THE PRIDE OF THE TIDE
Represents the NGL for Southwest Florida
The Southwest Florida team is recruiting players, sponsors,
seeking a home course and generating a local following.

              The National Golf League, (NGL) is a professional team golf league with representation in cities and regions throughout the country. Now in its third season, the veteran 12 teams from the Northern and Southern California Divisions will compete with 12 expansion teams from the Arizona-Nevada and Florida Divisions. With four divisions, the NGL will feature 24 teams for the 2007 season.
              Each division consists of six teams competing simultaneously in a Ryder Cup style of team play golf. All six teams are represented at each event. The NGL is a unique, offensive-oriented approach that encourages a competitive environment appealing to fans, and has been televised during primetime hours on regional networks. The NGL stage is a one-day, 27 hole match played on the same nine holes alternating three formats - best ball, alternate shot and scramble.
              The three owners, Tony Barrett, Joe Graca and Dave West have Midwest and local ties and share the same passion for the game and the vision for the fledgling league. Barrett, from Minneapolis has 30 years experience in commercial development to South Florida. Graca, also from Minneapolis, has a diverse background from running a tavern in Wyoming to managing oil fields. His recent success has been in the mortgage banking business and now looks forward to participating in the NGL as an owner, “I am excited to immerse myself with the Red Tide and the NGL, and it’s a welcome diversion from my routine. The NGL management team and the owners are a top-notch group of professionals that truly have a passion for the game and the NGL,” said Graca. The third owner of the Tide, Dave West, is a professor of history at Edison College in Ft. Myers. With the combined business expertise and diverse backgrounds, the ownership group is confident the Tide will bring Pride to the southwest region of Florida.
              Similar to other team sports like the NBA, NFL and the NHL, the NGL teams are funded and supported by the league and the team owners. Players compete for event purses and a $50,000 championship in Las Vegas. NGL Founder Bob Aube explains, “The NGL attracts top players because there are no fees and they enjoy team rivalries and camaraderie. They really want to support a new venue that has fan appeal.” With 24 teams, the NGL will provide a home for 300 aspiring golf professionals across the nation. In Florida, the season begins in September and will showcase six Saturday events from Orlando to Miami.
              Players are scratch or better and can be amateurs, however, 90% of NGL players are professionals. The NGL’s format attracts and rewards players who play aggressively. Owners and coaches almost prefer a birdie-bogey-birdie type of player than a par-par-par player, as pars do not usually deliver points in the NGL; you earn points by beating the other twosome with birdies and eagles. Red Tide owner Tony Barrett is also looking for the ideal coach. A coach must have organizational skills and possess the ability to motivate his/her team. He or she must be well-connected to the community and know the top players. Players and coaches can apply on the National Golf League website, www.nationalgolfleague.com and click on Players and fill out the Draft application.
              Barrett hopes to have a qualifier tournament, not to see who shoots low numbers, but more to witness personalities and team chemistry. Barrett explains. “In the NGL, team chemistry is everything, we want shot makers, but for the Red Tide to become successful, the players must mesh and support each other.”
              Interested business partners and potential sponsors are also encouraged to contact the owners of the Red Tide. www.swflredtidegolf.com
              In 2004, golf sponsorship spending in the U.S. has risen to $925 million, up from $855 million in 2003. Companies have confirmed they benefit by displaying their corporate or brand names on event signs, publicity, equipment, programs, uniforms, and / or promotional material.
              According to a Sports Business Journal survey, 83% of companies sponsoring professional golf were either satisfied or extremely satisfied with the results, more than football, basketball or baseball.
              According to IEG, (World’s leading provider of research on the analysis of sponsorship), “many companies are increasingly returning to sponsorship as a platform to build visibility and generate new business. Companies who take a strategic approach to sponsorship and corporate hospitality almost always see a positive return on investment.”

The NGL Format Provides Drama

              The National Golf League, (NGL) is a professional team golf league with representation in cities and regions throughout the country. Now in its third season, the veteran 12 teams from the Northern and Southern California Divisions will compete with 12 expansion teams from the Arizona-Nevada and Florida Divisions. With four divisions, the NGL will feature 24 teams for the 2007 season.
              Each division consists of six teams competing simultaneously in a Ryder Cup style of team play golf. All six teams are represented at each event. The NGL is unique. It is an offensive-oriented approach that encourages a competitive environment appealing to fans, and has been televised during primetime hours on regional networks. The NGL stage is a one-day, 27 hole match played on the same nine holes alternating three formats - best ball, alternate shot and scramble.
              The objective of each Team is to win as many holes as possible, as each hole scores a team point. Teams have the opportunity to score points over the course of three unique rounds of fast paced and aggressive team competitions. In each round, six players from each team – 3 pairs of playing partners – compete simultaneously against playing partners on each of the nine holes at all times throughout all three rounds.
              Playing partners that win a hole will lift and carry a black and white “Point Flag” from the green of the hole won to the next tee box. Thus clearly designating the winner of the hole. The ninth hole of the final round, (scramble) produces three points for the winning team and often a putt or a chip can determine the winner.
              The top three teams from each division will advance to the Championship and compete with other divisions.

The National Golf League (NGL), a new twist on the game of golf, is an idea whose time has come. Three years ago, inspired by the Ryder Cup and the FBR Open, the NGL began to develop a strategy for “team golf”. With the continuing popularity of the NBA, NHL, and NFL, why can't golf be adapted to national teams? Tennis and soccer have done it. Why not golf? Imagine your local professional golf team competing with other teams in regional divisions around the country, with TV coverage and a cheering group of local fans!
              Like any business, change is inevitable and must meet the needs and requests of the consumers. The integrity of the game does not need to change, but a shift is required to capture the interest of this new generation. It’s time to add some juice to the sport that seems to be of interest to many. Today’s generation of 18-35 year olds may support a new venue that emulates the enthusiasm of the crowds attending the FBR Open in Phoenix. The FBR tournament attracted 507,000 fans this year, many who congregate on the infamous 16th hole…the party hole. The atmosphere is unlike any in golf history and the television announcers remarked, “this is the future of golf.”
              The NGL is taking the intense competitive nature of professional team golf to a new level and creating a new kind of atmosphere for golf, one that demands respect, but also encourages fan emotion and outward enthusiasm....especially on our 9th hole! The NGL is the front runner in the emerging team golf sports marketplace.
              Eighteen teams have been sold around the country and the NGL has received requests for teams in other regions including Texas, Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic states.

NGL Team Ownership Opportunity
•              Own the rights to your team and region
•              Receive total revenue of your event
•              Obtain and retain sponsorship dollars
•              Witness your team's equity increase (over 300% in the last two years)
•              Benefit from the NGLgame - a reality based fantasy team golf, online real-time scoring that will allow for instant online scoring and stat updates during NGL tournaments.
•              Own shares of the NGL
•              Own a piece of a new, futuristic twist on the great game of golf.