Ryo Ishikawa Has A Birthday... and Earns His 2014 PGA Tour Card

Several years ago he was known as the Bashful Prince, a talented teenage golfer who stormed to the summit of fame in his native Japan and delighted fans everywhere with his sweet, shy smile.

Ryo Ishikawa played his first PGA Tour events in 2009.  Trailed by a constant crowd of Japanese journalists, his abilities impressed many as he lit up the fairways with a whimsical candy-colored wardrobe.

Expectations for the precocious phenom were stratospheric. By the Spring of 2010 more than a few golf scribes were looking for one of golf's alliterative young guns... Rory, Rickie or Ryo... to quickly become that mythical entity known as "the next Tiger".  In retrospect those predictions seem somewhat silly; here we are in waning months of 2013 and Tiger's just captured both the PGA of America's Player of the Year Award and the Vardon Trophy... for the 11th and 9th time, respectively. Even the most committed Tiger detractors seem to accept that we probably won't see "the next Tiger" any time in the forseeable future. Ever.

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Today's Top 10: Vintage Golf Treasures You Can Own for Under $50

These days there's a massive nostalgia for the 20th century.  As a result, idiosyncratic objects once considered archaic and uncool, are reemerging from attics and basements.  Vintage artifacts from decades past are being coveted by collectors and sought after by those seeking to reconnect with what now seems a simpler time.

Golf, in a sense, came of age in the 20th century, and as a result it's not difficult to find a diverse array of fascinating items from the game's past.  Whether or not you'd ever want to bring them into your home, it can be comforting to know they're out there... and for those who are so inclined, golf collectibles can be quite accessible.  Check out my top 10 list HERE.

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GolfersLust: A Golf Themed Calendar... With "A Touch of Eroticism"

Sexy golf calendars have been around for a while.

Back in the (very) early days of this blog, Natalie Gulbis and Sophie Sandolo were each doing them, while a gaggle of Australian golfers collectively caused some controversy with their daring daybook.

Then, a few years ago, the craze seemed to fade; where sexy glamour shots once ruled, the focus shifted towards sportiness and... golf.  The traditionalists were probably pleased with this development, while fans of the sport's sensual side lamented.

These days however, it seems a carnal calendar renaissance might be underway; The Blair O'Neal Cobra Golf Swimsuit Calender came out this year, featuring the talented Symetra Tour golfer in a multi-chromatic collection of tiny little swimsuits.  Then just yesterday I was made aware...via German golf portal exclusivgolfen ... of a new and ambitious entry into the sexy golf calendar space.

Bavarian business partners Kerstin Maria Stretz and Helmut Grabowski are passionate amateur golfers and their goal with GolfersLust is to build a spirited and exciting golf lifestyle brand in a country where the sport is still perceived by many as... conservative, draconian and totally un-fun!

Inspired by the iconic Pirelli calendar... which for decades has enhanced the image of a venerable Italian tire manufacturer... Stretz and Grabowski were convinced that such a publication could help to sweep away the dusty perceptions many still have about golf.  So they assembled a team that included fashion photographer Ulrich H.M. Wolf and makeup artist Bettina Wolf... both well known for their work in the European fashion scene... and headed to Ibiza. A number of stunning models (and some top of the line golf equipment) were the final ingredients.

The result is GolfersLust, an elegant calendar with... in Stretz's words... "a touch of eroticism".  Golf is the theme, but I think it's safe to say, these photos transcend the game. Oh, the purists will not be pleased, that's for sure, but I don't think that matters much to the team at GolfersLust, they're too busy creating their singular golf lifestyle brand.  The calender can be ordered at the GolfersLust website. 

The Evian Resort Golf Club Course: A Quick Look At The Transformation

While the stunning Alpine backdrop remains unchanged, a slew of "substantial changes" have taken place to the fairways and greens... and bunkers and lakes... of the Evian Resort Golf Club Course.

Work started a year ago and continued through Spring to ensure that the much-loved course would meet major championship standards. That meant changes to all 18 holes with some rebuilt entirely. The video below is your ultra-condensed version of the 9 month construction project.

Epic Backyard Golf Course Has Eight Amazing Holes & A Sustainable Side

Personal putting greens are one thing; a small patch of land and a minimal investment are all that's needed for a basic green ...and installation specialists are relatively easy to find.

We even have a friend who installed his own putting green... over a long weekend. (while his golf-hating wife was conveniently out of town)

When it comes to backyard golf installations however, there are those that go way beyond the basic.  Earlier this year we wrote about some stellar golf homes in the Hamptons  but nothing I've seen there... or anywhere... can compare to the fantasmagorical golf paradise that renowned golf coach David Pelz has created at his home in Dripping Springs, TX. 

Wall Street Journal called it the world's greatest backyard and it's easy to understand why.  It's a lush, verdant landscape, spread across two and a half undulating acres and punctuated by sparkling basins of alabaster sand, and I'm guessing its beauty would impress even those with little interest in the game of golf.  For one who plays, there's the added awesomeness of a golf architecture... including faithful reproductions of some of the sport's most famous holes... perfectly suited to taking that all important short game to the next level.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about this epic golf environment is the fact that it's made entirely out of SYNLawn, an amazing, hyper-realistic synthetic turf that requires no water, fertilizer, pesticides or mowing.  The Pelz paradise has inspired me to think about installing a putting green in my yard. The idea of a beautiful, realistic, environmentally friendly practice area just steps from my back door is very appealing and with zero time spent on maintenance I'll have lots of time time to spend on my gorgeous green.

A Legendary Golfer Will Dance With the Stars, Presumably in Purple

Dancing Golf Shoes          © Golf Girl Media          

He's the most successful European Ryder Cup captain of all time; an English golf icon with a passion for the game and a predilection for purple.

Tony Jacklin took the golf world by storm in the late 60s and held the British and US Open titles simultaneously in 1970. That remarkable achievement... along with his stellar Ryder Cup record... was an inspiration to a generation of European golfers and was instrumental in the growth of European golf.

These days the "Lion of Lytham" keeps busy designing courses.  He also actively promotes the game as a global ambassador, golf media personality and public speaker. And soon... it seems... the sprightly 69 year old will be demonstrating his hitherto unknown sense of rhythm in the popular British TV show Strictly Come Dancing, the original Dancing With The Stars.  

It may seem like a stretch to go from golf to ballroom dance but it's been done before.  Jan Stephenson did it on the Australian version of DWTS... she even used a golf club as a prop in one of her routines... but to no avail.  She was eliminated in the third round.   Tony Jacklin is certainly hoping for a longer run, and if his tenacity on the golf course is any indication he'll probably get it.  And it's a good bet he'll be wearing some purple.

In Theaters September 20th, "The Short Game" Has Come a Long Way

Getting a movie made... and bringing it to theaters... is a notoriously difficult undertaking, even when a project has all the traditional elements of a blockbuster. But what about when your movie is a documentary... without any known stars... that takes place entirely within the rarefied word of junior golf? 

I wrote about "The Short Game" in early March when it was about to premiere in the feature documentary category at SXSW.

Like lots of golf fans I fell in love with the film... and its precocious cast... the first time I viewed the trailer,  but I worried a distribution deal might not materialize in a landscape where a risk-averse distribution system seems to shy away from movies without extravagant special effects and A-list stars.

Well, I needn't have worried, "The Short Game" ultimately won the SXSW Audience Award, other awards followed during the Spring and Summer, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel signed on as executive producers and in early August a distribution deal was secured. 

 The film will hit theaters on September 20th.