THE STYLE ISSUE
Laying down the law on course dress codes PLUS: Designs and inspiration for making your look your own
August I 2011
www.gottagogolf.com
contents ∑ Golf in (your) style Dress codes: Comply or deny? 22 team uniforms: Horror story, happy ending 30 pure bliss: White as a signature 33 trendsetters: Adventurous new designs 34 trendbucker: Sheehan’s old knickers 15 Cover Image by Getty
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gear
Get carried away with carts you can roll with 12
GIVEAWAY
guidance
Sometimes getting your outfit muddy could improve your score 20
Make a style statement with a golf bag from Birdie Babe Golf! To enter to win, email us at contest@gottagogolf.com with the name and email address of someone you think might like GottaGoGolf. That’s it! We’ll email your friend once and invite her to join so that she too gets regular notification of our free magazine and giveaways.
TRAVEL
A whirlwind Tahoe tour that’s not all about the golf 36 Pro tour via camper 44
wine
Time to celebrate? Shake these bubblies 46
and MORE FITNESS: The S curve 18 NEW TO YOU: Infiltrating Pine Valley 6 GOTTA KNOW: A snake saga 14 STAR WATCH: Golf horoscope 50 GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 3
GottaGoGolf The online magazine for women who love the game
welcome
Susan Fornoff
Publisher and Editorial Director
Nanette Bisher
Creative Director
Cheryl Stotler
Web Director and 19th Hole Editor
Anne-Marie Praetzel Art Director
Emily Kay, Gail Rogers, Katharine Dyson Staff Writers
Jenn Gress
Technical Consultant Illustration
Cathy Bowman photography
Getty Images, Dreamstime Contact Online home: www.GottaGoGolf.com Email: feedback@GottaGoGolf.com Phone: 510.507.3249 For information about advertising partnerships and rates, contact Susan Fornoff at 510 507.3249 or email susan@gottagogolf.com 4 I august 2011 I GottaGoGolf
Blowing up the skirt on dress codes A note from the publisher
in the mirror as it is, because she wants to I confess, I had more arguments with my look good, knowing mother over clothes than I did about boys. that will make her feel I’d swear that freedom of choice meant the good. And, No. 2, apgod-given right to pick between a minipropriateness, style skirt and bell bottoms. and looking good defy And so maybe I’m not objective when it comes to golf’s dress codes. The idea of any measurement by ruler. Whether the skort institution or, gulp, man telling a grownup is 12 inches above the knee or meets the woman what she can or cannot wear — fingertips has no bearing on a woman’s fitparticularly when she is engaged in what ness or appropriateness for golf. is, we forget, an athletic pursuit — offends The LPGA gets this. Last year when I me far more than the sight of the tattoo- stood by the putting green on a beautiladen, midriff-baring coffee shop barrista. ful day in Danville, California, spectators There’s another level to this issue, how- gawked at beautiful athletes wearing outever, that I now understand a little better. fits that would not normally be permitted People who pay a lot of money for some at this course. These were quality outfits, treat — a fancy dinner, a chi-chi country well coordinated and flattering, though club — want to see that treat respected by revealing. I wouldn’t look good in them, but noothers dressed nicely. I get that. body has to forbid me from wearing them. But, No. 1, nobody has to tell a woman to dress nicely. She’s spending enough time — Susan Fornoff
The next winner could be...you! GottaGoGolf congratulates Dorothea Sledge, who won the Iconic Sport cardigan and mock turtle (below) awarded to a randomly selected subscriber. Sledge, who lives in Chula Vista, California, is a Navy nurse and a top player in the Executive Women’s Golf Association San Diego chapter. She loves to play at Miramar Memorial and Sea ‘N Air, and is a good bet to enjoy her prize year-round in that beautiful weather. Another winner sure to enjoy a prize: Jennifer Blalock of Asheville, N.C., who won SanSoleil’s drawing for a sunscreening polo. Enter the SanSoleil August giveaway by clicking on their logo on our home page. GottaGoGolf currently has 1,500 registered subscribers, so your prizewinning odds are pretty good!
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short game notes about the game's characters, quirks and gadgets Compiled by Susan Fornoff
Most of us need not apply Famously exclusive Pine Valley Golf Club has more than 1,000 members all over the world, and none are women. In fact, women can play this renowned layout in southern New Jersey only if invited by a member and only on a Sunday afternoon. Unless, it seems, the women are American Solheim Cup team prospects. Rosie Jones and the Solheim
“Sweet 16” — the top 16 players in the LPGA’s Cup points standings – had the run of the place in May on, yes, a Sunday afternoon, but also the next day. They overnighted in the property’s lodging and dined with members. Maybe this is the sort of place elite women golfers ought The famous sand of Pine Valley doesn’t often have women’s footprints.
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photo/ Getty images
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GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 7
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to consider girlcotting? Jones perhaps gave that a moment’s thought. “Look, that golf course has been all men for 100 years now, and there’s no reason to think that’s going to change,” she said. “But they were very open to having us and were just so welcoming and hospitable. I think for them, it was a huge eye opener. So, little steps…” It will take a lot more than that to make the course welcoming to the average woman golfer. The member tees measure 6,532 yards and the men’s slope is 153. Putting purple finds Home in Southwest When one of her regular visitors kept insisting that Saundra Bryn install a put-
ting green at her Desert’s Edge RV Village in Phoenix, Bryn finally relented. In her own way. Not constricted by the Rules of Golf or the USGA, Bryn contracted Southwest Greens to coordinate the new green with her existing color motif on fences, table legs and tablecloths. So now Desert’s Edge has what may be the first “putting purple” in North America. It’s Bryn’s favorite color and can be found daily in an Arizona sunrise and sunset. But the park owner also embraces the novelty. “I’m going to have T-shirts and visors made that say, ‘Have you played the putting purple at the purple park?’” said Bryn, whose site is DesertEdgeRV.com.
photo/ Melanie Ryan
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As for the longtime visitor who inspired this idea … sort of … Phillip Harison seemed amused at its execution. “I do expect one thing,” he said. “The hole will stand out more because of the color. I’ll be interested to see if this helps me concentrate better on distance.” See what’s hiding in ShiShi’s trunk Elizabeth Noblitt didn’t much like golf clothes, but she liked golf. “The idea of a closet full of skorts doesn’t float my boat,” said Noblitt, who wouldn’t get to wear skorts year-round anyway living in the Seattle area. So she started a high fashion golf blog, ShiShiPutter.com, that got her some love from some of the newer, innovative design-
Purple seemed to fit the design motif at Desert’s Edge RV Village in Phoenix.
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Gotta plan
The LPGA announced at last month’s Evian Masters that the tournament will become the tour’s fifth major — to be called simply “The Evian” — starting in September 2013. Stacy Lewis said she would just as soon stop at four majors. But judging from the scenery behind her, it looks to be worth considering a plane ticket to the lively French resort town on Lake Geneva.
photo/ getty images
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ers making clothes that work for golf and transition into the other things we have to do. Next spring, Noblitt is stepping off the screen to host a women’s golf trunk show she is calling AGORA. Already signed to show are Evan Golf, Grace & Game and Toby Tucker. (See Garb on page 34 for a look at some of these and other boutique golf design companies.) “These are smaller designers who can’t afford to do something like this themselves,” Noblitt said. “This will test the market, and then we’ll do little popup events and flash shows.” Noblitt’s target demographic is the woman who isn’t thinking about price when she shops for clothes – thus, the AGORA ticket (in part benefitting the Executive Women’s Golf Association) costs $249. But attendees can expect champagne and chichi snacks at a happening venue, Hollywood’s W Hotel. That’s the afternoon of
March 24. Visit ShiShiPutter. com/agora for the details. Gear worth recommending Sometimes useless paraphernalia shows up in the GottaGoGolf mail. Then there’s the SPIbelt. “SPI” stands for “small personal item,” and ours easily holds smartphone, keys and cash on an adjustable strip of elastic that clips securely yet unobtrusively around the waist. The zippered holding compartment is made of a thin fabric that stretches to cocoon valuables. Seems like a great gizmo for not only golfers, but hikers and even runners, because things don’t bounce around. $21.95 in many colors at SPIbelt.com.
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GEAR
No need to spoil a good walk with a ride in the park
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e may be entering the dog days of August, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to give in to the heat and take a seat. Indeed, with the myriad of battery-operated and new and improved pushcarts on the market, you may want to reconsider riding and instead navigate your favorite track with a sparkling new and moderately priced walking cart. – Emily Kay. A place for everything
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You may know Sun Mountain for its popular golf bags. If you need a break from lugging one of its feather-weight sacks around the course, however, Sun Mountain’s SV1 may be just
the relief your aching back so sorely needs. Sun Mountain has tweaked its previous three-wheeled, ergonomic Speed Cart models with a redesigned console for stowing electronic devices and other accessories in three sections. A new latch facilitates folding and adjusting the height of the handle, while a revamped brake system promises more secure wheel locking. Sun Mountain offers lots of gizmos, including a stand-alone drink holder on the side of the handle and a cargo net below the console to hold rain gear and other paraphernalia. Suggested retail price: $259. SunMountain.com
Solid, stable and secure
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The primary difference between the Bag Boy Quad (a recent Golfing Magazine “Product of the Week”) and Sun Mountain’s offering is the four-wheel platform of the Quad, which offers superior stability. Maintenance-free, oversize wheels help golfers eas-
ily navigate across all terrains. A big, zippered storage bag under the scorecard holder should carry all your necessities, and a padded compartment holds valuables. SRP: $199.95. BagboyCompany.com
A caddy you don’t have to tip Don’t push, program
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If your shoulders ache from even the easiest-to-use push cart, now may be the time to make the move to a remotecontrolled, battery-operated buggy — especially since one no longer breaks the bank. There are several makes and models, with Cart-Tek and Bat Caddy offering excellent value for less than $1,000. A golf pal has nothing but praise for the Cart-Tek GRX-1200-R, which lets you adjust the cart to match conditions on your course. With the 2.4 GHz remote transmitter, you can program the cart for speed and turns. Regular price, $999, but look for it as low as $749. Carttek.com
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The name of the Bat Caddy tells you that this trolley does almost everything a real-live looper would do; just set up the X4R and let it run wild down the fairways. (A word of caution — the Bat Caddy does not like rough terrain, so take it off remote to maneuver through woods and potholed cart paths.) The sleek aluminum frame weighs just 24 pounds, which seems light compared to the hefty, 21-pound battery. You may operate the machine remotely up to 120 yards and the long-lasting, rechargeable battery should keep going for 36 holes. The cart
easily folds up into a compact package. SRP is $1,295, but a long-running promotion offers the cart at $795. Batcaddy.com
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Gotta Know
It’s the snake killer, not the snake, who needs to be charmed
Q
“I play golf on a course in the south that has a fair amount of water, so snakes are part of the landscape. They generally hang out in the woody, wet areas – not often near tee boxes, fairways or greens, and are often not poisonous. But one of the women I play with goes out of her way to kill any snake she sees. She has driven past one, dropped off her playing partner and gone back to kill the snake with a club. “I’ve asked her whether the snake is poisonous and when she says no, she’ll say she just doesn’t like snakes. This makes me very uncomfortable. I don’t want to report her to the pro shop and don’t know what, if anything, they would do if I did. How can I avoid playing with her without causing a ruckus?” 14 I august 2011 I GottaGoGolf
A
The obvious answer to a question like this is: Tell her the truth about why you don’t want to play with her anymore. But GottaGoGolf’s expert panel had more to say.
Here’s a sampling.
E
mmy Moore-Minister, communications consultant for the Golf Course Superintendents in Northern California, answered first: “You must be kidding. This is nuts. I say, play with her only in a
foursome....and the group should huddle on the topic as what to say/do. Majority rules.”
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riter Katharine Dyson channeled Dear Abby: “Dear Snake Bitten, You are indeed in swampy territory. Having
In Retrospect a friend who maliciously clubs to death any living creature who is not endangering her, goes way beyond ophidiophia (fear of snakes) and indeed can be considered a criminal act. Your playing partner needs serious professional psychiatric help. You do too if you continue enabling her to get away with these abuses. If you value her friendship, you need to do a little research into the matter, then armed with facts, sit down and tell her to get the help she needs. And yes, if she continues her killing spree, she should be reported.”
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riter Emily Kay weighed in with some tough love: “Jesus, lady, cause a damn ruckus. Tell her, ‘I don’t play golf with no damn snake-killers.’ There may even be laws against killing reptiles, so she should definitely tell the folks in the pro shop know about this anti-reptile fanatic. Nobody likes snakes, but
killing them just because she can? Major ick factor.” Added Kay: “And perhaps assess her a 2-stroke penalty for each snake assassination. That must be somewhere in the Rules of Golf, don’t you think?”
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ail Rogers, GottaGoGolf’s Guidance counselor, suggested: “All snakes are poisonous for those of us afraid of snakes, so I would give her free relief if her ball was anywhere near a snake on the golf course. She would just drop another ball at a safe distance and play on. Hence, no need to kill the good ones by accident. Besides, who wants snake blood on a club? Can’t be a good thing.”
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olumnist Michelle Smith pointed out the obvious problem with free relief and penalties: “It sounds like this person kills the snakes even when they aren’t posing a prob-
lem, so that is a different issue. I wonder if she would still try to kill them if she were given that free relief?” The conclusion: Premeditated snake killing with intent seems to be the problem here. So a check-in with the pro shop on policy seems to be a good place to start. Snakes are common on Smith’s Arizona courses, but, she said, “Usually, the pro shop will have them removed if we call and let them know of a sighting, but the snakes generally avoid humans. We are not supposed to kill them (I think there is an ordinance or something), but the snakes are repatriated to another location.” After that, it’s a matter of talking with the rest of the foursome and expressing your discomfort. But no one on our panel thought “Snake Bitten” ought to just slither away without explanation.
At the Nabisco Dinah Shore, 1994.
LPGA legend Patty Sheehan rocked the knickers world
S
porting her trademark knickers and breaking into a highspirited somersault or cartwheel during any given golf tourney, Patty Sheehan put a distinctive stamp on her LPGA Hall of Fame career.
Once nicknamed “human Alka Seltzer” by writer Dan Hinxman, Sheehan was still bubbly in a recent phone interview. “I don’t know what the secret is,” she said. “I had so much fun playing.” (Continued next page)
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That’s still true of the 35-time tour winner, now living in Reno, who has revitalized her career on the LPGA Legends Tour. Sheehan has rekindled memories with old pals Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley, Rosie Jones and a host of other all-stars who have “formed our little band of legends,” she said. “We have just been having a blast playing against each other again in tournaments, reuniting, and reminiscing a lot about the good old days.” Back when Sheehan was in her 20s, clothing manufacturer Head asked her to represent its line of golf attire. With Payne Stewart showcasing the retro look on the PGA Tour, Sheehan decided to sport the same. “I started wearing knickers and quickly learned I was getting a lot of attention from it because it was differ-
ent from everyone else,” Sheehan recalled. “Payne Stewart had made a name for himself, and we sort of became the knickers kids.” Today’s chic LPGAers in crops and capris can thank Sheehan for popularizing the shorter pants. “It was a traditional look with a bit of modern-day feel,” said Sheehan of her 1980s version of Bobby Jones’ plus fours. “It had its own style and I think that women these days like to be stylish on the golf course.” The comfortable clothing helped Sheehan “stand out a little bit” without impeding her play. “The knickers added to my personality,” she said, “and was another way to have some fun.” With all her good fortune, Sheehan believes in pitching in with her community. Her first “Patty Sheehan & Friends” tournament in June raised
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$15,000 for the First Tee of Northern Nevada, Step2 (helping families battling substance abuse) and the Committee to Aid Abused Women. Raising a 14-year-old daughter and 12-yearold son with long-time partner Rebecca Gaston, Sheehan said she also would support the LPGA becoming involved in the It Gets Better Project aimed at halting the bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teens. “It’s not only gays and lesbians who get bullied. A lot of kids get bullied,” Sheehan noted. “Sometimes mine get bullied because of their moms and the fact that they’re adopted. Kids will find any excuse to pick on each other.” To learn more about Sheehan’s tourney, visit pattysheehanandfriends. org. – Emily Kay
U.S. Women’s Open at Indianwood, 1994.
photo / lpga
In Retrospect
Gotta Ask
What if you ruled the dress codes of golf? Team sports have uniforms, but golfers have the freedom to express their individuality, except where dress codes intervene. Which choice best represents the attire you’d like to require?
A. Anything goes: If you can golf strapless, go for it! B. Cover up: Shorts and skirts should be at least fingertip length. C. Unisex: Collared shirts for men and for women. D. Strictly practical: Hats for sun protection, pockets for tee storage. Vote NOW E. Airlines style: At the discretion of the pilot...er, starter.
Last month’s results For the extreme GottaGoGolfer wilting in the summer heat this month, dress codes and signature styles just have to give a little. Here’s what readers want to wear for the hottest day on the golf course.
What would you like to wear on the hottest of July days?
43%
My summer uni: long shorts or skort and a collared short-sleeve shirt.
7%
A smile and a really big hat.
29%
The shortest skort and barest tank top my course will allow.
5%
16%
Style’s out the window – it’s baggy and loose all the way.
Long sleeves and capris, for extra sun protection.
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fitness “S
tick your butt out.” Now, there’s a common golf posture tip that many women resist because it’s so, well, unladylike. And it turns out they have even better reason to resist. Robert Forman, the director of fitness and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation for the High Point (N.C.) Regional Health System, directs the Golf Fitness Academy and is the expert behind GolfitCarolina.com. He cautions against the S curve of the back that can result from this approach to the golf swing. “It is not a good thing to do,” Forman said. “They also call it the athletic posture, but, long term, you’ll really mess up your back. You have
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a natural curve in the lower back, a natural arch, and you don’t want to deviate from that. The S posture increases that arch.” Lower back pain offers the weightiest evidence that a player is overarching, but a look at the stance in the mirror also offers clues. Many women have a natural swayback from either habit or an imbalance. In either case, here’s the not-tooexhausting solution: Stretching and strengthening the hip flexors. Practice these exercises every day for a few weeks, and later just three or four times a week for maintenance – maybe, if you’re lucky enough to play that often, just before your round.
The half-kneel hip flexor stretch: Kneel
on one knee with the other foot flat on the floor in the bent-knee lunge position. Lean into the front leg, keeping the knee behind the toe. Hold for 30 seconds, switch legs and repeat.
photos / Robert Forman
Make your S all about a Straight Spine
FITNESS
The knee hug: Lie on your back, legs flat, and bring
Golf cart stretch: Place one foot up on the golf cart fender
one knee into the chest and hold for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. Later you can perform the knee hug on a bench with the inactive leg hanging down, providing more stretch.
(or, in the gym, a bench), with arms raised and parallel to the ground. Bending the front knee forward, rotate the arms around to the side of the front leg. Hold for 30 seconds, switch legs and repeat to the other direction. GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 19
guidance By Gail Rogers
Water hazards: The personal struggle between fashion, competition and rules In my first four-ball tournament, I hit a second shot on a par-5 into a lateral water hazard. I was prepared to take a drop when I saw the ball was sitting in a very muddy lie. Wearing a terrific pair of new white linen pants, I thought the drop was my best option for a number of obvious reasons. Gail Rogers recently retired as a USGA rules official. She now serves on the Northern California Golf Association Board of Directors.
ticing both red and yellow stakes near some ponds and creeks. I wondered just what they meant. Even the single-digit handicap golfer I was playing with was a bit uncertain of the differences. Now with 30 years of experience I can help you demystify those red and yellow hazards. Rule 26 WATER HAZARDS gives us information on both regular water hazards and lateral water hazards. YELLOW STAKES tell us this is a regular water hazard that the golf course architect wants us to But my partner, who was in even more trouble on cross by making a solid stroke at the ball. The course the hole than I, said, “You can play that ball as it lies is designed so that there is room for us to drop a ball with no penalty.” From the expression on my face she keeping the water between us and the target, which knew I was not thrilled with the idea of looking like I might be a green or a continuation of the fairway over had just gotten out of the mud baths in Calistoga, so the water on the way to the green. If we fail to negotiate the water, and the ball cannot be played from the she hastily added, “I’ll pay the cleaning bill.” Pars can be made from anywhere—even the mud, if hazard, we can play our next stroke from outside the water hazard with a one-stroke penalty. you have a partner who motivates you to try. We can play our next stroke from where we just As a new player, water hazards continued to puzzle played our last stroke on the course. Or we can proand intrigue me. I remember first time playing Spyglass Hill GC in Pebble Beach, probably a big mistake ceed by lining up the hole location on the green with for my skill set but wonderful just the same, and no- the place where the ball last crossed the margin of the
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Visit usga.org to see the rules of golf and decisions. Email rules questions to Gail Rogers.
photo / getty images
Momoko Ueda puts her wet sock on after hitting from a water hazard at the Kraft Nabisco.
water hazard and drop on that imaginary line. Most times this place will be nearer the hole than the position of our previous shot and will help us to accomplish our goal of carrying the hazard. And yes, the one-stroke penalty is still added to our score for the hole when we take this drop. Lateral hazards, the ones with the RED STAKES, are for hazards that parallel the line of play. With a creek next to an out of bounds fence there would be no place to drop if it were marked yellow. Playing from the place where we last played would be the only option. Since this is normally quite a severe penalty, the rules allow us to drop a ball
within two club-lengths of where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard. Notice this does not say take your stance, find the nearest point of relief and drop within two club-lengths of that point, but just two clublengths from the point on the margin of the hazard where your ball entered the hazard. With lateral water hazards, there is also another wonderful option that many players forget. We can go to the OPPOSITE MARGIN of the hazard at a distance that is equal to the distance from the hole to where the ball entered the lateral hazard. This is easily determined with today’s range finders. Measure the distance to the hole from where the ball
last crossed the margin and then go to the other side and find that same yardage. Drop within two club-lengths of that point. Again this requires that we add the one-stroke penalty that got us out of the hazard. Note: The measuring can be done with any club in your bag – even your driver. WATER HAZARD STAKES: One final point. If a yellow or red water hazard stake interferes with the lie of your ball, your stance or swing, you can remove the water hazard stake whether your ball is inside the hazard or outside the hazard. See Rule 24-1 Movable Obstructions, which says, “A player may take relief, without penalty, from a movable obstruction as follows.” There is no statement attached to this verbiage limiting where on the course the relief may be taken, so all parts are fair game. Remember this rule number; many players are unaware of this and will challenge you when you remove the stake when your ball is in the water hazard. Bet them an after-round beverage that you are proceeding correctly and then produce the Rules of Golf book that you carry in your golf bag! It’s page 70 in the current edition. Cheers! GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 21
COVER Cracking the code LPGA fashionistas and adventurous designers are showing women golfers exciting new style options – but, are they allowed at your course?
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PGA players bare their thighs and flaunt club rules even as course records fall at their feet. Billionaires stand before their boards dressed in jeans and T-shirts. And nobody can explain the function of a collar on a woman golfer’s shirt, other than making it look more like a man’s
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shirt. It’s no wonder that the hallowed dress codes are moving to the back of this old game’s closet, as beleaguered golf course and golf club owners hope their customers have deep pockets in whatever they’re wearing. “If I were to enforce a dress code
today, I would lose a lot of people and probably a league,” said Kathy Aznavorian, president of the Fox Hills Golf and Banquet Center outside of Detroit. “I can’t afford to do that. I see players in T-shirts and stuff I would never own. I just close my eyes. In today’s golf market, can we afford to be the judges
photo Illustration from a Getty Images photo
By Susan Fornoff
Natalie Gulbis’ short skirts would be frowned on at most country clubs. GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 23
COVER
of good and bad taste?”
Cathy Harbin, now director of the World Golf Foundation’s Golf 20/20 initiative, advocates more inclusiveness. “In 20 years as a golf course operator I’ve seen it go from very, very strict in the minds of everyone to starting to lighten up a little,” she said. “There’s a movement in golf toward letting people be more comfortable and breaking down barriers. Dress code is a barrier.”
Open for interpretation
A search on dress codes uncovers endless Don’ts: No jeans, tank tops, swimsuits, javascript:popDetail(‘119868817’, %20 ’Getty-Images-Sport’,%20’’,%20’’,%20 ’0’) athletic shorts, cutoffs, jogging clothes, halter tops, strapless tops, drawstrings, shorts that are too long, shorts that are too short, backward-facing caps, and, at one club in the South, “no Lycra spandex garments.” (Ladies, don’t get caught snapping your bras.)
Juli Inkster generally goes for the conservative old-school look. 24 I august 2011 I GottaGoGolf
Then there are the private clubs making precise demands of women: “Shirts must have a collar” … “Shorts must be no more than 4 inches above the knee” … “Sleeveless shirts must have a collar or a crew neck” Regulations are everywhere. Enforcement varies – it’s safe to say head professionals aren’t walking around with rulers – but the codes do have their backers. “I don’t know that the collar has a purpose,” says Lucy Mitchell, a partner in Walters Golf Management, which operates 15 Missouri golf clubs. “But we’re in the Midwest. And the traditional part of the game is still very important in the Midwest. I’ve polled our members at Whitmoor (St. Charles, Mo.) the last three years, and each year the survey came back: 70 percent of them still do not want jeans anywhere at the club.” Some clubs and daily fee courses are, however, beginning to use the word “appropriate” in their dress codes. Now, there’s a nice ambiguous word. “If you go back to the early stages of the game,” Harbin noted, “men played in
photos / Getty images
“I don’t know that the collar has a purpose. But we’re in the Midwest. And the traditional part of the game is still very important in the Midwest.”
COVER
button-downs and ties and women played in dresses. I think, wow, if you put me in a button-down and tie, I couldn’t even swing. I’d say loose-fitting clothes are appropriate – but half the tour pros wear the tightest thing they can. Look at Sergio.” Ah yes, the name of Sergio Garcia came to the lips of several women in the tightshirt, tight-pants context. And they were by no means advocating a limitation on tightness, which makes one wonder why so many male golf course members and owners prohibit short shorts and skirts on women.
Women loosen it up
Aznavorian and Oki Golf President and CEO Nancy Cho, two of the nation’s few female golf course operators, don’t enforce stringent dress codes for women. Cho’s private Plateau Club outside of Seattle even welcomed “nice denim” recently, that is, with no holes, fraying, rips, cutoff – and “must be worn close to the waist.” Such a polite prohibition of butt cracks! “The club is not far from Microsoft,” she pointed out, “which has a casual dress code.”
Hawaii’s Michelle Wie often wears a flower behind her ear. GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 25
COVER
“THE FLEXIBILITY THE TOUR PLAYERS HAVE IN DRESS CODE LENDS ITSELF TO BEING MORE TRENDY AND ATTRACTING A YOUNGER DEMOGRAPHIC… NOT TO MEN TION THE OPPOSITE SEX.” Aznavorian recalled a Ritz-Carlton presentation that contrasted the well-dressed wealthy American couple of the 1960s and ’70s, perfectly coiffed and driving a fancy car, with the wealthy couple of today. “The Microsoft millionaire drove a sometimes less than late model car, came out in jeans, often with hair in disarray. The point was that you can’t judge people anymore by the way they dress.” Aznavorian, Cho and Mitchell all enthused about the current state of women’s golf apparel, which has finally ventured beyond the “little man” look popularized in the ’80s to include skirts and dresses. “I think we have all those nice attractive women on the LPGA Tour to thank for that,” Cho said.
image counseling to help them look sharp. “The flexibility the tour players have in dress code lends itself to being more trendy and attracting a younger demographic as fans,” Harbin said. “Not to mention it attracts more of the opposite sex.” So Paula Creamer turned pink into a signature, Vicky Hurst can be spotted in her Tam o’ Shanter, and those long mostly bare legs approaching must belong to Sandra Gal. The Asian influx has brought more color and high fashion, and players like Yani Tseng, sporting conservative long shorts and polo shirt, become distinctive in a new way. LPGA Futures player Seema Sadekar, who appeared on Golf Channel’s “Big Break” wearing what she called her “diamond dress,” and her sister Nisha are creating a fashion empire of golf course sparkle and shine Individuality take stage (PlayGolfDesigns.com). The tour has no dress code other than “no The two girls cried in the back seat as their jeans,” said LPGA media relations director father drove them to tournaments in the bagHeather Daly-Donofrio, and offers players gy bottoms and oversize Greg Norman shirts he chose for them. Future Tour’s Seema Sadekar makes golf “I hated it!” Seema said. “I’m a girly girl, I like sparkle, and I branched off to do my own attire of her favorite “girly” clothes.
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thing. I started out by wearing short, flowered shorts. Dad said, you can’t do that!” Now she said her dad loves her distinctive look, cultivated by shopping her favorite stores for “cute dresses in spandex material that fits the body and moves with you.” And yes they are very short. “But they’re cute, they have sparkles, I look good in them,” said the size 4 Sadekar, who hails from Las Vegas and accessorizes with shiny patent shoes and a sequined golf bag. “How can anybody have a problem with that?”
photo / Getty images
But is it appropriate?
Well, she’d be surprised, still. At Montreux, a very private course in Reno with an “appropriate” dress requirement, general manager Lisa Anderson says there has been just one complaint in 11 years, about a beautiful new member whose shorts were a bit on the high side. “The Director of Golf went to her very privately at the range and said, here are the guidelines,” Anderson said. The flustered newbie apologized and “appropriated” her wardrobe to fit in. “It comes down to somebody paying $500
Sweden’s Maria Hjorth schooled in Scotland – can you tell? GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 27
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a month to hang out with like-minded people,” said ClubCorp President and CEO Eric Affeldt. Affeldt, a new-wealth type who favors Tommy Bahama shirts and Seven jeans, bought ClubCorp five years ago and immediately required each of its 150-plus private clubs to establish an area that allowed denim – but otherwise each dictates its own dress code. When he wore cargo shorts for his birthday round at one of them, he said, “I was told if I wasn’t the president of the company, I wouldn’t be allowed to play.” And with all those pockets for tees, balls, rangefinder, repair tool and corkscrew, what could be more “appropriate” for golf than cargo shorts? “To me, that seems like ideal golf attire,” says Mike Tinkey, deputy CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association. Really, if an outfit facilitates walking and swinging, isn’t non-restrictive clothing appropriate? Yet most country clubs frown on athletic attire women might wear for walking or yoga. The golf course owners association has no policy nor does it recommend a stringent dress code. Tinkey in fact suggests this one: “It’s preferable not to play naked.” Visit our facebook page and tell us what you think about golf style trends, dress codes and which LPGA players stand out in golf fashion.
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photo / Getty images (left) / Dreamstime (right)
Vicky Hurst mixes her nostalgic tam with oh-so-contemporary short shorts.
Interpreting the codes A bit of golf dress code searching produced the following award winners. Most detailed • (Domestic) On the Hayden Lake Country Club (Idaho) website, a popup for women depicts check marks for its requirements – belt, collar, sleeves – and a big X for prohibitions, which include no skirts! • (International) Australia’s Brisbane Golf Club has an entire, downloadable brochure on its dress code, which lists among its regulations that shorts cannot be too LONG, and men cannot wear three-quarter pants. Wordiest justification • “Sterling Hills (California) has several policies in place to maintain the integrity of the course and to promote safety and goodwill among golfers” and prohibits blue jeans, cutoff pants, athletic shorts, swimsuits and jogging clothes. • And at Coral Oaks (Florida), “In order to keep Coral Oaks truly remarkable, we need you to pay attention to detail by following our dress code,” which requires shorts to be of at least “fingertip length” and prohibits removal of golfing attire while playing.
Most unusual • Steenberg Golf Club in South Africa prohibits drawstrings and “secret socks.” • Nile in Seattle OKs nice jeans but requires tops to have 2-inch shoulder straps and prohibits high heels and strapless tops. Most specific • The Centennial Country Club (Michigan) prohibits hospital scrubs and tubetops. Most sensible • The Pearl Country Club Academy’s junior program (Honolulu) suggests that shorts and trousers have pockets, and in such high SPF territory, hats and visors must be worn “properly.” • And the Colac Golf Club (Australia) advises its ladies “Be sun smart.” Most succinct • “Proper golf attire” at Harpeth Hills (Nashville). • “No tank tops or cutoffs” at San Jose Municipal. • “No dress code” at several courses proud to so advertise.
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Cover
Dreading the team uniform selection? Here’s a little rah rah spirit By Katharine Dyson
Yes, they’re a team – from left, Celia Wienholz, Pam Harris, Bev Shumate and host Wendy Nicholas. 30 I august 2011 I GottaGoGolf
photo / Vicki Robinson;
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hen Wendy Nicholas invited some of her Blackhawk Country Club friends to play in an invitational at her second club, Saddle Creek, her pals wanted to wear the Blackhawk women’s team uniform. “Black shirt and pink plaid skort — and I just didn’t think the skort looked that great on me so I didn’t want to buy one,” Nicholas said. “So I said, go ahead — I’ll be half Blackhawk, half Saddle Creek.” The team harmonized on the course and won their flight, a happy ending to what for many women becomes a horror story. Finding just the right uniform to satisfy each player on a club or school team, or maybe even just a charity scramble foursome, is the golfer’s version of the bridesmaid’s dress nightmare. What color flatters blondes, brunettes and redheads? What styles fit the petite, the athletic and the hefty? What length suits the 25-year-old and the 65-year-old? A group of men might all be given the same shirt in different
And no need to get bored with the same old, same old. Although the women don’t have quite the same selection as the men (a bit puzzling when the numbers of men and women on the respective teams are the same), the women have choices. They can select a white pique polo with a narrow red stripe on the sleeve and collar, a red double reverse Dri-Fit Performance Polo with gray accents and a half-zip opening, or a crimson shirt with buttons on the placket and contrasting sleeve accent. Visors are white with red logo; one has a red bead around the brim while the other does not. Ah, but what about size? Jeremy Wexler, head golf professional who orders the merchandise for Palouse Ridge, says, “When ordering ahead of time for a group of women of various ages, I order in the ratio of one small, two medium, two large and one extra large. How many I order depends on the size of the group.” Gretchen Wilheim, Nike’s public relations coordinator,
Cartoon / cathy bowman
sizes, and then they’re told, “Wear khaki pants.” Their charity foursome would never, ever, think to call each other in advance and say, “What are you wearing?” But for women, the golf team uniform debate beats the bridesmaid challenge when you consider a range of ages so broad that floppy flesh and muffin tops could sneak into the mix. (It happens.) When the ladies are athletic, young and fit, of course, it’s no big deal. Palouse Ridge Golf Club, venue for the Pac 10 Women’s Championship and home course for Washington State University in Pullman, is a huge, sweeping course offering a lot of drama. But when it comes to picking uniforms, you’ll find no drama queens there. Ordering the crimson and gray uniforms for the team, Kelli Kamimuro, head golf coach says, “Nike offers us a great selection. The girls get rain gear, second-layer pullovers, a half dozen shortsleeved shirts and a couple of long-sleeved shirts. They also get shorts and long pants.”
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has some answers for those who present more challenges. “All our products have some stretch to them, making them more comfortable for everyone.” She notes that cropped pants and long shorts please those who aren’t happy about showing off their legs, and the popular new lightweight long sleeves disguise those dreaded arm wings. But fit seems to be the key to forging an agreement among women. So says Tom B. Davidson, the PGA Director of Golf for Circling Raven Golf Club, 25 miles south of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. “I ask for samples from two or three of our best vendors in the range of sizes that we will need,” Davidson said. “When they arrive our gals try them on, and we select the brand that fits the majority of them the best. If samples are not available we have them try similar items that 32 I august 2011 I GottaGoGolf
Stockton College apparel, with tops and bottoms available in a variety of styles, all different combos of the college’s blue and white. (Seaview is owned by the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.) For other groups, DeDonato said, “If the ladies are looking for coordinated outfits, we like to bring in a trunk sale using vendors like Nike or Tail. We have different sizes for them to try on for both pants and tops. Then we special-order to fit each we have in stock to check the fit. person.” Montreux, a private club The only way to know for sure if the fit is good is to try them on.” in Reno that hosts a PGA At the historic Seaview Resort tournament every summer, has Golf course in Galloway, N.J., grown a strong women’s club venue for the LPGA ShopRite behind the leadership of club Classic and a Troon-managed general manager Lisa Anderson facility, Kevin DeDonato, director and one of the top teaching of golf, agrees with Davidson pros in the country, Jan Usher. But Anderson credits Melody about the fit issue. A big area on the ladies’ side Arnold, the shop merchandiser, of DeDonato’s pro shop carries for maintaining harmony among
Come to think of it, this beats the bridesmaid challenge when you consider a huge range of ages where floppy flesh and muffin tops could sneak into the mix. (It happens.)
the membership by working out a broad solution to the “team uni” debate: She ordered an entire collection from Sport Haley that is colorcoordinated but has short sleeves, long sleeves, no sleeves, shorts, skorts, pants...and the team members customize their own outfits according to their individual sizes, shapes and coloring. “This issue is always a hot spot, but everyone seems happy with this,” Anderson said. One size never fits all – how nice to think the team uniform doesn’t have to either. But, truth be told, sometimes the closet fills with garments like those old bridesmaids’ dresses — worn once and never to be worn again. Wendy Nicholas, the odd woman out on Team Blackhawk, could laugh about one result of a fire that destroyed her house: “I got rid of all those old outfits. I burned ‘em.”
photo / katharine dyson
Cover
One stylin’ super senior
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n the 45 years Jody “Buns” Conroe has been playing at Skaneateles Country Club (N.Y.), the 83-yearold has changed neither her weight nor her hairstyle, a large bun on the top of her head and tightly-wound curls in the front. And her signature outfit, for as long as anyone can remember, has been white pants, tucked-in white shirt, and white bobby socks. “It makes me look skinnier,” bubbled Conroe, a tiny woman who walks briskly with a straight back. She also wears two pins on the collar of her golf shirt. One is a little gold bird for an important birdie she made; the other is a tiny gold angel that she says “rides with me on my shoulder to remind me to keep my head down.” Recently Jody won a silver medal (second place) in the New York State Super Senior Olympics, shooting net 78 (28.6 index). That day she was celebrating her 58th wedding anniversary. Four years ago she learned she needed a knee replacement but she told her doctor, “No. Not yet.” She had qualified to represent New York in her age group in the National Senior Games in Louisville, Kentucky. It would be a grueling four
days of golf so her doctor was dubious, but she had a plan. “I carried my swing trainer into the doctor’s office, took a few swings to show him I was following the advice of that hot swing coach, Mike Bennett, so that most of my weight went to my left side,” she said. The doctor acquiesced and gave her a cortisone shot, with one caveat: “Just let me know how you do.” “He understood. He too is a golfer,” Conroe said. Jody and her husband, Barden, drove to Kentucky and she came away with 10th place in her group wearing all white on the final day. Knee surgery was scheduled for fall, after golf season. The next year, she competed in the Senior Championship in Lake Placid, N.Y. ,winning low net in the Super Seniors division (ages 70 and above). The other day I was on the range hitting balls. Jodi was there too, dressed in her white pedal pushers, her gray hair tucked into a neat bun under her hat. She wasn’t hitting balls though. She was watching her granddaughter hit balls. She was still there when I left. —Katharine Dyson GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 33
GARB
Designers who are thinking outside of the tee box
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olf clothes don’t have to be loud or boyish or pink. As Seema Sadekar of the LPGA’s Futures Tour points out, golf clothes don’t even have to have pockets. “Your ball marker is on your hat, and your tees can go in your hair,” says the former Big Break glitter girl. “Who needs pockets to ruin your nice, sleek lines?” Sadekar shops the racks in her favorite stores and turns high fashion into golf fashion. You can do that too, or you might want to investigate some of the newer players in the “golf apparel” market. Here are four who are aiming for the woman who wants her golf clothes to move with her – not only as she moves around the course, but beyond. — Susan Fornoff
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As an attorney in Washington state, Jessica Eaves Mathews saw her share of women wearing what she calls “mini-man” outfits. Then she took up golf, and, how about that, more mini-men! Her Grace & Game Golf markets feminine, fitted, multi-tasking
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clothes – wrap tops with a ruffled cap sleeve (see right), gathers in unexpected places, fitted bottoms and cardigans, and fabrics such as organic cotton, silk and even some leather. Tops start at around $75. Sizes 0-12 and XS-XL, GraceAndGame.com
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3
Toby Tucker Peters played on the men’s golf team in college and kept playing as she established her career as a fashion magazine editor. So it’s not surprising that her collection of golf clothes – all clearly made to be worn for various activities – screams out “Runway!” Inspired by whatever’s hot this season in New York, Paris and Milan, Toby Tucker ranges from the “Sand Wedge Wide-Leg” pant in navy palm graphic print at right ($300) to culottes, a “Putting Skirt,” and a water resistant anorak. Sizes 2-12, TobyTuckerGolf.com.
Designer Melba Lee’s descriptions of MiC (the “i” is a golf tee) make frequent use of the word “sexy,” and LPGA Tour player Paige Mackenzie makes her clothes look great. This is a line for the fit woman, or the young woman; skirts and skorts are short, pants and capris are form-fitting and low-rising, and shirts might reveal a bit more than expected at the top or bottom. Shirts start at about $120, and the embroidered drop yoke skirt we show at left, in cotton with 3 percent spandex, is listed at $160. Sizes 0-14 and XS-XL, MicSport.com.
4
A golf dress? Why not! No hunting for the top that goes with the bottom, no worries about a midriff exposed on the backswing, no need for a belt. And that soft, stretchy cotton that moves so well with the golf swing moves just fine on to dinner. Now if only Shi Golf would design some golf dress shoes to complete the outfit. Kelly Su used to mix golf pieces with her favorite ready-to-wear finds; when too many friends said, “I wish I could find golf outfits like that,” she started designing a line that includes wrap tops and flouncy skirts, with plenty of every woman’s favorite color, black. Dresses such as the one above are in the $100 ballpark. Sizes XS-XL and 0-10, Shi-Golf.com GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 35
travel Whirlwind
Come along on a press trip to the High Sierra, and see if you can keep up When I saw my room at the Ritz Carlton, Lake Tahoe, I almost cried. The leather chairs with cozy throws! The overdressed and overstuffed bed! The fireplace and the dark wood, mountain-home accents! Tears of joy, you must be thinking. But, no. As I whipped around the sumptuous room doing a 15-minute freshen-up for dinner, I calculated that I would be back in the room around 10 p.m. and back in the car at 6 a.m. to make a 7 a.m. tee time at Gray’s Crossing. My eyes, I figured, would have maybe an hour open to take in the glories of my inviting accommodations. Waaaahhh, a crying 36 I august 2011 I GottaGoGolf
shame. But that’s the grueling, exhausting and often frustrating world of the press trip, where media folk embark on whirlwind itineraries to see everything so that they can tailor a story to fit their readers. This one, the annual Golf the High Sierra Media Tour, annually draws a couple of dozen media types for a scant week to explore
four diverse but uniquely appealing regions – Reno, Truckee and the North Shore of Tahoe, Genoa and the South Shore of Tahoe, and a little known region north of Truckee broadly referred to as Plumas County or Graeagle (pronounced “Gray Eagle”). And that’s a lot of ground to cover, even with a week under the fearless direction of the public relations firm of keeper-of-theclock Phil Weidinger. His client group of golf course, hotel and restaurant owners doesn’t want us to miss a gourmet crumb, and so Weidinger and team customize itineraries to cover as many fairways, greens, plates and
photo: Courtesy of Rod Hanna, Golf the High Sierra
By Susan Fornoff
Whitehawk Ranch is always a favorite stop on the Golf the High Sierra Media Tour
GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 37
Even the caddies find the putting greens at Montreux to be a mystery.
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photos /susan fornoff (left); (Courtesy of Rod Hanna, Golf the High Sierra) (right)
travel
sheets as possible. I’ve taken the tour wearing several different hats – as golf writer for the San Francisco Examiner, as co-author of “Northern California Golf Getaways,” as real estate reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. Most years the itinerary mandates golf twice on most days, a round after checking out of the night’s hotel and another round before checking into the next night’s hotel. My friends roll their eyes and say, “You poor thing.” But by the end of the week, I can’t remember my room number because I’ve had a different one six nights in a row. By the end of the week, I’ve lost a club’s distance because my legs have vacated the golf swing. This year, however, I made the tour for GottaGoGolf. And I pointed out, women generally want their golf vacations served with a side dish of other activities. Most women do not pack cigars for 36 holes a day – most are happy with 18 holes, many with nine, and some can do without cigars altogether. So for the first time, I played just 18 a day except for the must-make Genoa-Edgewood double toward the end of the week. (Readers, I wouldn’t miss a chance to play either of those courses, even if I had to play them both
When I saw my room at the Ritz Carlton, Lake Tahoe, I almost cried. The leather chairs with cozy throws! The overdressed and overstuffed bed! The fireplace and the dark wood, mountain-home accents! on a rainy day.) I got a boat ride to Emerald Bay, a minor-league baseball game between the Reno Aces and the Salt Lake Bees, along with an authentic Basque dinner and a soak in 150-year-old hot springs. I tried on clothes in the pro shops, met many of the local women golf insiders, and even slept in some new-to-me abodes. I even took 10 minutes to freshen up between golf at Edgewood and the cruise on the Tahoe Star, despite the consternation of the conductor. When the tour officially ended, I made an unofficial visit to a serene lakeside spa. With years of previous experience, I now feel eminently qualified to guide you on the perfect visit to each of the four destinations.
RENO Downtown, Reno offers a quaint, old-West version of Vegas, and I’ve always enjoyed staying at the El Dorado, which has a casino that’s fun for beginners and offers good value golf packages. It’s also near the Bowling Hall of Fame, Nevada Museum of Art and adorable Aces Ballpark. This year, though, I spent my short night at the Grand Sierra, a towering resort just off the freeway that has everything – many restaurant choices, a spa, shopping, high level entertainment and a bustling casino. I’d like to go back for a weekend. Golf courses nearby include D’Andrea, an up and down track outside of town, Wolf GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 39
The view of the island green at LakeRidge’s par-3 15th hole has Reno as a backdrop.
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Run, Red Hawk, Arrow Creek, and the classic layout of LakeRidge, famed for its Reno panorama as you look down at the 15th hole’s island green. Country club members should see if their pro can set up a round at chichi Montreux, where general manager Lisa Anderson and top teaching pro Jan Usher set a female-friendly stage. TRUCKEE AND NORTH LAKE TAHOE The new Ritz Carlton high above Northstar represents the ultimate luxurious TahoeTruckee destination, and it packages the Jack Nicklaus-designed Old Greenwood and the luxurious Gray’s Crossing. (Insider tip: Even nongolfers will enjoy the indoor-outdoor setting and creative preparations at PJ’s Bar and Grill at Gray’s.) Nearby Timilick reopened as Schafffer’s Mill, but the new owners still vow to make that course members-only so play soon. Truckee’s Coyote Moon is the prettiest golf course not on the lake, and the most elevated. The Resort at Squaw Creek has a magical feeling about its setting and layout, even though the golf course layout presents directional challenges among wetlands. Northstar offers the affordable lodging and family-friendly golf options. Down at the lake, the two courses at Incline Village entice the visitor with amazing views, great condi-
Blackjack at the Montbleu in South Lake Tahoe belongs on the itinerary.
tions and a shop and clubhouse built for lingering. Northstar has a shopping village with an ice rink that turns roller rink in summer, and downtown Truckee, though it has fallen on hard times, maintains a nice mix of boutiques, kitschy shops, mountain-style home décor stores, art galleries and restaurants. I’ve always liked staying at Truckee’s Cedar House Sport Hotel for its contemporary rooms, full breakfast and cozy wine bar, and would highly recommend it as a good value. But this year I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino and loved the lakeside location, the rowdy casino, the several hot tubs and, especial-
ly, the spa that represented my final resting place of the week. If I have three or four nights to spend, this is where I want to be. GENOA AND SOUTH LAKE TAHOE In winter, one can golf in Genoa, an early California Mormon settlement in Nevada, then cruise up and over the Kingsbury Grade for an afternoon on the slopes of Heavenly. In summer, it’s morning golf at Genoa and afternoon golf at Edgewood. Where to stay? There’s a strong candidate just minutes from the Genoa courses, David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort & Spa, which is undergoing a spiffying-up of its historic bath GottaGoGolf I august 2011 I 41
Let it fly – these High Sierra courses put out a welcome mat for short hitters Long hitters might notice they’re a club longer at the courses on the highaltitude Sierra Tahoe circuit. Here are some courses that welcome short hitters with forward
tees under 5,000 yards: TRUCKEE AREA Coyote Moon: That more than 6,000 feet of altitude makes Coyote Moon’s scenic 5,022 yards
play much shorter. Keep the ball in the fairway here and you’ll score. CoyoteMoonGolf.com Gray’s Crossing: Someday Gray’s likely will be members’ only
once more, so put this on the play list at 5,030 yards from the forward tees, with a great layout and variety. OldGreenwoodGolf.com
course. Longer hitters will find trouble from the front, however. NakomaGolfResort.com
Tahoe Donner: The residents love this course, which winds up and down and around pine trees, and offers a front set of tees at just 4,997 yards. GolfTahoeDonner.com
Carson Valley Golf Course: The high desert of Reno disappears on this lush, tree-filled course along the Carson River, where the forward tees measure just 4,677 yards. CarsonValleyGolf. com Sunridge Golf Club: Generally known for its length – almost 7,000 yards from the back tees – Sunridge in Carson Valley offers a 4,814-yard option from the reds. SunridgeGolfClub.com
PLUMAS/GRAEAGLE Whitehawk Ranch: Women love this scenic and generously laid-out course, just 4,816 yards from the one-hawk tees, with its open front nine set in a wide valley and the back nine winding through trees set along a creek. GolfWhitehawk. com
Coyote Moon is one of the few courses on the tour with no houses.
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The Dragon at Nakoma Resort: At 4,611 yards, the front tees beckon the beginner at this oncepenal, now-softened, but still fiercely named
RENO/CARSON AREA
The Golf Club at Genoa Lakes: At 5,078 yards but with firm, fast fairways, the Genoa Lakes course plays just fine for the short hitter. Genoa’s Resort Course, just up the road, plays about 400 yards longer. GenoaLakes.
house and pools. Of course on our tour we just had about 15 minutes between check-in and dinner to soak in the outdoor tubs, complete with snow-capped mountain vistas, but if you go it might be worth springing for a massage and spending some time there. The big casino hotels on Tahoe’s South Shore – Harrah’s, Harvey’s and the Montbleu – are lively destinations, and the smart deal is to book a stay-and-play through Edgewood’s website for one of these. But this year I stayed in a wonderful option on the California (noncasino) side of the line for golfing foursomes, Sierra Shores. These luxuriously furnished townhouses feature huge high-end kitchens and great rooms, and patio or deck right on the lake. With a beach outside. I wouldn’t miss lunch at Brooks’ on the deck at Edgewood, or shopping the great selection of women’s apparel at the Genoa Lakes Course shop.
Genoa Lakes: A gem that adorns the high desert on the Nevada side of the SIERRA
five wonderful golf courses to confuse the selection process – and one can rent oncourse villas at Graeagle Meadows, Plumas Pines and the Dragon, or stay in beautifully furnished lodge rooms at Whitehawk Ranch. Visitors gawk at the Frank Lloyd Wright clubhouse at the Dragon, and drool over meals at the area’s gourmet-level but affordPLUMAS COUNTY/GRAEAGLE able restaurants. Save some time to hit the Hikers, fishers and other sportswomen have shops in the old mill town of Graeagle and found good reason to love this peaceful desti- the plentiful women’s racks at Plumas Pines, nation only about 40 minutes from Truckee, or play pool at the Mohawk Tavern. For couples in for a couple of nights, the and now golfers will too. With Grizzly Ranch having opened to the public, there are now best lodging is at Whitehawk Ranch and
the surprise-filled Chalet View out on the highway in a town called Maybe. My other don’t-miss picks: pastries and a loaf from the Village Baker in Blairsden, and dinner overlooking the buttes at Sardine Lake. AND FINALLY In spite of my best efforts, I am sure I have missed out on some gems around Reno, Lake Tahoe and Graeagle-Blairsden. I hear there’s a great sports store in the Reno area, and a wine bar is opening in Graeagle. Already, I’m resting up for next year.
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TRAVEL
In the Suitcase
Futures Tour player’s $5,000 luggage holds everything Sweden’s Madeleine Holmblad obviously isn’t in golf for the money, having scored just a little more than $7,000 in career earnings since she joined the LPGA’s Futures Tour two years ago. So she and her husband/ caddie, Henrik Alexandersson, sank $5,000 into a 16-foot camper they pull from tournament to tournament and park in local campgrounds alongside vacationing families and roadtripping retirees. Along for the ride is their dog, Zeke. “In the campgrounds, we see everything from big $250,000
motor homes to ours,” Alexandersson said, apparently ranking the couple’s dwelling at the bottom of the campground real estate valuation. The couple – Madde and Hempa, as they call each other – bunk for only about $15 a night. They get to eat simply and meet nice folks, but, of course, the best perk is not
having to choose between ponying up for those airline baggage fees or fitting their worldly goods into a backpack. “It’s pretty fun and you meet nice people,” said Holmblad, 28. “We had never camped before we got here, but I like it because I don’t have to pack and unpack my bag every week and we can bring more stuff.”
Alexandersson agreed, though he noted that the couple apparently hadn’t packed sufficiently for one particularly troublesome week, when they had two flats but only one spare – and, no jack for the camper. They used their car jack to put on the new tires, making it fit the camper by propping it up on two boxes of golf balls.
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19th hole Stylish bubbles worthy of savoring, not wearing By Cheryl Stotler
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ith club championships populating many August, September and October calendars, 19th Hole felt obliged to prepare readers for the ultimate celebration. This is, we note, not the celebration that punctuated the U.S. Women’s Open playoff last month, when Se Ri Pak wielded a well-agitated bottle of bubbles and sprayed them on her victorious countrywoman, So Yeon Ryu. Club soda would work just fine for that, and wears much more nicely on those stylish final-round outfits than the options contained here. Last year Pak took a dunking of a champagne-
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beer mix, and while beer does have the required carbonation for a bubbly celebration, it lacks luxury and elegance. So, cheers to the Champagne and the sparkling wine that make an achievement all the more memorable. That said, many golf course clubhouses lack a fine celebratory beverage. All too often, we’ve seen a bottle of Freixenet produced to commend a player’s first hole-in-one. Suggestion: Mix that with orange juice the next morning for a postcelebratory hair of the dog. There’s also the other extreme, the $150 bottle of Dom Perignon, marked up at the clubhouse
19tH Hole to $400 with the smug expectancy that some GottaGoGolfer is so happy at her achievement that she’ll spend anything! Here, we agree that bubbles belong at the party. There’s nothing more cheerful, more festive, more appropriate for a celebration. Does that mean it has to be Champagne, made of the grapes of that particular region of France? Does that mean it has to be expensive? No and no. Here, a few options for every taste and budget, all of them sipped by GottaGoGolf’s prematurely celebrating panel. Though come to think of it, we were toasting Rory McElroy’s U.S. Open Championship of a day earlier.
Tasting notes The celebration starts with the cheerful label and the story behind it. A couple of Italian sisters who loved their Prosecco blends came up with this one, 40 percent Pinot Bianco and 60 percent Glera (the Prosecco grape). A nice, dry and crisp bubbly, with floral and fruit notes, this retails for around $14 and under. SeccoItalianBubbles.com Secco Italian Bubbles:
This was the first bottle to disappear on a 97-degree pool day. Everyone loved the creamy drinkability of Mumm’s slightly sweet, very berry sparkler, a birdie by itself but an eagle when paired with spicy or Asian food. A blend of fruit from 50 vineyards, including a bit of late-harvest Muscat and Pinot Noir, this retails for around $15 – and we’ve found it at Safe-
photo /getty images
Mumm Napa Cuvee M:
So Yeon Ryu, center, takes a U.S. Women’s Open champion shower from Eun-Hee Ji andI Jinyoung GottaGoGolf august 2011Pak. I 47
way on sale for around $10. MummNapa.com
think of our Nicky Foo – the $31 knockoff of Solter 2007 Brut: Ah, the pink one! But, not the $50 Perrier Jouet, Veuve Clicquot and to be deceived by the pastel of the Statbur- Moet. But it’s the real deal, yeasty and brimgunder Rose. Made in Germany from Pinot ming with golden bubbles, floral aromas and Noir using classic French Champagne tech- bright fruit. A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot niques, the Solter does not taste anything like Noir and Pinot Meunier, this is the bottle for the Boones Farm Strawberry Hill its color may your favorite Francophile. Feuillatte.com call to mind. We called it strawberries and J. Schram Brut 2004: As the winery will cream with bubbles – but, this is a brut, so tell you (and we at GottaGoGolf can attest think of the color more as Paula Creamer pink to), Schramsberg spares no expense or effort (feisty, resilient and winning) than baby nurs- in producing this delicious Brut-style bottle of bubbly, a tribute to the brilliance of Charery pink. Look for it online for around $22 donnay that debuted in 1992. This elegant Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut NV blend (15% Pinot Noir), sourced from vineFrance: Did you know that there are club- yards in Northern California, aged in mounmakers who can assemble the equivalent of tainside Calistoga caves for five years before a $500 driver for, oh, $100? This is how we being released. Aromas of fresh, tart apple, 48 I august 2011 I GottaGoGolf
OCTOBER: ”He said, stone fruit and lime with a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Citrus and melon flavors, subtle notes of spice with a great balance of acidity and minerality and a long sexy finish. Our special occasion bottle might not fly with your snooty friend who thinks only the French Champagne truly sparkles. The truth is, everyone makes champagne, it’s just that the French somehow cornered the name, the way Portugal never managed to do with port. And when you’ve had your first hole-in-one and bought everyone in the bar a glass of Freixenet, go home and pop the cork on this delicious, $100.00 American sparkler and you just might see fireworks. Schramsberg.com.
Get your head in the game and advertise with us — full-year sponsorships for 2012 now available GottaGoGolf’s September “Brainy Golf” issue explores all the ways women sabotage their golf game and sometimes even their golf experience. The “Brainy Golf” issue looks at golf psychology issues unique to women, dispenses tips and exercises to keep our brains out of our way, and offers the usual travel, style, gear, wine and chitchat topics.
she said”
Last words
For maximum enjoyment, save the paper cup for the club soda and sip your bubbly from a flute. Even the plastic, self-assembled flute beats a crystal cylinder or pint glass when it comes to encouraging and showcasing bubbles. Remember that even a relatively low-alcohol bubbly will lighten your head a bit faster than beer or wine. It has to do with the carbonation pumping the alcohol into your bloodstream at a faster rate than it gets there with noncarbonated alcoholic beverages. Napoleon supposedly said that the victor deserves Champagne, but “in defeat, you need it.” And if you’ve neither won nor lost today, perhaps you can find some other reason to celebrate. Is the sun shining? Cheers!
Don’t miss the chance to place your ad in our gorgeous print-like magazine, or position your products on the GottaGoGolf.com home page.
Deadline to advertise: Aug. 15 Early-bird special: Aug. 10 (free repeat of ad in October issue) Contact us by email or call 510.507.3249. Susan Fornoff, Publisher
UPCOMING THEMES
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OCTOBER:”He said, she said” NOVEMBER: “Holiday Gift Guide”
golfoscope
By The Golf Goddess
AUGUST Leo (July 23—Aug. 23)
Libra (Sept. 23—Oct. 22)
Sagittarius (Nov. 22—Dec. 21)
Lioness, the universe wants to be you this month. Course has a problem with snakes? You can charm them. Camper gets a flat tire? You happen to have a spare that fits, and the right jack. And when it comes to style and fashion, have a little fun with your wardrobe, like you will with everything else that comes your way.
Be nice to the walk-on sent to join your group around the middle of the month, the two of you soon could be sharing a bottle of one of 19th Hole’s favorite bubblies. Maybe on the shores of Lake Tahoe, even. Yes, we’re getting ahead of “one shot at a time” philosophy but “brainy golf” is next month’s issue and this sounds stylish!
Your short shorts are not going to fit you, Sag, if you breakfast on croissants and play cart golf! Fruit and pushcart will take you where you want to go — that and a good GPS system. Check out the top carts in this month’s Gear feature and don’t forget to apply the sunscreen long before you grip and rip that driver.
Virgo (Aug. 24—Sept. 22) Yes, your scorecard keeps adding up the same, week after week, but now is not the time to reinvent your swing or go out and buy a ruffled golf minidress. Too drastic! Instead, lay a foundation. Like, maybe, new shoes — a golfing gal can never have too many, and comfortable ones could strut you past this uneasy time.
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Scorpio (Oct. 23—Nov. 21) Korean golf fashions suit you in August, with all those bright, happy colors to match your mood. Or you could opt for a flower behind the ear, a la Michelle Wie. Whatever you do, don’t wear white pants, because you’re headed for your share of muddy hazards and are not about to take a drop to save a wardrobe.
Capricorn (Dec. 22—Jan. 20) Dreaming of that club championship? Stop the dreaming, settle for a member-guest title with a partner more practical than you. Just don’t get too stubborn when it comes to coordinating your outfits — make like the modern bride, choose a color scheme that doesn’t clash with the grass and settle for matching smiles.
Golfoscope
Aquarius (Jan. 21—Feb. 19)
aries (march 21—april 20)
Gemini (May 22—June 21)
It will be tough to find time to register for the GottaGoGolf golf bag giveaway this month AND apply for that membership to Pine Valley, so be a realist and just go for the giveaway. You are so busy, aerobic golf has its appeal — wear some stretchy, wicking fashions and watch where you step, or you could join Tiger on the sidelines.
Do you have the notes from your first read of the Dave Pelz Short Game Bible? How about the Kama Sutra? Refreshers are in order on all that you’ve learned and would ever like to perfect, because while you’ve been working on your S curve, your memory exercises have slipped your mind. Stay tuned for GottaGoGolf’s better-brain tips.
An old romance could rekindle — perhaps there’s a club in the garage that’s been calling your name, Gem? If you don’t entirely trust your swing, at least sweet talk it a bit as you reintroduce the old faithful tool and find a winning position. Who knows, the earth might move the ball right to the flagstick.
Pisces (Feb. 20—March 20)
Taurus (April 21—May 21)
That putter is breakable — see Juli Inkster, second round, U.S. Women’s Open for inspiration. But have you practiced putting with any other club, like the Hall of Famer obviously has? Count to at least as many shots as you’ve taken on the hole, then start thinking what color putting green you ought to install instead.
Ask the boss for that weekly telecommuting day while the light is still long, then get your squeeze out on the course for a smooch session behind a tree. Priorities now properly ordered, it’s time to play some golf. Consider a long-term investment: The boss, no? The squeeze, no? Golf then — country clubs want you bad!
Cancer (June 22—July 22) Time to stop taking care of the rest of the foursome and walk that 4 miles in your own shoes for a change. Good news: Some new footwear styles should emerge from the Las Vegas PGA Show later this month. Beware the impulse to spring for the shiny patent leather imports; you can always add sequins to your laces.
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