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.

Women's Golf: The Babe, The Queen Bee and Who's Coming in Second

There's probably not a competitive female golfer in the world who doesn't aspire to be a Babe.

That's Babe with a capital B, and the Babe in question... the one everyone wants to emulate... is the legendary Babe Zaharias.

Now there's a contemporary golfer who's actually achieving those aspirations.

With her US Women's Open win yesterday, on the undulating greens of Sebonack Country Club,  Inbee Park reached a level of... well, Babedom... that hasn't been seen since 1950.

Like the iconic Mrs. Zaharias did in the mid-20th century, the 24 year-old Korean has won the season's first three majors.  If Park wins next month at the Ricoh Women's British Open she'll actually be able to best the Babe by winning the season's fourth major.

Mind you, there were only three majors back in 1950.  Had there been more, The Babe would have had them in her sights and I suspect she'd have won them. One of her best known quotes, reflects the confidence that would likely have taken her there: "The Babe's here, who's coming in second?"

At Sebonack fellow players spoke about Park's performance with amazement. Brittany Lincicome went so far as to say it seemed she was, "...playing a different golf course,"  and Paula Creamer asked, "What are you going to do when you go against someone that hot?"

I have a feel next month at The Old Course in St. Andrews I'm guessing we might hear that famous Babe Zaharias quote adapted for the 21st Century: "The Queen Bee is here, who's coming in second?"

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.

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

Women at St. Andrews: A Museum Exhibition & A Major Championship

For female golfers... and fans of the women's game... 2013 is looking to be a particularly excellent year for a trip to the "home of golf".

As you probably know, the 2013 Women's British Open will take place on the Old Course in St. Andrews from August 1st - 4th for only the second time in its history.

In addition, The British Golf Museum... just a pitching wedge away from the famous Old Course... will be presenting Ladies First: Pioneering Moments in Women's Golf, an exhibition that focuses on the history of women's golf.

Curated by a group of postgraduate students from the University of St. Andrews' Museum and Gallery Studies program, Ladies First, will feature historic artifacts, art and photography that promise to bring to life key events and characters from golf's past and the way it was played by women.

There are also numerous courses to play in and around the beautiful and historical town.  So, if you've been looking forward to making that trip to St. Andrews one of these years... this might be the perfect time to do it.

Ladies First: on Facebook
Ladies First: on Twitter

Augusta Admits Female Members but Sexism Struggle Continues Elsewhere

photo: brettchisum via photopin cc

Believe it or not, many golf fans I've spoken to recently are already well into waiting-for-the-Masters mode.  

It may seem premature to be fixated on an event that's still two months away, but when it comes to the Masters, that's generally the way it goes; the longing will germinate in the depths of February and develop rapidly from there; events leading up to it just make the feeling stronger... like water, warmth and oxygen on an nascent seedling.  By the end of March thousands of azaleas and dogwoods will begin to flower and the lilting acoustic strains of Augusta will find their way to the top of playlists.  Some strange people will be craving the tangy taste of pimento cheese.

This year, in the minds of many fans, anticipation will no doubt be accompanied by a sense of relief.   Relief that the uncomfortable issue of sexism at Augusta National has finally been addressed with the inclusion of two female members... the first since the club opened its doors in 1932.  Though largely symbolic, this makes it unlikely the sexism debate will rage in Augusta this coming April with the same fervor we've seen in past years.

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My Lady's Putt is so Cute - Antique Infographic Evokes Publishing's Past

While The Babe may not have approved, I'm quite sure "My Lady's Putt"... the humorous illustration at left... provoked ample amusement in 1930 when it was published in Punch magazine's yearly Almanack.  After all, the British weekly was the era's go-to source for sophisticated satirical humor, and competitive golf for women was still... relatively speaking... in its infancy.

The illustration is comprised of a series of whimsical golf drawings by Frank Reynolds - a British artist who often focused on golf - and each sketch features an individual woman and her own... um... unique putting style.

One woman holds a cigarette in one hand while casually putting with the other, another more determined lady reads her putts on the ground, spidermanwoman style.  Golf fashions of the day are illustrated along with the idiosyncratic putting strokes.

One can easily imagine the laughter, as upper class men passed the popular magazine around in the cloistered drawing rooms of London's venerable gentlemen's clubs.  Though many of those men no doubt recognized their own putting style somewhere in the illustration, that wouldn't have been discussed in the security of those segregated bastions.

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Pretty Girl Syndrome and the Effect it Can Have on a Golf Swing

Beware of the Pretty Girl Golf Swing                 photo ©GolfGirlMedia

If you're in any way attuned to pop culture... or contemporary psychology... you've probably heard of "Pretty Girl Syndrome". It's also quite likely you know at least one or two ladies afflicted with the troubling condition.

The personality traits found in those with PGS are a result of the excessive attention, advice, assistance and unsolicited adoration attractive women receive on a daily basis.

Of course the syndrome doesn't affect every attractive woman, and those who are affected display a myriad of sometimes contradictory behaviors; arrogance, insecurity, a sense of entitlement, lack of empathy and helplessness are just a few.  Women with PGS often complain about being beautiful, claiming that it makes them a perpetual target of jealousy from those less attractive. Their complaints generally garner very little sympathy as numerous studies have proven that attractive people do, in fact, have a quantifiable advantage when it comes to employment and salary. They also receive a disproportionate amount of praise for everyday accomplishments and (women, in particular) tend to get all manner of things for free.

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A Sweet Song About How Women Keep Men From Getting Better at Golf

golf with my lucky husband

"...I got a hopeless golf game, I like the sound of your name."

Generally speaking,  I'm not a fan of country music. Having grown up in New England before there was a Taylor Swift or a Carrie Underwood, I always tended to associate the genre with a twangy sound, syrupy lyrics and Achy, Breaky annoying-ness.  The  "country pop" subgenre was in its infancy; Shania still went by Eileen, Dottie West had just become Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers... well he was Kenny Rogers, but it just didn't resonate with me.

However, after the quixotic lyric above appeared in my twitter feed for the tenth time yesterday,  I did some research and discovered "A Woman Like You" by a man named Lee Brice.

It's a beautiful, charming song... ultra-country, and naively romantic. Basically, it describes the ways a guy might need to, um... change his behavior in order to be with the woman he loves. It also outlines some of the things he may have to give up; like deep sea fishing and drive-thru fried chicken, poker nights with the guys and an old green Nova.  Oh...and golf.  Yes, golf's in there too, but I'm guessing it can stay if the guy finds a girl who shares his passion.  Like my lucky husband did.

Mind you, the husband's golf game is still pretty hopeless.

Lacoste Ladies Open de France - "Surreal" Second Win for Stacey Keating

Australia's Stacey Keating, won the 2012 Lacoste Ladies Open de France yesterday, and received the trophy with her caddie/boyfriend, Darren Peters, looking on.

European Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal and former world number one Lorena Ochoa... who has inspired the Aussie golfer for years... were also present.  

For the 26-year-old Keating this win makes two in a row, after her very recent maiden victory at the LET's Tenerife Open de Espana.  Today's final round was a nail-biter to the end:

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The Lacoste Ladies Open de France - At Home in Saint-Jean-de-Luz

St-Jean-de-Luz        photo credit: RLasaosa via photopin cc

There's a lot to love about the, southwestern corner of France, from the expansive Atlantic beaches to the wonderful wines of Bordeaux and the Cote Basque.  The towns and cities are steeped in history and the cuisine is... Bordelaise, in other words: fois gras, truffles, cassoulet and amazing almondy, multi-chromatic sweets.  And what's not to love about that?

I know the area well having spent numerous holidays in Biarritz during the 90s, when I lived in Paris with my French husband.  However, we didn't play golf back then, and though we enjoyed memorable meals at L'Atlantique and Le Kaiku, we never spent more than an afternoon Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the charming port city just a few miles from the Spanish border where the Lacoste Ladies Open de France is taking place this week.

Golf de Chantaco                        photo: myeasygolf.com

In addition to the sumptuous gastronomy, charming Basque architecture... and its history as a pirate's cove... Saint-Jean-de-Luz has a unique bond with the game of golf.  It's a bond that has roots in the early part of the 20th century, with the Thion de la Chaume family and their creation of Golf de Chantaco.

Simone Thion de le Chaume was a renowned, golden-age golfer who became the first foreign player to win the British Girls Amateur and the first to win the British Ladies Amateur championships.  Her marriage to French tennis star Rene Lacoste brought together two star athletes and led to the creation of an apparel brand that revolutionized athletic wear in the early nineteen thirties with the introduction of La Chemise Lacoste; the original version of today's ubiquitous polo shirt.  A couple of years ago I wrote about  the Lacoste family and their singular and profound relationship with golf.

The company has remained family owned... and continues to enjoy immense global popularity... almost 70 years after its creation, a testament to the tenacity that inspired its iconic crocodile logo. As for the 2012 Ladies Open de France, with Lacoste as title sponsor, the event will surely receive a warm welcome at home in Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

Golf Going Forward: A Far Shorter Path to a More Accessible Game

"Far Forward", "Fairway", "Rookie" and "Rockin Red".

These are some of the names that have been given to the extra tee box that numerous courses have installed over the past year. They're closer to the hole than the standard forward tee, and in some places they're referred to as the "fun tees".  It's easy to see why.

The game of golf is dauntingly difficult; a fact that's been loudly lamented by generations of players. We've heard it for years, from politicians, preachers and a whole slew of stand-up comics...many of whom were actually excellent players.  It's no wonder so many once hopeful golfers give up on the game each year; they simply grow weary of playing a sport they suspect they may never get good at.

Golf is a multi-faceted game, and numerous elements contribute to its high degree of difficulty. However, due to the aforementioned exodus... and a decline in golf participation over the past several years... one of those elements is being addressed at a growing number of North America golf courses.  From coast to coast a new set of tees is making golf decidedly more accessible/enjoyable for beginners... and others... who've found frustration on courses that, particularly over the past couple of decades, have become far too long and too difficult for their skill level... even from "forward tees"... because at most of today's golf courses the forward tees play at over (often well over) 5,000 yards which for many beginner / junior / senior / female-weekend / recreational golfers means lots of picking up (frustrating) or an exceedingly slow round (frustrating + annoying / inconsiderate).

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