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.

Stop in Harris, MI on "Road to the LPGA" is Much Loved by Players & Fans

Sweetgrass Golf Course                                                       Photo via @SweetgrassGolf

Avid fans of women's golf... as well as those who "only watch the women occasionally"... will no doubt be focused on Southampton, NY this weekend, where Sebonack Golf Club is hosting the 68th U.S. Women's Open.

The world's top female golfers are playing, though right now all eyes are on the Queen Bee, as she attempts to achieve a history-making win in the singular coastal setting. A compelling weekend of golf is all but guaranteed.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away on Michigan's upper peninsula, another women's golf tournament is taking place in an equally sublime... but decidedly different... setting.  The Island Resort Championship is an event on the Symetra Tour; the tour known as the "Road to the LPGA".  It began today at Sweetgrass Golf Club in the township of Harris, MI.

Among players, The event has become one of the most popular stops on tour. A welcoming community, enthusiastic fans and a stellar course in top condition, are some of the things that make The Island Resort Championship such an anticipated tournament. In fact, here's what Canada's Nicole Vanderware had to say about the crowds at yesterday's opening round:

“This might be the most fans I’ve ever seen out here supporting us,” said Vanderware. “There are so many out here on nine and 18, clapping and cheering for you. It’s been awesome. I’ve never been here before and it’s been great, everyone is so friendly.”

Similar sentiments have been expressed by Symetra Tour players since the tour first started coming to Harris in 2011.

Far from the glitzy, high profile Hamptons, the fans and host families in this pristine, upper-peninsula enclave, are inspiring future champions. Inspiring the women who spend endless hours on the road, and practice relentlessly in pursuit of LPGA dreams.

Follow the Island Resort Championship via the Symetra Tour website and on Twitter via @road2lpga  Also, check out the Symetra Tour Facebook page.

Pick Your Players... for the LPGA Lotte Championship Presented by J Golf

OK, my Masters picks weren't exactly stellar... 150/367 - Golfradar Fantasy Golf Challenge and 46/115 - Back9Network Fantasy Golf Challenge... but they certainly could've been worse considering my unorthodox  selection methods and my past propensity for a DFL finish. In fact, I'm quite encouraged... because the week before the Masters I actually managed a 13/53 for the Kraft Nabisco Championship with Ladies Dream Golf the new LPGA fantasy site I told you about recently.  

So, now's the time make picks for the LPGA Lotte Championship. You see, the tournament... which is taking place at the Ko Olina Golf Club on the Hawaiian island of Oahu... begins tomorrow, April 17.  Rather than the standard Thursday - Sunday schedule this event will run from Wednesday - Saturday, so the pick period actually expires Wednesday morning. 

That means you need to head over to Ladies Dream Golf Make Picks page ASAP.  I'm heading there now to make my selection... in hopes I can continue to improve my standings. DFL is not a place I like to be. 

Ladies Dream Golf - A Full-Schedule LPGA Tour Fantasy Golf Site

Kelley Shaw is an IT exec and an avid golf fan. 

For years she'd enjoyed playing fantasy golf based on the men's tours, but dreamed of a fantasy game that would allow her to exercise her expertise in picking female winners. The expansion of Golf Channel's Fantasy Challenge to include the LPGA Tour's five majors was a welcome development, but Shaw saw something a little more... comprehensive. And that's how Ladies Dream Golf was born.

LDG is a full-featured, full-schedule fantasy league for the LPGA Tour, and includes all 28 tournaments of the 2013 season, as well as the Solheim Cup. The website features leaderboards and current stats along with engaging posts on players and tournaments.  There's a message board as well, where members can gloat when they win exchange ideas and information. Ladies Dream Golf is free and easy to play, and it's never too late in the season to start. 

I met Kelley today through her postings on G+... and I'm glad I did.  It's an exciting time for the LPGA right now; with a newly minted #1 in Stacy Lewis and a wealth of fiercely competitive, ultra-talented players vying for the chance to dethrone her. Thanks to rising ratings the amount of television coverage the LPGA is getting is higher than ever ...and you've still got time to get in on the action for this week's Kraft Nabisco Championship! It's the first major of the 2013 season so a great time to begin. I'll be playing with both the LDG and the Golf Channel, though I must admit I have a terrible record at fantasy sports. You see, I tend to select my players based purely on emotion, and that's probably not the most effective way to pick winners. But when it works, it's awesome... and that's just my somewhat wacky methodology.  To see what you can do, sign up make your pics ... and good luck!

Ladies Dream Golf
Golf Channel Fantasy Challenge