GottaGoGolf February 2011 -- The online magazine on golf for women and ladies

rain gear I lost balls I hot chocolate I staying fit I maui

g n i v i v r r u e h s t a e w l u o f

g n i v i v r r e h t su a e w l u o f

February I 2011

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contents

∑ Cover story: Not everyone turns into a couch potato 8 Cover Image by LINDA DOLAN

ask: Garb:

Cool stuff to keep us warm and dry for all seasons 14

Shouldn't Laura Davies be in the Hall of Fame? 25

Guidance:

What to do when the ball disappears in the mud 28

and MORE: Our Gang: The Par Nones 22 Gotta Know: Avoiding winter rust 20 FITNESS: Balance your game 26 shopping: Drink fixins 44 STAR WATCH: Your golfoscope 48 2 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

GADGET:

Is TV coming soon to a golf bag near you? 24

contents

GOTTA GO:

Maui's golf scene warms the hearts of women visitors 30

REVIEW:

See how Arizona's We-Ko-Pa rates 39

19th hole:

Fortification with the right hot chocolate mix 40

CHEF’S special:

A hearty chili recipe from Gannon's at Wailea Golf Club.

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our GAME: Lynn DeBruin will golf for work. And, she says, so should we all 46 GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 3

GottaGoGolf Susan Fornoff

Publisher and Editorial Director

Nanette Bisher

Creative Director

Cheryl Stotler

Web Director and 19th Hole Editor

Jeanne Louise Pyle Advertising Director

Lynn DeBruin

Associate Editor

Emily Kay

Staff Writer Contributing Staff:

Stacee Brown, Cori Brett, Gail Rogers, Tim Ehhalt Contact Online home: www.GottaGoGolf.com Email address: feedback@GottaGoGolf.com Phone: 510.507.3249

For information about advertising partnerships and rates, contact Jeanne Louise Pyle at 425.329.3100 or email jpyle@GottaGoGolf.com 4 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

The online magazine for women who love the game

Staff

Susan Fornoff, the founder and voice of GottaGoGolf, has written thousands of newspaper and magazine articles in a journalism career that began at the Baltimore News American in 1979 and proceeded to USA Today, the Sacramento Bee and the San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle. She has had two books published, “Lady in the Locker Room” and “Northern California Golf Getaways.” Fornoff has covered the Masters, several U.S. Opens and a slew of PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events. She lives in Oakland, California, and plays golf on fair-weather Sundays with the Sharp Park Business Women’s Golf Association.

Nanette Bisher, of San Francisco, California, created the logo and look of GottaGoGolf and supervises design and presentation. Bisher most recently was Creative Director for the San Francisco Chronicle. Previous experience includes leadership roles at Danilo Black international design and branding firm, The Journal News, The Orange County Register and U.S. News & World Report.

Web Director Cheryl Stotler, of Calistoga, California, oversees the online presence of GottaGoGolf and supervises 19th hole coverage on food and beverage. She is wine educator on the Napa Valley Wine Train and has a history of success in the hospitality industry, including at Northwest Airlines, WaterBarge Restaurant (which she co-owned with her partner, John Coss), Tudal Winery and Lindblad Expeditions. Stotler can’t squeeze golf into her busy schedule these days, yet she continues to be a big fan of the game and its top players.

Advertising Director Jeanne Louise Pyle, of Seattle, Washington, builds GottaGoGolf’s relationships with partners and sponsors. She established Puget Sound Media Services after a career in publishing that included stints as Publisher and National Sales Manager for Seattle Magazine, Sales Manager for Pacific Northwest Golfer Magazine and Associate Publisher for Edible Seattle Magazine. Pyle, a southpaw proud of her booming drives, is thrilled to be back in the ad sales/golf game. Or is that ad game/golf sales? Either way, she’ll be in touch...

Associate Editor Lynn DeBruin, of Salt Lake City, Utah, conceptualizes, writes, edits and photographs for GottaGoGolf. DeBruin is a newspaper veteran who fell in love with the game of golf when she was just 10 while growing up in eastern Pennsylvania. Stints at the Rocky Mountain News and Colorado Avid Golfer took her to golf’s majors and landed her interviews with some of the game’s greats, from Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw, to rising stars such as Alexis Thompson and Rickie Fowler. DeBruin has an 8 handicap with two aces to her name.

Staff Writer Emily Kay, reigning club champion at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, N.H., tracks women’s golf news and notes for GottaGoGolf and aspires to become our equipment guru, diva and expert. Kay’s Choice Communications takes on writing projects in the business and tech worlds – her masters at American University was in public affairs journalism – but she’s an 11-handicapper who has embraced writing online for Waggle Room, National Golf Examiner, Boston Golf Examiner and New England Golf Monthly.

welcome

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The game is on

A note from the publisher, Susan Fornoff Last October 1, we welcomed readers to the digital pages of a brand spanking new magazine for women who love golf, produced by a highly credentialed team that has covered, admired and/or played the game.

In the months since, you have been welcoming us.

You had a few surprises for us.

One: None of you asked for swing tips About to tee off, from left: me, Sharen or lessons. (Could it be that you’re all Sylva, Anne-Marie Dugre, Sharon Rozic. that good?)

Two: You got a kick out of what we feared fort in our hot chocolate reviews and recipe might be a bit too edgy and spunky a voice. in Cheryl Stotler’s 19th Hole feature this (Does the word “stodgy” no longer apply in month, and find vicarious warmth in our our game? jaunt to Maui.

And three: You wanted more.

The golf course where I spend my Sun(Sigh, and thank you!) days, the Alistair MacKenzie-designed Now, here we are, with the first of our Sharp Park in Pacifica, Calif., probably 10 monthly issues scheduled for 2011 - a won’t be playable again until April. So I’m friendly little warmup in what might be certain my favorite round of golf this winter the most fiercely inclement month in most took place on Kapalua’s Plantation Course, of the country. We hope you’ll take com-

which goes prime time for the PGA Tour’s champions each January.

I had played the windswept, breathtakingly scenic Plantation Course in 1995, soon after I learned the game. I have disliked Ben Crenshaw ever since for engaging in such trickery on the greens that for amateurs, a two-putt feels like a birdie. My scorecard that day looked like a football season.

Now, on a Saturday morning 15 years later, I teed off with three of the regulars – Sharon Rozic, Anne-Marie Dugre and Sharen Sylva.

On some of the holes, their advice on where to aim seemed so outlandish, I said, “You go first.” Then, seeing, I believed them.

You’ll have to turn to the GottaGoGolf Travel pages for the whole story, but hold this thought: If you’re on a business trip and want to play a renowned golf course, call ahead and ask if you might be welcome to join some regulars – or, even better, the women’s club – for the day.

For women who love golf, there’s not just safety in numbers, there’s fun.

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 5

feedback We hear you Dear Readers, Several of you wrote to say you had trouble logging in to read the magazine. For the next two issues, anyone can read the magazine without logging in – we just ask new visitors to please give us your email address so we can let you know when the next issue is ready.

Fitness I Rules I etiquette I CouRses I equipment I enteRtaining

Premier

e iss ue

Our game needs help – let’s tee it up The sexiesT pros in golf? You Tell us WhY men love Bandon BuT We love Boulders fashion Tips: no-Bulk laYering

ocToBer I 2010

www.gottagogolf.com

Our publishing platform does use Flash, so those who would like to read GottaGoGolf on iPads should use the PDF version, though it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of our digital platform. Look for more advanced mobile presentation as the technology evolves in the months to come.

As for Kindle, we were planning to

strip down to a mostly-text edition until we realized that users of the more recent Kindles can browse on over to GottaGoGolf.com and look at the magazine in all its visual glory.

And as for print, we’re waiting to hear if you’d like us to publish an edition later this year.

– The Editor

Not too busy for this magazine First of all, you must understand that I don’t get to read for fun. Ever.

Seriously. I am entirely too busy and if I am reading, it’s for work. I discovered GottaGoGolf from an ad on Facebook.

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 6

What a revelation! Your mag was packed with interesting reading that I would swear was just for me. My pink golf shoe will never set even one cleat on a tour, nor am I the jet-setting socialite

who spends afternoons at “The Club.” I’m just out there with my girlfriends having fun whenever I can squeeze it into my schedule, usually whenever we can cut out of work early. Thank you

for this. I can’t wait to see more! If there is subscription in the works, sign me up. I will MAKE time to read this.

Andrea McCready Hannibal, MO

feedback

Please visit GottaGoGolf on Facebook, and feel free to tweet us @GottaGoGolf.

Email “Letters to the Editor” to: feedback@GottaGoGolf, and please include your hometown for publication.

Bandon Dunes turns on charm For our anniversary I gave my husband a couple of nights at Bandon Dunes in November. I just picked up the game three years ago and I’m lucky to break 100. I noticed you gave a recommendation to wait on Pebble Beach if one doesn’t regularly golf under 100, so I was wondering if I should bail on Bandon. I really like golf but I’m happy with bogies - I’m still working on my game and just enjoying the outdoors.

We did go to Bandon!

It was pretty great. Our first round was at Bandon Dunes, my first

tee shot went exactly where I wanted, and it was a blast from there.

We had wind, sun, rain and hail and while I had some frustrating holes, I ignored my score, kept golfing and had a really good time. I didn’t get any “what’s SHE doing here vibe.” I think as long as you take your game seriously and keep pace it’s a great place … beautiful too. I lost way more balls in the jungles of Hawaii than I did at Bandon. I would love to go back.

Sarah Hefte Portland, OR

Bring on a version for the patio

Boulder beats Bandon?

Not here

Absolutely loved the magazine ! Just finished reading all 61 pages at one time. Couldn’t stop!

Did have trouble getting to it though, as first copy wouldn’t open on my iPhone (no Adobe allowed!. So I transferred to the home computer.

As much as I loved the mag, I would have loved it more if I could have picked it up and taken it out to the patio with me.

Should there be a Kindle in my future?

I love the magazine, good luck!

Though I enjoy the Boulders, I want to tell you a little story about Bandon Dunes.

Last spring, 24 Olympic Club (San Francisco) women were welcomed there with...well... a-Bandon.

The staff bent over backward with pleasure at being able to serve women who appreciated all they did for us.

From shuttle drivers to pro shop staff, everyone seemed happy to see that Bandon Dunes is a place where women who love golf, golf and golf can go to play. The group res-

Chris Negus Danville, CA

ervations people were excellent and every detail was attended to, including all the dinners and awards banquet. Unfortunately we had to cancel the glow-ball night putting contest due to rain.

The designers of Bandon may have had men in mind when they laid out the resort but hey, what’s new in the wonderful world of golf? I hope that other women’s groups consider Bandon Dunes for their golf trip next year; it is well worth the logistical challenge to get there.

Erika Corradi San Francisco, CA

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GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 8

Snow in the UK doesn't stop hearty golfers from getting in a little practice at Castle Royal.

COVER Ode to the foul weather golfer What are you, crazy?

Photo / Richard Heathcote / Getty Images

By Susan Fornoff

My mother, Romaine, took up golf in her 60s and I know she’d like nothing better than to tee it up on her 76th birthday. Problem is, she lives in Baltimore and her birthday is Feb. 12.

This is not so much a problem for my mother as it is for anyone who would play with her. She has taken me out on the course in biting cold, with wind whipping the shag rug and blanket insulating our golf cart onto the frozen fairway. In summer she

stomps her foot in disdain when the rest of her foursome calls to wimp out of the next morning’s round because it is too hot or too wet.

Romaine is a gamer. She wants to play, rain or shine, snow or sleet, mosquitoes or locusts. She

belongs to a very tiny niche of woman golfers – diehards who are either so proud, not smart enough or perhaps just so in love with the game that they rival the U.S. Postal Service in hardiness.

“I have a charity tournament every year in October, and we’ve had to play in some pretty ugly conditions,” said Michele Poulos, whose Wilmette Golf Club is just north of Chicago. “We’ve played with the wind whipping the sand all around our legs, to

the point where we don’t even care about our scores anymore, it’s just about camaraderie.

“We’re dedicated golfers and we play under any conditions.

If I’m going to play, I play – because I know it could always be worse tomorrow.”

That seems to be a prevailing attitude for the female foul weather golfer – why not play golf when you’ve already set aside the cover continues > GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 9

Weathering the storm like a pro

10 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

weekly for tournaments. Get the card, you’re admitted to the week’s event starting with the ProAm, usually on Wednesday or Thursday.

Song led the way in December with a 6-underpar 354.

“Playing well in unfavorable weather requires a lot of patience,” said Song, 24. “Experience also helps. I have played in bad weather all over the world and have come to understand what it takes to get the most out of the round. Birdies are more difficult to come by and it is much easier to make bogey, so you just have to be prepared.”

Song and Canadian-born Alena Sharp, who also considers herself a foul weather golfer, haven’t found any sure-fire ways to weather the elements. Each says a good rainsuit is essential – with Song suggesting re-spraying the garmet periodically to maintain the outer water-beading properties – but that just about everything gets soaked on a really rainy day.

“It’s hard to keep anything dry when it’s raining all day,” Sharp said. “Before long you’ve got to play with wet grips. If it’s cold, I like long underwear and good Gore-Tex pants, with Underarmour on top, then a windbreaker and a sweater over the top.”

As for gloves, many players say they start with the Footjoy rain gloves, but, said Song, “I have tried a lot of rain gloves over the years and found them to be quite difficult to use. I just go through a lot of gloves that I regularly use.”

The one thing they have the rest of us don’t: a caddie to hold the umbrella.

– Susan Fornoff

COVER from previous page time in your busy schedule to do so? It’s a bit of a different psychology for men, who tend not to want to be called wimps.

“I’m shocked at how often some of the men will wear shorts when it’s freezing out here,” said Nathan Vickers, head pro at North Bellingham (Washington) Golf Course, who created the Frostbite League to challenge players in the Pacific Northwest to show their bravado. “We have a couple of women (of about 30 regulars) who come out every week. But most women are not as tough as these two, and, yeah, maybe smarter.”

Vickers offers a $7,500 prize pool and awards points just for participation – boosting business by an estimated 500 rounds a season. The league runs from October through February, except in those weeks when the course has to close to prevent damage.

“If everything is frozen solid, we can open, and you’ll see

photo / Scott Halleran / Getty Images

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ree Song grew up in Seoul and lives now in Orlando, so she felt a bit out of her element in the numbing cold and driving rain she faced under the pressure of LPGA Tour Qualifying School in December in Florida.

This “school,” in case you didn’t know, has no teachers – it’s all about finishing among the top 20 after five rounds to receive an LPGA Tour card that excuses players from having to qualify

cover

“Some years there’s a snow cover and the ball might take a dive and be lost.

Some years it’s all ice and if you hit a 90-yarder your ball will go three times as far. It’s a real equalizer.

You could be the worst hacker in the world and come out a winner.”

Photo / David Cannon / Getty Images

guys playing shots off the frozen lakes,” he said. “But you can’t stop the ball on the green on those days.”

FUN AND FRUSTRATION A frozen lake in the Poconos provides the setting for the more typical winter golf – not a fourmonth league but a one-day celebration. This year marked the 20th Ice Tee Golf Tournament, which is called an annual tournament although it is held

Bad weather makes good scenery on golf courses such as Scotland's Prestwick. only when Lake Wallenpaupack has frozen sufficiently to allow snowmobiles to set up a pair of nine-hole golf courses lined with Christmas trees.

“It’s a really fun day if you’re a non-serious golfer like me,” said Elaine Herzog, who owns an antique shop in Hawley, Penn., and has played in five Ice Tees. “The

diehard competitors that get frustrated, that’s pretty fun to watch.”

The fun includes a “closest to Wally (the snowman)” contest and a well stocked ice bar for the adults.

The serious golf, well, it’s elusive. Each player is given a colored ball and a map with the course layout, and is allowed to bring two clubs plus a putter.

The man-made lake has 26 miles of shoreline, so there’s plenty of

room for the holes, which can be as long as 130 yards.

“I usually take my 3-iron and my 5-iron,” Herzog said. “You tee off from mats borrowed from a local driving range, but, after that you’re on your own. Some years there’s a snow cover and the ball might take a dive and be lost. Some years it’s all ice and if you hit a 90-yarder your ball will go three times as far. It’s a real equalizer. You could be the worst hacker in the world and come out a winner.”

Herzog doesn’t really consider cover continues > GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 11

COVER

12 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Pierson also played in a forest fire once; another day she lost her new $750 prescription sunglasses playing in a rainstorm.

She seems to like the spirit that emerges when golf can no longer be played by the rules.

“In the snow, you don’t even bother to putt, you get to the green, take a two and that’s it,” she said. “But you’re out there in the fresh air, and there’s something so serene about a golf course in the snow.”

Pierson lives in New Hampshire now and admires the dedication of the Ladies Thursday Night League at nearby Nippo Lake in Barrington. “They play in thunderstorms and everything else,” she said. “I don’t think they had a night when they called it (off).”

That’s a tall tale, says league president Melinda Rigger, who said the policy is, “If it’s not pouring, then we’ll start.” She added, “And in the fall we’ll play in cold and wind, 30 or 40 de-

Alena Sharp considers herself a foul weather golfer, not that she wouldn't prefer sunshine. grees. Up here, you kind of have to play until the last dog.”

Even in February, the Nippo Lakes ladies have a standing tee time on Thursdays – playing virtual golf with a simulator.

Elsewhere, indoor ranges and golf domes protect golfers who can shovel themselves out from

photo / Hunter Martin / Getty Images

COVER from previous page herself a foul weather golfer; she probably won’t play again until May, when spring blooms in her region near Scranton, Penn., about 90 minutes from New York.

That would not be acceptable to Pat Pierson, who one year got her friend Betty Cruickshank to agree that they would play a round of golf in every month.

And their course was Elmridge, in Pawcatuck, Conn.

“We went to our course in January; it was cold and there were temporary greens on a lot of the holes,” Pierson said. “It started to snow but we teed off anyway and said we’d just play six. By the third hole, there was snow on the ground and it was coming down pretty good. But the time we got to the sixth hole, which was right by the clubhouse and so it was the natural place to stop, there was probably a good inch or two on the ground. But we were having such a good time we decided to play nine.”

photo / David Cannon / Getty Images

the Wii at home.

In those more temperate but very rainy climates such as Oregon and Northern California, a golfer needs great rain gear just to go out and practice. Companies make a wider variety of waterproof outerwear today than they ever have, though that’s not necessarily a response to demand by women golfers.

FROM GOLF TO HOCKEY Remember, on an icy or rainy

lot of cold weather. But once November came around, I played hockey.”

Sharp lives in Arizona now but still considers herself a foul weather golfer – a good thought to have when you’ve got to play no matter the weather to earn a paycheck. “I don’t mind playing in horrible weather, and I think a lot of players do mind it,” Sharp said. “So if you can just hang in there and keep it together, you have an advantage.”

The worst weather many of the LPGA players today recall day, most women would rather was any year at the British Open, be home by the fire with a movie where it can be windy, rainy or or a book. Sunice President Mark cold – or all at the same time.

Fletcher says his Canadian comBut to be perfectly honest, the pany is not reflecting any new best women golfers in the world trends with its introduction of would probably prefer to be by several lines for women golfers. the fireplace with the book – “It’s more a case where a lot most of them do not even belong of looks in our outerwear lines to that select few that include my cross over and can be worn for all soon-to-be 76-year-old mothkinds of activities,” he said. er, who, by the way, is doing her Said LPGA Tour player Alena best to guarantee herself a birthSharp, “I grew up in Hamilton, day round this year. She’s going Ont., so obviously I played in a to Florida.

GottaGoGolf publishes digitally on the first of the month, February through November.

Reserve your ad space by the 10th of the month! Here are some of the themed issues advertisers won’t want to miss:

May: GottaGo Travel June: Rules, Etiquette

and Manners August: Golf in Style And in November, our special wrapup edition features Holiday Shopping, with plenty of ideas for gifts and our own lists for Santa.

Email GottaGoGolf Advertising Director Jeanne Louise Pyle to hold your spot.

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 13

COVER

GARB

Foul weather finery mixes form and function Advances in technology have revolutionized the outerwear industry in recent years, so that we can find garments with lifetime waterproof guarantees. That makes a golfer pretty secure in thinking that today she’ll stay dry, whatever the weather.

Such wasn’t the case for the U.S. Ryder Cup team in Wales, however, and one might think Sunice is feeling the pressure for the Solheim Cup this year.

No worries, says Mark Fletcher, president of the Canadian company.

“A core theme for us is ‘science and style,’ and we seldom produce any garment not supported technically with science,” Fletcher said. Solheim Cup captain Rosie Jones has taken the lead for dressing the U.S. team in Ireland, and Fletcher says GoreTex will be the magic word for those uniforms.

The best news for Sunice, it seems, will be no news. The ob14 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

jective of designers there is to create garments that provide such easy fit, adequate insulation and superior waterproofing that the wearer forgets about them. With modern fabrics including soft knits that can be coated on the side closest to the body to keep the wearer warm and dry, bulk is a dinosaur and that swishy sound has gone the way of the vinyl 45.

“Our complete focus is on comfort,” Fletcher said. “And that means the absence of discomfort. The less you think about the garment on a technical level, the better. We want you to think about the design.”

Even with the lifetime guarantees on some pieces and four-year guarantees on others, Fletcher says the company gets “almost no” product back.

All the consumer has to do is follow the laundering directions.

Sounds like a good time to go shopping. Start at the corporate sites sunice.com and zerorestriction.com to see the online catalogs of two top manufacturers.

• The flashy Sunice Hurricane Rosie jacket ($400) from the Hurricane collection has all of the company’s weatherproof bells and whistles in Gore-Tex, with a lifetime waterproof guarantee – and a glimmer of gold trim. It comes with a removable hood.

garb

• Zero Restriction’s

Michelle jacket ($340) and pants ($260) emphasize the female form even while providing all of Zero Restrictions hallmark features – the “Rain Play System” that includes Gore-Tex for lightweight insulation and waterproof/ windproof protection, Motion-Tuned Technology for attention to the cuff, shoulder and back allowing a free swing, and Durable Water Repellent coating.

• The Zero Restric-

tion Backspin jacket ($110), which comes in four colors including Primrose, is an example of water resistance and windproofing with stretch.

• Sunice’s Evelyn

• Sunice’s Beatrice

• Must-have accessories for rainy or snowy days from Zero Restriction include the bucket hat ($42) and rain gloves ($19).

• Here’s logo-free

waterproofing for the anti-bucket golfer – Sunice’s Gore-Tex Paclite cap ($35) comes with seam sealing.

rain pants for golf ($120) don’t swish, have a four-year waterproof guarantee and come with back scorecard pockets.

Beatrice bonus feature: the Pro-Wipe club cleaner at the bottom of the leg.

jacket ($200) from the Tornado collection comes with a four-year waterproof guarantee, even without Gore-Tex. It’s made of FlexVent – a stretchy, quiet, soft knit – and contains all sorts of great rainy day golf features, including the chin guard and an in-pocket ball cleaner.

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 15

Cover

Let it rain

By Susan Fornoff

I

appreciated the warm gesture when my new man, a busy traveling executive in a tech startup, opened the calendar on his phone and made an all-day appointment: “Feb. 4, Susan’s birthday.”

I especially appreciated it because he knew that there should be golf for this birthday girl. And because golf on Feb. 4, in most parts of this country, comes with cold or rain or snow.

And because this man was not a foul-weather golfer. He was not even an enthusiastic golfer.

“Atlas” was, however, a powerful and competitive athlete, some 30 or 40 years past winning the trophies and plaques that still fill the “We Love Atlas” room in his parents’ house. He boxed, played squash, couldn’t resist a pickup 16 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

basketball game. He’d broken many bones skydiving, and taught the sport to others.

Friends who had seen his golf game told him he’d be breaking 90 in no time. But he didn’t practice and seldom made the time for 18 holes. The game seemed too slow, long and boring – and we golfers, he told me, were “a bunch of pussies.”

He especially hated the long discussions about which way a putt would break. Just get up and hit the damn thing, was his strategy.

The first time we played, he

insisted on coming up to the red tees to play alongside me, figuring that the playing field should be even. For most of the day, he’d tee off and then disappear to some distant woods or neighboring fairway, then miraculously arrive at or near the green and make a mess of things from there. I handled him easily but felt more pleasure seeing his grace and kindness on the golf course, with me and also the two strangers amused by our little competition. We started late, the pace was slow, the weather turned cold, it got dark, we stopped after 16 holes and agreed to a rematch.

Our next outing was by invitation to the country club of one of my golf buddies. Atlas and I had a tough time with our distances – the exclusive,

challenging course had no markers of any kind – yet, every now and then, he would make some Woodsian shot. I accused him of secretly practicing; he ridiculed the notion. I won, but our host encouraged Atlas to work on his game because he obviously had so much ability. nd then, winter approached. I kept playing, but every weekend Atlas had something more important to do. In January, a series of winter rainstorms battered Northern California, and my regular Sunday course was under water for the season. I was forced to the sidelines for the better part of a month.

I carefully considered the options for my birthday round of golf. Monterey and Carmel

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COVER

first tee, then lift-clean-place anywhere at all, and when it starts raining we will stop. he South Course, where the PGA Senior Tour used to hold its Transamerica tournament, played long but was in surprising condition considering all the rain we’d had. The greens: wicked fast and deceptive. My opponent: formidable and fun.

We had a blast, zipping around the front nine. On the seventh tee, he turned to me and said, “This is a perfect day for golf – not too hot, not too cold, not raining, not too sunny. Just perfect.” I got the birthday warm-and-fuzzies, so much did I want him to enjoy my day and my game.

On the 13th hole, a tough par 5 with a carry over water on the approach to the green, it started raining steadily. I needed five shots just to get on the green.

He was on in three. But I twoputted and, after a lame birdie try, he missed a 4-foot par putt.

Photo / Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

T could be welcoming. Cordevalle, a swanky resort near San Jose, appealed. But my guy was busy; I picked a destination closer to home, and booked the Golfer’s Dream at the Silverado Country Club and Resort.

The Golfer’s Dream, an annual winter special at this Napa Valley destination recently sold to a group that includes Johnny Miller, consisted of a onebedroom suite with golf for two at about $200 on a weeknight, paid up front and guaranteed.

The resort’s two golf courses have a reputation for excellent drainage, and there’s always the spa for rainy day respite.

We booked massages at 5 p.m. so whatever the weather, I

felt confident we’d have a nice getaway. That didn’t stop me from obsessively typing “94558” into Weather for updates. On the itinerary to Atlas, I e-mailed, “11 a.m. golf, 4 p.m. rain, 5 p.m. massages.”

Atlas kept reminding me he didn’t play in the rain. Or the cold. Or the heat. Not even on my birthday. When Feb. 4 arrived and we set off, I was convinced the rain would not wait until 4, so I hoped for nine holes.

An hour later, we were greeted with, “You must be the 11 o’clock twosome.” There were no other names on the tee sheet. We headed for the red tees under an overcast sky with our ground rules: Hit till we’re happy at the

“That’s it,” Atlas said. Hey, when the day began I’d have settled for nine, so I happily steered the cart back to the clubhouse.

By the time we got there, I’d done the math. We tied. Atlas was beside himself for missing the short putt on 13, convinced that he should have won. Then he lamented stopping – surely we could have played another hole, he said.

I trash talked him a bit, then we went on to enjoy a leisurely lunch, massages, a quiet evening together and a contented drive home the next morning.

The best birthday present came a few days later. “Got your calendar?” Atlas asked, whipping out his phone. “I want to plan another trip to Silverado in a couple of weeks.”

I’m thinking, this is much better than letting him win. As long as I keep beating him, he’ll want to play with me. So I’m heading to the heated, covered driving range.

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 17

SECTION

short game notes about the game's characters, quirks and gadgets Compiled by Emily Kay

New to you Charity event ‘skirts’ TWITTER controversy A rookie who hopes to play on the European Tour has parlayed a mildly sexist Twitter stunt into a proper charitable event that has the support of 2009 British Open winner Stewart Cink and LPGA Tour star Christina Kim (both Twitter junkies).

Jonathan Gidney, 23, teased his Twitter fans in October (official Breast Cancer Awareness Month) that when he attracted 1,000 followers he would play a round of golf in a skirt.

Gidney turned the slightly offensive joke into Skirt Golf, an 18-hole Stableford competition among golfers with handicaps no higher than 24 (men) and 36 (women) to benefit Cancer Research UK. Heavy snowfall in England forced Gidney to 18 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

reschedule the December event for April.

Each of 24 teams of four golfers will win an extra point for any member of its foursome – woman or man – who wears a skirt. Spectators are welcome to participate in closest-to-the-pin and longest-drive competitions.

Gidney has attracted top vendors to his fund-raising idea, with FootJoy and Kent Manufacturing Co. providing him with shoes and golf socks.

Indeed, with pink the official color of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Gidney will be a vision in pink-striped MyJoy shoes, KentWool stockings,Trion:Z bracelet, size-10 skirt and, yes, boxers. For more info, check out jonathangidney.com.

–Emily Kay Jonathan Gidney

-P-G-A Spell ‘grueling’: L

for every event Any player who shows up es a lifetime pass on this schedule deserv t, come to think of on her favorite airline. Bu ough miles for one. it, she’ll probably earn en

photo Courtesy of Jonathan Gidney; Golf Sense Illustration by Sophie Webster

2011 LPGA SCHEDULE

Feb. 17-20 ) nd ila ha (T GA LP T Honda PT Feb. 24-27 (Singapore) ns pio am Ch ’s en om W HSBC March 17-20 Cup (Phoenix) RR Donnelley Founders March 24-27 ) CA , try us Ind of ity Kia Classic (C h 31-April 3 ancho Mirage, CA.) Marc (R hip pis am Ch co bis Kraft Na April 21-24 ) ico ex (M s ria Ma Tres April 29- May 1 obile, Ala.) Avnet LPGA Classic (M May 19-2 2 J.) N. , ne sto lad (G y Pla Sybase Match June 3-5 oway, N.J.) all (G ic ss Cla GA LP te ShopRi June 9-12 (Springfield, Ill.) ic ss Cla rm Fa ate St LPGA Y.) June 23-26 Wegmans (Pittsfield, N. LPGA Championship by July 7-10 rings, Colo.)

Sp o rad olo (C en Op ’s U.S. Women July 21-24

ce) an (Fr rs ste Evian Ma July 28-31 en (Scotland) Op h itis Br ’s en om W h Rico Aug. 4-7

Imperial Springs (China) Aug. 19-21 e.)

Or , ins Pla th or (N ic ss Safeway Cla Aug. 25-28 (Quebec) en Op ’s en om W n dia CN Cana k.) Sept. 9-11 ampionship (Rogers, Ar Ch as ns ka Ar NW art Walm Sept. 15-18 (Prattville, Ala.) Navistar LPGA Classic Sept. 23-25 ) nd ela (Ir p Solheim Cu Oct. 6-9 nship (Korea) pio am Ch nk Ba na Ha LPGA Oct. 14-16 yasia) ala (M GA LP rby Da e Sim Oct. 20-2 3

hip ns pio am Ch LPGA Taiwan Nov. 4-6

n) pa (Ja ic ss Mizuno Cla Nov. 10-13

exico) (M l na tio ita Inv a ho Oc Lorena Nov. 17-20 Fla.) o, nd rla (O ers old leh Tit

Get your head out of your way You know you should take it easy on the golf course, but no one ever tells you how – until now. In “Golf Sense” (FrontRunner Publications, 2010), non-golfer Roy Palmer shares simple exercises you can practice at home to help dispel negative thoughts and, as he says in his subtitle, “play golf in The Zone.”

Why take advice from someone who doesn’t play the game?

Because Palmer does not pretend to teach you how to chip or putt.

Rather, the technique that he has honed over 25 years of helping athletes in all sports play their best, is more akin to taking yoga to the links than a new swing.

With tips from “Golf Sense,” you’ll learn how to lower your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and – lest you forget – keep breathing through every fluid shot.

Palmer wants you to consider

whether your results match the shots you make in your head.

Because the answer is probably “not so much,” the author seeks to help you simplify your game with a “less is more” approach that involves the “now moment” between thinking and doing.

Too woo-woo for you? I was a tad skeptical about Palmer’s approach until I stood on the tee during one of my last rounds of the season and consciously let my shoulders drift down from around my ears. Then I began taking slow and deep breaths. My “Aha!” moment occurred after striping my drive long, far, and straight down the middle.

– Emily Kay GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 19

short gamE

Gotta Know

Avert rainy day blues with these golfer do’s

3

It is way too icky out to play golf this month where I live.

What can I do to keep my game from slip-sliding away?

New England golf instructors Jane Frost and Seth Dichard have some ideas.

Dichard, who takes his practice indoors during the woefully long winter months in snowbound New Hampshire, believes you have no excuse for inactivity during the socalled offseason. “In fact,” he says, “it’s sometimes the best time to reevaluate your game to

help play your best golf this coming season.”

Here are words of wisdom from Frost, Dichard, and others about how you can stay game-ready despite the snow, sleet, and other unmentionables keeping you off the course: Because Dichard believes the best piece of equipment a golfer has is not a golf club but the body, he suggests you work

1

20 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

4

with a certified Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) trainer. He’s not alone in that opinion. Bob Forman, director of The Golf Fitness Academy at High Point (N.C.) Regional, recommends you start with “a physical (re)assessment with a TPI-certified golf fitness instructor” to customize a time-efficient exercise program to help you “target your specific problem areas and

maximize your outcomes.”

Do that, and you’ll “come out in the spring with a body that is ready to rock and roll,” says Frost, a perennial top-10 golf instructor. (Visit mytpi. com to find a certified professional.)

Work with a qualified instructor to improve areas of weakness. There’s no better time to improve and prepare the game for next season than the

2

5

6

photo / Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

Q A

winter months, when there are no tournaments, notes Dichard.

To keep muscle memory intact, hit balls a few times a month at an indoor facility (or outdoor range with heated bays). For better practice, Dichard suggests, rotate to different clubs to simulate a round of golf.

To improve your grip, alignment and posture, work on your set-up in front of a mirror.

While you’re at it, Dichard recommends you make room somewhere in your home and swing a short club to rehearse your turns.

Because your short game is likely to go south as the weather up north worsens, chip inside with ping pong balls. It’s a safe way to work with wedges and fun to watch the ball spin like crazy, says Dichard.

To work on your putting stroke and distance control, place

In Retrospect quarters at different distances on a rug that resembles the speed of a green and putt to each spot, says Dichard.

Better yet, putt to a dime. “In the spring the hole will look HUGE!” Frost suggests. Check out EyelineGolf.com for cool putting toys, like the alignment system with mirror and rail, and, Frost says, “you will be dropping putts like crazy.”

Don’t forget the mental game, Frost advises. “Visualize your greatest rounds” and check out books by Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson or Dr. Debbie Crews.

“If the mind believes,” Frost says, “the body can achieve.”

Don’t let your clubs molder in the garage. Change your grips at least once a year, says Frost, who recommends you do it now to avoid the April crush.

– Emily Kay

photo / Allsport UK / Allsport

7

8

No, no, it’s not ‘Hit it, ALICE’ When the PGA European Tour recently recognized the renowned Peter Alliss for his many contributions to the game of golf, no doubt the organization had in mind his years on the links as player, BBC analyst and course designer.

And why not? The 79-year-old Brit earned 21 professional titles, including three European PGA championships, between 1954 and 1969.

That’s more than a career for most golfers. Alliss, who collected his award at the group’s annual fundraising lunch in December, also won the national championships of Italy, Spain, and Portugal in three consecutive weeks in 1958, and appeared on eight Ryder Cup teams.

But here’s why Alliss deserves special mention from GottaGoGolf: He’s the “Alliss” of “Hit it, Alice!” fame. Yup, it turns out that over-used insult is not a sexist put-down, after all. It isn’t even about some woebegone unknown golfer named Peter Alliss, 1973 “Alice.” The slam, instead, Ryder Cup. Apparently not refers to Alliss himself. known as the world’s best About.com’s Brent putter, Allis beat Palmer, Kelly dug up a 1997 1-up, but somewhere Sports Illustrated article along the way badly in which Alliss described missed a 3-footer. how the term came to be “Someone snidely called synonymous with wimpy out ‘Nice putt, Alliss,’” putting. Who knew, after all these years, that it had the golf broadcaster nothing to do with a golfer recounted to SI. “I didn’t say the words myself, and not being man enough to didn’t hear who did, but club a dimpled orb into a they were certainly said tiny golf hole? and now are part of the It all went down during lingua franca of golf.”

Alliss’ singles match with So, now you know. Keep Arnold Palmer at the 1963

your head low, putt away, and whenever sexist jerks remark – and they will – “Nice putt, ‘Alice,’” set ‘em straight with a brief history of Peter Allis’ struggles with the flat stick. Bet you won’t hear that particular aspersion again.

As for all you Alices out there: Stop Alliss’ing around, and get the damn ball to the hole!

– Emily Kay

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 21

short game

OUR GANG

The Par Nones bar none– but, better hurry up and join if you want to play the Waukewan Invitational

Lucky for this loyal band of low-handicappers and oncea-year hackers who gather at New Hampshire’s Waukewan Golf Club, Ridlon and Langbehn worked it out and transitioned to a much simpler annual scramble.

In August they will host a “golfapalooza” to mark the group’s 20th – and final, the hosts vow – anniversary.

The tournament began as the final event of the season for the Par Nones – a group of about two 22 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

shame?”

Other Par Nones members chuckle about the blurb in a longago Wall Street Journal article dozen friends, including former that noted with awe that an orMassachusetts lieutenant governor Evelyn Murphy, who teed it brunches, holiday fetes, and Su- der of Boston “nuns” had formed up together in monthly golf out- per Bowl parties – love to laugh. a golf group. (This writer, a Par ings throughout New England.

Penelope Harrison, a Par Nones Nones charter member, set the How has a group of 50- and founding mother, recalls the reporter straight.)

Then there was the day – back 60-something golfers with time players dressed as nuns for handicaps ranging from single Middleton (Mass.) Golf Course’s when sightings of women on digits to the high 40s kept the annual Halloween scramble. the links were unusual – that a tradition going through bouts When Harrison lifted her rent- puzzled male player sized up the with breast cancer, the death of ed habit to dig a tee out of her group at Cape Cod Country Club a member, and numerous rela- shorts pocket, she heard a scold- and yelled, “Are you girls nurstionship breakups? These golfers ing voice from across the parking es?” across the fairways, send– who also gather for offseason lot shout, “Sister! Have you no ing the women (a couple of whom Val Langbehn, one of the Par Nones founders, gives a putting exhibition to the rest of the gang.

PHOTOs / Diane Kaczor

The first “Waukewan Invitational” golf outing was almost the last. Post-round arguments about tallying strokes under a scoring format unknown to womankind lasted into the night and had hosts Linda Ridlon and Val Langbehn ready to throw in the golf towel on the event.

short game

Penelope Harrison, a Par Nones founding mother, recalls the time players dressed as nuns for a Halloween scramble. When Harrison lifted her rented habit to dig a tee out of her shorts pocket, she heard a scolding voice from across the parking lot shout, “Sister! Have you no shame?” monthly outings ended, but the Waukewan Invitational lived on.

While all would agree that their get-togethers have always been more about camaraderie than golf, having their names etched on an old pewter dish with other tourney winners remains an important life goal.

Just ask Nancy Olt. Earning her way onto the honor roll after were, indeed, RNs) into hysterics 18 years, Olt took to doing snow and him into the annals of Par angels on the ground. “I was so excited,” Olt says.

Nones lore.

Which brings us to the InvitaAs some Par Nones left the tional’s 20th year. group to play more serious golf “Linda and I both feel that the or take up other diversions, the

Kissing the plate: That’s Diane Kaczor planting her lips on the trophy, surrounded by envious Par Nones including (front from left) Jill Rosa, Ivonne Eiseman and Kerry Dolan, and (back from left) Linda Ridlon, Val Langbehn, Tanya McCloskey, Andrea Sabaroff and Linda Guinee.

tournament has run its course,” says Langbehn. “It’s been great.

We’d like to quit on a high note.”

The hosts remain mum on what they have in store for the final round. “We’re going to do a few things differently,” Ridlon notes, with an air of mystery.

“That’s all I’ll say.”

– Emily Kay Know about an unusually fun, dedicated, resourceful or long-lived foursome or golf club? Maybe yours? Tell Emily Kay about it at feedback@ gottagogolf.com.

GLOSSARY: “Chili dip”

No, despite the Super Bowl coming up on February 6, the term does not refer to the favored halftime meal of football fans everywhere. Rather, it means a short chip or pitch that you chunk or hit fat, resulting in a ball that embarrassingly trickles only a few inches.

Why chili dip instead of onion or bean dip? No one really knows for sure, but it may refer to the “feeble scooping motion” of loading up a taco with a southwestern hors d’oeuvre, according to “The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms.”

Why not?

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 23

short game

Gadget

Coming to a course near you: Video golf bags

Just 88th in the world golf rankings, Bae managed to get some attention when her Tour Championship caddie displayed her golf bag, complete with a flashy front panel broadcasting sponsor logos, billboard ads and fullmotion video commercials.

In what some golf traditionalists may see as another sign of the apocalypse, and others as a natural and potentially lucrative next step in event advertising, Bae’s bag showed a series of ads pitching a local restaurant as well as the golfer’s charitable causes.

The commercials, intended for oncourse spectators and TV cameras, rotated every few seconds on the 10.4inch screen. Bae was the first LPGA player to use the ProBagAds’ system; PGA Tour pro Michael Allen debuted at the Travelers Championship back in 24 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

June.

And here’s no surprise: Everybody’s favorite Loudmouth, John Daly, will carry a custom golf bag for the entire 2011 season, according to Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick came up with the idea some 12 years ago when he played professionally. Real-world capabilities have only recently caught up with his brainchild. “The technology really wasn’t applicable to putting these systems in the bag without making it 50 pounds heavier than it already is,” Kirkpatrick said.

ProBagAds technicians tweaked Allen’s bag so the one that Bae's caddie carried had the screen situated lower on the bag for better visibility. It also weighed less, as battery technology had improved. Without clubs, the sack came in at a “svelte” 14 pounds,

Kirkpatrick said.

While one can only imagine the first time an iPad commercial pops up during Tiger Woods’ back swing, Kirkpatrick said the screen should not distract other golfers with glare or movement. It’s also up to caddies to place the bags away from players as they take their shots, said Kirkpatrick, who uses Wi-Fi capability to download ads remotely.

photos / PROBAGADS

When Kyeong Bae (bottom left) sported a Zonson golf bag equipped with a builtin HDTV monitor during the 2010 season-ending LPGA Tour Championship, she opened up a potential new market for everyday golfers. ProBagAds owner Joe Kirkpatrick believes that within the next year or two, weekend golfers will be able to link their cell phones with touch screens for all the latest apps, including GPS systems and mobile TVs.

Photo / NDREW YATES / AFP / Getty Images

Short Game Kirkpatrick’s system could be a boon for smaller and local advertisers who want to hook up with professional golfers, as well as for players who will have more space for endorsements than if they plaster their shirts with embroidered Nike, Callaway, Barclays, and SAP patches.

So, what’s in it for the everyday hacker – beyond being bombarded with more and more puffery? A $20 GPS app for your iPhone might appeal to golfers not wanting to shell out a couple hundred bucks for a range finder. But a boob tube maneuvering its way down the fairway? Hello, six-hour rounds.

“Having TV out there [on the course] seems like it would slow play down,” Kirkpatrick conceded. “But in certain markets people would be happy to watch football games while playing golf.” Rah rah!

To dispel visions of a whackedout Rodney Dangerfield squawking on the phone from his TVequipped golf bag, Kirkpatrick dialed back the crazy. “We don’t want to get into the ‘Caddyshack’ realm,” he said.

– Emily Kay

Gotta Ask

Just your everyday standards question Laura Davies, the 46-year-old grande dame of the English links, has more than 74 worldwide titles, including four LPGA majors, but only 25 World Golf Hall of Fame points.

That’s two short of qualifying – a mark for which Davies needs to win two more LPGA tournaments or one major to be inducted as an active player – and she does plan to remain active into her 50s.

Vote NOW

Should the Hall of Fame:

A. Change its criteria for an active LPGA player so that Davies gets in now?

B. Wait until Davies retires and then change its criteria so that Davies gets in early and subsequent players can set more reasonable goals?

C. Keep its standards high and make Davies wait to be inducted as a veteran, five years after retirement?

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 25

fitness Balance training

BELOW are balance test/exercises that all of us should be proficient in.

As always, there are ways to challenge yourself beyond these basic balance exercises by adding an unstable surface, such as a Bosu ball or wobble board.

By Stacee Brown, PT, DPT, ATC FORM Physical Therapy brownphysicaltherapy@hotmail.com www.formpt.com (415) 297-4113 GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 26

Single leg balance: Hold 30 seconds and repeat three times on each leg.

Single leg balance with eyes closed: Hold for 30 seconds and repeat three times on each leg.

Single leg balance with head turn: Turn the head to each side and repeat 10 times on each leg.

photos / Stacee Brown

The golf swing requires proper swing technique and mechanics, adequate range of motion, strength, and balance. Like most sports you must transfer your weight in a very specific way to accomplish the task at hand.

Each shot requires the precision and coordination of hundreds of different movements. Without balance we would all surely fall in the process of the swing. Which begs the question, does training your balance help your golf game? Most definitely.

short game

EQUAL TIME...NOT

Honey, isn’t this your day for baking and sewing?

On a recent family holiday, I stopped in to see a historic golf course in the lovely state of Georgia and had a pleasant chat with the head pro there. He told me he’d love to have more women join this rather elite private club.

Hmm, I wondered, do you have any restrictions on women’s access – times when they don’t have full run of the premises? “We used to,” he said. “But now it’s only on Saturday that they can’t play.”

Hours when most working people can golf in the winter:

0 0 0 0 0 9½ 9½ Monday

Single leg balance with trunk rotation: Turn the trunk to each side and repeat 10 times on each leg.

tuesday

WEDsday Thursday

friday

saturday

Sunday

7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

So the Club that red-lights women on Saturdays has cut their access to 50 percent of that of men.

At least at work we get 77 cents on the dollar.

– Susan Fornoff GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 27

SECTION

guidance

By Gail Rogers

Know the score about a local rule and your handicap won’t be muddied “My golf group has a great local rule for wet conditions. If we all see a ball land in an area, get there and cannot find the ball, we just agree on the general area and drop another ball with no penalty. What do you think of that?”

Working under the adage that any golf is better than no golf and even the nasiest mud splotches on pants, sweaters and faces wash off, I can sympathize with your solution. Avid golfers often play when a course is not able to be played under the rules of golf. While your group’s solution keeps the game moving and 28 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

prevents frustration, this is not playing golf according the Rules.

My friend Ede calls this playing “a friendly.” The trick here is to recognize two things: We must do something about posting the score for that hole in order to keep an honest handicap.

We need to know that this

would never be allowed in tournament play. It would be a lost ball with the stroke and distance penalty applied. Rule 27-1.

Let’s address the handicap issue first, as thankfully spring will soon be here and we need an accurate handicap in order to compete fairly with our friends.

Section 4-2 on page 26 of the USGA Handicap System Manual gives us guidance when we play a hole other than under the rules of golf.

In the example above if the ball played from the tee could not be found because it sucked out of sight on the wet fairway, instead of returning to the tee and hitting

The USGA Handicap System Manual and The Rules of Golf and The Decisions on the Rules of Golf can be read online at usga.org

a third shot, the player is playing a second shot from the fairway.

No matter what score she records on her scorecard in her outing with friends, when she reaches the computer she must post par plus any handicap strokes she is allowed for the hole. So whether she records a birdie or a triple, on this par-4 hole with one handicap stroke, she posts a 5. A player with a higher handicap who receives two handicap strokes on

image / dreamstime

guidance

the hole posts a 6.

Why can’t we just drop a ball in tournament play in this situation if fellow competitors agree on the general area where the ball is lost and get on with life?

In taking relief with or without penalty under The Rules of Golf, a reference point is always needed. If the player had hit to an area of the fairway and got there only to find a huge puddle of rain water, she would be allowed to

drop without penalty using the outer edge of the puddle where the ball most likely crossed into the area as a reference point. The same is true if the player’s shot was lost in an area marked with a white line indicating ground under repair. Rule 25-1b.

Without a reference point, a golfer cannot just drop a ball.

If your group thinks the course might be very wet, you might want to select a format that is a

team competition as it is unlikely that all four balls would suck out of sight on the same hole.

Remember too if you think your ball might be lost, declare a provisional ball and play it before going forward to search for your ball as it will save time and keep you in the competition – even if it is with a stroke and distance penalty. Rule 27-2.

Since this column is titled Guidance, here are a few more

suggestions for foul weather fun: Remember to be a good steward of the game even in the mud.

Replace your divots, which are normally larger than normal because wet turf gives way so easily. If the divot is broken into tiny pieces, use the sand and seed mixture some courses provide to fill the blemish. Remember, you do not want to have to play your next shot from a divot and neither do golfers in the groups playing behind you.

Enjoy your golf even when the course is wet, and post properly.

Gail Rogers served the USGA as a rules official for more than 50 events before she retired in 2010. She is now a member of the Northern California Golf Association Board of Directors.

Email rules queries for Rogers to feedback@GottaGoGolf.com.

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 29

30 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

travel Want to know the secret to golf when it’s cold and rainy or snowy?

Book a flight to Maui Story and photos By Susan Fornoff

Illustration / iStock

On a cold and rainy day in Northern California, I slathered myself in sunscreen, gripped a driver and watched my tee shot go bounding down a fairway of Bermuda grass with a backdrop of glimmering, calm Pacific Ocean.

So glad I was on Maui and not in Northern California.

With GottaGoGolf’s Foul Weather February issue looming, I wanted to give readers an escape hatch from the gloom of golf in most parts of the country this time of year.

Wowie, warm Maui, did I ever find one. Maui offers a special aloha spirit for women who love the game, far beyond what is to be found at those golf destinations that call to the tee one foursome of men after another.

Sharen Sylva and Anne-Marie Dugre watch Sharon Rozic coax a putt to the hole on Kapalua’s challenging Plantation Course.

OK, so there weren’t any cute shirtless guys driving the beverage carts. But I found a woman general manager at one of the island’s top golf clubs, a woman head pro at another, and a former USC women’s golf coach who years ago eloped to the island and opened shop at a teaching station so scenic, there are no bad-looking shots.

I also learned about a 17-year-old girl who’s been beating the boys in the islands and will head for the mainland to hone her game. I found pro shops with as much as half of their

space devoted to the latest merchandise for women – and I played golf with women wearing fantastic-looking golf shoes. When I finally did play golf with a man, it became apparent quickly that he might have the biggest female following in Maui for making his club’s monthly ladies’ days too much fun to be missed.

Maui’s “we love women” campaign doesn’t start and end with the golf business, of course – the resorts offer their own brand of lady love, pampering them at the spas, transcending them at the adults-only tranquility pools and feeding them fresh and local produce from the island's farms.

But, back to that shot down the first fairway of Wailea Golf Club’s Emerald Course. continues > GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 31

travel

Driving us to our golf balls, which were sunbathing just a few feet apart, Jennifer McNally shares the dirty little secret behind Maui’s woman appeal.

The thing is, she says, “A guy cannot tell his wife or girlfriend, ‘Honey, I’m going to Maui with the guys for a little golf getaway Cathy torchiana teaches high atop next month.’ That is just too hard for him to the Wailea golf courses. No wonder she's always smiling sell.”

Not without inviting the wife or significant just 234 yards long, and McNally shows me other along. No wonder the golf courses here a line along the left side, over bunkers, to the strive for at least a one-in-four ratio of wom- shortest approach without risking running en players. And no wonder women have risen into the pond at the end of the fairway on the to prominent roles in the island’s wonderful right. world of golf.

“But, look over there, there’s all that open General manager Anne Takabuki runs the fairway short of the pond if you just club two courses at Wailea Golf Club, with Rusty down and maybe split the hole in half or play Hathaway the head pro and McNally the di- it 140-100,” I point out. rector of sales and marketing. The shop is “Sure, you can play it that way,” she says, bigger than many sporting goods stores and grinning. seems to devote half its space to women, with I take out my driver and follow her line. On many lines of golf attire as well as shelves the green in two, three putts. filled with purses and trinkets.

McNally and I are both bogey golfers with It’s the Emerald Course that women like, similar driving distances, so we set out to the staff says – at just over 5,200 yards from break 90. When I reach the first green in two, the front, it’s not the shortest (that would she pauses for a moment to give me instrucbe Old Blue), but it mixes great ocean vis- tions on reading grain. My putt, with the tas with interesting holes that do not all re- grain, should be pretty quick even though it quire driver. The 17th hole, for example, is runs away from the ocean. I overcompen32 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

sate, come up short and three-putt.

The story of my day. We come to the 424yard, mostly downhill, par-5 finishing hole in wedge position for our approach shots – yet, McNally bogeys and I double, and she beats me by a shot without breaking 90.

Before lunch, I get a look at the adjacent Gold Course and am startled to see some ancient lava formations creating carries that are not part of the Emerald Course complexion. Architect Robert Trent Jones II seemed to make playability the theme on the Emerald Course and trouble the tune for the Gold. On some holes the forward tees had to be placed beyond intimidating carries.

McNally steers our cart uphill toward the club’s range and golf school. At the crest, with a majestic view of Wailea and the ocean, Cathy Torchiana holds court with students lucky enough to have found her so far from her Southern California roots. An art major at USC in the ‘70s, she began working as clerk at a golf shop and quickly raised her profile. At Cal State Fullerton she started the women’s golf team, and then she coached at USC for 13 years.

At lunch at Gannon’s – even the course story continues >

travel

grain

The long and short of Here’s an illustration of what happens to mainlanders putting against the grain: The ball doesn’t quite get to the hole. If you’re golfing on the Bermuda grass courses of the islands, make it a habit to go to the hole and look to see the grain direction. The side of the hole with a nice, smooth edge is with the grain – this is your faster putt. The raggedy side is against the grain, which is why this putt came up short.

ROLL with it GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 33

travel

restaurant is run by a woman – Torchiana tells me love brought her to Wailea in 1993.

Now a life member at the LPGA, she coaches islanders and vacationers. Her vacation tip: “You don’t want someone to rework your golf swing. Get a putting lesson, or spend some time in the bunker.”

Brenda Rego, my companion the next morning at Wailea’s Old Blue, has another suggestion for golfing vacationers. “A trip here might be a good time for a tuneup,” she says. “Especially if it’s cold where you live and you haven’t been playing.”

Rego grew up in Hawaii in a family of golf pros, including three brothers. She’s the head pro at Old Blue, perhaps the nicest sur34 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Left: AT KAPALUA, ANNE-MARIE DUGRE CELEBRATES THE DAY'S ONLY BIRDIE. Right: JENNIFER MCNALLY UNLEASES HER DRIVE ON 18 of WAILEA'S EmERALD.

prise among the courses I played. Though houses line many of the fairways here, the course has an old-style country club feel and playability. We confront a couple of holes as if we care about our scores, but then Rego is working with me on my putting – so well that I one-putt three of the last four holes.

Rego’s wearing the feminine version of the shoes Freddie Couples has made popular – and they’re not only cute, they’re comfy.

But they’re hardly broken in – Rego has been

busy coaching the island phenom, 17-yearold Cassy Isagawa, who will play for the University of Oregon next year. As great as the weather can be for golf, Rego says, the isolation of the islands makes it difficult for Hawaii’s juniors to raise their profiles nationally.

I drive off to Kapalua with new respect for Michelle Wie’s emergence. And when I reach the Kapalua Golf Academy, Ben Hongo cues up the video to compare my swing to hers.

Not my idea – I just want a little help with my short game – but, Hongo has picked up a couple of flaws he wants me to see.

I take his tips to heart and see fast results, so we go outside for a quick chip-and-pitch

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lesson. Afterward, I ask Hongo whether he can generalize about teaching women vs. teaching men.

“Physiologically, women’s femurs have a different angle than men’s, and I think that creates a tendency to sway,” he said. “And, there’s the comfort factor. It’s important for women to get comfortable with the game.”

The next morning, I’m to play a course that had made me very uncomfortable 15 years earlier, the Plantation Course. Fairly new to the game at the time and without an established handicap, I was so overwhelmed by the wind, the intricacies and the fast breaks, I must have taken 60 putts en route to an incalculable score.

But on this Saturday morning, I have been paired with Sharen Sylva, the principal broker for Kapalua Realty, and two of her friends, Sharon Rozic and Anne-Marie Dugre. After we all admire Sylva’s cute new mesh Nikes (her advice: stay out of bunkers in these), the three begin instructing me on how to tackle the Plantation Course. Rozic is a 14 and Dugre a 13, but I can drive almost as long as they can, so I try to follow along. Sylva – who I later find out, and cannot believe, is 64 – doesn’t have as long a game but plays smart to about a 20.

“How’s the wind today, on a scale of 1 to

am so thrilled to card a 101 and to have had such great company, I suggest the course offer a play-with-the-locals package for visitors like me.

I pass the idea along to Laura Jones the next morning on the Bay Course. She’s the wife of resort Director of Golf Operations Mike Jones, who is home with the kids on his day off. Illinois State Amateur champion in 1993, she met Jones when he was head pro at her SHAREN SYLVA's new shoes exemplifather’s club. fied the adventurous style of maui's “I thought about pursuing a career on the golfing women. Nice swing too!

LPGA Tour,” she says. “But I don’t know how players manage to do that and raise a 10?” I ask them as we secure our hats. family too. I married Mike, we had kids, and They look at each other as if they don’t look where I am now.” want to say. “About a nine,” Sylva finally adShe’s playing a little golf on Maui, teachmits. ing at the local high school and being mom. I We’re in for a wild one, with front tees at measure one of her drives at 304 yards (OK, 5,627 yards and a par of 75 for women. But it was on the downhill 9th), and admire her I don’t have a three-putt until the seventh no-holds-barred swing. hole and shoot 48 on the front. On the back, Things have calmed down this morning, the wind takes charge – to some hilarity on but the Bay Course feels as challenging as the 120-yard 11th hole, where we aim right of the Plantation from the forward tees. Like all the green in hopes of landing on it, and three the tourists, we linger on the oceanside par-3 of us are rewarded with visits to the bunker fifth for pictures, and roll a few extra putts, on the left. incredulous at the sharp break.

Rozic and Dugre lead the way with 96s – and Dugre’s birdie on the canyon-hugging story continues > par-5 fifth makes it the hole to remember. I GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 35

TRAVEL

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Jones’ birdie putt grazes the hole on 18, and she heads home to the family. I use the time to pick out a new outfit for my last stop, Kaanapali – one I’ve been told I’ll enjoy.

From the road, the golf complex appears to be jammed in between the beach resorts and the highway. But when I arrive in the morning – greeted by a female mannequin in the pro shop window! – I am in for the most fun golf of my trip.

Playing the Royal Course in the company of sales and marketing manager Melissa Ludwig and head pro Sutee Nitakorn, I learn that the course had been one of the most unfriendly to women in the islands, measuring more than 6,000 yards from the front tees.

A 2006 re-do positioned the forward tees at only 5,016 yards – with an option of 5,839 yards for the long hitters. Ludwig and I loved playing six par 4s at under 300 yards, with a seventh at 301.

And just a few holes in, I learn the greatest appeal of Kaanapali: beautiful, expansive views from the seventh hole and beyond, with light tradewinds keeping us cool as we navigated what-you-see-is-what-you-get golf. By the end, we are relaxed enough to cruise the high-climbing Kai course, which looks like 36 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Head pro Sutee nitikorn keeps the women laughing on Kaanapali's royal and kai courses.

even more fun at 4,522 from the front.

Kaanapali embraces everyone, charging juniors little or nothing with paying adults, offering a six-hole “fit club” for afternoon walkers, and holding a themed monthly “ladies day” open to visitors for only $50, including prizes and lunch.

“Sutee comes up with all of it,” Ludwig said. “The women just love him.”

He’s got the players decorating carts and

dressing up to such themes as: “It’s OK to wear white after Labor Day” in September, “Trick or Treat” in October, “Jingle Balls” in December. There’s always a golf game attached.

When I ask Nitakorn what inspires him to make the game fun for women, he has a “why wouldn’t I” reaction. Then he tells me how his mother used to drag him out to play golf or hit balls under the lights when he was growing up in Dallas.

Good mom. And I hope one day soon I get back to Maui to join in Sutee’s game. Come to think of it, this month sounds just perfect.

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TOP: Laura Jones putts on one of the prettiest greens in Maui, No. 5 on Kapalua's Bay course.

FAR LEFT: THe kaanapali pro shop caters to women.

Planning There are companies that arrange accommodations with golf, lodging, car, air and maybe even meals. Or you can plan a la carte. Start at www.visitmaui. com and link from there. Golf rates vary accordingly; here’s what the courses themselves are offering:

Wailea Golf Club Gold and Emerald: Winter rates for Wailea resort guests are $190 ($135 after noon), which makes the Seahorse Swing Pass a great deal at $450 per person for unlimited golf at the two courses for three days. www.waileagolf.com, 888.328.3284.

Wailea Golf Club, Old Blue: $160 for resort guests, $135 after 12; ask about multi-round specials. www.waileagolf.com, 808.879.2530.

Kapalua Golf Courses Outsiders get dinged $208 to play the Bay and $268 to play the Plantation, but resort guests pay $183 and $218, with rates declining incrementally at 10 a.m. and then at 1 p.m. to a low of $138 and $158 twilight. www.kapalua.com, 877.527.2582.

Kaanapali Golf Courses Rates for Kaanapali resort guests are $179 Royal and $139 Kai, but a round on each can be secured for $269, and there are other multi-day specials on www.kaanapaliresort.com, 866.454.4653.

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 37

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Golf on Maui

No. 8 at Wailea Gold

On my first night in Maui, Wailea Resort Association Director of golf getaways – but also the most dramatic and challenging golf Marketing and Communications Kathy Costello explained that there courses. Its golf villas appeal to golfers in pairs and foursomes, and are seven different climates on this island half the size of Rhode Is- its new spa and the ever glorious Ritz Carlton offer adult alternatives land. She said that even with just two days each at Wailea, Kapalua to the golf. and Kaanapali, I would pick up on distinct differences between the I’d send a family or a group with diverse interests – and anyone who three golf resort destinations. does not want to rent a car – to the happening Westin or Kaanapali’s At that moment, the two of us were savoring Hamachi Crudo, other beachfront hotels, the center of many alternative activities for Surfing Goat Cheese Fritter, Blue Cheese Creamed Spinach and then the nongolfer and a short walk to shops and restaurants. a chef’s selection of miniature desserts at the casually elegant Duo, If you want to visit Maui, start researching the possibilities at in the Four Seasons Hotel. By the end of my six nights, I understood visitmaui.com. Here are the anchor sites for the golf resorts. that Wailea is where the beautiful people would go – celebrities, honeymooners and fans of upscale hotels, including a big Marriott WAILEA: wailearesortassociation.com, waileagolf.com.

KAPALUA: kapalua.com. that has a gorgeous serenity pool for adults only.

Kapalua, I found, has more wind and showers than the other two KAANAPALI: kaanapali-golf.com.

38 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

MAP / iStock

TRAVEL

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Course review: Fab, fine or fizzling for women?

We-Ko-Pa Golf Club Cholla Course 2001, Fort McDowell, Arizona Scott Miller

photo / Lonna Tucker, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club

We-Ko-Pa seems to be the quintessential Scottsdale golf club, but it’s not in Scottsdale. Ribbons of green wind through unspoiled desert terrain that will never see residential or commercial development. It’s peaceful and serene, with awesome views of surrounding mountains.

We-Ko-Pa’s two courses sit on land owned by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, located just east of Scottsdale and Fountain Hills. Cholla is the original course (2001). The Radisson Fort McDowell Resort also includes the Saguaro Course, a 246-room hotel and nearby casino. > Course: Two out of five sets of tees are rated for women, at yardages of 6,114 and 5,289. It’s a long course and not made for walking, but beautifully condi-

tioned. The fairways are wide open for the most part, except for the occasional tree blocking the forward tee, notably in front of Nos. 2 and 17. Accuracy wins out, and women can score well by keeping the ball in the fairway. Real trouble lurks in the surrounding desert. Hence the “desert rule”: For shots hit into the desert, the player may drop a ball within two club lengths of the point where the ball went in, under penalty of one stroke.

> Ambiance: Mild weather contributes to an enjoyable round in this beautiful setting, especially from October to mid-May. Green fees drop as temperatures rise. Native American artifacts decorate the clubhouse and grill, which opens onto a large covered patio with comfy seating and a great view. Fully one-half of the grill menu is appetizers, salads and “lighter fare.”

few yardage markers near cart paths.)

> Value: High season green fees (Jan. 14-Apr 1) are $175 for 8-90 days in advance, and $195 for 0-7 days, comparable to, and even slightly less than, other resort courses in the area. Value diminishes when cart-path-only is enforced, usually in November and December. (There are

– Cori Brett

> Woman Appeal: We-Ko-Pa earns high marks for aesthetics, for clubhouse ambiance (especially the two female bartenders), for pro shop merchandising and helpful female sales clerk.

An average player may struggle, but will probably insist on returning to give Cholla another try. We’d call it: Fab for Women.

Email us at feedback@gottagogolf. com for information on how to have your golf course certified by the Women Welcome golf course consultation, evaluation and certification service.

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 39

19th hole Our hot chocolates take the chill off A cold round of golf demands a hot beverage, and I’m happy to report that our three-day sampling of hot chocolates for frigid February got the panel sweating – particularly when we labored through that sinful portion of the program rated X (for those of legal drinking age).

Yes, we found, it is possible to summon a hot flash on demand, and it may even be desirable to keep in one’s golf bag a hot flash in a flask.

First of course we had to test the hot chocolate mixes one is quite likely to find at the turn and GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 40

on the shelf. In the first phase, we tried only the commonly available grocery store mixes that go in hot water. Following all of the instructions carefully amounted to emptying the envelope into a cup and adding 6 ounces of really hot water.

chocolate page 40

>

Photo / Annabelle Breakey / GETTY

By Cheryl Stotler

photo / Warren Little / Getty Images

Not sure if coffee or hot chocolate warmed up juli inkster at the 2007 british open at St. Andrews.

Thankfully we had not yet added any alcohol and so we were able to execute.

Our favorite? The one with the most calories (150), most sugar (26 grams) and least calcium (10 percent of recommended daily minimum), of course: Hershey’s Goodnight Kisses, which had a more chocolaty, richer and sweeter flavor than the artificialtasting Nestle Dark Chocolate and watery Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate packets we tried. It was especially yummy when we added half an ounce of Hiram 90 Proof Peppermint Schnapps to create a true Peppermint Patty, for those old enough to remember that perfect balance of chocolate and peppermint.

The next morning we sampled three hot chocolate mixes made with real chocolate, so these were a little pricier. The Holy Chocolate already contains powdered whole milk, so it only

19th Hole Editor’s Note:

needed water, and we really liked the mouthfeel and the interesting spiciness of the chocolate flavor.

The Ghirardelli Premium Hot Cocoa (Double Chocolate) tasted way too sweet, with 31 grams of sugar, and did not get much love

at all.

Winner in the premium category: Dagoba Organic Chocolate, made with cacao powder and bits of dark chocolate. Not too sweet, with just 10 grams of sugar in the

If your golf game has gone totally cold, a bit of port with a hunk of chocolate on the side might make it all better. Two to consider from Prager Port Works of Napa Valley: the 2006 Tomás Port, Imogene’s Vineyard (using traditional Portuguese varietals grown in Calistoga, this medium-bodied port is rich in flavor but light on the palate, $52 for 750 ml) and the 2005 Royal Escort, Paladini Vineyard (produced from the same Petite Sirah vineyard in St. Helena for more than 20 years, this fullbodied port is dry, voluptuous and robust, $72 for 750 ml). If they don’t make it all better, they will at least make it all seem better.

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 41

19th hole Why advertise in a print magazine?

GottaGoGolf and our engaged readers won’t have to retain the message – they can click on your ad and buy your product, sign up for your promotion, make a reservation at your property. Right now! click on THIS ad to reserve your space with GottaGoGolf Advertising Director Jeanne Louise Pyle.

19th hole editor cheryl stotler does the mixing; jane cantu does some tasting, at gottagogolf's hot chocolate test.

42 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

mix plus another 12 in the lowfat milk we used, and very rich, pure, chocolate flavor, so one taster said it rivaled her home recipe.

With 8 ounces of twopercent, the Dagoba contained 200 calories, 7.5 grams of fat, 22 grams of sugar and 30 percent of daily recommended calcium.

Obviously, if we’re going to be drinking this on the golf course, we’d better be doing some walking – and have a good Thermos, because we have yet to see a turn shack offering hot milk.

Having tasted all the powders, we decided to use the Swiss Miss packets for the naughty mixer because they had less sugar and were less expensive than the others. We considered the point that a richer hot chocolate would make a more suitable match for such luscious liqueurs as Chambord and Godiva, more of a tuxedo-with-ballgown pair, but sometimes opposites attract.

Indeed, the ritzy accents

brought out the chocolate flavor in the Swiss Miss. Using ideas from barnone.com drinks as a teeing ground, we enjoyed sexy classics such as hot chocolate with Kahlua (and then a little amaretto), a Big Hug (crème de cacao and Bailey’s), a Warm and Fuzzy (equal parts Bailey’s, butterscotch schnapps, Grand Marnier and Kahlua), and Raspberry Hot Chocolate (Chambord, crème de cacao, vodka).

We also invented the GottaGoGolf Hot Chocolate Manhattan (Maker’s Mark, Kahlua) and GottaGoGolf Raspberry Chip-in (Chambord, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, vanilla vodka). Both creations are worthy of a green jacket!

Fueled up and ready to go 36 holes, we concludeds: For a simple mixer to go in the golf course’s hot chocolate, those who prefer a sweet drink should carry a flask of peppermint schnapps all winter and those who prefer a

1

Photo / susan fornoff

Advertise with

We also invented the GottaGoGolf Hot Chocolate Manhattan (Maker’s Mark, Kahlua) and GottaGoGolf Raspberry Chip-in (Chambord, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, vanilla vodka). Both creations are worthy of a green jacket! more fortified taste should carry a flask of brandy or bourbon.

2

There is not much in the liquor cabinet that does not taste darned good in hot chocolate. Start with an ounce of your favorite spirit and add an ounce of something similar or something opposite and go from there.

3

The raspberry flavor of Chambord was the winning complement overall, and vanilla vodka received raves for cutting the sweetness in many concoctions.

Photo / dreamstime

4

The best drinks we tasted would seem appropriate for after the round of golf; they’re kind of desserty and they required some extra microwaving after mixing in the alcohol.

In other words, don’t waste our Sun-Burnt Toasty Almond (2 parts Godiva white chocolate liqueur, 1 part Amaretto, 1 part Kahlua, 1 part vanilla vodka) by letting it languish in a Thermos for seven holes.

6

We should remind readers inclined to venture onto golf courses in frigid climates that alcohol lowers your body temperature and thus could be detrimental to your health and well being.

If it’s 45 degrees out, however, one hot drink might take your mind off the cold without endangering or impairing anyone.

7

On the flip side, every year studies point to more evidence that consuming flavonoids, the antioxidants contained in chocolate, promotes good health. However, not all chocolate is created equal – bitter is best and in small amounts.

One little weekly calorie splurge may help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, prevent cancer and decrease your risk of stroke.

Cheryl Stotler is wine educator for the Napa Valley Wine Train. She lives in Calistoga, California.

19th Hole Editor’s Recipe: In one final-final round of tasting, it was agreed that none of the prepared hot chocolate mixes came within a 3-wood of the home brew. Here’s my favorite decadent recipe, adapted from an even more decadent one from Cooks Illustrated: Bring to a boil 4 cups of skim or low-fat milk, 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Off the heat, stir in 4 ounces of dark chocolate squares and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Cover for about one minute, then whisk and serve. (You can make a day ahead and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove over low heat.)

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 43

19th Hole

Shopping Cart Of course you’re not going to chugalug right out of the bottle. This topic calls for doing some more shopping. We did—here are a few accessories we think a GottaGoGolfer’s gotta have, searchable online and in wine-themed gift shops:

1 2

44 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Hershey’s Goodnight Kisses: Our favorite widely available mix, $2.39 for a four-pack in grocery stores.

Dagoba Organic Chocolate: Our favorite mix, and Fair Trade Certified. $11.95 from dagobachocolate.com, about 17 servings.

3

Basic black flask: This sleek and elegant model from Sharper Image comes in three colors and can be found for around $10 at Amazon.com and other sites.

4

Flashy flask: This silver flask covered in hot pink faux leather trimmed with a lime green tee holder isn’t meant to be hidden away. Available for around $20 at Gunther Gifts and various online merchants.

5

Over-the-top “hers”: Found online at Alchemy Dungeon, this girly model holds half as much as the 6-ouncers above – but it has a mirror built in for repairing lipstick after sipping.

About $60.

19tH Hole

Directions, serves eight: 1. In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are wilted, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

CHEF’S TREAT

photos / Dreamstime, Susan Fornoff

Chili from Gannon’s at the Wailea Golf Club Bev Gannon’s creative sandwiches and salads stand out on the menu at Gannon’s, the restaurant overlooking Wailea’s Gold and Emerald golf courses. But the chili this transplated Texan has been cooking up for more than 30 years remains the star.

Bev Gannon's CHILI 2 tablespoons chipotle 4 tablespoons oil

chile powder 2 ½ cups chopped onion 2 (28 oz) cans tomato sauce 5 cloves garlic, minced 5 lbs ground beef (10% fat) 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes 2 tablespoons ground cumin ½ cup chili powder 1 tablespoon dried oregano Salt Freshly ground black pepper

adult Beverage Beer always gets a nod to wash down chili, but 19th Hole Editor Cheryl Stotler hears the call of a Zinfandel. “Any wine that’s fruity and/or jammy would work,” she said. “You could also try a Grenache or a Petite Sirah.”

2. In a large sauté pan over mediumhigh heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil. In batches, crumble the ground beef into the pan and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces. Sprinkle each batch with 1 tablespoon of the chili powder, season with salt and pepper, and stir to mix well.

Add more oil as needed to cook the rest of the beef. When all the meat has been cooked, add the remaining chili powder and the chipotle chile powder. Transfer the beef to the pot with the onions.

3. Over medium heat, cook the beefonion mixture, stirring to blend well. Add the tomato sauce and blend well. Add the diced tomatoes with juice and blend well.

Lower the heat and simmer the chili for 2 hours, stirring frequently. Add the cumin and the oregano; season with salt and pepper and cook for 20 minutes more.

4. Serve the chili accompanied by the sour cream, cheese, onions and cilantro.

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 45

OUR GAME: Your viewpoint

Powerful incentive to tee off during a recession Lynn DeBruin recently golfed her way to a new job in Salt Lake City.

Some won’t leave home without that lucky ball marker or favorite pair of Footjoys. Others can’t play without a new sleeve of Titleists or their power-balance bracelet.

But want a better tip before heading out to the course? In these economic times, make sure you’ve got extra business cards. Men aren’t the only ones who can network on the golf course.

As I write this, one female friend is in Florida working on a partnership in a golf cart business – all because of a Thursday night skins game with her boyfriend. Other women I know have sold homes, sold ads, gotten jobs, all because of golf.

For me, golf broke down some of the barriers I encountered being a woman in a man’s world covering the NFL. I grew up watching Penn State football, Joe Pa and the Philadelphia Eagles, and I covered the sport in college. But that didn’t mean transitioning to a pro beat was easy back in the early '90s.

Golf gave me a language to talk as I learned the Xs and Os. Just about every day, I’d shoot the bull over lunch hour with Arizona Cardinals general manager Larry Wilson – an avid golfer and former star safety.

We’d sit in the shaded courtyard, and chat about new

46 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

courses and clubs, some of our favorite holes or players on tour.

And when the talk turned back to football, he’d toss a little nugget of information my way. It might have been about a free-agent visit, or a player about to be cut. Yet as insignificant as it might have seemed, it helped.

And I’ll never forget it.

Now imagine what you might learn playing golf with your boss or a business client.

One study found that 92 percent of senior executives in Fortune 500 companies played golf.

“There’s no way you can spend five hours with a CEO unless it’s playing golf,” said Parker Smith, a former content editor at Golf Magazine.

Women don’t have to be left out of the good old boys network. Of course, it helps if you can play a decent round, or at least hit a good drive – the latter giving women an advantage in scrambles where they get to hit from the forward tees in mixed outings. And a sharpdressed woman on the course will always get noticed more – not unlike the business world.

But there are rules for business on the course.

Should you let the boss/client win? Absolutely not, especially if the boss is a guy. But make it more about

PHOTO / Lynn DeBruin

By Lynn DeBruin

How has golf made a difference in your life?

Submit your story of approximately 800 words to editor@GottaGoGolf.com.

camaraderie than competition, and be sure to compliment if you commiserate.

Another question is whether you should bet. There are a few schools of thought here.

Men seem to like an extra incentive. Some will have a wager going on every shot. But have cash at the ready should you partake, and limit the damage to perhaps a dollar a hole. Women may be more reluctant to bet, so be sure you get a feel for your playing partners before any bets are suggested.

As a general rule, save the shop talk for after the round – in the clubhouse, at the bar or at dinner unless the client or boss starts talking shop first.

Of course there are special exceptions.

Smith tells the story of a golf outing in Memphis with a client he hoped to land years ago. He was playing scratch golf then, and was pretty confident in his ability. So before taking the client’s senior VP of marketing out for a round, he packed a copy of the contract he wanted him to sign.

“I waited for him to say, ‘Man, you can play golf.’

And he did, about the 13th hole. And I said, ‘Yeah, but I can do what you need even better than I can play golf.

Why don’t you sign this?’”

He then opened his golf bag, pulled out the contract and laid it out.

“The guy just laughed and signed the contract right there on top of the golf cart,” Smith recalled.

The deal made the client millions, and Smith about $60,000.

That was back in the '70s. Today, golf is just as im-

our game

portant, maybe even more so.

A Realtor friend said she never gets through an entire round without someone in her group asking about the mortgage rates and the best time to sell. While that might net a deal the next day or month, five years down the road that golfing partner may still have her card or remember her game.

One did, and she helped him buy a house.

“Ten years later, he’s still calling me because he remembers me from the tech business and golfing,” said Beth Lobdell, who plays several rounds a week.

Think of the course as a classroom, a place where a prospective client can learn as much about you as you can about him or her.

Consider the story about former PGA Tour pro Doug Sanders, who won 20 tournaments before the money was big. Smith watched him one day in a Pro-Am. He’d spend one hole with each playing partner, talking solely with that person. The next hole, he’d do the same with another member of the group, and so on.

Afterward, he’d ask for a business card.

Why, Smith wondered.

“Someday I’m going to have to sell insurance,” Sanders replied.

And on the card he had the names of the golfer, his wife, children, along with his hobbies and interests.

Two weeks after the pro-am, Sanders would write a letter thanking them for the wonderful time. Every player responded.

Sanders never did have to sell insurance. But imagine the client list he had developed.

Golf gave me a language to talk as I learned the Xs and Os. Just about every day, I’d shoot the bull over lunch hour with Arizona Cardinals general manager Larry Wilson – an avid golfer and former star safety. We’d sit in the shaded courtyard, and chat about new courses and clubs, some of our favorite holes or players on tour.

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 47

SECTION

golfoscope

By The Golf Goddess

FEBRUARY Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20):

Taurus (April 21—May 21)

Cancer (June 22-July 22):

Hey fish girl, did you get a raise?

Because you’re feeling flush right now and it’s so tempting to spring for some of the new merchandise that’ll be wheeled out at last month’s PGA Show. Before your fingers start reaching for the plastic, consider: Are you really flush or just feeling that way?

It’s good that you tend to be hardheaded, because frustration builds early in the month before, ah-hah, hope arrives in the form of a welltimed tip. Watch the weekend tournaments, listen to the experts, pay close attention to swing cam and such tech yogis, and by the time the fairway mud begins to dry, you’ll have it down.

Of course you’re feeling crabby, you haven’t changed your practice routine in years and have suddenly noticed that – surprise – your game has stopped improving. Now’s the time to find a new drill or two, infuse some life into that boring putting exercise and see if there isn’t a new you soon to debut on the tee.

Aries (March 21—April 20) February brings inner turbulence to persistent and independent Aries, who cannot decide whether to spring for a new driver, a new hobby, or ... dare we say … lessons. In any case, meditate on it, look for clues from the golf gods, scour the metaphysical golf books and wait for March, when Uranus moves in to inspire all the right changes.

48 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Gemini (May 22-June 21): A hobby is supposed to be a leisurely pursuit, something you do for fun – yet, your competitive juices begin to flow and thoughts turn to... the Futures Tour? The local skins game?

Oh, wouldn’t it be nice to make some money doing something you enjoy as much as golf? Might as well think about it this month, before it’s back to reality and the usual separation of business and pleasure.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 23): Fierce lion heart, feel that lightness of being that’s surfaced this year?

Got that song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” stuck on replay in your brain?

It’s play time for you on any course that’ll have you, but don’t stray from your fitness routine or February could bring a breakdown of the bod that keeps you from swinging to all the great music.

Golfoscope

Virgo (Aug. 24—Sept. 22)

Scorpio (Oct. 23—Nov. 21)

Capricorn (Dec. 22—Jan. 20)

You’ve been saying “not this weekend” to golf buddies for a while now, just staying in out of the cold, doing some nesting and resting. Good Virgo, you’ve saved a little cash, and soon you may feel like you need it for more than a new golf skort or legally grooved wedge. Hold off for a minute, look to eBay or a girlfriend’s garage.

Be careful not to take on too much new responsibility at work, or your golf time could be seriously challenged come spring. Continue detaching yourself from those hybrids, swings, theories and partners that didn’t work for you in 2010, and your game will evolve and transform in surprising ways. Just don’t forget to embrace the new as you dismiss the old.

What an excellent time to communicate and exchange ideas – maybe on the topic of which golf destination calls your name this month? Balance your wishes against those of your partner; you don’t have to actually go to the destination, the stars just want you to do a lot of communicating and be open to new ideas.

Libra (Sept. 23—Oct. 22) It’s a good thing the weather’s not conducive to golf this month, or you’d be getting shushed by your playing partners for embodying the social elements of the game. Yap yap yap.

You’re in a repartnering phase anyway and probably have joined a new group or club this year. Be positive, dish out the compliments, they’re going to love you.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22—Dec. 21) Hey searcher girl, looks like a good month to find a new romance – but don’t be surprised if friends worry that you two are playing a little too much golf together, to the detriment of your routine and your figure. Fat needn’t accompany happy – get out of the cart, munch nutrition bars at the turn, carry your new squeeze’s bag. Strive for healthy and happy.

Aquarius (Jan. 21—Feb. 19) So, are you finally ready to make some changes? Yes, smarty, you know about those swing flaws of yours, you are a student of the game. But, how about making the commitment to fix them and take responsibility for raising your game to new levels? Yes, you may find yourself having to play in more tournaments. And this is bad because...?

GottaGoGolf I February 2011 I 49

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Fitness I Rules I Etiquette I Courses I Equipment I Entertaining 50 I February 2011 I GottaGoGolf