Of Pin-up Models, Calendar Contests and Golf's Top Dogs

When someone says "golf pin-up" or "golf calendar model" it generally brings to mind images like like this.  Or perhaps, this.

In other words you picture a shapely lady in a revealing outfit... with maybe a golf club or two in the mix. Anything else is optional/irreverent.

Well, earlier today I discovered a different kind of "golf pin-up". One with a slightly less libidinous aesthetic.

TurfNet.com is a site for the superintendents, the often under-heralded professionals who manage the labor, time, materials and financial resources needed to care for the fairways and greens of the courses we play on.  In addition the tutorials, job boards and equipment listings, there are myriad blogs and articles that provide an interesting and enlightening look and the extraordinary effort required to keep even the most modest golf courses up to par.  It's a fascinating glimpse into the multi-faceted world of a profession that we golfers depend on for our favorite recreational activity... but one most of us know very little about.

Then there's the calendar... and this is a feature that totally transcends golf.

"Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr... and Tank; just a few of history's most popular pin-up models." 

That's how the TurfNet Superintendent's Best Friend Calendar's call for models is presented, and every year since 2002, 14 fabulous golf course dogs have been selected to grace the pages of this very special calendar.  The 2012 nominees are presented in their own video, and there are numerous other videos in the site's TurfNetTV section that present all of the beguiling canines in their photogenic glory. The quality of the photos is, quite simply, amazing.  The variety of different breeds and the diversity of the courses they inhabit is remarkable, and the way the dogs pose... and project ownership of their respective domains... is enchanting.
 
So when you've got a bit of time to spare head over to TurfNet, and check out the awesome golf course dogs.  I guarantee they'll lift your spirits.

Rising Commodity Prices & The Fate of a Popular Golf Course

Corn, it seems, is the culprit.

The U.S. government’s backing of corn-based ethanol has created steady demand for the classic mid-western crop and hastened a steep rise in the value of land that can produce it.  Rising global demand for grain certainly plays a role as well.

In Mason County, IL this is a welcome reversal of fortunes for families who struggled during the farm crisis, but it's putting one of the area's most popular golf courses at risk. 

Crane Creek Golf Course, a highly-rated 18 hole course in Kilbourne, will go one the auction block next week, part of 347 acres owned by Chicago-based St. Andrews Properties, Inc.

The property will be sold in five different tracts,  three of which contain the front nine holes, the back nine holes and the clubhouse. Those three would need to be purchased together in order to keep the golf course, and golfers across the state are hoping that happens, but there are also some major doubts. 

Ken Nofziger works for Murray Wise Associates, the firm in charge of the auction, and he speculates that the golf course may not be around for much longer, stating “Where commodity prices and land prices are today it wouldn’t be surprising if somebody stepped up and said we could make a lot of money if we convert it back to farmland."  Additional details on the precarious case of Crane Creek appear in this pjstar.com piece,

The auction will take place on Tuesday, February 21.

Golf Pinning Takes Off - Golf Image Curation With Pinterest

My boards on Pinterest

Much as I try to avoid cliches, I'm going to use a really overused one here: A picture is worth a thousand words. There, that wasn't so bad, was it?  ~ The fact is many (most?) of us are "visual" by nature. We comprehend and retain information much more effectively when it's presented visually.  Visuals enhance our emotional connections as well. 

That's what's behind the massive popularity of photosharing sites like Flickr and Instagram.  Our multimedia lives are now inundated with imagery, much of benign or categorically unaesthetic, some of it incredibly gorgeous, powerful, moving... or downright magical.

Enter Pinterest.  A self-described "online pinboard" that allows you to organize and share the mountain of imagery you run into on the web.  It's been around for over a year, used for the most part, by designers, decorators and DYIers.  Recently however it seems to be opening up to a wider swath of the online population, and growth has been... impressive.  In fact, Pinterest is now one of the top 10 social networking sites.

I originally discovered Pinterest because, as the owner of a quixotic Victorian mansion. I'm continually seeking home decor inspiration. The decor blogs I love led me there, and I was soon spending much too much time purusing victorian design pinboards.

Up till very recently there wasn't much of a golf presence on Pinterest, but that's quickly changing.  A few days ago digital-sports-media-guru, Kathleen Hessert, tweeted about Pinterest and encouraged golfers to start "pinning" their passion for the game. It seems quite a number have heeded her call because golf pins are now beginning to proliferate.

So check out golf on Pinterest, if you're visually inclined and you love the game, you'll certainly find images that delight and you may even be inspired to create your own pinboards.  But proceed with caution, like lot's of good things, Pinterest can be addictive.

Oh by the way, my pinboards are here.

A Variation on the Golf Club Sex Discrimination Theme

I don't imagine Steve Frye is very popular on the fairways of Eagle Vines Vineyards & Golf Club.  At least not on Ladies Day.

Mr. Frye, it turns out, is currently attempting to put the kibosh on "Ladies Day" at Eagle Vines, alleging that when he visited the Napa Valley course  on Monday, Dec. 13, 2010, they were illegally charging male golfers $44 for green and cart fees vs $30 for women... because it was "Ladies Day".

 So, Frye has filed a sex discrimination lawsuit ...against a promotion designed to attract more women to play. The Frye vs. Eagle Vines case is scheduled for a hearing on May 22 in Napa County Superior Court. Read more about the case at NapaValleyRegister.com. 

Though many are dismissing Frye's suit as frivolous, The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has supposedly sent a letter to Eagle Vines saying "possible disciplinary action could be taken against the club’s alcoholic beverage license".

This sets a troubling precedent when you consider that courses offering all kinds of golf promotions... discounts for public safety and military personnel, Junior and Senior discounts, etc... could now be subject to costly lawsuits.  If that happens all golfers may end up paying more for their rounds.  And Steven Frye may wish he'd never attempted to squelch "Ladies Day".

Of Golf Girls, Golf Refugees And The Perfect Golf Course

"Expectations have gotten totally out of control"

I've been a fan of Golf Refugees... and their elegant black balls... for years.

I first discovered the indie eco-golf brand several years ago and was immediately impressed by their passion for golf and their unwavering efforts to fostering a more sustainable game.

Cheeky British humor and killer design are the hallmarks of their awesomely eclectic line of products.  An unwavering commitment to carbon neutrality, organic cotton and a "greener" game are what sets them apart.  Earlier this year, as the world was celebrating Earth week, Golf Refugees submitted proposals to the governing bodies of golf to revise their Rules of Golf to incorporate "green" measures. 

As expected, the initial response from the "powers-that-be" has been... tepid.  However, encouragement has come from enlightened golfers across the globe and there's evidence that more courses are now using using recycled or reclaimed water and returning their tracks to a more natural state.

In a Facebook discussion on the topic of golf and sustainability, Golf Refugees' Peter Gourse asked for my thoughts on "the perception of the perfect golf course".  Here's what I told him.

Shop Golf Refugees Awesomeness here
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An Unwelcome Interloper Leaves Golf Courses Waterlogged

Tunxis Plantation Golf Course in Farmington, CT  - - -  Photo: courant.com

The past couple of days have been picture perfect here in Connecticut;  temps in the high 70s... bright sunshine... low humidity.  Ideal weather for golf.  Except that many courses have been closed due to flooded fairways and waterlogged greens, remnants of the weekend visit of an unwelcome interloper by the name of  Irene.  The branches and debris she left in her wake have made numerous roads... and quite a few cart paths... impassible. Power outages remain widespread.

I know first-hand about the power problems as my home/office/etc has been without electricity since Sunday morning ... and word has it restoration may may not happen for several days.

So I've armed myself with patience and pragmatism, and found some innovative ways to work around the outage.  My posting here... and on the social networks... may be a bit less frequent for the time being as I generally do that in bed, late at night.  These days I'm actually sleeping at around midnight, which, it turns out isn't that bad at all.

Withing the next day or so I suspect most of our courses will reopen and I'm hoping to get a couple of rounds in before the end of Labor Day weekend.  I'm hoping the extra sleep will result in lower scores.  

NYC Area Golf Experiences - Putnam National Golf Course

Stacy Solomon, Mike Wolfe & I - Photo: Golf4Beginners

This past Thursday,  the New York metropolitan area enjoyed what will probably be its most beautiful summer day of 2011.  In a season that frequently featured oppressive heat and high humidity, the clearblue skies and bright sunshine were pleasantly tempered by cool breezes and the occasional cottony cumulus.

It was a perfect day for the impromptu "mini meet-up" and casual round of golf,  arranged by golf blogger and social media specialist, Stacy Solomon of Golf for Beginners.  The venue was Putnam National Golf Course in Mahhopac, NY, about 50 miles north of midtown Manhattan.

Joining Stacy and I was golf media multi-tasker Mike Wolfe, who produces the WAMGolf blog and radio show and runs WAM Enterprises, a social media marketing company. Stacy's husband Barry... who you may know as co-host of the Golf for Beginners podcast... rounded out our foursome.

Stacy Solomon, Mike Wolfe & I - Photo: Golf4Beginners

As I circumnavigated glittering Lake Mahopac on my way to the course, I thought back to the one and only time I'd played at Putnam National.  It was a couple of years ago on an unseasonably mild day in early October, and what I remembered most was how the brilliant fall foliage extended up the surrounding hills to provide a colorful vista at almost every hole.  Since then I've wanted to get back there, and this was a great opportunity.

When our round got underway I was again reminded that at Putnam National elevation and rolling terrain shape the playing experience here... for golfers of all levels... while delighting anyone with an appreciation for the beauty of woodland nature.

From my own perspective... that of a purely social golfer who just recently began an earnest effort develop a more serious game... there were challenges at every juncture. My playing partners also found the course challenging, but their substantially more developed skills allowed them to fare much better, which is to be expected.  As I told them, "... like Tiger, I'm tinkering with my swing and need more time to get it back on track"  ... and believe it or not they were too nice (or too polite) to balk, even at that ridiculously pretentious joke.

Stacy showed some exceptional sand skills when she managed to save par after finding a tricky green-side bunker on the 8th, an uphill par 4.  Then she offered me a tip that I've since used effectively.  Mike not only has a great sense of humor he's also an impressive golf strategist and a straight hitter. He deftly avoided the rough which was quite thick and demanding of accuracy.  As for Barry, he'd played the course on a number of occasions and was able to clue us in on what to expect as we made our way around the course.  It was a pleasure to be part of this golf media foursome.

Putnam National is clearly a course that can be enjoyed at a variety of levels which would make it a fine venue for corporate outings, business events or casual rounds... as well as a place where avid golfers can compete. The putting green and driving range appear well set up for those who wish to get some practice in and the Grille Room where we had drinks after our round is friendly and relaxing. 

As the summer turns to fall and nature transforms this hilly landscape into a burnished wonderland, it's the perfect time for golfers living in... or visiting... the New York metropolitan area or Hudson Valley would do well to check out Putnam National Golf Course.

A Western Rush to Judgment on Tiger Woods Dubai?

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The story's been seized upon by western scribes of every stripe ... and it's still being rehashed and retweeted with surprising regularity.

It started with a piece by Lawrence Donegan which appeared Sunday,  in the Observer and on guardian.co.uk.  ~ Donegan writes of his visit to the site of the Tiger Woods Dubai golf course development, and in multiple, metaphorically-rich paragraphs, draws parallels between the current condition of the project and that of it's beleaguered designer.  The timing of events certainly lends itself to such parallels; Exactly one year ago Dubai's debt crisis and the Tiger Woods scandal came to light within 48 hours of each other. Both shocked the world, and in each case the ensuing year has been a tough one. 

As Donegan tells it, Tiger Woods Dubai is currently stalled.  The clubhouse remains a hollow facade and few of the planned luxury homes have even broken ground.  A six hole section of the course has reportedly been completed and requires massive amounts of water each month to sustain.  Several stark photos from Donegan's yfrog stream clearly testify to the lack of progress. 

However,  here's the thing: prosaic and engaging as the Lawrence Donegan's story is, it still strikes me as somewhat facile.  At times the tone is judgmental... almost sanctimonious... with undertones of "how the mighty have fallen" directed at both the golfer and the emirate.  One could almost come away with the impression that the struggling Tiger Woods Dubai is an anomaly cause by the irresponsible behavior of a few when in fact it's just one of a multitude of overly ambitious golf projects all over the world - conceived during "the bubble" and now on hold.

Like luxury golf development projects across the US and Europe, Tiger Woods Dubai may be stalled for a while... perhaps it'll be scaled back or maybe it will actually fall by the wayside.  We got no definitive answer from the Donegan story, because as yet, there isn't one.  What we did get was a trite retelling of "Tiger's demise" and multiple swipes at Dubai's unbridled excesses... as though the desert kingdom had the market cornered on conspicuous consumption. 

Perhaps I've just grown ultra-cynical but I can't help but think that this particular spin just made the most buzz-worthy retweetable marketable story.  As a writer myself, I know that's what I look for and I certainly don't reproach the talented Mr. Donegan.  What I found unsettling was the way this story was relentlessly rehashed, repeated and retweeted.  While Europe and the US face their own debt and unsustainability issues, it seems some are taking solace in the much more distant reversal of fortune happening in post-boom Dubai.

But I think it's important to keep things in perspective. To that end, have a look at this recent video taken by a tourist a week or so ago in downtown Dubai.  Despite the stagnation of certain projects, the city appears vital and exciting.  The country's commitment to golf is ongoing and effective as well, judging from last week's Dubai World Championship anid the impressive tournaments coming up.  And as far as Tiger Woods Dubai, I think it's premature to write it off just yet.