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. 

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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What Women See in Golf & How They Dominate the Category on Pinterest

Golf boards on Pinterest

Spend the day at just about any public course in the US and it's easy to see the unbalance. While men-only clubs are nearing extinction and the golf industry is increasing its efforts to attract women, golf remains a male-dominated sport.

Golf is an activity... like day trading, or running for public office... where cultural conditioning,  sexual stereotyping and... some would say... an evolutionary predisposition, have kept women underrepresented.  Quite the opposite however, is true for the newly popular activity known as pinning.  

Pinning is what people do on Pinterest, and Pinterest, for those few who don't know, is a highly visual social sharing site, that's quickly become one of the top social networks.  In fact, it's now just behind Facebook and Twitter in popularity.

The demographics of this new network are the exact opposite of those that prevail in golf, in other words, the majority (about 80%) of pinners are female.  And here's the interesting thing; though there are Pinterest categories dominated by men... Cars/Motorcycles, Technology and Guns, among others... golf isn't one of them.  Most of the Pinterest golf boards have been created by women.  They feature a lot of golf fashion, a plethora of sweet golf confections and myriad glimpses of the golf lifestyle.  Golfers, golf fans... even those who've had little exposure to the game... are likely find these boards engaging.

The golf boards created by men tend to deal more directly with the competitive side of the game. Equipment is huge on men's golf boards, as are golf training articles, but men also focus on golf course architecture and their golf boards often feature stellar golf course photography.

The differences in the way men and women use Pinterest are interesting no matter what the subject, and golf is no exception.

Tenerife Open de España - The Sunshine & The Stars at Golf Las Americas

The 18th at Golf Las Americas    photo: John Beckley via Instagram

{UPDATE BELOW} The warmth of the Iberian sun, the heady scent of hibiscus and the gracious conviviality of Canarian hosts,  those are are some of the things that make the Tenerife Open de España one of the most anticipated events on the LET schedule.

The LET ladies clearly look forward to playing in Tenerife, and this year the island's warmth was particularly welcome, as this Canary Island stop comes on the heels of  a cold and blustery British Open.   The climatic contrast was noted in myriad tweets, as players arrived at Golf Las Americas a couple of days ago:

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