http://janinajacobs.com Great Golf and Travel Writing Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:39:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en With mid-October back-to-back trips planned to two great locales, the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Big Pine Key, home of the tiny Key deer in the magnificent Lower Keys of Florida, I planned about 10 days worth of superb golf, fishing, sunshine and sport.  Michigan's summer often comes to an abrupt close and eeking out a 'last-hurrah' trip before harsh north winds blow seems to stretch the summer out a skosh longer. The Outer Banks, land formations spread ... ]]> http://janinajacobs.com/golf/golf/1334/weather-or-notbest-laid-plans-laid-to-rest One of the most highly favored golf invitations comes from off the bluffs near the sleepy town of Frankfort, Michigan.  Nestled peacefully in the hills and valleys near Lake Michigan, I am not speaking of Arcadia Bluffs, certainly a noted course which merits national attention and the desire to play it.    Instead, the journey heads a little farther north on M-22 to an obscure entrance you'll probably bypass the first time.  Find that entrance, keep ... ]]> http://janinajacobs.com/golf/golf/personalities/583/miracle-of-crystal-downs When northerners anticipate Christmas, we don't normally think of golf at the same time, except as distant memories of months past, basking in the sun.  The Christmas season actually means snow-covered courses shuttered up tightly, and clubs stored on racks in c-c-c-cold garages with no golf in the foreseeable future.  We simply revel in the newest Golf Digest or Golf Magazine, buy Christmas golf stuff, or even watch 'silly season' events on television because the Tours don't start up until January.  ... ]]> http://janinajacobs.com/golf/golf/1430/a-bear-y-merry-christmas Are you tired of receiving wacky golf gifts for Christmas albeit by well-intentioned family members, friends, and co-workers?  Do you suspect they buy just about anything - and I mean anything - with a golf club or ball or tee insignia attached, embedded, emblazoned, or stamped on it simply because you play golf?   We know they mean well, but truly, what can you do with Arnold Plumber's Putter, yet another Golfer's Gift Pak, the Never-Miss ... ]]> http://janinajacobs.com/golf/golf/1409/ultimate-christmas-golf-giftfor-you Did you know there are foods you eat that actually make you hungrier?   For better performance when playing golf, you'll want to stay away from foods devoid of real nutrition.  They will hurt your golf game even though you may not realize it. It is all about the way your body metabolizes food and the combinations in which you eat them.  A lot has to do with consuming ‘empty’ calories that really don’t fill you ... ]]> http://janinajacobs.com/golf/golf/instruction/1370/hungry-for-real-food-dont-eat-fakes The golf season is waning, Daylight Savings Time is trudging up the 18th hole, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) will begin kicking in due to decreased sunlight up here in the northern climates.  We’ll want to eat….and eat….and eat.  It is natural to crave more food in the winter so don’t beat yourself up for following the natural instinct to chow down;  after all, many animals go into hibernation but before they do, they gorge themselves ... ]]> http://janinajacobs.com/golf/golf/1356/summertimeand-the-eatin-was-easy It is not often I see a really great idea for golf outings pop up.  This one is so simple, so perfect and so unique that I can't figure out why I've never seen it done before. First, let's backtrack a bit and examine the anatomy of a morning golf outing with the dreaded 8-9am, shotgun start.  For me, that means a whole litany of events:  I'll have to get up at O-dark thirty, fight morning rush-hour traffic, and ... ]]> http://janinajacobs.com/golf/golf/1331/breakfast-is-served-wolfdancer-style Heather Farr would have loved this.  Not that anyone would wish to be famous for dealing with breast cancer but that her heroic fight was not lost, not now, almost 20 years later.  If she were alive, she'd be leading the battle with pink ribbons, pink golf gloves, pink everything.  Unless you've been on a desert island, you’ll know that this month has been dedicated to breast cancer awareness.  Marches, walks, programs, and sporting events are all ... ]]> http://janinajacobs.com/golf/golf/1313/heather-farr-the-real-ms-october Call me a wimp, a softie, it doesn't matter.  I can't recall feeling better about myself than after what happened on April 15 of this year.  No, I didn't pay extra taxes, heaven forbid.  I saved a dog......a great dog who didn't seem to start out that way. While turning into the parking lot of my Detroit restaurant, Capers Steakhouse, to tackle some paperwork, a brownish Tiger-striped streak dashed in front of my car and ran toward ... ]]> http://janinajacobs.com/golf/golf/1254/lucky-dog DID YOU KNOW that your skin is your largest organ?  Yes, it is considered an organ and you certainly know it when something goes wrong and you itch, chafe, or burn.  Most people don’t take the care they should (men, take note!) and often, dry, rough skin is the result.   Golfers can be especially susceptible to skin problems because of over-exposure to the sun and wind, to pesticides which can transfer to your ball, your ... ]]> http://janinajacobs.com/golf/golf/1266/skin-games