Grapevine is a Texas town with a charming historical district, eclectic art galleries and... not surprisingly... numerous wineries. It's also home to Grapevine Golf Course.
A recently renovated Byron Nelson and Joe Finger design, Grapevine is one of the most popular courses in an area known for great golf.
Well, a number of years ago a small, scrappy Jack Russel terrier began frequenting the fairways of Grapevine Golf Course. Players started calling her "TeeTime", and she quickly became fixture; helping keep the course clean by chasing away pesky geese... and accepting offerings of food from golfers and staff in return. It was a perfect arrangement until a run-in with a coyote, a storm drain and an overzealous Animal Control Authority nearly killed the courageous canine.
Grapevine golfer John Dewey tells her harrowing story at JackRusselLover.com and it's quite an adventure. Fortunately the ending is upbeat. So much so that "TeeTime" is now "back on course" and ... has even earned her own Facebook page.
If you happen to be in Nagoya Japan this week for the Coca Cola Tokai Classic, you may notice a cute little guy in blue tagging along behind superstar golfer Ryo Ishikawa.
From what I gather, Aquarius comes in quite a number of flavors and is uniquely tasty/refreshing/energizing/AWESOME! Unfortunately it's not available in the US, and as a result there are plaintive postings on myriad message boards by Aquarius-addicted Americans who tried the bubbly beverage in Japan... and are now desperately seeking a stateside source for the elusive elixir. Apparently there isn't one.
"Looking for a Caddy for the Ladies French Open at Paris International from Thursday thru Sunday... Anyone available? Thanks :)"
When Sophie Sandolo... the gorgeous global golf star known for both her achievements on the Ladies European Tour (including 18 top 10 finishes) and her elegantly erotic calendars... was in suddenly in need of a caddy in Paris for the upcoming Lacoste Ladies French Open, she took a modern, practical approach and updated her facebook status with the above.
Needless to say, the response was enthusiastic and voluminous. Within the space an hour the job had been filled... and one lucky caddy will be spending a long autumnal weekend on a splendid Jack Nicklaus course just outside of Paris... with one of the sexiest women in golf.
If Christina Ricci has her way,The Road to More Pars will soon become increasingly well traveled. You see, Christina is passionate about golf... and ultra-committed to seeing the game grow. ~ To that end, the intrepid marketing executive from Boston, Massachusetts has developed a virtual media empire focused on bringing more players to the game... and making the game more enjoyable, satisfying and fun for all golfers.
Not that long ago Christina was a thirty handicap with a goal: to drop to a single digit handicap within five years. And she did just that, in fact she was down to a five within those five years. She's now a 3.2, and aiming for scratch. At the same time, the long-legged brunette has committed herself to helping others to accomplish their golf goals.
Christina's Golf Survival Guides are unique among instructional golf books in that they're designed to be used on or off the course. Spiral bound, sturdy and portable, the format is highly visual and easy to follow; presenting tips, drills, instruction and information with detailed illustrations and high quality photography. A companion set of DVDsas well as an on-demand golf video and fitness library are also available on Christina's site. In addition at the iTunes App Store you can find the survival guide for iPhone and iPad. Then there's Miss Par, Christina's blog and a great place to go for news on the the latest golf fashion, golf gear and golf gossip. But lets get back on the proverbial road, shall we?
Christina's latest venture... and her most awesomely ambitious yet: a golf travel/game/reality/adventure show, aimed at the sport’s most under-served demographic: the female golfer.
To get an idea of what you'll see On the Road to More Pars check out the website. Then, watch the sizzle reel... and make sure you vote YES if you like the concept of this golf-growing show. And by the way, a nationwide search will get underway soon for seven cast members... Christina's Golfer Girl Roadies... who'll live the adventure On The Road to More Pars. Women of all ages and ability levels... golfers or aspiring golfers... are encouraged to start preparing an audition video. Sample reels are on the site to inspire you.
Christina Ricci is a true golf evangelist and a brand-builder par excellence. As golf industry executives and associations ponder future growth of the game Christina has taken the club by the shaft... so to speak... and launched a movement.
The automatics are in, with ten of the 12 spots on both the international and US teams set... and here they are. It's now up to the captains to make their two picks. In fact, US captain Fred Couples has already confirmed that one of his two will be Tiger Woods, leaving room for just one more US player... and it seems that pick is still very much up in the air. "We still have another week, but that could easily change anyone's mind," Couples said. "I want these guys to know that the Tour Championship is still deciding my second pick."
On the International side, Greg Norman is also studying his options. With the event taking place in Australia, The Shark has the added pressure of on-site fan support weighing on him, but appears to be keeping it in perspective. "I'm picking the player, not the flag," Norman said. "How they have played in the last 90 to 100 days is important to me. I'll be looking at their scores and the consistency of how they play."
Meanwhile, fans of Ryo Ishikawa were happy to see him get in after recent struggles put him on the bubble. A captain's pick in 2009, Ryo is the youngest player ever to compete in the Presidents Cup and his debut at Harding Park impressed many.
The 2011 Presidents Cup will take place at Royal Melbourne Golf Club from November 4-11.
Ryo Ishikawa, the Japanese teen we've been watching for almost five years is turning twenty.
When he first caught our attention almost five years ago. It was the summer of 2007 and "The Bashful Prince" was a newly minted fifteen-year-old pop culture icon, having recently become the youngest winner ever of a men's tournament on the Japan Tour.
With a whimsical nickname and a disarming smile, he soon made his way to the international stage, turning professional in 2008, and by the end of that year becoming the youngest player ever to reach the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings. US golf fans discovered the young phenom in 2009 when he played in PGA Tour tournaments for the first time.
A series of impressive achievements followed as Ryo made his way to the top of the global "Promising Young Guns" shortlist. It sometimes seemed like nothing could go wrong this precocious trajectory to the top... but... it was sort of inevitable there'd be some growing pains somewhere along the way.
Early this week I heard from friends in Japan that Ryo had been fined nearly $30,000 for missing two recent Japan Tour events. A shoulder injury... backed up by a note from his physician... was the reason for Ryo's withdrawals, but that didn't sway the powers-that-be at the Japan Tour... nor did the golf star's commitment to donate all of his 2011 income to the Japan's earthquake relief fund. Then, just today at the ANA Open in Sapporo, Ryo missed the cut in his final round as a teenager. The star was a bit wistful when asked to comment on his upcoming birthday, "Lonely birthday - I had planned to play this weekend". And so go the growing pains for a very young player who has risen mercurially in world golf.
It's quite clear that Ryo is eager to compete with the top ranked players in the world, declaring recently that he "hoped to become a player who has the option of playing on the U.S. tour" at the same time he's become such a huge star in Japan that he's often seen as having single-handedly increased Japanese participation in the game... and vital to its continued growth. One can only imagine the newly-minted-twenty-year-old is feeling the pressure of the weighty decisions that lie ahead, however he's always shown remarkable thoughtfulness and maturity. Despite the pressure and a few metaphorical speed bumps on his road to the top, there's little doubt among fans and followers of the game Ryo's rapid rise will continue. お誕生日おめでとうございます 石川 遼
Thanks go to Noriko, a fellow Ryo fan from Japan who always keeps me informed.
Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images North America
Yesterday's playoff victory at Pinnacle Rock was just one more sign: Yani Tseng's LPGA dominance is incontrovertible, unambiguous and actual.
Ten career victories, five majors by age 22, money milestones, POY honors and quantifiable uber-consistency... these are some of the highly visible results of Yani's stellar game.
But lets get really superficial and shallow for a minute and talk about the girl's look.
As much as Yani Tseng's distinctive personal style, may not appeal to a Bleacher Report Swagger kind of guy... or to those who swear by FoxSports Incomplete Coverage ... there are lots of us who do appreciate her special fashion sense.
Simplicity, it would seem, is at the base of Yani's sartorial strategy:
• A fitted cap (Adams Golf) and half jacket shades (Oakley) • Classic tops in bright colors and close fitting bermuda shorts with a destinctive belt (Lacoste) • Simple solid-colored shoes (Footjoy)
That's pretty much it... the Yani Tseng style playbook. Like her game, Yani's on-course look is consistent... yet it's also very creative because, as she demonstrates week after week, consistency and creativity are not mutually exclusive.
The last really dominant LPGA player was Lorena Ochoa who, like Yanni, is 5'6". The two champions also have Lacoste in common, so it's not surprising to note a few stylistic similarities between them, but it's the details that make the difference, and personality adds that extra something that creates a personal style. Like Lorena Ochoa before her, Yani Tseng has a winning one.
During the upcoming week male and female golfers from fifteen countries will take to the fairways at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, in Rabat, capitol of the Kingdom of Morocco.
The 31st Arab Golf Championships begins on September 14th and golfers from Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Bahrain, Syria... and Morroco... will compete at the Robert Trent Jones designed golf venue in Men's, Women's and Junior categories.
The Arab Spring brought a wave of protests and demonstrations to cities and towns across the Middle East and North Africa.. and unrest continues in many places. There's a new sense of pride and empowerment in many parts of the region... but also a sense that the upheaval will continue for some time to come. Some sporting events in the Middle East have even been canceled, so it's testament to the dedication of athletes, organizers and sponsors that this... and other golf events... are taking place as scheduled.
We've written in the past about the growth of golf in Middle Eastern countries, and efforts to bring the game to the local, native-born populations. We've also done stories on some up-and-coming players including Ahmad Al Musharrakh and Khalid Yousuf who'll both be representing the UAE next week in the Moroccan capital.
The UAE contingent will also include the Dr. Rabab Al Haj... a physician at Dubai Hospital... who'll be competing for individual honors in the women’s category.
Along with fellow Emeraiti golfer Eida Al Mehairbi, Dr. Al Haj made history at last year's Arab Golf Championships forming the UAE's first women's team to compete in the event.
The standard of the golfers and golf facilities in the Middle East has risen substantially over the past decade. The fact that the game will return to the Olympics in 2016... as well as the announcement of the new MENA Golf Tour.... ensures that the game will continue to grow in the years to come.
Before I started playing golf my exposure to different types of courses was limited to the occasional televised snippet I'd catch by chance. Green and flowery or wet and wind-swept, as a disinterested non-golfer, the nuances were basically lost on me... a golf course was simply a golf course.
They all had bunkers though, and from Augusta National's pristine pools of pure white quartz to the deep, straight-faced pot bunkers of many Open Championship venues, I naively saw them as over-sized sandboxes where you might even find a child's pail and shovel, or a plastic starfish.
Then I started playing the game... and I quickly developed an major aversion to any kind of sand on a golf course. I soon began to see bunkers as hazards to be avoided, and with my limited skills there was no way I could consciously avoid anything. So I struggled to understand the dynamics of a sand shot. I listened to the advice of instructors and took tips from random strangers who seemed to get up and down with ease. Everyone told me it was simple, but it wasn't. Not for me. I tried it all and no nothing worked, Until I started doing what some of my friends did: deftly picking up the ball and gently tossing it out of the hazard. You see, being a purely social golfer I had that option.
As you may know, I recently decided to take my game to the next level. I found a stellar instructor and we've started working towards that end. I've re-engineered my swing and I'm finally developing the kind of consistency that's allowing me to make quantifiable progress. However, time and scheduling being what it is, we've not yet gotten into the traps to work on bunker play... and though I'm now substantially better at avoiding hazards, I still encounter them... all too frequently. So a couple of weeks ago when I was playing with Golf for Beginners editor Stacy Solomon and saw her confidently execute a sand save from a deep, green-side bunker, I naturally begged her asked her for a sand trap tip, and what she shared with me was ultra-simple but has helped me tremendously. She told me to visualize a dollar bill underneath the ball, with the ball sitting squarely on George Washington's face, then swing to lift the entire bill out of the sand, following through with a full finish.
Apparently that tip's been around for a while, but I'd never heard it before, and it somehow enabled me to put into affect much of the other advice I'd gotten. For me it was just a really good visual, and I find that a good visual is often the key to understanding a concept in golf.
Speaking of good visuals here's the gorgeous (major understatement)Suzanne Haney making up-and-down look easy, while husband Hank narrates.
