TaylorMade R11 Driver - great prize, but not for the Long Drive Contest.

Golf outing season is here and with it, the constant drive to procure wow-factor prizes for all the course games and event winners.  This seems to be the biggest problem next to finding golfers to fill up the teams.

In recent years, with the down-slide of the golf industry, this once foolproof fund-raising machine has slowed.  It is just too expensive. Courses are trying to milk every dollar they can, charity golf committees are trying to avoid paying that top dollar, and golfers are searching out where they can get the best bang for the buck.  Committees who were once loyal to certain clubs year after year are now playing the field, trying to find the best deal by often coming in armed with multiple quotes for bargaining power.  In the end, the golf tournaments with the strongest committees – who can ‘strong-arm’ business associates and friends to play – are the most successful.

Do remember that people enter events often not knowing what the prizes will be, unless it is advertised as a big money or grand prize laden tournament.  Translated, that means don’t spend the money or the time worrying about it in order to get sign-ups.  Stick with top quality, medium price-point prizes and people will be happy.  Generally, golfers are there to support the charity or the person who invited them.  You can distribute flyers statewide but 99% of the time people come to golf outings because someone personally asked them.

Prizes are often hard to come by.  Unless you have connections to businesses within the golf industry or area businesses, it is often a struggle to secure prizes as well as the ubiquitous auction items.  People lament ‘but it is for a good cause!!’ and yes, it is, but when you consider the argument from the perspective of the golf shop or big box store or restaurant or resort – who have all heard this plea literally hundreds of times – you can understand why they may say no.  As a business, you simply cannot keep giving everything away.  It is always best to ask for something from businesses you already patronize.  As a customer, you will be given priority.

As for prize selection, there is one thing that boggles the mind: why do the majority of golf outing committees insist on giving the winner of the Long Drive contest a new driver?  The person who hit that ball obviously does not need a new driver.  Yet outing after outing features exactly that.  Drivers are a very personal choice and the club will likely end up in the garage corner, given away, or sold to someone else. The same goes for any Putting Contest winner.  Why on earth award a new putter?

TaylorMade Ghost Putter

Putters are also very personal and once you find one you love, you keep it.  Again, anther dust collector.   Instead, give one of the gift certificates or a good bottle of wine to reward the accomplishment – not another club.  Instead, put that club – or any club you receive – in the raffle.

Speaking of raffles, if you are fortunate enough to have collected dozens of gifts, save the best ten for a live raffle at the end of the evening.  After a long day of golf, people are anxious to go home and do not want to sit through another 30 minutes of drawings.  Many groups are using the ‘Chinese Raffle’ format where people drop a raffle stub in a box located by a gift they actually want to win.  This makes better use of all the wonderful prizes your committee has made the effort to gather.

With door prizes, collect the ticket at registration, and while the golfers are playing, draw ticket stubs and place them on the dozens of prizes available or on a board listing the prizes.  The board is a good idea because donors or sponsors are recognized more prominently. When golfers come in, they can simply go check to see if they have won and you don’t need to spend time drawing yet more numbers.

The 'Bubba Golf' finish.......

With Bubba Watson’s exciting playoff victory over Louis Oosthuizen at the 2012 Masters still amazing golf fans everywhere, it is notable that there was at least some benefit derived from I.K. Kim’s devastating missed opportunity at last week’s LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship. Kim missed a one-foot putt for par that would have cinched the title. Shellshocked, she went on to lose the playoff to Sun Young Yoo.

The Masters patrons were erupting in anticipation of Bubba’s tap-in par putt for the sure win, a mere 8-inches, when obviously, thoughts of Kim’s mistake entered Bubba’s head.  He held up his hand to quiet the people and later remarked “I wanted to make sure I focused hard on that putt because I know how delicate these situations are and how this may never happen again.”

I.K. Kim at the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Watson commented that he had often dreamed of a putt to win the Masters – the dream of almost every golfer in the world – but “I just never made the putt”.  He had that opportunity during regulation play but just as it was in his imagination, missed his birdie putt on 18.

No matter.  Bubba’s imagination also helped him to craft the get-down screaming gap-wedge hook that set him up for the win…..a scenario and shot that no one could possibly practice.  Because Bubba has no swing coach or other entourage of gurus so common to the tour players and tour wannabe’s these days, it should be interesting to see how all of the golf instructors and mental coaches will dissect ‘Bubba Golf’ during the coming season. 

Bubba is a natural player, unencumbered by nothing other than his own admitted array of thoughts and  images of the game rummaging around in his brain at any given moment.  Seems reminiscent of another tall, dashing, dark-haired gentleman who threw caution to the wind, played by the seat of his pants, got into trouble only to remarkably get out time after time – until, sadly, Seve Ballesteros’ time ran out last year on May 8, exactly eleven months to the day of Bubba’s Masters victory.  Seve eventually did seek out swing help, which also appeared to be his undoing.  Bubba is in line to pick up where the Spaniard left off and continue to dazzle the golf world with Seve-like inventiveness.  Surely the game, and golfers everywhere, need this shining example.

A heartbroken I.K. Kim....

On Sunday, April 1, there was incredible drama at the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship, though I.K. Kim wished the outcome had been merely an April Fool’s joke.  Kim had the victory literally in the grip of her putter when she lipped out her birdie putt on 18, then went to tap in the remaining 1-footer for a ‘pretty sure’ win; but then, the unthinkable occurred: Kim missed the 12-inch par putt, which she later said broke slightly right as it raced around the cup.  A stunned gallery didn’t quite know how to react.  Neither did I.  Kim was dumbfounded.  She made the bogey and traipsed back down the bridge en route to a playoff at the 18th instead of the Champion’s trophy presentation.  No one expected Kim to triumph in that playoff to eventual winner, Sun Young Yoo.

However, Kim’s missed putt is only part of the story here and helps to illustrate the differences between men’s and women’s professional golf.  First of all, many golf fans knew nothing of what happened.   This major, the LPGA’s first of the year, was not carried on ABC, NBC, or CBS, but instead on The Golf Channel.  Today, I tried to find official video clips of the putt.  There was only one on YouTube; not even on The Golf Channel’s website.  Coverage of this major didn’t make Sports Final Edition Sunday night shows in many markets. 

Do you think that had something like this happened to Phil, Rory, Tiger, Keegan, or Ricky, instant news of this mishap would not have been seen, ad nauseam, all over the world for days?  Hardly.  I suppose, in a way, it is a relief to I.K. Kim.  Watching her miss that putt, her chance at immortality within the league of LPGA Majors winners, is not something I want to relive and I’d surmise, neither does she.  We’ve all been there, missing putts in state tournaments, club championships, and weekend betting games with friends.   But not likely for stakes the size of a major LPGA crown.

For all the talk about getting women into the game with initiatives from every men’s, women’s, professional, amateur, and business golf organization in existence, why not try first to get LPGA coverage back on network television….where it belongs?  No offense, Golf Channel (yes, I do love you), but people do what they see on television.  Even in this modern age of media, not everyone watches cable coverage.

Mary Queen of Scots, the Original Queen of Golf

If Mary Queen of Scots was alive today, here is what she would do:

- Business Golf 101 would be a required course for any business student in college, especially for women business majors.  They figure out way too late that they should have taken up golf 20 years before and could have learned the ins and outs of proper conduct on the course.  Check out my own version of Business Golf 101, a multi-part series titled ’30 Days to Business Golf’, also here on this website.

- Check to see if there is a local chapter of the Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) in your area and encourage women to join.  If not, look into starting one.  I founded the Metro Detroit chapter in 1993 and over 350 women attended the kickoff dinner…….and that was before the women even knew what we were about or what we’d be doing.

- High school girls’ golf teams would all be required to take strength and fitness training so that the girls wouldn’t tire after only 9 holes of golf.  And there would be no whining allowed.

- Start a mentoring program for any girl who wants to play golf.  Women too.   Men can be mentors as well.  The U.S. Navy Recruiting District Michigan/Indiana (NRD MI) acted as mentors for Detroit inner-city teen and pre-teen girls in a program sponsored by the USGA, the LPGA, and the MWGA in 2008 and 2010.  If the U.S. Navy can do it, you can too.

- If you are running a charity/scramble event, encourage teams to include a woman or two.  And whatever you do, DO NOT put the Forward Tees back.  Keep them in their normal position.  That is, unless you force the gorilla-hitting men to play from the tips, 50 yards or so behind everyone else.

- Always have separate contests and prizes for Men’s and Women’s Long Drive and Closest to the Pin.   Nothing discourages women more than haggling with men over the principles behind awarding a prize won ‘because YOU hit from the Ladies Tee’. Men usually don’t understand relative distance and that a 220-yard drive for a woman pretty much surpasses a 280-yard drive for a man.  Ditto for the Hole-in-One contests with minimum yardages most women can’t even reach with their drivers.

- Hire more women TV commentators.  The Golf Channel should have reversed the roles of hosts Vince Cellini and Stephanie Sparks on the original all women’s Big Break III: Ladies Only back a few years ago.  Steph should have taken the lead since she has more competitive experience than Vince; and really, TGC brass, this was BB III Ladies Only. Also, please refrain from putting on-air women golf hosts in clothing they would never wear to play golf or to attend a business golf function.   For four years I hosted a TV golf show on CBS-Detroit  where we played golf throughout Michigan and was VERY aware of what I wore on camera.  We all know what happens when a woman takes her address position in a too-revealing golf top.  The men probably like it but if you want to encourage women, think twice.  Cleavage-bearing clothing is fine for the nightclub scene but it has no place in the serious golf world.

- Media Days for all golf events in this area should include specific invitations to women in the media, who always seem to be left out of these fun fests.   Women in the media, if you are reading this, contact the Media Director of any major tournament near your territory and ask to be included on the Media Day listing.  When they invite you, go.  But before you go, read my ’30 Days to Business Golf’ series.  No sense in accepting an invitation and making a complete fool of yourself out there if you know nothing about golf and cannot contribute to the team effort.  Remember, many of the media guys are not great, or even good, golfers – including those who host golf shows or write about them.  A little learning and practice on your part goes a long way.

Course owners:

- Make sure you have someone on staff at all times who will welcome each woman who walks into your pro shop.  Let her know what special programs you have for women.

- You don’t HAVE special programs for women?  Get some.  And get some women’s golf books.  Clip Stina Sternberg’s articles in Golf Digest and put them up in the Ladies Room.  Any articles you come across written by women for women should go up as well.  Print them off of The A Position or some of the other women’s golf blogs out there.  Request articles about women from your local newspapers, magazines, or other websites.  When you do have programs for women, alert those same local media folks and publicize the events.  Create a Facebook Page for women at your course.

- Have a special ladies clinic each week.  Keep it short and sweet, usually an hour or less.   Charge a nominal fee.  If it is free, people tend not to place value in it.  Invite the ladies to bring a friend.  Women are more comfortable in pairs or groups.  Also, have Demo Days where specialized equipment formulated for women’s lower clubhead speed is featured.

- Volunteer to speak at women’s meetings and let them know why they should play golf and what you have to offer.  If you don’t know, take this column with you.  They’ll admire your chutzpah.

- Make the effort to stock good looking ladies apparel.  Please.  And put it on special.  You can’t sell what you don’t have.  Ask the ladies what they like.  The whole idea isn’t to make a killer profit on the stuff but to let the women know you are thinking of them.  Then you can make some profit.  And don’t just carry sizes 2 through 10….most women are not that small.  Can’t find stylish clothes in larger sizes?  Then complain to the manufacturers;  if they know there is a market for this, they will fill that need.

- Form a women’s committee that meets at least twice a year to tackle issues, complaints, and suggested improvements as to ‘how you’re doing’ with the women’s market.

U.S. Navy Admiral Craig Faller (back center) along with officers from Navy Recruiting District/Michigan, visits the MWGA Junior Girls Golf Mentor Day at Dearborn Hills Golf Club.

The golf landscape for those who play is changing………really?

‘Roughly 40% of all new players coming into the game are women’ is a quantifying phrase that has emanated from the spokespersons of several golf industry organizations for over 20 years.   Unfortunately, there is another statistic rarely discussed in the same breath:  only one in four of those new women stay with the game.  With over 50% of the population alienated by a sport to the verge of quitting at some point in their golf life, it is time to seriously examine why and to figure out how to solve the problem.

The PGA, the LPGA, the USGA, and probably every state golf association and women’s golf association in the country have been trying to figure out why women leave the game, but it can be a touchy subject, ripe for stereotyping.  The women will give reasons but no one listens, with programs and efforts creating a band-aid false fix rather than a full bore makeover.  Most men do not understand very much about women and how they play golf, so how then, can accessibility to the game and course design be addressed since these aspects of golf are still primarily a man’s domain?  In a recent discussion blog on Gear Effect Golf, a ‘Poll for Men: Women’s Distance Quiz’ was posed with two questions: 1) ‘How far do you think the average woman hits her driver, with roll?’ and 2) ‘How far do you think the average woman can carry a shot from a normal fairway lie?’. Of those who responded, no one answered both questions correctly.  And if men, who still are the majority of course architects, are designing courses based on presumptive information, is it any wonder that women have difficulty playing yardages that do not reflect playing ability?

On a positive note, the PGA of America has finally realized that cultivating women golfers should not be an afterthought, or an idea whose time has come for women’s golf organizations, the USGA, or the LPGA solely to ponder.  It is a vital part of the growth of golf across the board.  At the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show, the featured ‘Consumer Revolution in Golf’ panel discussion moderated by Former PGA Tour and WNBA Executive Donna Orender revealed some poignant numbers:   “Women spend about $4.6 billion, and they influence $15 billion dollars.”  And so, women might ask, ‘are you paying attention to me yet’?

Longtime golf legend Jack Nicklaus has also tossed his golf cap into the ‘accessible golf’ ring:  “We’ve lost 23 percent of the women in the game and 36 percent of the kids since 2006…..that’s not a good stat,” Nicklaus said during a Golf 2.0 panel to kick off the 59th annual summit aimed at 40,000 retailers, PGA professionals, and industry and consumer leaders in order to improve the economics of golf.

With a novel approach in Michigan, the U.S. Navy Recruiting District (NRD-MI/IN) has taken an interest in girls junior golf by supporting a nutrition and fitness aspect.  In the last four years three different NRD Commanding Officers realized that kids need to be more fit and that golf is a way to promote it.  The Michigan Women’s Golf Association (MWGA) welcomed U.S. Naval Recruiting Commander (East Region) Admiral Craig Faller to the final day’s Mentor Tournament where women mentors – including Detroit’s First Lady. Mrs. Yvette Bing – each joined a group of junior girls to ‘show them the ropes’ of fast play, etiquette, and rules.  Admiral Faller said, “This was one of the most important events I have attended in years;  to be able to get in front of these young girls and their parents with such a positive message is what we should be doing.”

Since women make over 80% of all buying decisions and have an opinion in nearly 100% of them, it would seem wise to seek their interest….and their opinions.

And so, this question was posed to golfers in Michigan, a state with about 850 public golf courses, the most in the U.S. “What could improve women’s participation in golf?”   Here are the answers so far:

NBC affiliate WDIV-Local 4 Detroit Meteorologist Paul Gross says, “The answer is a long term solution that is no different than with other hobbies.  You need to get them interested as young children.   However, golf is different……you can’t take your kids out without risking angry foursomes stacking up behind you muttering about slow play.   Then, there are very few true golf camps for kids.  Summer is a time for fun – but also a time for parents to scramble to find child care opportunities for their kids.  Give me a 9am to 4pm golf camp that provides pick up and drop off service and I’d jump at that opportunity for my kids.”

SOLUTION:  As a junior golfer, I recall my dad coaching us and letting countless groups play through all of us Parrott kids.  But then, we never played in prime time, nor did we hold anyone up.  It is good to have a ‘mentor’ in your group who knows the etiquette and can convey it.  As for the summer camps, golf facilities, are you listening?  A number of differently styled junior golf programs have sprouted up, including California based Total Golf Adventures and Midnight Golf in Michigan, with more on the horizon.

“When I was able to play golf, I was also working full time and could only play on weekends,” said Mary Anne Yemec, of Royal Oak.  “On weekends, the ‘GOLFERS’ take over and they sure do not want to put up with a novice.  There was always someone in the group who would get their nose out of joint because I was still learning.  I think I could have been pretty decent.  Instead, I concentrated on bowling.”

SOLUTION:   Veteran players need to remember when they were fledgling golfers.  We should help newer players and not add to their frustrations with verbal clucking.

Nancy Serra, past President of the Michigan Women’s Golf Association (MWGA) points out that, “women in general are extremely cost conscious.  Perhaps a day of the week dedicated to women golfers, with a discount price of course, would draw them out.  Bars do it:  Tuesdays!  Ladies Day!  Half price drinks!  Also, a Play with the Pro day would be good.   Maybe it is not so great for the pro…….but the ladies would continue participating.  Another good idea would be to have a frequent player club like ‘play ten 18- hole rounds and get one free’ or get something from the pro shop.  Then the gals would feel like they were earning something.”

SOLUTION:   20 women playing at a 20% discount are better than no women playing at full price – on an empty course.

From Colorado, Berith Jacobsen, CEO and ‘Chief Bag Lady’ of TEAM 2000, a sports bag/carry-all manufacturing company, is involved with the Executive Women’s Golf chapter in Denver and explains that “women do things in groups.  If you make it social and fun, and where they see improvement, you’ll get greater participation.”

She added, “Women are ‘hyper-taskers’ and are pulled in many different directions, so it needs to be a relaxing and supportive environment for them to excel.  We have had stand up comedians who know golf give rules seminars and discuss things like ‘putting a Dolly Parton: use the whole cup’, or hitting a worm burner, or catching the jet stream……”

SOLUTION:  Stop taking golf too seriously.  Let’s take a hint from our friends at NASCAR.  Now that is marketing at its best.

A number of folks, including insurance agent Bruce Weisberg from Farmington Hills, MI and retired Ann Arbor research scientist and Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Sara Wold, thought that women really need to focus on taking lessons and getting properly fitted equipment.  However, getting women to do that can be a tough task.

“I know about 5 or 6 women for whom I secured lessons from a top pro at a reduced rate.  Did they do it?   Nooope – they’d rather flounder,” said Weisberg.

SOLUTION:  Bruce is right:  many women are embarrassed to take lessons because they don’t know how to play and don’t want to look bad in front of the pro.  It’s a tough one to figure one out.  Get over it, please.  In recent years, Golf Demo Days have become very popular and are a great way for golfers – especially women – to try new equipment in a no-pressure environment.  Golf facilities, practice ranges, and golf stores routinely schedule these mini-expos to help golfers sort through the maze of equipment available today.  About three years ago, Terri Ann Anthony-Ryan, Director of Golf for the city of Southfield, Michigan and one of few women PGA Professionals, held a Demo Day at Beech Woods Golf Club where TaylorMade, Cleveland, Cobra, Adams Golf, Callaway, and other golf companies brought the latest and greatest in club technology.  Taking my nephew, Joel, a former collegiate basketball player, who is new to the game, Cobra’s pro, Jim Norgart had Joel swinging like a top golfer within half an hour.  TaylorMade’s rep, Brian Coffman, dealt with another issue:  Joel’s extreme height.  He customized demo clubs with a stiff, 4-degree upright shaft – on the spot -  to accommodate Joel’s 6’7″ frame.  All of the reps were helpful towards women as well, encouraging them to try a number of styles and types of clubs, and not simply what they perceived as ‘ladies clubs’, a term that is quite outdated in this era of golf club technology.

2004 MI PGA Player of the Year Bob Ackerman, from West Bloomfield MI, is an avid promoter of the game and had many great suggestions for women, which could also apply to all golfers:

“Let me emphasize that first, golf is a walking game.  Women are drawn toward health and fitness and should know that walking is the number ONE way to improve your health;  2) golf, unlike many sports, can be played for life;  3) golf is a great social game which can be played as a couple, or any partner if you have no significant other, then end up with another social event –  dinner;  4) golf is a great way to meet new people….. don’t tell anyone, but we played as 5-somes in Chicago.  No one was left out, we walked, and we STILL played in 4 hours;  5) the game is great for those who enjoy challenges and there is always room for improvement.”

Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Parker, of Detroit, gets it:  “Golf is such a fabulous game.  GOLF used to stand for Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden;  but if a woman meets a man who plays golf, they can spend vacations on some of the most beautiful, manicured properties in the world……elite courses, spa packages, 5-star dinners, views of mountains overlooking cities in lights at night.   There is now such beautiful clothing coming out for women – my golf clothes are nicer than my work clothes.   The game lets you out of your daily routine – you can bond with your man or go out with the girls and get some fresh air.”  Now, there are many Singles organizations where golfers who are looking for companionship – and partners – can play the game together.

Assorted comments, summed up from numerous sources: “Golf takes too danged long to play!  I can’t take that kind of time out, away from my family.  Can’t take the kids either….the regular golfers would run us over….and then, talk about taking forever!”…”Golf is too expensive!!”

SOLUTION: Develop shortened rounds where courses can be routed 6-6-6 with the last hole of each grouping near the clubhouse.  Provide family times in the afternoon, prior to Twilight play or on weekend afternoons when most courses are deserted anyway.  Jack Nicklaus is a proponent of the 12-hole design.  Yes, traditionalists will be shaking their heads, but in the olden days, leisure time did not exist as it does today and families are being pulled in many directions.  Golf is simply one choice to ponder, albeit a time-consuming one.

And finally, there was this comment from someone who will remain nameless:

“I hate playing golf with women and usually avoid it at all costs.  The vast majority of them are boring, slow – regardless of handicap.  They won’t gamble, don’t know the rules, and abuse the course.  I have no idea what to suggest in order to change that but good luck!”

You may not agree with these last observations but it doesn’t mean they’re not valid.  And lest you blame these opinions on a chauvinistic man, think again.   This was from a woman.

Watch for Part 2 of this article which will be posted on Friday, March 23: ‘Golf Fixes from the Queen

Date/Time:      Saturday, March 17, 2012, 3:00-7:00PM

Location:        Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, 320 E. Big Beaver, Troy Officecentre, Ste 160, Bldg B, Troy MI 48083

Details:           Play Euchre, Bid Whist, Backgammon, Wii Sports

Enjoy Live and Chinese Auctions, 50/50 Raffle, Prizes

Cost:               $40 in advance; $50 at door – 2-Person team + bring a dish to share with 10–12 people and BYOB; $20 in advance; $25 at door – Single + bring a dish to share with 10–12 people and BYOB

Proceeds from this event will be used to support the MWGA-LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program. Over the past two years MWGA has underwritten the cost to teach 89 girls (and a few boys) the game of golf. Expenses include an LPGA teaching pro, range balls, course fees, golf clubs and healthy snacks. In 2011 a beginners program for 32 girls (ages 7-14) was provided and a junior league for 17 girls and boys (ages 10-15). To keep the program alive, MWGA needs your support. Sign up to attend at www.mwgolf.org. If you cannot attend, you can still help. Go to www.mwgolf.org to make a DONATION.

For more information, contact Francine Pegues, Junior Director, at pegues@mwgolf.org, 313-469-7906, or Kathy Brennan, Fund Development Director, at brennan@mwgolf.org, 734-522-1589. To learn more about the Michigan Women’s Golf Association and make a donation to the MWGA Girls Golf Program, find them on Facebook or visit their website www.mwgolf.org.

Lunch beginnings at El Camaleon Golf Club, Fairmont Mayakoba Resort

It comes as no surprise that fast food isn’t optimal for good health.    On road trips, it often cannot be avoided.   On the golf course, it is almost a necessity because the time to grab a bite in between nines is short.   No one can deny that the famous ‘Caddie Special’ comprised of a hot dog, chips and pop is an institution, but remember that caddies are working out much harder than you are and might also be……uh…..younger too?  They can afford the indulgence, though healthier options for them would be nice – if only to get them started on a better food path while they’re young.

Ideally it would be so sweet to get the offering pictured here, but this would be reserved for apres-golf, when you have some time to enjoy it.  I had this at the Fairmont Mayakoba’s El Camaleon Golf Club restaurant in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.   Freshly made salsa and guacamole with hot corn tortilla chips were a perfect accompaniment to the tasty lime-mint ‘secret recipe’ all natural beverage presented as an energy pick-me-up.  Fresh limes added a little touch of class.  Lunch followed with a steaming fresh-catch grouper grilled with herbs and spices along with garlic dressed organic greens.  Certainly not the usual snack shack fare but when a meal like my-oh-Myakoba’s is not in the cards, here are substitutions which help cut bad fats, calories, and keep you on the fairway to good health.

The Caddie Special: Hot Dog, Chips, and a Pop.  If you can find a Kosher hot dog devoid of fillers and animal ‘parts’, great.  Some clubs have superior hot dogs.  If you can share it with another member of your foursome – because they are generally gargantuan -  even better.  Cut it in half, add onions, only a little relish (it is full of sugar), mustard, and forget the ketchup, which is full of sugar and sodium too.  You shouldn’t be eating too much in the middle of a round anyway – it makes you sluggish.   If you can eat the dog without the bun, do so.  The buns are usually made with white flour, have virtually no nutritional value, and contain too many carbohydrate (not the good kind either) calories.  If you must have chips, opt for baked instead of regular, or even pretzels.  As for pop, drink water, because pop dehydrates and you can also do without the 10 or more teaspoons of sugar per 12 ounces.  Forget lemonade, sweetened tea (sorry Arnold), or Energy drinks.  Those have even more sugar and caffeine.  And especially, don’t drink Diet-anything.  Believe nothing that you read about artificial sweeteners being safe or harmless.  They actually fool your metabolism into craving even more sweet stuff – and you add weight.  As for their safety, you be the judge.  Google this:  aspartame, 1982, and the FDA to read the story of what went on to approve these food additives.

Burgers:  Wendy’s quarter-pound burger has a lot of veggies on it as opposed to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese or a Big Mac.  Burger King’s Whopper has the veggies, but also slathers on about 150 fat calories worth of mayo.   Opt out of the mayo on any burger and stay with mustard and ketchup.  Better yet, forego the ketchup to save about 100 more calories of sugar and sodium.  Best, I think, is a Happy Meal, or a double regular burger from the Dollar menu.  Everything is smaller and you won’t tend to overeat.

Buffalo Wings or Tenders:  Actually, these aren’t too bad if you can get real chicken instead of the pressed meat kind.  As an appetizer, they can pack a protein wallop, which is a good start to your meal and will slow you down from eating more food.  Go easy on the sauce if possible though I know it makes the meal.  Even better: ditch the crispy coating.

Pasta:  You normally wouldn’t consider this as fast food, but considering Italian is the most popular ethnic food, chances are you may visit Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill or your favorite Italian spot more than you think.   Pasta can be a sneaky diet killer if you overload the meat sauce, bread and butter, and consume salads with tons of dressing loaded with sugars.  A plate of pasta can easily top 1100 calories.  Best bet?  Order Marinara sauce (no meat) and order meatballs on the side, which you can consume or take half of it home for later.   Whole grain noodles are preferable to the usual white-flour-based types.

BBQ Ribs:  Here’s an interesting one.  We know ribs are high in calories and fat, with a half-slab running about 1000 calories (yep!!) not to mention all the other goodies that come with it, like fries, slaw, and garlic toast.  Instead of a sweet, sugary BBQ sauce, check out a Memphis-style dry rub version, which practically cuts the calories in half or more.  Then, if you must, order a bit of sauce on the side, and put it on sparingly.  You’ll still get the flavor.

Chicken:  Poultry is always a good choice but you still must be careful.  A simple grilled or broiled chicken is great but start adding sauces or breading to it like Marsala, BBQ, Parmesan, or cream sauces, and the fat and calories will rack up.  Again, if you must, order the sauce on the side and dip.  Think about sprinkling lemon or lime juice with herbs and some sea salt, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good it tastes.  Chicken fajita dishes are usually winners….if you can go easy on the tortillas, which are usually made with white flour or corn.

French Fries:  Ideally, a baked potato is best.  But since you often don’t have that option, if potato wedges are offered in addition to fries, take those.  More potato, less exposure to the oil.  KFC wedges are about 260 calories compared to Wendy’s or Arby’s fries, which are between 400-500 for a small.

Salads: Try to go for simple vegetable salads and avoid the premium versions with all the fancy names and ingredients, like the Asian, Caesar, and Cobb.  Greek is usually good, packed with veggies, Feta cheese, and beets.  If an oil and vinegar combo is offered, take it.  All the other dressings have additives and extra sugars.  Newman’s Own is a good choice if you must take a packaged dressing.  Low-fat/Fat free dressings are not the panacea you think:  they have added sugar and chemicals.  And, you do need some fats for your digestive system to properly absorb your food.

Pizza: Yes, you can have healthy versions.  Ditch the pepperoni and sausage and choose ham (or not) and every vegetable you can stand.  Opt for the thin crust versus the thick and you’ll save over 100 calories per slice.  Stay away from the garlic butter crusts, or the cheese stuffed crust versions, which only add extra fat.  You’ll get all the fat you need from the cheese.  Some restaurants have Fit and Healthy versions but before you order those, ask specifically what is in them.  Often the ‘Healthy and Fit’ moniker is attached to food as a marketing ploy to get you to buy it, usually spending more money, and not getting any true benefits.

Ice Cream:  OK, OK, I know you eat it, so let’s take a look.  Breyers brand does a pretty good job of keeping the ingredient list short with lower fats and sugars.  However you may not find this on the road so now you’re faced with frozen yogurt or smoothies.  These are not my faves because we can’t control how much sugar goes into them.  And it’s a LOT.  Best advice, get the smallest size you can, even a junior, without the dippers or add-ons, which are simply sugar, sugar, sugar.

And remember:  calories DO count.  Downsize what you order and soon you’ll find that regular portions are way too much to eat.  You won’t want them anymore.

Teaching junior golfers 'the right stuff'.

The game of golf surely has changed since I was a kid growing up in the 60′s – and the key word here is ‘GAME’.  What we see now in tournament golf on TV is more of a business, not a game.  But I suppose the same could be said of any professional sport.

It is no surprise that with the emergence of Tiger Woods in the 90’s, Lexie Thompson last year, and now, the weaning of countless other young golf stars from amateur sensations to professional contenders, many parents see the game of golf as a way for their kids to succeed in a career which can be fun as well as lucrative.

It can also be brutal.

Are the professionals having fun?  Is this what our kids should emulate?

Over the years I have mentored many young people as well as the parents who created them.  Here’s what I see:  too many young golfers are over-scheduled, over-indulged, over-coddled, and over-coached.  They come off of the 9^th hole literally in tears at the turn because they shot a 41.  They smack brand new Titleist Pro-V1’s into the water because they’re angry.  They snap at parents who ask what they want for lunch.  They complain about having to walk all 18 holes. Worse yet when they grow up a little, they are tossing their clubs into a neglected garage corner after their last college tournament because they never want to see those ‘things’ again.  Take a look at declining golfer numbers and the trend is clear: we are creating a generation of potentates who are really not interested in tradition.

OK parents, do you really want to create a great player – but maybe one you can’t live with?  Here’s what to do:

Do everything for the kid

Manage their schedule, arrange and supervise their practice, pick out their equipment, buy them the best golf balls, designer clothes, chauffer them anytime anywhere day or night no matter what other plans you had.

Caddie for the kid

This is vital so that you receive optimal abuse.  Let your kid blame you for poor shots, improper club selection, incorrect green reads.  Most of all, stand impassive while your kid tells you ‘You don’t know ANYTHING!’  But always have your money ready when cash is required for a paid-out.

Be a practice valet machine

Get on your hands and knees and tee up balls for the practice Driver session so the kid doesn’t have to bend down.  Then, move to the putting green and do the same thing as an automatic ball feeder so the kid can practice 15-footers.  Your back will be gone, but hey, you don’t need your back as much as junior does.  (Think I am being silly?  Think again:  I actually witnessed this with a young phenom).

Sympathize with the kid about being overworked

When the kid complains about being tired after walking 9 holes in practice, run and get a cart so the kid won’t have to endure the back 9 on foot.  After all, kids can’t be expected to walk all 18 holes.

Allow the kid to have their own room on golf team trips

Kids need their space and privacy.  4 to a room hotel sharing and dorm living is unacceptable.  And, won’t they be spending enough time with their coach and teammates during practice and play?

Make sure the kid knows that he or she is THE most important person out there

Self-centeredness is necessary to be a great player.  Kids should know that the world revolves around their wishes and needs.  If Winifred is playing slowly and groups are piling up behind, her attitude should be, ‘Hey, tee times are the luck of the draw.  They’ll have to wait their turn behind me.’  Then Wini can proceed with her deliberate pace of play.

Understand that tournament officials, coordinators, and volunteers are there to serve

Kids have a right to be upset with rules officials who penalize an infraction or with spotters who can’t find their wayward shot.

Encourage complaints about course conditions and set-ups that favor the ‘other’ teams

Course superintendents have all the time in the world to study the list of players and see who they’d like to harass…..this week.  And of course, they are in cahoots with opposing teams’ coaches.

Encourage emotional outbursts

Whacking that $400 club to the ground, tossing clubs at your caddie (for them to pick up), crying after a bad hole are all indicative of a very upsetting experience for the kid.  It is OK to show optimal outrage for a REALLY bad shot by gouging a hole in the ground or green.  That will show everyone how much the horrible shot differed from your normal one.  Don’t forget the $5 Pro-V1 toss into the water.  It was an unlucky ball anyway.

When there is a dispute in the group, step in immediately and defend your kid

You have to assume the others are wrong.  Keep a watchful eye on everyone in the foursome to ensure the others aren’t forgetting a stroke here or there.

Sacrifice everything:  your money, your time, and your emotions

Junior truly expects every aspect of your life to be subordinate to his or hers.  You may not have money to pay the bills or save for a rainy day, but by goodness you can procure that $400 range finder that’s needed; you can forego that once-in-a-lifetime fishing trip in order to see your precious progeny throw tantrums on the course.

Parents, if you follow these guidelines, your kid will be forever grateful and take marvelous care of you in your old age……not.

Southampton Bermuda Resort Par-3 course overlooks the stunning South Shore of Bermuda.

An invitation last February to play in the 2011 Bacardi National Par-3 Championship at the Fairmont Southampton found me jetting to that sapphire and turquoise enveloped gemstone of British holdings, otherwise known as Bermuda.  As a media guest, I was entered in this fairly new event which was designed to introduce more people to the superb golf experiences on the island.  The Bacardi Championship is a two-day 36-hole tournament that is open to professionals and amateurs, men and women alike and will take place March 23 – 25, 2012.  This year, an open senior division for gentlemen and ladies has been added.  Even if you’re afraid of the word ‘tournament’ and are tensing up already, don’t give it another thought.  It is great fun.

As part of an ongoing effort by the Bermuda Golf Association and the Fairmont Southampton to energize both the local and international golfing communities about all good things happening in Bermuda golf,  Anthony Mocklow, Tournament Director and Director of Golf at the Fairmont Southampton, points out that “the Par-3 competition tests short-game quality and skill rather than strength and distance, leveling the playing field between old and young, men and women. It means that any golfer with a bona fide handicap can play.”  Cleveland Golf has also signed on as a sponsor this year, evidence that the event is beginning to garner a lot of attention.  Last year there was excitement galore when an ace was carded during the tournament……..and by a woman, no less!

If you have never been to Bermuda, the Bacardi National Par-3 is a perfect reason to consider going.  It’s a fabulous trip, even when you are still in the air.  When flying into Bermuda, the most amazing transformation takes place a few miles before you see the island.  After traversing hundreds of miles of dull, dark Atlantic water, Bermuda’s unique location atop an ancient ocean shelf that rises from the deep provides an immediate color shift to some of the most unbelievable hues of blues and greens courtesy of the sun’s reflection from the underlying and surrounding trademark pink sands.  Sometimes you’re lucky enough to see the outline of a few of the island’s golf courses.  For a spurt of land only 22 miles long and 2 miles wide at its widest point, 9 courses likely

Blue skies, turquoise waters, and pink sands....ahhhh, Bermuda.

represent the highest course to land ratio in any country.

If your itinerary only allows play at two other courses in addition to your fun at the Bacardi Par-3, those choices should be the government owned Port Royal Golf Club and Mid-Ocean Club, a private club.  Both have hosted the PGA’s Grand Slam of Golf.  Port Royal is available for public play.  Recently renovated in 2008/2009, this Robert Trent Jones Sr. course on the west end of Bermuda should be on your bucket list. The renovation of Port Royal was both revealing and long overdue.  This championship caliber club was marred not by original design flaws, but by spotty course conditions where sparse fairways and inconsistent speeds on the formerly Bermuda grass greens wreaked havoc with putting performances.  Those have been fixed with new tifEagle grasses on the putting surfaces.  Relying on rainfall is wonderful for course maintenance budgets but does not provide optimal lies; a new irrigation system now assists Mother Nature and the fairways are faster and more consistent.  Groves of scrub, bay grape trees, wild bougainvillea, and other native trees and bushes blocked views of what golfers truly came to see:  the unobstructed bliss of crystal clear Atlantic Ocean waters…..not the muddy brownish versions near the eastern U.S. coasts but instead the colors of wish-you-were-here postcards one would think had to have been retouched or Photo-shopped.  If you can’t play, amend your list a wee bit and buy a bucket of range balls to enjoy the best downhill driving range ocean view sunset anywhere.

Port Royal's treacherous par-3 16th....on a rare calm day.

Traveling toward the east end in Tuckers Town, Mid-Ocean is a bit tough, though not impossible, to gain entry.  The Charles Blair MacDonald design will mesmerize you almost as much as coastal views from the opening 4 holes and finishing holes 16 through 18.  An interesting note is that the par-3’s at Mid Ocean represent the four classic styles of ‘short’ holes: Redan, Biarritz, Long and Short.  Bone up on Golf Course Architecture 101 to determine which is which.  For even more fun, leave the cart in the barn and hire one of the caddies who will provide you with local flair, stories, entertainment, and ample course knowledge.  Years ago I played in the finals of the Bermuda Ladies Amateur, a match play format.  Though I was Runner-Up, the positive aspect was that I got to play this masterpiece many times as I won my way through the brackets.  I’ll never forget my towering drive on the famous 4th ‘Cape’ hole.  In the final, I chose to bite off almost all of the massive lake….and was successful, leaving only a 9-iron into the green.  And that, my friends, was with a custom Joe Powell Persimmon 7-degree driver…..back in the days when it didn’t cost a fortune to actually take your own clubs.  Also interesting to note about Mid-Ocean, there is no out-of-bounds on the course.  There are other pressing problems with thick vegetation, massive drop-offs, lakes, roads cutting through the course, elevation changes, and oh yes, the Atlantic Ocean, but that is all minor compared to the thrill you will experience playing this marvelous layout.  After the 18th, don’t forget to order the rum punch at the 19th Hole bar inside.  In fact, order a rum punch anywhere you go.  The ones (note the use of plural) at Port Royal are surpassed only by the stellar view of the finishing holes backed by the endless cerulean waters.  Bermuda Rum Punches are all different but even the worst one is magnificent.

Almost mid-point between the two courses, the Fairmont Southampton Hotel’s marvelous 18-hole Par-3 course beckons.  Don’t let the Par-3 designation fool you into thinking ‘cake-walk’.  Breathtaking scenery, remarkable conditions, and an enjoyable but tough layout are yours; it takes less than 2 hours to play but you may wish to dawdle a bit, admiring the views.

Prior to last year’s tournament, while headed toward my first look-see at Port Royal since I’d last played it in 1998, Southampton Player Assistant William Tucker outfitted me with TaylorMade rental clubs – but then

William Tucker, Player Assistant at the Fairmont Southampton and loaner of clubs

asked if I might like to use his old Titleist DCIs?

“Why not experiment with both sets? You’ll want to try them out before you play the competition tomorrow.” he suggested.  So I did.  Normally I’d walk the hilly course, a locale that was the scene of my first ever tournament here, the Bermuda Stroke Play Championship conducted by the Bermuda Golf Association; but since I had both sets, was playing alone, hitting a few extra shots along the way, and trying to take both notes and pictures, I reluctantly kept the cart.  I played well with both the DCI’s and the TaylorMade set.  I wanted to be diplomatic and honor William’s kind offer of club usage, so decided upon a compromise.  Combining his irons and the TaylorMade woods, I thought it was the perfect match:  William’s clubs were comfortably broken in, and I happen to like TaylorMade woods.

Remember that hole-on-one I mentioned earlier?  On the second hole, my tee shot was crisply played, though I didn’t see it land due to hazy and blinding morning sun in my eyes.  Media playing partners Diana Rowe and Donna Carter didn’t either as we searched for their balls along the way to the green.  As they continued playing, there was no sign of my Titleist anywhere on the green.

“I thought you said your ball was on the green?” one of the gals asked.  Hmmm, I thought so too….and I knew it had been hit well enough not to be short and not so strong as to be in the gnarly rough beyond the putting surface.  “Maybe it’s in the hole….” I suggested.  They laughed as I went to check.  I looked into the cup and there it was.  They yelled in triumph and we attracted the attention of the pro shop, which was only about 150 yards from the green.  Both William and Anthony were there, raising their hands in triumph.  Anthony hopped in a golf cart and raced over.

THE hole-in-one ball, as Ms. Titleist views Hamilton Harbor from the balcony of the Fairmont Southampton Hotel

Now, there is one thing you should know:  I had called the ace.  The day before the event I enjoyed breakfast in the Southampton Hotel Concierge Lounge with Anthony, discussing the fine points of positive motivation in golf.  I told him why I intended to get a hole in one.  He seemed astonished that I was adamant about getting one that week.  Other professional golfers were nearby and had overheard our discussion.  I could detect some scoffs and smirks as they quickly got back to their own conversations.  But I had my reasons.  If you haven’t yet read my article, ‘Madeline Joell: Bermuda’s Golden Girl’ you’ll need to check it out to understand my motivation in getting an ace during the tournament.  The short version is that my longtime friend and golf partner, the noted Bermudian female dynamo, passed away at age 39 of a brain aneurysm back on Valentine’s Day 1999.  This was my first trip back to Bermuda after making many there to partner in golf events during the years Madeline was alive.  When I found out that a car had been donated for a hole-in-one, I knew I had to get one so that I could donate the car – or the money equivalent – to Madeline’s cherished cause of public education in Bermuda….in her honor.  So, it was no surprise to me that I had achieved that feat.  But it was to Anthony.

“YOU GOT A HOLE-IN-ONE???  I DON’T BELIEVE IT!!!  YOU CALLED IT!!”  he shouted and dashed from the cart, hugging me.

I had heard from William that originally, my hole-in-one hole had been earmarked as a car hole but that last minute insurance needs had changed it only the day before.  My guess is that the news didn’t travel to the Spirit World quickly enough.  But oh well, there’s always another year.

To enter the Bacardi National Par-3 Championship, go to www.Fairmontgolf.com/southampton and download an entry form.  The entry fees are $250 for professionals and $175 for amateurs and include a Friday practice round of golf, tournament fees, continental breakfast on Tournament days, cocktail receptions and prizes.   Plan to stay at the Fairmont Southampton and do ask for the Concierge Level which nets some very special amenities like almost non-stop food service in the lounge, computer access, complimentary work-out clothing, and superb service.  Package information is available at Fairmont.com/Southampton/hotelpackages.

If you do get that hole in one, please consider donating the car or the proceeds to the tournament’s charity beneficiary, the Bermuda Red Cross, to New beginnings Education Trust, or to the scholarship foundation established in Madeline Joell’s memory.

And one last note about William: he had said ‘his’ clubs had never experienced an ace and was delighted to finally chalk one up.  I suggested he read my website article, ‘How To Get A Hole-In-One’ so that he, too, could join the ranks.  He did, and a couple weeks later got his first hole-in-one.  A few weeks after that, it was number 2.  That’s OK William, but don’t think you need to bypass my four, OK?  Just kidding……

Ace Number 4 at the Fairmont Southampton Bacardi Championship, March 2011, on the 2nd hole. Dad always liked me in red.....

One day while playing, being held up by men

The talk turned to aces…….how many, and when?

Thirty years in the game, how long must I wait?

Dad (Buck) and two brothers, between them had eight.

My partner that day, hypontherapist Zoe

Simple answers supplied, “In the hole, see it go!”

Nice misses nor close, quite simply, won’t do

‘In the cup’ is your mantra…….you must visualize too!

Ten days soon passed, to the State Am I went

My mind strong and full, my gaze was intent.

And there on 11, the match stood 3-up

My 191-yard 2-iron sailed into the cup!

The goosebumps arose, my heart filled with love

For golf, life, and family, other gifts from above;

The quest for an ace, not so much mine, you see

But rather for Dad who sacrificed all…… for me.

His fondest desire for this daughter he taught

Was leaving the ranks of aces holed at naught;

The best thing to happen, far more than that too

Was the phone call beginning, ‘Guess what, Buckaroo?

Yes, the quest for an ace is an arduous task

Like searching for love, you get what you ask;

Eighteen years later the count stands at four

With Dad up in Heaven, I know there’ll be more.