Author Archives: C. Baker

Donate “Bogey Tees Off” to your local library

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Bogey Tees Off Book Cover

Go to scooterpines.com to learn more about Bogey Tees Off

Bogey Tees Off is a wonderful golf book for any child.  If you are like me, and do not have children of your own, I encourage you to buy the book and donate it to your local library.  I did and here is my story on how I came to love Bogey Ballton, a range ball who wants to play on tour.

Dottie Pepper, co-author of “Bogey Tees Off,” was giving an interview and her joy for her book was infectious.  Pepper spoke about “the lesson about being truthful” as a theme, the glossary of golf terms, and the autograph signature space at the back of the book.

She also spoke about her co-author and creator of Bogey Ballton, Scott Fuller and the wonderful illustrations by Kenneth Templeton.  Finally, I was impressed that a percentage of the book sales went to charities; including junior golf initiatives.  I had a fleeting thought to buy the book but felt it would be silly for me to buy the book since I could not think of any young child to give it to as a gift.

After the interview, I tweeted Dottie Pepper to give her kudos for the interview.

Image of Twitter Conversation with Dottie Pepper

Twitter Conversation with Dottie Pepper

The Tweet from Dottie Pepper was enough encouragement for me to do a search online for the book.  You can buy it at the major online book sites but I wanted to learn a bit more about the book so I went to the official website.  I decided to buy the hardcover book motivated by the fact I was supporting junior golf.

The book arrived and I took a few minutes to read it.  To my surprise, I really enjoyed the story.  The true sign of a good book from me is I want to know what happens next and that’s how I felt after reading “Bogey Tees Off.”  So I am hooked and will be watching for the release of volume 2 of the Bogey Ballton series.

I really wish my nieces were younger so I could give the book to them.  However, I refuse to be one of those Aunts that gives a gift that is based on my likes and not their interests.  My nieces are at the stage in life where music, movies, clothes, and boys are more interesting than golf  — which is just fine with me.

Later that day I was online reserving a book from my library and it hit me.  Maybe the local library takes book donations.  I searched the online book catalog for “Bogey Tees Off” and it was not listed.  So I took the book to my library, walked into the children’s room (which I had never been in), and spoke to the children’s librarian.

The librarian was a bit skeptical because she looked in her “purchasing system” and did not see the book.  I explained that Dottie Pepper was a famous golfer and this was her first children’s book, etc.  The librarian said she would need to read the book and get back to me as to whether or not she would be able to add it to the collection.  At first I was surprised (maybe a tad offended) that my book donation was in question.  But then I realized she had a responsibility to provide quality books to the children of our town.

After a number of weeks I was beginning to wonder if I would ever hear from the Librarian.  Finally, the call came and the news was wonderful.  The librarian said “This is a book I definitely want to add to the children’s collection.  Thank you for thinking of us.”  I felt so happy that she liked the book and it was now going to be available for kids in my town to read.  The librarian also reminded me that my town is a member of a network that includes a consortium of 42 libraries and anyone can reserve the book online.

This is a simple story about one small act to donate a book to a library but it also is one small step in helping expose a new generation to a great sport.  You never know who you will impact with a “small act of kindness” but it feels great to do something, even if it seems minor in the scoop of bigger charitable activities you do in life.

Take action and donate “Bogey Tees Off” to your local library. Who knows, maybe some child that reads the book you donated will decide to play golf and even go “on tour” one day.

Lydia Ko wins USGA Women’s Amateur: second-youngest winner at age 15

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2012 USGA Women’s Amateur Overview

There is no surprise that Lydia Ko won the USGA Women’s Amateur because she is the #1 ranked amateur in the world rankings (WAGR).  It is amazing that she has held the number one spot for over 40 weeks (and was 14 when she attained the rank).  She is another young prodigy poised for golf greatness.

The USGA Women’s Amateur is a four-day event.  The first two days are stroke play and the top 64 players advance to the weekend match play rounds.  Lydia Ko played Janye Marie Green, an 18-year-old American, for the title.   Janye Marie Green was ranked 14th in the world and moved up to the 7th ranked player after coming in second at the USGA Women’s Amateur.

Janye Marie Green did challenge Lydia Ko in the finals but Ko went 3 up to win the title.  The turning point in the final was late in the second round of the final day; specifically on the 24th and 25th holes.  Green hit a tree on the 24th hole ending up in a horrible position. Green tried twice to hit the ball back into the fairway.  She could not advance the ball and had to concede the hole.  On the next hole, Green hit a beautiful shot onto the green and looked like she might win the hole because Ko was still off the green. It was amazing to watch Ko chip in and make a birdie to go 3 up.  Green never got back in the match.

Age and the USGA Women’s Amateur:

If you read my previous post, “They just keep getting younger: 10-year-old Latanna Stone makes history,” then you know I believe there should be an age limit to compete in the Women’s Amateur.  So while watching the USGA Women’s Amateur, I tweeted the following:

Tweet about youngest and oldest players in USGA Womens AmateurAs you can see from the tweet, 10-year-old Latanna Stone missed the cut; but so did the oldest player Brenda Picardo (who was age 56).  Honestly, I was really hoping the oldest player would make the cut.

So once again, I want to highlight the power of social media because the USGA listened to the “twitter conversation” and answered my question.  The USGA first marked my tweet as a “favorite” (which gave me a hint that they might reply later).  The next day, the USGA did tweet age related information.  Here is the first tweet (after my tweet) from the USGA:

First Tweet of USGA explaining ages of remaining players

After I tweeted my age question, the USGA sent a tweet with age ranges

Now, the USGA did not re-tweet my question (which would have been nice) but they did provide the information.  The USGA continued to tweet age information.  It is interesting to see that the average age kept dropping with each round of golf.

Note: To read a tweet stream (in chronological order) go from bottom to top — or 9 Aug to 11 Aug

USGA Tweets age information for Women’s Amateur

Although the tweets do not mention it, Jayvie Agojo is a 26-year-old mother with a young daughter.  Agojo’s amateur world golf ranking went from 155 to 108 after the tournament.

Paula Reto is a 22-year-old who did not even take up the golf until 2005.  Reto was a member of Purdue’s winning team at the 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s National Championship.  After the USGA Women’s Amateur tournament Reto moved from 27th to 22nd in the amateur world golf rankings WAGR.

Does being a great amateur translate to being a great professional golfer?

The final tweet acknowledges Kimberley Kim who won the Women’s amateur at the age of fourteen.  I was curious what happened to Kim because I do not recall seeing her play in the LPGA events I watch (or course, not all players are highlighted on television).

To my surprise Kim has not had a successful professional career. The LPGA has a minimum age requirement so Kim turned pro after the age of 18.  Her LPGA bio shows zero earnings as a professional during her rookie year in 2011.  She missed every cut and it appears did not qualify to return to the tour.  According to another online bio, Kim did so poorly that the website, soulsisters.com stated:

“At Qualifying School in the Fall, she played so terribly that she did not even gain Futures Tour membership, let alone LPGA membership (her first round was an 89!). Presumably she is not ready to give up on pro golf, but exactly what her immediate plans are is unknown.”

note: Kim is American and half-Korean so that is why the website soulsisters.com, a website that follows Korean players on the LPGA, lists her bio.

As for Lydia Ko, all things point to an amazing future.  Ko has already won a professional golf event as an amateur.  In January, she made history winning the women’s New South Wales Open (Ko is from New Zealand and was born in South Korean).  Ko seems well grounded, plans to remain an amateur, and then go to college.

Do you think Presidents should play golf while in office? Vote now

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NOTE: Poll at bottom of page

On August 4, 2012, President Obama celebrated his 51st birthday with a round of golf.  Once again the press reported his golf game with mixed reviews — not reviewing how well he played but if he should have played at all.

This is not the first time President Obama has been criticized for playing golf.  In June, The President hit a mile-stone, playing 100 rounds of golf while in office.  It should be noted the round in June was played on father’s day.  When I first saw that he had played so many rounds I was surprised.  It certainly seemed excessive.

Why did I think it was excessive?  Because I based it on my own experience. I don’t know anyone that plays that much golf (which might be because I live in New England and we only have a few good months each year to play).  I also know that for the average golfer it takes a lot of time (we play public courses and it can be quite slow on the weekend).  Also, most golfers in their 40’s and 50’s have families and busy lives that don’t accommodate that much time on the course.

Setting aside my personal experience with golf, I asked myself — “Do I have an issue with the President playing golf while in office?”  My answer: No.  I don’t have an issue with the President of the United States playing golf while in office.  My reason is that everyone, even the President of the United States, has a right to “relax and recharge” in whatever way they choose.  Every president seems to be criticized for how they spend their “free time.”  I recall President Bush was criticized for taking too many trips to Texas.  Of course, I use the term “free time” loosely because I think a President is always “on the job.”

If you are wondering if Obama has played the most rounds of golf while President, the answer appears to be no.  In my search for other recorded rounds of golf for Presidents in office, I found two Presidents with more time on the links.  Woodrow Wilson is reported to have played over 1000 rounds. According to the Eisenhower Memorial website, President Dwight D. Eisenhower played 800 rounds (or about twice a week) during his tenure.  But these are not recent Presidents.

How does Obama’s 100 rounds compare to recent Presidents?  It has been reported that President Clinton played 80 rounds of golf and President George W. Bush only 24 rounds.  Of course, in 2003, President Bush cut back on playing during his presidency because of the war (see Politico Bush Interview.)

According to article by Martin Davis about Golf and American Presidents at CNN.com, Obama is “on par” with Clinton and Eisenhower.  In general I do not have a problem with Presidents playing golf while in office; but I think they should be mindful of how much golf they play (especially if the country is facing a crisis).

What do you think?  Take the poll and let me know if you think a sitting President should play golf while in office.

 

Update: As of August 18, 61% of people that took my poll think it is o.k. for the President to play golf.

Golf Poll results 8/18/12

Team Competition and Amateurs should be part of Golf in the 2016 Olympics

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This week with the Summer Olympics in full-swing there are some great articles being written about golf returning to the Olympics (Rio 2016).  The article written by Brent Kelley titled “What Will the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Golf Tournaments Look Like” provides an easy to understand explanation and a list of what the teams would look like if golf were in the Olympics today.

The essence of the article states that the Olympic format will probably be similar to the 72-hole tournament that is currently used on the professional tours.  This makes sense for individual medals.  The article also explains that the top 15 golfers (men and women, by professional world rankings) would automatically qualify; and that each country would be allowed two players (which accommodates countries with no professionals in the top 15). Therefore, at a minimum, each country would have two players competing (in the men’s and women’s events).  Some countries could have more than two players (for example, there are currently eight American men golfers in the world top 15.)

It all seems fair when you first read the details but two things popped into my mind.  First, why is there no team competition?  Given the popularity of the Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup it surprised me that team match play was not part of the format for the Olympics.  The Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup is USA against Europe, but I would think a match play format with all the countries playing for medals could work.  There is a strong probability that the USA, South Korea, or any of the other countries with the top professionals would win, but who cares because fans still get to cheer for their country’s team.  Team match play might even give a less known country a “Cinderella” experience.  Team competition is not unprecedented in the Olympics (e.g. gymnastics has both team and individual formats.)

The second thing that came to my mind was there is no opportunity for top amateur golfers.  It’s true that “amateur status” has not been an Olympic requirement for many years.  If you are old enough to have watched the Olympics before 1986, then you remember the communist countries that dominated the games because their athletes were not “amateurs” in the true spirit of the Olympics.  In 1986, the International Olympic Committee changed the Olympic Charter to allow “all the world’s great male and female athletes to participate” so professional status was no longer an issue.  But using the world golf rankings in 2016 eliminates the ability for the top amateur golfers to qualify.  It reminds me of when the “Dream Team” was announced for basketball for the 1992 Olympics.  Only one player on the team was a college star; the rest were all from the NBA.  I remember feeling sorry for the amateur players (mostly top college players) that had their Olympic dreams vanish when professionals were selected for the dream team.

I have no idea what the final format will be for golf in the 2016 Rio Olympics.  However, if I were on the committee to decide the format, I would suggest adding a team competition.  Also, let each country add the top male and female amateur to their rosters and add a “lowest amateur” medals category.  This would be inline with the current golf “low amateur” awarded at professional tournaments today.

The Olympics provide the biggest stage in the world for sports. I think it would be a missed opportunity to limit the competition to 72-hole stroke play.  I vote for showcasing all aspects of golf — amateurs, professionals, stroke play, and match play.

They just keep getting younger: 10-year-old Latanna Stone makes history

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In June, 14-year-old, Andy Zhang became the youngest player to qualify and play in the US Open.  This week another young golfer makes news.  Latanna Stone, age 10, qualified for the US Women’s Amateur.

When I heard about Andy Zhang I thought he was too young.  I was curious what a few of the golf experts I follow on twitter thought of his age.  I sent a tweet and got a reply from Stina Sternberg, Senior Editor, Golf Digest.  Below is the twitter conversation.

Twitter conversation with Stina SternbergI was a bit surprised by Stina Sternberg’s reply.  I still felt that 14 was too young.  My opinion is that 18 would be a reasonable age requirement.  After all, the USGA has “age limits” for other championships (e.g. junior and senior events).

When I saw the news this week that a 10-year-old made the US Women’s Amateur, I said out loud (to myself) — “ridiculous.”  I have no doubt the young girl is very talented but I just don’t agree with a 10-year-old competing in the event.

You might have caught that in the tweet above, Sternberg said “If you qualify, I don’t care if you are 10…”  So imagine my surprise when I saw this tweet from Sternberg…

Stina Sternberg wrote a great article about Latanna Stone.  Sternberg explains Stone’s background and highlights the fact this young girl is home schooled and has a  “professional website”.  Sternberg suggests it is time for the “USGA to revisit its own regulations.”  Sternberg goes on to state that the USGA should have them “wait until they’re at least 14 to qualify for the U.S. Amateur.”  I still think 14 is too young but I’m glad to see Sternberg does feel 10-years-old is too young.

I know it is common for kids today to spend a lot of time playing and practicing their chosen sport.  My friends with kids spend hours traveling around on weekends to take the kids to soccer, basketball, baseball, and hockey games.  But, these kids compete against other kids.  I support all the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) competitions and the USGA’s junior competitions where young golfers compete against their peers.

So why the urgency to play in the other events?  Because the can? Only the young golfer (and the parents) know the real motivation.  I must admit I wonder if the parents worry about their child suffering from burnout or repetitive motion injuries (which could happen just when they should be peaking for a professional career.)

The bottom line is that until the age limits change these kids have a right to play in the events.  It’s impossible to deny the amazing talent they posses.  So, congratulations to these young golfers for making it to the highest level of amateur golf.  I just hope these young golfers get to be “kids” too!

Grow the game of golf by being kind to a new golfer

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In the past ten days I have played two rounds of golf  in which one of the other golfers was a new golfer.  At the first tee, new golfers often and nervously explained their lack of skill, sheepishly saying, “I’m just starting out, I’m not very good, etc.”

My response was to smile and tell them it’s a great day for golf.  I told them if they have any questions about the game, ask away — I’m happy to help.  You could literally see their whole bodies relax when they realized I was not annoyed with the fact that they were beginners.  I also asked them if they would like me to let them know if they are about to break a basic rule of the game or if they would like me to give them pointers on golf etiquette.  Both said they would love the help.

Now, for me, this is the key to playing with new golfers; help them relax and let them know we are in this wonderful round of golf together.  By asking them if they would like assistance, I am creating a win/win.  They agree to the help and I can offer assistance to keep me from going crazy if they do something truly annoying (like talking in my back swing).  I look at it this way, the more relaxed they are the better the chance they will play well.

Each new golfer had their own set of questions, ranging from how high to tee the ball to how to read a putt, but the most valuable tips I shared with them allowed them to keep up with the pace of play.  I told them that it doesn’t matter how bad they think they play; what they need to avoid is playing too slowly.  The advice I shared was simple:

  1. Don’t think too much about your swing.  Take one practice swing and then go for it.  If you take too many practice swings or stand over your ball thinking about all the things you learned, it will slow things down (and it will tire you out both mentally and physically).
  2. Be aware of what the other golfers are doing. Watch them hit the ball off the tee so that if they do not see where their ball landed, you can save them time finding their ball.
  3. Be ready when it is your turn — as soon as you see the other person hit their ball (hopefully from the fairway) be ready to hit your ball.  In other words, you can be thinking about what club to use and where you want to aim when they are getting ready to hit their ball.
  4. Pick up your ball if you are struggling on a hole — don’t take 15 strokes on a hole. If you are not in a tournament,  just pick up the ball and take it up to the fringe and hit a chip and putt.  No one will think less of you, and in fact, will respect that you are aware of the pace of play and making a decision that will keep things moving along.
  5. Always put your clubs between the green you are putting on and tee for the next hole.  Then when you walk off the green you can pick up a club that you might have left on the fringe and get your bag on the way to the next tee.  If you don’t know where the next tee is, ask your playing partner (as you are walking up to the green.)

The other area in which they needed a lot of advice was on the green.  Both of the beginners had putting lessons, but the lessons only explained the putting stroke, so we had a quick class on managing the green. Advice included:

  1. Make sure you have a ball marker to mark your ball — one of them didn’t even know that their glove had a built-in ball mark.  Always ask if you need to move the mark for someone else putting.
  2. Repair ball marks — I showed them how to lift the grass and tap it down with the putter.
  3. Tending the Flagstick — I explained they must remove the flagstick when their ball is on the green (or it’s a penalty).  If you can’t see the hole, you can have someone tend the flag.  I tended the flag, giving them little pointers, like if their body casts a shadow, stand so the shadow is not over the hole. Or, if it is a windy day, hold the flag against the pole so it does not flap in the wind.
  4. Never walk in between the hole and another players ball mark — explaining that you want to always know where the other ball marks are so you avoid making any footprints in another golfers putting line.
  5. Ask if you can finish out your putt. Don’t just assume you can “tap it in”…make sure your playing partner doesn’t mind if you tap in before he takes his/her turn.

Both rounds of golf where enjoyable and the new golfers were very happy when I left them in the parking lot.  I felt good about helping them and remembered friends that had helped me when I was a beginner.

A lot of seasoned golfers dread being put with beginners. This always amazes me because we were all beginners at one time, and let’s face it, on any given day our golf swing can let us down and our game can “look and feel” like we have never held a club in our hands.  So if you love the game of golf and want golf to grow and prosper — do your part to help grow the game of golf by being kind to a new golfer.

The LPGA’s Funny Girl – Tiffany Joh

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Another US Women’s Open has come to a close and most bloggers will be writing about the winner, Na Yeon Choi but I’m going to highlight a player that did not even make the cut — American golfer, Tiffany Joh.  Why?  Because, whether it is intentional or not — she is in the process of building a unique personal brand.

This year Joh is struggling a bit with her game and is 115 in the Rolex World Rankings.  However, Joh is a solid player and shows promise.  Joh won twice on the LPGA’s Future tour.  As a member of the LPGA 2011 Rookie Class, Joh had an excellent year with $237,365 in earnings and ranked eighty-seven (87) on the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings list.  Joh also had a top 10 finish in 2012.  She was second at the Navistar Classic.  Unfortunately for Joh, it was the tournament Lexi Thompson (Golf’s newly anointed “phenom”) made history as the youngest winner (at age 16) on the LPGA.

So what makes Joh unique?  The PGA may have the Golf Boys but the LPGA has Tiffany Joh.  She loves music and has become known for her music videos.  This week, the week of the 2012 US Women’s Open, she posted her most recent video on her YouTube channel (Just Your Morning Cup of Joh.)   The video is All I Do is Win (LPGA Remix).  A parody of the song, “All I Do is Win” by Ludacris.

Joh has had a YouTube channel since 2008 but she really got noticed for her LPGA video last year “Grip It” (a parody of Freak Nasty’s 1996 hit song “Da’ Dip”).  It’s amazing how she get’s her fellow LPGA players to be silly on video.

Not only is she clever and creative with music videos but she has a great channel title “Just your morning cup of Joh” and user name “CupofJoh” and has a cartoon-like drawing (self-portrait – I’m guessing) and uses it as her YouTube channel and Twitter background.  All creating a unique personal brand.

The one thing that surprised me is that her website does not carry this branding.  However, if you visit the website, Joh’s humor and attitude come through loud and clear with just a single page stating “You are a Nerd…Websites are for Nerds.”  Is she ahead of the curve or just representative of her generation who live on social media?  I believe it is the later.  After all, the websites of the big golf stars are supported by big sponsor money.  So Joh’s site may get an upgrade if she lands a major sponsor.

It’s not just that Joh is using social media but she is savvy too — do you think the timing of the recent video was a fluke? No way.  The US Women’s open gets more press than any other women’s golf event and Joh’s video was all over twitter (at least the people who tweet about golf).

As I mentioned earlier, Joh did not make the cut at the US Women’s Open but her sense of humor never fails.  Here is a screen shot of her tweet from the airport the next day:

Tweet from Tiffany Joh on Missing Cut at US Women's Open

If you are old school and think golfers should only get noticed for their golf achievements than Tiffany Joh’s style may not be your “cup of tea” (or joh); but I respect the fact that she has developed a personal brand that sets herself apart from all the other young female golfers on tour.

Men of the Golf Channel

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A few months ago I wrote about the women of the golf channel and it has been a very popular post.  I’m an equal opportunity writer so today I am focusing on the men of the Golf Channel.  I won’t be highlighting all of them (obviously there are a lot more male announcers, analysts, and TV personalities than women on the golf channel); so visit the golf channel website if you are looking for bios on Nike Faldo, Frank Nobilo, or other big name golfers now working for the Golf Channel.  Here are five of my favorite men of the Golf Channel.

Gary Williams, Morning Drive Host(1) Gary Williams – Anyone that has read my blog knows I am a fan of the Morning Drive show.  Williams has always been my favorite host for two reasons.  First, he has the perfect on-air style for an early morning show.  He has passion for what he does but he delivers it with a laid-back style.  In other words you would never call him a “morning shock jock.”

The second reason I like Williams is because he let’s his guest’s talk.  Yes, he has opinions and shares his views; but he also gives plenty of air time to other people joining him on the show.  As of May, Williams has been hosting without Erik Kuselias and frankly it is a better show.  I hope the Golf Channel executives keep Gary Williams and Holly Saunders as the mainstay personalities; while bringing on interesting co-hosts to “sit across” from Williams to discuss the days events in golf.

Photo of David Feherty (2) David Feherty — Given that I love Gary Williams because he is not a “shock jock,” it might surprise people that I like David Feherty.  His humor can sometimes be a bit overboard but I do love his on-course commentary and his show, Feherty.

I don’t really consider him a “shock jock” (although Ernie Els called him that in a Golf.com article).  He pokes fun at golfers and he gets away with it because he is “one of them” and he is also very self-deprecating.  It seems that most golfers take his humor in-stride and expect some good-natured teasing from Feherty.

On the other hand, Feherty does have a serious side.  On his show, he gave a heart-felt thank you to Tom Watson on the help Tom gave him at a difficult time in his life.  He also does wonderful interviews with other big personalities who love the game of golf (e.g. President Clinton, Donald Trump).

Photo of Tom Abbott

(3) Tom Abbott — Most folks that watch the golf channel these days will recognize Abbott as a co-host of the reality golf show, The Big Break.

Abbot does a great job on The Big Break but I really enjoy listening to Abbot’s commentary during LPGA tournament coverage.  I will admit that I do like his English accent but what I really enjoy is his enthusiasm for what he is witnessing on the course. It really adds to the viewing experience.

Photo of Jerry Foltz

(4) Jerry Foltz – Foltz is another on-course reporter that I enjoy when watching the LPGA on the golf channel.  He also does other golf tours (as does Tom Abbot).

I became an even bigger fan of Foltz when he co-hosted Morning Drive with Gary Williams.  If the golf channel executives feel they must put another permanent co-host on the show, I would encourage them to give the job to Jerry Foltz.

The reason I like Foltz is that he has a good sense of humor and the chemistry between him and the rest of the cast; especially Gary Williams, is great.  Foltz and Williams give each other a bit of a ribbing (e.g. like brothers) and it can be very funny.  Foltz has also hosted the show when Williams is on vacation; and like Williams, his personal style is great for a morning show.

Photo of Jason Sobel

(5) Jason Sobel – Sobel is technically not a “TV personality” on the Golf Channel. He is a Senior writer on GolfChannel.com but often appears on The Grey Goose 19th-hole as a panel expert and on Morning Drive as a guest analyst.

But the reason I really love Jason Sobel is because of his tweets. I’m not the only one that enjoys his 140-character commentary — Sobel has over 41,000 followers. Some might call him the “king of twitter for the golf channel,” but Feherty might want that crown given he has over 138,000 followers.  I would argue that folks are following Feherty for outrageous comic relief.  If you follow Sobel, you get clever, often funny, informative golf tweets.

It was tough to pick my top 5 because there are other men of the golf channel I really enjoy and provide excellent commentary; including Brandle Chamblee, Tripp Isenhour, and Charlie Rymer.  I have not listed any of the golf instructors on the Golf Channel (that’s a topic for another blog post) but if you want to check out the top shows you should watch School of Golf with Martin Hall and The Golf Fix with Michael Breed.

Don’t see your favorite Golf Channel guy listed?  Leave a comment on who you like and why.

The Legends of the LPGA still got game!

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This weekend my friends and I decided to take a road trip to Maine to see the Legends of the LPGA.  I was excited to see Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley, Val Skinner, Hollis Stacy, and all the other LPGA golfers; after all, I grew up watching these ladies on TV!

We arrived at the course just as Pat Bradley and Christa Johnson were coming to the 10th tee.  Obviously, living in New England, we were excited to see Pat Bradley so we decided to follow her group for a few holes.  Bradley had a tough first round score 78 (6 over par); and in the second round was 2 over for the day when she came to the 10th.  But the great thing was she was smiling and friendly.  In fact, as she walked off the green (after a bogey) she spoke to us and said “It’s a tough day at the office today.”  I thought to myself, I’d smile too if this was my office!

We walked with Bradley for two more holes and then walked over to the 16th tee to wait for Nancy Lopez and Donna Caponi to arrive.  I was so excited to see Nancy Lopez.  We were sitting on the bench by the tee box and Nancy drove by us in the cart and said “Anybody got a birdie I can buy?” and gave us that famous smile.  Nancy was also not playing well.  She shot a first day score of 83 and was struggling again on Sunday.  I’m happy to report she did par the 16th (par 3) hole we saw her play.

A funny thing happened, my friend has Nancy Lopez golf clubs and she noticed that Nancy was playing with Titelist clubs.  My friend announced to us — “She doesn’t play her own clubs” (I must admit I was hoping Nancy did not hear her because we were not too far from Nancy sitting in her cart.)  As we were walking to the 16th green a man came up to us and explained that Nancy doesn’t play her clubs because they are designed and manufactured for beginner and intermediate golfers and so they do not fit a professionals game; and then he walked on.

We met up with the man again at the next hole and I took the opportunity to thank him for his insight.  He said he usually doesn’t interject but felt compelled this time. I asked him if he worked with Nancy.  He said “No, I’m her boyfriend.”   I asked him what was wrong with Nancy’s knee (she was wearing a black brace).  He said “Her knee is basically bone on bone and it’s been that way for years.  It is hurting her today.”  Then we stopped talking because Nancy was about to putt.  O.K., I must admit — it was fun to talk to Nancy Lopez’ boyfriend.

We watched Lopez and Caponi tee off the 18th hole and then we walked across the cart path to the 10th hole.  We camped out at the green for the 10th hole to watch the next 10 groups come by (and we could easily walk over to the 18th tee to see the early groups coming to tee off on 18).

As we sat and watched the players putt on the 10th hole I said to my friend that the hole location must be really tough because we have seen player after player miss their putts.  Then came the group with Sherri Turner and Val Skinner. They both started the day at one under par.  Sherri Turner shot a 32 on the front nine holes and was now 5 under par and leading the tournament.  Turner hit a beautiful shot on to the green and birdied the hole.  I said to my friend, she is the only player we have seen birdie this hole so I think she will win today.

After watching all the groups on the 10th hole we headed to the 18th green to see everyone finish. See the slide show at the end of the post — it has a photo of Sherri Turner putting for the win!  Her final score was 6 under par.

We watched the award ceremony and it was wonderful to see Sheri Turner so happy.  Below is a great video of her speaking about the win (she states many of the things she said when she was accepting her trophy.)  What is thrilling for me is Turner talks about the birdie on the 10th hole and how it was a big deal for her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vnJWErZRi8E

My only expectation in attending the tournament was to enjoy a warm summer day in New England and to see some great golf.  What I did not expect was the interaction with these famous golfers.  There were no ropes (expect on the 18th green).  I did not expect the players to talk to us or stop to take a photo with an eager fan in the middle of their round (my friend got a picture with one of her favorite players).  It is clearly a more relaxed tour then the PGA or LPGA (where the players are still making their mark in their sport.) Although these “legends” do not have to interact with the fans, it is wonderful that they are so open and it is a great service to the game of golf.

If you love golf, have a non-golfer friend you want to introduce to golf, or a child interested in golf — go to a  Legends of the LPGA tour event.  It will be a relaxed and fun day for everyone. I know my friends and I will remember our visit to Maine.  Finally, here are some photos taken at the event. Photos taken with my iPhone…

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Karen Palacios-Jansen delivers a fun and informative online golf class

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The Golf Channel Program, Morning Drive, is one of my favorite shows and that is where I first saw Karen Palacios-Jansen providing tips to improve one’s golf game.  I loved the combination of swing tips and off-course exercises Karen provided and thought it would be great if I could find someone like her (golf pro and certified personal trainer) locally.  Well, now I don’t have to look because I can work with Karen online.  Yes, from the comfort of my own home, I can work with a LPGA teacher of the year.

At first I was skeptical when I saw that Karen was providing online golf instruction via the web. I have participated in plenty of online courses but they did not involve any physical activity.  I was curious to see if it would be possible to create the interaction of a face-to-face golf lesson or workout session online.  Here is what I experienced:

The Technology for the Class

I did not recognize the website, Powhow and so I read the “about us” section of the site, the terms & conditions, and the refund policy. The company is new and their focus is providing great technology for online classes.  The terms were fairly standard and I was pleased to see the refund policy was in plain English and seemed very reasonable.  Please make sure you read the terms and policies anytime you use a website for the first time.

It was easy to sign-up and email reminders were sent with technical requirements and instructions on how to log-in.  The day before the class, I did go to the website, speedtest (provided in my reminder email) to test my internet speed.  It was easy to do and it put me at ease knowing my internet access exceeded the speed requirements.

The day of the class, I just opened the email reminder and clicked on the link for the class. When I arrived on the landing page, I chose to log-in via Facebook and it was fast and seamless. Within less than a minute I was online with Karen.

Any concerns about the technology quickly left me within the first few minutes and I was completely focused on Karen.  The image was clear, I could hear Karen clearly, and she could see and hear me.
The ultimate “thumbs-up” test was that I never had any delay in the video or voice transmission during the class. 
The Class:  Swing Essentials – Tips & Drills for Distance and Consistency
We chatted for a few minutes and I told Karen I had a shoulder injury.  Karen began the class and it was easy to follow along.  Karen started off the class with a warm-up you can do before you play.  I did all the moves along with her and I could ask a question at any time.  But, given Karen’s expertise in teaching, I really did not need to ask too many questions.  It seemed like every time I thought “what should this feel like” Karen would say “you should feel this in your…”  I guess I could say she was reading my mind but I just think she knows her stuff.  When she came to an exercise involving the shoulders she paused and said “Catherine, you probably should not try this one.”
Karen went over some of the common swing issues.  One issue I have had is coming out of my golf stance. Karen explained the role of the hamstrings in maintaining the position.  I am happy to report that I have been doing the strength and stretching exercises she showed us and it has made a big impact on the course!
Karen frequently reminded the class that she can see us so if we were wondering if we were doing an exercise correctly, she could look at us and give us feedback on what we were doing. This is where Karen’s skill at verbal instruction comes into play.  For example, she can’t physically take your hands and place them on the grip for you but she can say move your left had a bit to the right.  That is the unique aspect of this class and what makes it better than a video. Don’t get me wrong watching a video is great but you don’t get feedback.
When I started the class I felt a bit funny standing in my home office doing the exercises while watching Karen on my computer screen but it didn’t take long for me to just focus on what I was doing.
I think a good sign that you are engaged is if the time flies by and that is what it felt like taking this online class with Karen.  I learned a lot and enjoyed the class; and was so pleased with what I learned that I got her iPhone App. 
Grade for my experience:  A
The class exceeded my expectations.  I don’t think it replaces my face-to-face time with my local golf pro but it is definitely a nice addition to the tools I use and lessons I take to improve my game; especially her insights on off-course exercises based on issues with the swing.  Finally, if you live in a cold climate and want to work on your game in the winter — mark your calendar to take an online class with Karen Palacios-Jansen.