Happy Halloween from Golf Girl Media

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OK. We could have been sexy nurses or sexy police women... or sexy golfers. But we went for something decidedly more... blue PG.

Meridith, our "Fashionista", created the Avatar style  ...and as blue as we may look... we kind of like it.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Photo by Meredith Horton/Golf Girl Media

A Thur... Fri... Saturday post from Golf Girl World

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By Jordan Farr aka Golf Girl Junior

Once again the business of the week has gotten in the way of my famous Thursday Post... so from now on, it's going to be a Friday post... which will make my life easier AND lessen the chance of it being late... although this week I'm actually writing it at 2:ooam on Saturday morning?

OK... I assure you, I will get into the rhythm of the work flow around here, and I really appreciate your patience in the meantime. Thank yous.

We spent Wednesday in Manhattan, where we had the opportunity to preview the 2011 Ralph Lauren and RLX golf apparel lines. What can I say? Everything... from the fresh color pallets to the body-conscious cuts to the innovative fabrics is ... superlative? I think that's the word I'm looking for. Anyway it's a beautiful, well-balanced collection and we'll be writing about it next week.

We also met with a photographer who may be helping us out with "Tillinghast from the Red Tees". I never saw golf courses as art before. Now I do. To be honest with you, I didn't even know who Albert Warren Tillinghast was a month ago when Patricia told me about the project... even though I grew up in the shadow of one of his most famous courses. ~ So... I'm learning. Learning a lot, and quickly.

Now for my Poll question which you may have caught on Wednesday's show: After seeing a woman on the golf course last week with a small dog sitting next to her in the cart... and knowing this is practice of Playboy's Kendra Wilkenson along with other celebrities... I wonder: Should dogs be allowed on the course and (bonus question) what breed would you like to see on your course?

Well that's it for now, talk to you next Thursday...no I mean Friday... or maybe Saturday. What ever, see you soon.

Photo: Golf Girl Media

Glitz, Glamour and Golf at Mission Hills Hainan

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He didn't do his triple back flip, but former Olympic gymnast Li Xiaoshuang was certainly in a celebratory mood today.

Together with his partner, Ryuji Imada, and three amateurs,  he won the Pro-Am Team tournament at the inaugural Mission Hills Star Trophy, now taking place in Haikou, China.  The team will split a back-flip-worthy $100,000 prize for their efforts.

The Pro-Am Team tournament is the first of three segments that make up the Mission Hills Star Trophy event.  It featured teams of one celebrity, one pro and three amateurs, in a scramble format. The improbable celebrity/pro pairings, combined with a collective sense of wonderment at the amazing new venue, made for two magical days of golf.  The final results... and some of those unique parings... are listed here.

The amazing golf event will continue throughout the weekend with the Pro-Celebrity Team (one celebrity, one pro, four-ball stroke play) and the Professional Individual events (20 professionals, male and female, 36-hole individual stroke play).

In additional news from Mission Hills,  precocious New Zealand pro Danny Lee gives good golf tips,  Hugh Grant is contemplating a Chinese girlfriend and Hong Kong pop singer Arron Kwok is adorable (major new Golf Girl Junior Celeb Crush).  

More to come this weekend.

October 27, 2010 - Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images AsiaPac)

Sparkling Mission Hills Star Trophy Spotlights Hainan

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An eclectic melange of global glitterati have convened in Haikou, China for The Mission Hills Star Trophy. 

The celebrity golf pro-am tournament will run from today through Oct. 31,  and involves 20 professional golfers along with 20 celebrities and 120 amateurs.  It's part of a government-led initiative to make the Hainan island a leading international tourism destination in the coming years, and judging from the brilliant constellation of international superstars now navigating the fairways of newly launched Mission Hills Resort Hainan, interest in this once mysterious region of China is huge. International exposure from the Mission Hills Star Trophy will be correspondingly massive.

Golf's most astute two-time-Open-Championship-winner-slash-businessman, Greg Norman is a HostAmbassador for the event along with China's multiple gold medal-winning gymnast Li Ningand Japan’s ultra-popular television star, Akashiya Sanma. 

Celebrity participants include reformed frat boy Olympic gold medalist, Michael Phelps, actors Mathew McConaughey, Hugh Grant, Christian Slater, Michael Wong and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Additionally, among numerous others cast of Ryder Cup Captains, major champions and golf icons will be among the professional golfers competing in the pro event for the $1.28 million first prize, including Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, Seri-Pak, Danny Lee and Zhang-Lian Wei to mention just a few.

The format sounds ultra-compelling: Amateur teams of three play with a celebrity or professional golfer on the first two days of the event in a team scramble format. The weekend play will then be in four-ball stroke play format between 20 teams consisting of a celebrity and a professional, with a 36-hole individual professional event running concurrently on the Blackstone Course.

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The Mission Hills Star Trophy is huge, and illustrates the rapid emergence of China as an international stage for major sporting and lifestyle events.  ~ We'll keep you updated on the action in Haikou as the weekend progresses. 

October 27, 2010 - Photos by Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images AsiaPac

Only Two Things - Sluts, Stooges & Halloween Golfers

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... on BlogTalkRadio

The 31st of October is just days away, and it got me thinking  of a post I did last year. It's on Halloween costumes and it makes a a good topic for our show.  Here it is:

Yes, that quaint American holiday where the nation's young people dress up as ghosts and goblinsPimps and Hos and attend Halloween Parties Pimp & Ho Parties is right around the corner.














Many have complained in recent years about the increasing commercialization of Halloween (it's now a $5 billion business in the US) and many more have voiced objection to the increasing sleazeification of the spooky holiday... and, let's face it, to a great extent the traditional favorite costumes of the past, such as ghost, princess, astronaut and cowboy, have indeed been replaced by slightly more... salacious... options: zebra pimp, fallen angel, charm school dropout, and the like.  ~ A reflection of our times, I suppose.

To that end,  I thought I'd do a quick search for "golf costumes" and see what's out there these days for the average person who just wants to be a golfer on Halloween.

I found quite a variety of choices, and in the ladies category they definitely lean towards the lugubrious as you can see in the montage above. I put it together from a variety of costume sites and you can call them racy, slutty, naughty or fun but there's no denying it... these outfits are sexed-up... to the max. 

The strange thing however, is that when it comes to the guy golfer's selection, there's nothing remotely racy available. In fact, all of the men's costumes seem to be inspired by the three stooges or outdated notions that golfers always look like dorks. (I have a friend who insists that guys find the Three Stooges sexy but I don't think I believe her).














Other male costumes have been "modernized". I found plenty of sexy policemen, and sexy cowboys and sexy football players, but I could find no sign of a sexy male golfer, though I suppose maybe one could adapt this costume. Golf did originate in Scotland, right?

Anyway, I can only conclude that if the Golf Sluts meet up with the Golf Stooges on Halloween, the girls will surely have to give the guys a few extra strokes.

So that's what we'll be talking about tonight on "Only Two Things".

Why are men relegated to silliness  - while women are encouraged to sex it up.  Are there further iimplications?   And what would you let your teen or pre-teen wear?  You can join the conversation too... on-air... by using our call-in number, which is: 917-889-9592. Or weigh in at the chat room, or on Twitter... or just have a listen at Blog Talk Radio. We'll be live from 9:30 - 10:30 ET, hope to hear from you.

"Fashionista Golf Girl" - Introducing Meredith Horton

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It's my pleasure to introduce Meredith Horton, the latest member of the Golf Girl Media team.

She's going to be helping us out... here at Golf Girl's Diary... and with our myriad projects at Golf Girl Media.  She's a world traveler and recent college graduate who is determined to learn how to play golf... and she'll surely bring a unique perspective to our endeavors.

Hi everyone, my name is Meredith Horton and I am proud to say that I am the newest member of the Golf Girl Media team.

I've been reading Golf Girl's Diary and talking to Golf Girl about some of the projects in the pipeline, and I'm so happy to have been asked to join the team. 

Now, I have to tell you the truth; I’m a recent college graduate, and for as long as I can remember my world has revolved around books, studying, and papers. (Can I just say how happy I am that that phase of my life is over!) So, I know little about golf as yet… though I can tell you all about Celtic Mythology if that helps!
  
I plan to not only learn all there is to know about golf, but to have fun doing it...  and I plan to do it in style! (Who knew there were so many amazing golf fashions out there? Not me.) 

Now, I’m guessing that you’d like to know a little about me…  well I’m a tea addicted, Gemini, who is obsessed with Gilmore Girls and classic movies. Does that help? Well, if you’re still curious I’ll tell you a bit more: I’m the second eldest of six. Three girls and three boys… I know what you’re thinking, “how very Brady Bunch of you!” And yes, yes it is, though not as creepily happy and obedient. Oh, and our house has toilets something that VH1 The 60’s pointed out the Brady house didn’t. It’s a true story, watch an episode and see for yourself!  We’re also a house of animal lovers. Growing up we had almost every kind of pet imaginable, from chinchillas and chickens to the more conventional dogs and birds.

Oh, I’m also astoundingly competitive and cannot wait till I can teach my brothers and sisters how to play golf… and win! Yep, I plan to become that good (or maybe the heavens will smile on me and they’ll all stink!). To quote Madeline (I loved those books when I was little!) “That’s all there is, there isn’t any more.”

So, I can’t wait to start hearing from you and I can't wait to know more about the multi-faceted world of golf. Golf Girl Media, I've happily come to find out, is all about developing a passion for the game and keeping it fun.
 
Oh I almost forgot, I'm @GolfGirlFashion on Twitter ...and I just got on there two days ago so I'm actively seeking friends. Hint, hint. Well, that's it for now.  

FashionistaGolfGirl signing off. 

Cristie Kerr is Again Number One in the World

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The life of a touring pro isn't an easy one.  As glamorous as it may seem, traveling the world to play golf requires a kind of nimbleness, adaptability and mental dexterity that few of us ever have to call upon in our day-to-day lives.

The resilient stars of the LPGA are needing to call upon all of those skills these days, as they continue their trek through Asia.

From Bangkok, Thailand where the temperatures hovered around 90 (F) degrees, the tour has moved on to Incheon, South Korea.  Located on the country's west coast, temperatures there have been in the 40s... with a blustery breeze thrown in to boot.

However, new (and former) world number one, Cristie Kerr is not letting the drastic weather change dampen her mood.  She's back at the top in the hotly contested Rolex Rankings, having reclaimed the coveted No. 1 spot from Ai Miyazzato yesterday when the updated rankings were released.  And that's just where she wants to be.

Kerr and Miyazato are two of several players who've been battling for number 1 since early in the season,  in a race that's become so close it seems to come down to one putt week after week. 

The Hana Bank Championship  begins later this week on the Ocean Course at Sky 72 Golf Club, and Cristie Kerr is without a doubt aiming to keep that #1 next to her name.

Italian Kid is Youngest European Tour Winner Ever

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Earlier this year Matteo Manassero spoke about how journalists... particularly American journalists... had taken to calling him "The Italian Kid".

It was... he declared... a nickname he wore with pride. ~ After all, though his game is that of a far more seasoned player,  Matteo Manassero is only seventeen.

As such,  his win yesterday at the Castelló Masters made him the youngest European Tour winner in history. ~ Matteo's reaction when asked how he'd spend his €333,330 earnings was disarmingly... um...youthful:

"I'm not old enough to drive and I don't have a girlfriend to spend the money on," he said laughing. "So I really have nothing to spend my money on -- but the most important gift for me is the two-year Tour exemption."

In addition, the newly minted champion earned a start in next fortnight's $7m WGC-HSBC Champions event... and the assurance of a place in the season-ending $7.5m Dubai World Championship after moving to 44th on the money list.

Matteo also won the tournament's cute, kissable trophy (above)... though he didn't get nearly so intimate with the whimsical award as Michael Jonzon did last year. (Matteo just kissed the little guy's hand)

Ultimately the Manassero victory is the latest in a year of extraordinary success for Italian golf and it had a number of golf writers asking, "What are they doing right in Italy?"


Early this year I wrote about the Italy's emerging golf excellence, about the Italian Golf Federation's dedication to growing the game,  and particularly about extraordinary coach, Alberto Binaghi who has nurtured the talent and passion of Matteo Manassero from the start. Signore Binaghi has quite a bit to be proud of today.

Win Amazing Golf Prizes With the 2010 Golf Census

By Jordan Farr (with Meredith Horton)

So... we’re going to let you in on a little secret and you have to promise that you wont tell anyone you'll tell every golfer you know. Are you ready?? 

Okay, there's a really easy way for you to win the most amazing golf prizes ever!  

We’re so not talking about t-shirts and caps... not that we have anything against t-shirts and caps... but what we're talking about here are... dream vacations: Scotland, Ireland Pinehurst and Pebble. Also, major championship ticket packages, golf instruction with Annika Sorenstam and equipment prizes so vast and varied that we get dizzy with excitement just thinking of them!  And as we were saying, it's really, really easy.  

All you have to do is fill out the American Golf Census. It takes less than 5 minutes, because it's just a few basic questions,  and here's the thing: the census supports the game of golf. By being counted, you'll be helping policymakers understand how golf enhances the lives of millions of Americans from all walks of life. So if you play golf, please take part in the census; for the game we love and for the awesome prize possibilities.  Tell your golfing friends too, you get additional entries for doing so.

As for us gals at Golf Girl Media, we happen to have a nerdy obsession with statistics so we're looking forward to the results.

Golf Ghouls and Fairway Phantoms - October Golf

You needn't be a golfer to enjoy a twenty minute golf cart trip across the verdant fairways of River Bend Golf Course.  Everyone is welcome,  even those who've never held club.  There's no dress code either.

However,  if you're not a fan of murderous ghouls, haunted bridges and malevolent scarecrows, you may wish to abstain from this round... it's not one you can win.

It's the “Haunting at River Bend” and along with the "Trail of Terror" at the Community Park, it's part of late October activities in Lisle, Illinois.

The haunting begins at the 19th hole aka The View Restaurant.   A ‘train’ of several golf carts takes off from there, following the cart path through a multitude of "scare points" more frightening than a downhill four footer.

This particular event takes place in the mid-west, but scary golf is taking place all over the country in honor of Halloween. Look for a haunting in your area... if you're brave enough.

BTW - It seems I've been drafted into I've volunteered to take my friend's two little ones to the Haunted Mini Golf this weekend.

Cigar Guy Humor-Is there a Male/Female Disconnect?

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 The finish was dramatic and the ensuing celebrations were raucous, but it's mid-October and the 2010 Ryder Cup has been relegated to history. 

We'll retain memories of lavender sweaters and rain delays... and the roar of the crowd at the 17th on that riveting final day when Graeme McDowell punched an iron to six feet.  We won't soon forget Hunter Mahan's tears at the press conference that followed either.  Those will be some of the lasting memories. 

But thanks to a spontaneous photo of a less than memorable Tiger Woods mis-hit, what many will remember most about Celtic Manor 2010 is a photo taken on-the-fly by Daily Mail photographer X as Tiger flubbed a chip in and more specifically,  "Cigar Guy", a stogie-chomping, mop-topped, MAJ impersonator, wide-eyed and smiling, in the background.
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"Cigar Guy" managed to transcend golf.  He was photo shopped and set to music in hundreds of different ways, appeared on myriad talk shows around the world and will undoubtedly appear on numerous doorsteps this Halloween.  Like nothing else from the 2010 Ryder Cup, "Cigar Guy" went viral.
 

But why? That's the question my assistant Jordan Golf Girl Junior asked me the other day. "Granted", she said, "it made me giggle like a little school girl, however, I did not by any means find it phenomenal... actually to me, it was quite silly and fairly banal.  What, exactly, is the big deal?"  
 

She asked me... like I'm supposed to know these things... and I had to admit I too was puzzled by the disproportionate popularity of this somewhat sophomoric personage.  So I suggested to GGjr that she look into it and... astute assistant that she is... she conducted an informal survey at her college campus last week, and at a local "19th hole" over the weekend.  What she discovered seems to reveal an interesting humoristic gender gap: When asked why they felt the photo had become so popular, the males described the photo with worlds like brilliant, epic, hilarious and awesome, while the females tended to chuckle and shrug their shoulders. 

To illustrate the point further, Jordan quoted one of her guy friends, "Dude! You go to a golf game and you see people who are uptight... or really into the game. Seeing something out of the norm is just... like... weird. Like why wouldn’t it become a big deal?” 
 
I thought about this, then I thought about CaddyShack, David Feherty and the Three Stooges, and that brings me to tonights topic: Is there a major disconnect when it comes to what men and women find funny?  And if so is the gap particularly wide when it comes to golf?  What do you think, is the "Cigar Guy" just the latest poster boy for schlubby male humor... or an optimistic symbol of hilarity and wonderment?  That's what we'll be talking about tonight on "Only Two Things", and we'd love to hear your opinion. You can join the conversation too... on-air... by using our call-in number, which is: 917-889-9592. Or weigh in at the chat room, or on Twitter... or just have a listen at Blog Talk Radio. We'll be live from 9:30 - 10:30 ET, hope to hear from you.

Exceptionally, A Tuesday Post from Golf Girl World.

By Jordan Farr aka. Golf Girl Junior

As you may have noticed... or not... I didn't post my normal Thursday update last week. There are a couple of reasons for this:

1) Thursday was my birthday and all the celebrating distracted me.
2) Golf Girl zipped off to Vegas without me and I was... irked.
3) I was diligently working on a multitude of admin projects and just didn't have a minute for the Thursday post.

Anyway, it's a combination of the above and I figured I'd catch up today.

Here in CT the weather is gorgeous for golf right now, and the fall folliage provides a backdrop of orange, gold and crimson. It's lovely, but I'm having more and more trouble finding my golf balls... particularly after swings that sent them flying into the woods. The fallen leaves are now ankle-deep and they seem to see golf balls as their prey to devour. This is where my recycled balls come in handy.

As an arch-beginner in the game of golf, everything is fascinating to me, so when GolfGirl suggested I create our weekly list of notable links (which BTW we haven't done in a couple of weeks) I had a lot of trouble narrowing it down... but here's what I came up with:

OK, I know Angel Cabrera the awesome Argentine golfer,  but there's another Angel Cabrera. He's a holistic health & fitness consultant, and he takes photos at golf tournaments. The best shot coming out of the Frys.com Open has got to be the one he took of a mysterious golfer hidden beneath an umbrella.  There are some great shots with winner Rocco Mediate too.

You probably know John Raser from all the great social media initiatives he's undertaken. He's got a great new contest going on now with 59Golf.

24 year old Korean golfer, Kyung-Tae Kim, is the Japan Open champion after a stunning final round of 64 saw him win the event by two shots.

The top five women golfers in the world will battle it out in Asia this week at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. They'll be fighting for World Number One among other things.

After her maiden LPGA win Beatriz Recari is looking towards the 2011 Solheim Cup.

... I may sneak a few more in later today. Catch you later.

Photos: Top Left, Golf Girl Media - Lower Left, Angel Cabrera
  

A first LPGA victory for IndyCar Golfer Beatriz Recari

It's 2:00am Eastern time on Monday morning.

 I'm just back from a remarkable weekend in Las Vegas at Blogworld Expo. 

I was there as part of a panel on Women in Sports Media... a multifaceted topic to say the least.  I'll have more on the event later in the week but the highlight was without a doubt people I met.

On the panel with me was Kathleen Hessert, a true visionary in the "sports and social media" field.  Her company, Sports Media Challenge has worked with a number of high profile sports stars... assisting and instructing them in the most effective uses of social media... with outstanding results.

Also on the panel was Valli Hilare, editor of The Fast and the Fabulous,  and the definitive voice for female motor sports fans.  Her passion and enthusiasm for NASCAR and IndyCar racing was inspiring.  So much so that I'm looking forward to attending an event in the near future... and believe me I'd never before been temped by checkered flags.

When I got home a couple of hours ago...  and back to work...  I was happy to discover that Spain's delightful and talented Beatriz Ricari had claimed her first LPGA Tour title at the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge.  Again, I'll be writing more about this awesome win in the days to come,  in the meantime have a look at what Beatriz has been doing when not on the fairways and greens:  a few days ago the soon-to-be-champion spent a some time at the Cafes do Brazil Indy 300.

It seems Beatrice not only gave golf lessons to driver Graham Rahal, she also hit the track in a two-seater with Mario Andretti.  Then she flew out to the west coast and won at Blackhawk Country Club.  Yes, I'm impressed.

Why You Should Burn Your Scorecards

A guest post by: Greg D'Andrea 

People always ask me;  Greg, do you really stink at golf or is the Golf Stinks blog just a gimmick? Well, the truth is, it depends on what your definition of “stink” is. If you ask Rickie Fowler or Tiger Woods to look at my game, hands down they would say I stink at golf. In fact, most of you would probably agree.

But if you ask someone who’s just beginning, they may (and on one occasion someone actually did) say that I should be competing in tournaments. While flattering, this golf newbie had no idea what they were talking about – they were so new, literally every shot for them was a flub. So every time they saw me hit a decent one (which wasn’t that often), they thought I should be on tour! But in reality, I stink. End of story.

My average for 18-holes is 93. Sure, that’s better than some people. Heck, I even break 90 once-in-a-while (best ever is 82). But I also hit my share of triple-digit scores too (had a 113 this season). So as you can see, I’m an average Joe golfer: Inconsistent as hell and even in the case of my all-time best round, I still finished 10 over par.

You know, in all the blog posts I’ve penned, I’ve never written what my average golf score is. Nope, this is the first time. Why? Because I’m trying to make a point: You don’t have to be good at golf to love it! Let’s begin with a simple exercise. How many of you have a fireplace, fire pit or hibachi? Good. Now how many of you have a fire extinguisher? Great. Now go scour your golf bag, home and car (don’t forget the trunk) and collect all the scorecards you can find.  ... Got them all? Super. Now carry the extinguisher and the scorecards over to any of the aforementioned heating/cooking devices. Set the extinguisher down at arm’s-length and light a small blaze in your heating/cooking device. Now toss all your scorecards into the inferno. Don’t leave! Keep your eyes focused on that fire until your scorecards have been reduced to a pile of ash.

On second thought, perhaps you can skip the “burning” exercise altogether if you don’t worry about your score and instead just go out and have fun. The reality for most golfers (me included) is we need to come to terms with the fact that we stink at golf – and that stinking at golf is a perfectly normal thing. Once you’re content with that, you’ll be having more fun than you ever thought possible on a golf course.

Let’s take camaraderie as an example. If you play golf, chances are someone you know also plays, and that both of you hit the course together at least once-in-a-while. There you are – you and your buddy out on the course – talking about the things you would be talking about anyway, except now you are also enjoying a round of golf in the great outdoors. If you have three buddies that are golfers, then it’s a whole foursome full of fun and camaraderie. Add a camcorder and a slew of antics can ensue that would have never taken-place off the course…trust me.

Look, the reality is, 99 percent of golfers stink – but how many of them really admit to that fact? Come on, the last thing you want is to be one of those golfers…you know; the ones that lie to themselves (and to you) and then get all worked up when they go out and shoot a 110 – as if they typically shoot around 75 and they are completely stumped as to this strange turn of events. Why give yourself all that added stress? The best policy is to not worry about your score – you may even be surprised how much not worrying helps you relax – which subsequently translates into more enjoyment out on the course. And isn’t that what golf should really be about – having more enjoyment in your life?

So the next time you hit the links, try to put less emphasis on your scores and more emphasis on enjoying where you are and who you’re with – my guess is you’ll be having way more fun out there. But if that doesn’t work, by all means, go grab a match and that fire extinguisher.

Greg D’Andrea (affectionately referred to as Stinky Golfer Greg) is a regular contributor to the Golf Stinks blog and co-founder of the forthcoming golf social media site, golfstinks.com. Despite living in the same state, Stinky Golfer Greg has not personally met the Golf Girl, but he looks forward to a day when they can hack their way through a local course together. Golf is a game; you should have fun playing it.

Only Two Things - Mars, Venus & The Favre Sext Case

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There's been no shortage of sex scandals in the sports world of late. Some have flown under the radar, while others have dominated world news... and water-cooler conversation...  for days.

The latest...  now commonly known as the Favre Sext Case... has many of the elements seen in other recent scandals: a sexy sidelines reporter, a male athlete misbehaving and copious use of technology for intimate communication purposes.  And as different as the details may be in the individual cases,  they all seem to lend themselves to the question of sexism in sports;  in the reporting and presentation of sports by the media and in the behavior of athletes and officials... but also in the way sports are enjoyed by fans of both sexes.

Writing about this latest scandal, Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock declares that "The entire sports media industry is polluted by sexism" in defense of the latest "victim" Jenn Sterger, who's been painted as a ruthlessly ambitious gold digger/fame whore by some,  he decries the boys-will-be-boys-and-girls-will-be-eye-candy culture of the NFL, but acknowledges that it'll be difficult to change.

Bloomberg writer Scott Soshnick, actually sees this as a moment the to further engage what Commissioner Roger Goodell called the most encouraging new revenue stream for the NFL: no, not wireless... women.   Mr. Soshnick feels that not only do they need to continue stressing that men behaving badly won’t be tolerated but they also need to make the sport more "female-friendly" in a fan-engagement rather than a shrink & pink sort of way.  He's got some interesting suggestions.

It's a marketing strategy that's being looked at seriously... way beyond football.  Yesterday I attended a Playboy Golf event that was fun, sexy and... completely "female-friendly".  It can be done,  but how many organizations are ready to do it.  Do you feel these recent scandals have made sports organizations more aware of the issues the issues they have with some female fans?  Do they see the value in female fans and are they willing to risk the status quo to make changes? That'll be our topic tonight on Only Two Things.   You can join the conversation too... on-air... by using our call-in number, which is: 917-889-9592. Or... weigh in at the chat room or on Twitter... or just have a listen at Blog Talk Radio. We'll be live from 9:30 - 10:30 ET.

Birdies & Bunnies & Tillinghast - Playboy Scramble

 Here in the northeast our golfing days are numbered.

It's becoming more and more difficult to find our errant balls among the russet leaves that litter the fairways... and even at mid-day the sun is no longer warm enough to tempt us to remove our sweaters.

It's the time of year many of us reflect on our golf games and the progress we've made... or not made... during the summer season.

Fall is also a great time for golf events like the Playboy Scramble. We spent the day at the New York Playboy Scramble... at beautiful Dellwood Country Club and had an awesome time ---> Story to come later today.

photo: Golf Girl Media - Jordan with Playboy Golf Girls

G Women Magazine - The Golf Girl's Choice

by Jordan Farr, aka Golf Girl Junior
Lately I’ve been thinking, “what would Golf Girl put in a magazine if she were to create one?” Well, the other day I happened upon G Women Magazine, and it all came together... this is exactly the magazine she’d come up with! So, I guess it’s no surprise that I found it... in her living room.

What really got me excited was when I saw the feature on a Spa Golf Getaway in the Maldives. It just so happens, I’ve never met a spa treatment I didn’t like love... and I’ve been dreaming of visiting the Maldives for a while now.

The best part of G Women is that while they’re totally golf-centric... they also feature fashion and lifestyles stories that go way beyond the course. In addition, they host events that sound ...STELLAR!

OK, so here’s where it gets good... or as Golf Girl Would say... awesome: If you subscribe to G Women through Golf Girl’s Diary, you’ll receive your first two issues free. .. and G Women will donate $5.00 to Cristie Kerr’s charity, “Birdies for Breast Cancer”. Just place your order here (there's also a like in our sidebar) and use promo code: golfgirl.

Now, let me get back to my reading.

Y. E. Yang - Korea Open Win & AsiaOne Ascension

Yang Yong-Eun has been know to come from behind.

He did it, famously, when he won the 91st PGA Championship; his memorable first major.  There, the unassuming South Korean overcame a two-shot deficit going into the final round, to finish three strokes ahead of his playing partner... who happened to be Tiger Woods.

It was a victory that changed his life. With it he became the first Asian-born male to win a major championship, and saw his world ranking rocket from 110th to 34th.

Today the self-taught 38-year-old golfer was back to his old tricks... and then some, when won the Kolon Korea Open at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club with a closing five-under-par 66 for two-stroke victory.  Considering that he'd been flirting with the cut line a couple of days earlier this win was something of a surprise, even for Mr. Yang himself.  After all,  he'd started the day 10 strokes behind the leader, 19-year-old Noh Seung-Yu.  The teen, who held the lead for most of the tournament, lost his footing in the final round and finished in a tie for fourth. ~ Yang's stunning victory at the Korean Open also sent him to the top of the OneAsia Tour Order of Merit.

Y. E. Yang is one of my favorite players so I was delighted to see this weekend's story.  I like his unique sense of style, and the fact that he taught himself to play ... at the relatively advanced age of 19 ... then went on to be one of the best in the world.  I don't know why, but that kind of thing always impresses me.

Like nine thousand something others, we follow @Y_E_ Yang on Twitter.

AP Photo/Yonhap

Cristie Kerr - 3 strokes ahead at LPGA Navistar Classic

If you were following the third round of the Navistar Classic today you probably found yourself thinking of the 2010 LPGA Championship, and the Sunday a few months ago in in Pittsford, NY, when Cristie Kerr won her second major ...by an unprecedented 12-shot margin.

That victory broke a number of records and allowed Cristie to achieve one of her life's goals: to become the number one female golfer in the world.

It's a position she's held on four different occasions this summer. She’s currently third behind second-place Jiyai Shin and Ai Miyazato and... one can be certain... more than ready to take back the top spot.

Remarkably, at one point today, Cristie got to 20-under and held a five-shot lead, but a couple of issues towards the end of the back nine shaved that lead down to 3 prompting her to remark that “Having the lead is great, but extending it is better,” a clear reference to the LPGA Championship. 

Na Yeon Choi and Katherine Hull (T2) lead an impressive group of chasers, including Se Ri Pak, Haeji Kang, Hee Young Park and Mika Miyazato (T4). The stage is set for an exciting Sunday at the LPGANavistar Classic. 

(October 7, 2010 - Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images North America)

The Thursday Post from Golf Girl World

by Jordan Farr, aka Golf Girl Junior

Hey there GGD Readers!

Once again it’s time for my Thursday post! But I don’t suppose I really need to tell you that as I assume it’s already on your Calenders... right? And, speaking of Calenders, October is a special month for Golf Girl Media. Not only is it my birthday month (a national holiday is in the works), but more importantly, it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

As you may know we’re huge fans of Cristie Kerr and her Birdies For Breast Cancer Charity. Quite a few organizations are pitching in throughout October, and donating to Cristie's cause, including the awesome online golf boutique Golf4Her. When you purchase golf clothing and accessories at Golf4Her.com ‘s “Pretty in Pink Webtique,” 10% of the proceeds will go to to Birdies for Breast Cancer.

In the next few days, I will be doing a post about how other golfers and golf businesses are helping raise awareness and funds during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and beyond.

In other Golf Girl Media news, we are now (thanks to me) entering the exciting world of contests and sweepstakes. YAY!!! I know... I’m just as excited as you are! Now you may be asking: “what kind of contest, Jordan? Tell me more!” Well, I can honestly say I don’t really know at this point. And this is where you come in. Can you help me with ideas? What are some golf products you would like to win?

Now as those of you who were listening to “Only Two Things” last night already heard, here’s the weekly question for my pop-culture-golf poll:

Justin Timberlake recently created the awesome Mirimichi golf course near Memphis, TN ...and the golf girl herself played Celine Dion’s golf course just outside of Montreal. So... what celeb would you like to see make their own course? (BTW my personal pick is Catherine Zeta Jones - she’s stylish, talented and passionate about golf).

Just leave your responses in comments or shoot me an email at: jordan@golfgirlmedia.com
And remember to check out our Facebook fan page for further updates.

Only Two Things - Divergent Opinions on espnW

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As you  may have heard,  ESPN is planning to launch a new brand. It'll start out online  - with a blog, social media and mobile elements - and it'll be known as espnW.  The focus will be sports programming for women.   It's a concept that's been incubating for a while with the "worldwide leader in sports" and the idea is that if things go well espnW will eventually sit side-by-side with ESPN2, U, Classic and News.

On the surface, it sounds awesome.  In the golf media realm we regularly lament the lack of coverage allocated to our talented female players, and unfortunately the situation is even worse in other sports. One can only surmise that this lack of coverage perpetuates a lack of interest, which perpetuates a lack of participation.. and maintains the vicious circle that keeps women's sports coverage in the shadows.

Surprisingly however, there have been divergent responses to the concept of a female-focused sports news brand... and there appears to be a hearty dose of scepticism on the part of some of those who've been the biggest advocates for the promotion of womens sports.  ~ What some fear is that the new network will be a fluffy, pink, fairy-princess version of the current ESPN; a girlied-up sub-brand, featuring programing that would pander to... and perpetuate... the idea that women only really like sports with sequins and sparkles.

USA Today reported some interesting facts in relation to this story.  The one I found most ...disconcerting... was that the ESPN produced programming that currently attracts the biggest percentage of female viewers is... wait till you hear this... The National Spelling Bee!  ~ Some people actually question whether or not golf is a sport, but... spelling?

That statistic alone conjures up images of a huge Mars/Venus dichotomy as in:  men like to slouch on recliners and couches, with beer and chips and buffalo wings loudly cheering an action packed game on a big screen... while women are entertained by a slow parade of polished children, laboriously stringing together vowels and consonants. And there's no need for a comfortable couch,  or a large screens or a plate of salty snacks, because the ladies are probably ironing while they watch. 

That's certainly not what ESPN has in mind. Their goal with espnW is nothing short of "a whole new world for women athletes and fans" and the focus will be on "cultivating a national sports conversation for women." To that end the espnW retreat was held recently at Torrey Pines to exchange ideas and lay the foundation for this new brand. Attendees included athletes from a wide array of sports, as well as sports marketers and ESPN executives.

And that brings us to our subject:  Do we really want or need a female-focused sports news brand... and eventually a network ? Exactly what market will it serve and how should it be executed?  That's what we'll be talking about tonight on Only Two Things.   ~ Ethan Johnson from Mister Women's Sports will be joining us and we hope to hear from an number of others who blog about women's sports. You can join the conversation too... on-air... by using our call-in number, which is: 917-889-9592. Or weigh in at the chat room or on Twitter... or just have a listen at Blog Talk Radio.
We'll be live from 9:30 - 10:30 ET.

Additional reading on espnW from: Women Talk Sports and Blogs With Balls and The Wrap

Of Ryder Cup Jaegerbombs and Euro-US Banter

Rory McIlroy shared details of what sounds like a festive post-Ryder Cup evening.

It appears the solid gold trophy was put to good use.  Further tweets indicate that a rousing ping pong competition ensued, with Woods/Mickelson dominating the table.

Japan Women's Open - Mika Miyazato Breaks Through

She's the "other" Miyazato. Less famous... for the time-being... than current World Number 1.

Mika Miyazato grabbed her first professional title yesterday, by winning the prestigious Japan Women's Open by six strokes.

This maiden maiden victory on the JLPGA must certainly have been sweet for Mikan, considering what happened a year ago.  At the same 2009 event Miyazato entered the final round with a four-shot lead... just as she did yesterday, but late in the round the proverbial "wheels fell off", ultimately resulting in a disappointing T6 finish.

This year however the girl from Okinawa wasn't about to let history repeat itself... or at least that's how it seemed when she fired three consecutive birdies in the middle of the back nine... effectively removing all doubt that this was her year.

It was an impressive win, brought to my attention by The Constructivist whose blog, Mostly Harmless, has long been my top independent source of up-to-the-minute information on women's professional golf... and is without a doubt the definitive English language blog covering the Asian women's golf tours.

In the wake of 2010 The Ryder Cup... which reinforced the idea of golf as an increasingly global game... it's great to know there are excellent sources for news and information on golf in places that are now producing some of the world's best players.

And in the interest of fun, flirty and fashionable, check out this awesome mash-up of the past weekend's action at the Japan Women's Open.

Ryder Cup Rain & Golf at the Commonwealth Games

Europe has been looking quite dominant at Celtic Manor since play resumed earlier today under a precarious double rainbow.

However, with the tournament set to spill into Monday, the outcome is far from decided.  The Monday finish... and controversy regarding tickets...  once again provided a Bethpage flashback.  It's inherently difficult to administrate weather issues at events this big.

But for now Westwood is trending and the dowdiness of "Captain CoMo" is dissipating, as the European team puts away foursomes and fourballs. ~ However on our side at the moment, Rickie Fowler is being brilliant... as he often will be... and he's giving US fans something to cheer tweet about. @nouses, "Rickie Fowler, you are ridiculous. Eagle on 11, fighting back."

Watching the #rydercup time-line flow past on Twitter is uniquely entertaining;  it's an unlikely juxtaposition of subtlty and vitriol,  as in:  @FannyIngabout, "I quite fancy Graham McDowell. #thereivesaidit" and @JojoDonovan, "Shut it blubber Watson!!!! See Westwood's celebration for tips to celebrate with dignity"

And so it goes.  It's a huge event and the international rivalry aspect is perfectly presented in the live global forum that is Twitter ~ But there's another massive sporting event trending right now.

The Commonwealth Games begin today, and what happens there... in Delhi, India... will have more impact on the future of international sports competitions... including golf tournaments... than many seem to realize. 

India's ability to pull off these games has been called into question repeatedly during the lead-up to today's opening ceremonies.  As recently a couple of weeks ago some were whispering that the country might just not be ready.  The allegations of corruption and the evidence of shoddy construction many wonder if the infrastructure improvements needed for something so massive this were too ambitious.  On the other hand most agree that if this does work well, it'll provide a huge boost for all sports and potential sporting events, in one of the world's largest and fastest growing economies.

Golf won't be part of the Commonwealth Games this year, although it might be in the future.  It seems the golf simulator in the athletes village has become hugely popular among sportsmen and women of all nationalities event those who've never played the game.  So much so that it's being written... and tweeted... about quite profusely. Which I think is kind of awesome.

Now, getting back to the Ryder Cup tweets, lets see...  @AbGatorade, "This is like watching a train wreck in slow motion" ... @Smithkyle4, "Europe will surrender at some point, as per tradition" 

Alrighty then,  I'm off to play nine at Richter Park.  Catch up with you later.

Photos: Getty Images