A Challenge in China: Of Golf Balls and Chopsticks With the European Tour

The object of the Chopstick Challenge is quite simple: see how many golf balls you can pick up in 60 seconds... using chopsticks.  Which from the looks of this European Tour video isn't all that easy.

The event took place last week during the Euro tour's yearly China swing and features a diverse array of global golf stars. Not surprisingly Chinese golfer Liang Wen-Chong seems singularly skilled in this particular discipline.



I'm thinking it might be fun to hold a Chopstick Challenge at our house a couple of weeks from now, at Thanksgiving, when we have all those unruly relatives over. By the time the turkey dinner is done we're always in need of some animation... and the golf ball water globe was destroyed at last year's celebration after copious amounts were consumed.

Talking Turkey: A Golf Destination at the Crossroads of Europe and Asia

Traveling Twins In Istanbul                          © Golf Girl Media

Almost two decades ago, I spent spent six fascinating days in Turkey.

It was a spontaneous trip. I was living in Paris at the time, and my twin sister was based in Tokyo... when we unexpectedly found ourselves with the same week off it seemed Turkey might be a perfect mid-way meeting point.

Turns out it was.  From the stunning Byzantine architecture of its bustling capital, to an expansive countryside rich in antiquities... not to mention an absolutely sublime seacoast... our week in Turkey was stellar.

There was no golf on that trip. It was before we'd ever played the game, and in Turkey the sport was then still in its infancy.  However, the return trip we've been planning... for almost twenty years... will almost certainly revolve around golf.

These days golf holidays in Turkey are ultra-easy to plan, and dozens of courses offer a huge variety of playing experiences to golfers of all levels.  The epicenter of the sport is the town of Belek, in Antalya province, on the alluring Adriatic coast. The area now welcomes recreational golfers form around the globe.  Another sign of golf's growth in Turkey... and a testament to the standard of some of its courses... are the professional tournaments that now take place in the country; Lee-Anne Pace picked up her sixth LET title at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open place earlier this year, and in a couple of weeks The Turkish Airlines Open will welcome the world's top players, including Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose.

In addition to the on-course action, Turkey golf holidays offer travelers the opportunity to experience a country steeped in history, with a stunning coastline and a cosmopolitan capital city full of breathtaking Byzantine monuments.  Oh, and the food! Turkish cuisine, with its melding of Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Balkan flavors, is as good as it gets.

I'm hoping to make my long-awaited return trip to Turkey next Spring and I've no doubt it'll be worth the wait.

This post is brought to you by our partner, Golf Escapes , however as always, the story & opinions are 100% my own.

Memorabilia Mystery Solved - A Most Remarkable Little Golf Pencil

That no one came up with the right answer is not at all surprising.  The proportions weren't obvious in the original post, and besides, who would ever think a pencil could look anything like that?

But it IS in fact, a pencil... a golf pencil in the form of a watch fob; the tiny charm that would hang from the chain of a Victorian golfer's pocket watch.

The graphite writing point is described as "a very hard, never ending lead implant" and it certainly looks like it's holding up well... considering that it's been around for over a century.

Rare & Wonderful, But What is It? Another Golf Memorabilia Mystery.

First of all, it's tiny; no bigger than an acorn really, and as you can see, it's made of metal.

It's a Victorian piece, probably from the late 1800's, and though it's meant to be worn, it's also utilitarian.  It serves a purpose... in fact, a couple of purposes... that golfers and non-golfers alike might appreciate, but this was clearly created with a golfer in mind.

That's about all I can tell you about this particular item. Any idea what it is?

Hermès Does Golf: Scarves, Bags & An Impressive Place For Putting

Hermès is known across the globe for its colorful carrés de soie. 

Coveted by fashionistas of all ages, the sumptuous silk squares are an enduring symbol of French fashion finesse, and when you consider that, A. they're still individually hand crafted, and B. the silk of 250 mulberry moth cocoons is required for each scarf, the several hundred dollar price tag seems... if not affordable... understandable.

Since 1937, Hermès has produced over 25,000 unique designs, a number of them featuring golf. In 1968 there was "The Royal and Ancient Game of Golf" a charming traditional design. A few years later came "Les Balles de Golf", which, despite its assertive golf theme, is probably my least favorite Hermès design ever.  It's basically just a couple of hundred hyper-realistic white golf balls on a colored background.  Sure, the golf balls are artfully rendered... and the background colors are ultra-pure, but it has none of the frothy detail I've come to expect from la maison Hermès.  My absolute favorite Hermès design is Swing.  Pictured above, it was  introduced in 1979 in several color palettes.  It's geometrically modern, but with a definite nod to the regal designs of the past... and of course it's all about golf.

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