before - and can take a dip in the pool, float in the lazy river, or grab a drink from the swim-up bar.
    The voucher is good for two entries and is valid up to one week following your booked tee time. Singing Hills features two regulation golf courses – Willow Glen and Oak Glen – and Pine Glen, an 18-hole par-3 course.