GottaGoGolf October 2011: The online magazine on golf for women and ladies

GUlf shores I bloody mary I clothes I etiquette

MEN!

Getting along with them Competing against them What they really think about us

october I 2011

www.gottagogolf.com

contents ∑ he said, she said MEN, MAKING ASSUMPTIONS 24 8 LESSONS FROM DAD 28 3 EXERCISES TO outdrive him 20

19th hole

Bloody Marys for the perfect lazy weekend morning 38

Travel

4 destinations when you want to golf and he wants to fish 30

12 TIPS TO TEE it up with hubby 35

and MORE Cover Image by Dreamstime

2 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

NEW to you: Cristie, Lexi, Tiffany 11 GOTTA KNOW: Watch that cigar 16 GLOSSARY: Scratch for success 17 EQUAL TIME: Who wears a skirt 18 STAR WATCH: Golf horoscope 40

Advertisers, get in the holiday shopping swing!

Coming November 1: GottaGoGolf’s Gift Guide, with all the stuff on our wish lists. Space is still available for this special issue, our last for 2011. Reserve your spot in the magazine (or on the home page)

by October 14!

Contact us by email or call 510.507.3249.

And if you’re interested in 2012 sponsorships, talk to Fred Ellison, 901.481.1832.

guidance

How the rules help balance the gender scales 22

GIVEAWAY

We asked about your fantasy foursome, and got a whole universe of answers. A sample of entries for the golf-and-gaming getaway to Rolling Hills Casino and Sevillano Links. 6

GARB

What a racket: Athletic, appealing apparel for golf 14

Readers, give the gift of GottaGoGolf!

Also out November 1: “She’s GottaGoGolf,” a collection of the best essays, articles, tidbits and whimsy from the first year of the online magazine for women who play golf for fun.

Available in eReader editions for Kindle and Nook — and stay tuned for news on a hard copy!

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 3

4 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

GottaGoGolf The online magazine for women who love the game

Susan Fornoff

Publisher and Editorial Director

welcome

Cheryl Stotler

Web Director and 19th Hole Editor

Nanette Bisher Creative Director

Anne-Marie Praetzel Art Director

Fred Ellison

Advertising Director

Emily Kay, Gail Rogers Staff Writers

Katharine Dyson, Vic Williams Contributing Writers

Cathy Bowman Illustration

Jenn Gress

Technical Consultant 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, call Fred Ellison at 901.481.1832 or email fellison@GottaGoGolf.com.

Mars and Venus in the golf galaxy A note from the publisher A confession: I started playing golf because it seemed like a good way to meet men. It was. It is.

Play golf with a man just once and you find out more about him than can be learned on a dinner date, two movie dates or three job interviews. Generosity, dishonesty, insecurity and magnanimity emerge quickly over the course of 18 — even better, 19 — holes.

The relationship between the sexes is complicated enough. Throw in a complicated game, and the rules require intergalactic translators. Play against a man, and the tee ratings require an adjustment in handicaps. Play with a man, and it might be an adjustment in attitude that’s necessary.

Men make assumptions when they’re paired with women at the tee, and our

cover story looks at their 10 most common ones. Are they true? Their problem? Our problem?

Check out “He said, she said,” and weigh in on our Facebook page afterward with what you like and don’t like about golf with men. Go ahead, generalize away.

Don’t miss Kathie Dyson’s funny tale of love on the links — and at the fishing hole — in Travel and some valuable advice from cigar lover (and Fairways & Greens publisher) Vic Williams for women who can’t stand the fumes in GottaKnow.

Emily Kay’s reflections on lessons she learned playing golf with the most important man in her life, her father, bring the game home to all of us.

— Susan Fornoff GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 5

giveaway Here’s a peek at your fantasy guest list T o enter the random drawing for a fantastic golf What a selection of varied responses came in! And and gaming getaway for a foursome, readers were Tiger Woods did not make a single list. asked to share the identity of their fantasy foursome.

Here we share some of the early entries. We’ll tell With whom would you like to play 18 holes, be they you about the winner in an October email from dead or alive, rich or poor, famous or unknown?

GottaGoGolf.

Clint Eastwood, because he’s the original cool guy’s guy. Tom Brady: Scenery??? My husband: He has a man crush on the other two as well.

Sheila Pyers Jesus, Albert Einstein and Ross Perot.

I would relish the conversation revolving around the spiritual, the intellectual and the practical solutions to life and golf.

I would also want a caddie with a tape recorder.

Becke Parks 6 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Dream foursome: my husband (he’d be mad if I didn’t include him and he’s a great golfer), John Cook (a fellow high school alum from SoCal and super nice guy, I didn’t play golf back then when he was tearing up courses already), Annika (duh) and Lorena (a fellow Hispanic from my family’s hometown in Mexico, she really celebrates her heritage and makes us proud as Hispanics and women!) I would faint by the time I got to the teebox if this came true!!

Lisa Villasenor

Greg Norman, because he’s still a hunk! Ai Miyazato, to learn how to achieve her tempo. Michelle Wie, to learn how to achieve her distance.

Leeann Kenyon Lorena Ochoa because she is a lovely person and a great golfer; Phil Mickelson because I’d like to take some of his money (gambling) with all of the strokes he has to give me; Colin Firth because he is good to look at. Oh, does he have to play golf?

Karen Ford

CONTEST

The next winners: you and a pal?

Sevillano Links My Aunt Ann: A great golfer, but I picked up the game too late to get a round in with her before she passed. My Dad: Just to have him on the course with me would be awesome!!!

And a miracle as he and my Aunt Ann are probably playing every day on God’s courses. Nancy Lopez: Always loved her style and the way she played.

Elizabeth Burns Judy Rankin, Condoleeza Rice and Ellen Degeneres.

Judy’s accomplishments speak for themselves, member of the Hall of Fame, commentator, wife, mother, and breast cancer survivor. It would be interesting to find out if Condoleeza was able

to play golf while serving as Secretary of State (talk about trying to achieve balance). Ellen would complete my foursome. I am not sure she even golfs, but anybody who makes you laugh and helps you even laugh at yourself (very important when golfing) would be a great playing partner.

Stacey Baba Joe Mauer: My 2nd favorite Minnesota Twin (and a good golfer himself). Jim Thome: My favorite Twin (now departed) – but a future Hall of Famer and all around very nice guy. Brett Favre: My all-time favorite Minnesota Viking (now retired), who will be a Hall of Fame NFL quarterback and

In October, we’ve got treats for two. It’s a girlfriend giveaway perfect for two friends, sisters or even a mother-daughter pair, because nothing has to match!

The prize package: two gorgeous bracelets from Sporty Chic Designs with a subtle golf accent (one in rose, one in onyx), four left-hand gloves in four different designs from Glove It, winners’ choice of hat or visor from Dolly Mama Designs, and, one of the coolest new things we saw at the PGA Expo in Las Vegas, two pairs of InstaGolf Shoes, which temporarily convert your favorite shoes into rubber-spiked golf shoes. OK this may not work on your Jimmy Choos — but you’ll have more room in your suitcase if your tennis shoes work for golf, right?

To qualify to win the prize package, BOTH entrants must be registered with GottaGoGolf.

Then BOTH entrants must email us at contest@GottaGoGolf.com with both of their names in the body of the email. That’s it! We’ll then pick a random dynamic duo from the entries. Good luck, and thanks to our sponsors!

Congratulations to Jill Slavinsky of Louisville, Kentucky, the randomly selected winner of the golf bag of her choice from Birdie Babe Golf last month. Jill chose the Zsa Zsa Zebra, which surely will take a stroke or two off her handicap, yes???

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 7

giveaway is a golfer and bow hunter – my two favorite things to do!

Nikki Shoutz Mickey Wright: Because even Ben Hogan said she had the best swing. Annika Sorenstam: I’d love to see in person how she manages her way around the golf course...from the practice range to the 18th green. My Dad: He was an awesome golfer in his day - played against Jack Nicklaus when he was at Purdue.

Kathy Lemmon

Paula Creamer, Juli Inkster, Nancy Lopez and me! They all have a passion for the game and display true sportsmanship.

Mary Kloss Dennis Quaid (huge crush), Bob Hope (for the stories), Mary Hart (pure fun).

Helen Gibson Phil Mickelson, Freddy Couples and Juli Inkster. I first became interested in golfing when I watched a special with

Phil Mickelson, where he did his famous backward shot to the green. I think that these three players continue to set high standards for golf professionals, and demonstrate great attitude, sportsmanship, professionalism and class both on and off the course.

Carol Stampley Nancy Lopez, Juli Inkster & Annika. These women have done so much for women’s golf and I have followed their careers. They are great role models for the young girls. I am a high school girls golf coach and I try to follow their example.

Susan McGuire Justin Timberlake, Bill Murray, Tom Brady: Music, laughs and an entourage of models.

Where’s the drink cart?

Lauren Elliot I would love to golf with my Mother and sister-in-law, Pat Lynch and Gloria Lynch, and to fill out our foursome perhaps invite Juli Inkster, as she lives and plays up where my Mother lives in Northern California.

Mary K. Lynch

8 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Lorena Ochoa, Phil Mickelson

and my sister. Lorena has been my favorite LPGA golfer for some time now and Phil has been a favorite of mine since his amateur days. I cannot think of having a dream-filled experience without my sister (another avid golfer) there by my side.

Pam Jones First, I would have to have my best friend of all time there with me to share the experience. For over 30 years Ann and I have been there for each other in good times and bad.

Next: Fred Couples. Imagine getting to watch that swing for 18 holes, and Fred is pretty easy on the eyes. Finally, I would have to pick Peter Jacobsen. A great golfer, of course, but he would be a hoot to play with. I’ve always enjoyed his personality, wit and impersonations. Golf is a tough game, it can beat you up but playing it with people you enjoy is just about perfect!

Barbara A. Smith My foursome would be the two members of my golf organization and my husband: Prior to joining this organization (EWGA) I played golf with only men. My most fun partner is my husband because he

GIVEAWAY makes me comfortable and I get to laugh at him when he is in the rough, out of bounds in a water hazard or in people’s yards retrieving his ball. He NEVER gets upset! The two women, Valerie and Cynthia are hilarious and we have fun playing together. We are a party on the greens!!

May Davidson My father, who passed away 21 years ago and who instilled in me the passion and desire to play golf; my dear

mother, who passed away 6 years ago who also loved the game and inspired me to play my best; and my brother Scott, who died suddenly at the age of 14 and who was one of my first competitors when I was young and would play against him and my other two brothers during long hot summers in Eastern Washington. Because of my beloved family, I have challenged myself to play the game and compete to the best of my ability.

Stacy Brown

My dream foursome would include both Hillary and President Clinton with President Obama.

Pat Radisich My dream team would be John Daly, my husband, and my friend, Linda. John could inspire us with his long drives and course knowledge. My husband inspires me with his never-ending faith that he has won his battle with cancer and my friend has shown me that her love of the game of golf

has helped her survive the loss of her husband.

Vickie Spelts My dream foursome would have to be with my husband and my siblings. My brother Marc, lives in North Carolina and my sister, Kim, lives in Kentucky. My husband and I live in South Texas. I know it sounds selfish, but these are my favorite people to golf with in the world. Oh, did I mention we love to gamble too?

Kathy Bower

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 9

10 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

short game notes about the game's characters, quirks and gadgets Compiled by Susan Fornoff

New to you

PHOTO /getty images

Solheim Cup’s lingering question: Is it heroic to suffer in silence?

Europe’s 15-13 Solheim Cup victory over the U.S. last month at Ireland’s Killeen Castle seemed to take the decisive turn in the final 35 minutes. “They just took it away,” said U.S captain Rosie Jones. “Just stripped it.”

But the anchor match — the one where captains write in their toughest, high-pressure players to decide that final and often decisive point — was over long before that. That’s because Cristie Kerr conceded her match to Karen Stupples when Kerr determined the tendinitis in her wrist had finally become unbearable.

Cristie Kerr watches helplessly from the sidelines.

“I couldn’t hold the golf club,” said Kerr, who shed a lot of tears after withdrawing.

At first, the telecast made it appear that the Kerr injury was news to everyone, including Jones. And Jones did not immediately dispel that misunderstanding, though later she said she had been aware since the tournament’s opening day that Kerr was in some pain. The hope had been that treatment would allow Kerr, the top American veteran, to persevere.

She did collect 2 1/2 points, but those came with the help of teammates, in the twosomes.

Which does raise the question of whether Kerr suffered along in GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 11

Scott Thompson leads his daughter, Lexi, to her first professional victory.

silence through the pairs matches though she really was not capable of playing her own ball for 18 holes.

Or maybe she just felt that much worse when she awoke on Sunday morning. In either case,

Suzann Pettersen’s hardfought win over Michelle Wie was followed by rallies for Caroline Hedwall in the all-rookie match with Ryann O’Toole, and Azahara Munoz in what would have been the pe-

nultimate match against Angela Stanford.

The Solheim Cup moves to Colorado for 2013.

Must see TV If you haven’t yet caught Tiffany Joh’s star turn on

All Lexi, all LPGA When 16-year-old Lexi Thompson won the Navistar LPGA Classic, she forced the LPGA to wink slyly at its minimum age requirement of 18.

The big-hitting blonde already had applied for an exemption, and Commissioner Mike Whan permitted her to enter the QYouTube, click here. The runnerup to Thompson at School process. She had Navistar, Joh has gone vi- won her first round easily, ral with her hilarious “Grip and so it was clear that It” chipping lesson video, her stunning victory in the big-time Alabama event featuring the dirty dancing of colleague Beth Bad- would exempt her from not only the age requireer. Joh — “cupofjoh” on

photo/ getty images

the video channel — had had more than 100,000 views as of late September. Her “She Beats It” video is an homage to the tour’s biggest hitters.

short game

ment but from Q school.

LPGA tournament winners receive tour cards for the season that follows.

It’s been a tough year for the LPGA, with foreign players dominating and sponsors disappearing, so no one is resisting the idea of putting a 16-yearold to work. Her father, Scott, is caddying for her

and will be able to rent cars — she has a license and her own car but that won’t help her get an exemption from Hertz and friends — and she plans to continue to work toward her high-school diploma.

The final moments with her father on 18 rivaled those old scenes between

j

Tiger and Earl Woods.

“He just said to me, he just said that I was amazing,” Thompson said. “He said, I can’t believe you just did that.

It was really a great feeling. When I was on my second shot on 18, he (said), `You know, I’m probably going to cry so I’m not going to walk up

with you. I’m keeping my sunglasses on.’ ” Her response: “All right, Dad. I’m going to cry, too.

We can just cry together.”

Make your own!

In this issue all about men and women golfing, here’s a fun practice idea with that other gender: Video your golf swings

and see how they measure up against each other — and others in the new GottaGoGolf group at GolfSwingFreak.com. No need to be a professional videographer, just have some fun at the range and share it. The GottaGoGolf Inaugural Swing Championship runs through November.

Add a little bling to your golf game or show your team spirit with a Studio J Design!

studio +

j ew e lr y a cce s s o r i e s

Uniquely crafted jewelry featuring sports-themed beads and charms.

Show the love of your favorite game or team with a bracelet, necklace or earrings! Add some sparkle and keep track of your golf score with a Swarovski crystal stroke counter! Great for gifts, league prizes or yourself!

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 13

Check out the full line of jewelry and accessories at www.StudioJ-Designs.com

GARB

Athletic golf atire that flatters

T

he summer PGA Expo in Las Vegas takes up maybe half the space and time of the big winter show in Orlando. This year, show media consultant Sherry Major estimated that 30 percent of the booths were manned by first-timers.

And many of those were not manned, they were womanned — often by entrepreneurs with brand new products, inventions and, especially, fashions.

We’ll feature some of the products and inventions in our November gift guide because readers might want to put them on their holiday wish lists. But, meanwhile, here are a few of the apparel lines that emerged from the aisles with an air of sophisticated athleticism.

Influenced by tennis, running and yoga, these collections showcase fitness. What’s surprising, though, is the way some of them also flatter and camouflage. Don’t wait for the holidays to try them on. —Susan Fornoff

14 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Ryann O’Toole

PHOTO /getty images

Not your mother’s golf attire Skirt Sports Founder (and “head skirt”) Nicole DeBoom won the Wisconsin Ironman in 2004 running in her Race Belt Skirt prototype and has banked on feminine performance sportswear. Up-andcoming Solheim Cup team member Ryann O’Toole, also a runner and athlete, advanced the golf line this year by showing off her

legs at the U.S. Women’s Open in the Race Belt Skirt with TriBottoms beneath it; she also favors the collarless Sweet Tee shirt. Her outfits wouldn’t pass a stringent country club dress code, but might persuade young women that they needn’t dress like mom to play golf. Skirts start at around $60.

Skirtsports.com

Black & white and feminine

Got something to hide?

Tight enough to flatter

Lauren Demerling, the artist and golfer who designs the Catwalk collection, and business partner Sima Anvari celebrate the female form to such great extent, next spring they introduce “relaxed fit” for those who don’t want to reveal quite so much form in the tummy region. So their striking “artwear” collection suits women of all ages and fitness levels. There’s a yoga look to many of the halter-like tops, which include a shelf bra and might have a clever collared liner to meet the dress code. Shirts retail at $98; look for the reversible knit skort coming next spring—two pieces in one.

Catwalkartwear.com

Joanne Cloak plays tennis and golf, and so the 4 All by Jofit collections play to athletes of both sports by using the same performance fabrics and wide-ranging colors, but with skorts 2 or 3 inches shorter and tanks much barer for tennis players. Clever collar treatments — a band here, a ruffle there — flirt with golf’s dress codes, and the combination of a top that matches a bottom will give the illusion of a dress. That’s one sleek silhouette, and the Jofit promise is to help camouflage those areas that need it with careful detailing and strategic coverage. Golf prices start at around $54 for a top and $56 for a bottom.

4allbyjofit.com

Details such as contrasting inner pleats and side panels catch the eye on the skorts, tops and, yes, dresses of Smashing Golf & Tennis. But the, er, core concept captures the imagination, with built-in compression that not only warms and soothes the muscles but stands to shed 5 to 10 pounds from the silhouette. Everything fits the body and has a tennis look; collars seem like an afterthought on the golf “shirts.” Retail prices range from $75 for tanks to $169 for the Irina dress.

Smashingonline.com GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 15

short game Michael Jordon doesn’t seem overly concerned about the effects of his cigar smoke.

Gotta Know

Where There’s Smoke, There Could Be Issues

Q A

Sometimes when my pal and I go out to play, we are paired with two men smoking cigars. And we just hate cigar smoke — it actually makes me sick to my stomach. What can we say that won’t alienate, embarrass or put us at war with our playing companions?

OK, right up front I’ll admit it: I’m a one-sticka-nine guy.

That doesn’t mean I hit a wedge on every shot or chew one piece of gum until it’s as flavorless as a Tiger Woods press conference response. What it means is this: I like to make my occasional golf course cigar last a good

nine holes.

After all, I paid good money for it, and since I can’t count on keeping any given golf ball around for that long, it only seems fair that I puff on my stogie with careful purpose and savor every inhale-free draught until I’m down to the label and beyond, at which point I will distinguish and dis-

16 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

pose with quick dispatch.

That is, until lighting up another on the back nine, where, depending on my score, I may need to lean on the cigar’s tendency to put me into a far more relaxed state of being. In other words, it’s better to puff with a smile than get pissed and lose sight of par for the foreseeable future.

PHOTO / getty images

Better for me, that is.

And, as a sometimes selfabsorbed guy, I sometimes assume that it’s OK for everyone else in my group, too. Surely the twosome or threesome I’m placed with — men or women, young or seasoned, serious or casually minded — is cool with my little innocuous semihabit. And if they’ve got the slightest issue with it, well, the fairway is wide enough to accommodate us all. Right?

Maybe not, and the question posed here causes me to take pause.

Perhaps I should ask for clearance before I break out the cutter and torch and go to town on that Dominican beauty.

Looking back over the summer just ended and all the rounds I crammed in between work and family obligations, I don’t think I asked once for such clearance . Maybe that’s because I was playing with guys, including my 25-year-old son, recently home from an Army stint in Afghanistan, who him-

self loves a good golf cigar (actually, he’s now taken up the pipe), and longtime buddies who knew going in that I have a penchant to puff. When I did tee it up with a woman, I was in the clear because her husband indulged in the leaf, too.

Looking farther back, I have lit up in the presence of female golfers, with no resistance. Perhaps they were OK with it, perhaps not, but I’d rather know up front, so I’ll ask. Makes sense and it’s no injury to my ego. Truly.

Nor would I have a problem with being asked to refrain from smoking.

If a gal (or guy, for that matter) is my cartmate, I’d expect it. Not that I can’t conceive of a scenario in which certain not-soVic Williams is publisher of Fairways + Greens Magazine, a national publication dedicated to golf travel and lifestyle.

Read him and other contributors — men and women — at fairwaysandgreens.com.

gentlemen would just reply “tough luck” and fire up anyway — it’s their day away from the office, too — but to be honest, I would not want to play with that sort. And there’s always a clever middle ground: Fire up, take a few puffs, then let the stogie go dormant. It’s still there doing its diversionary magic without polluting other folks’ space.

I’m all about keeping the peace and enjoying four hours together on a slab of manicured majesty. But since dudes can be dense and I’m a dude, perhaps it’s best for smoke-averse folks of both genders to ask the question before a glowing cigar-end turns into a raging inferno.

And a “question” doesn’t need to be forceful or pleading to make a point. A simple “would you mind …” entrée will suffice for any guy with a clue. Which, I hope, is most of us.

Either way, I can save that stick for another nine.

— Vic Williams

GLOSSARY

“Scratch” The kind of golfer we’re itching to become GottaGoGolf is partial to a scratch margarita, made without a mix, and generally prefers the meal created from scratch over the one purchased under arches. So it seems perfectly logical that to be a scratch golfer would taste sweet.

In common usage, the scratch golfer plays to a zero handicap or better. What’s better than zero? A plus-handicap, the kind PGA Tour players carry while expecting to break par easily on the course you play every day.

The USGA gets gender specific in its definition: “A male scratch golfer, for rating purposes, can hit tee shots an average of 250 yards and can reach a 470-yard hole in two shots at sea level. A female scratch golfer, for rating purposes, can hit tee shots an average of 210 yards and can reach a 400-yard hole in two shots at sea level.”

Sigh. Dream away.

One thing you don’t want to do: play scratch, without a handicap, in a money game against a scratch golfer. Take as many strokes as you can get.

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 17

short game

Scorecard: Girl s

vs. boys

eQUAL TIME...NOT

Looking across the great divide H

ow does the average player on the world’s top women’s circuit measure up against top players on the PGA and Senior Tours statistically?

Honestly, it’s hard to say, because the LPGA Tour makes its stats so hard to access. For instance, the LPGA lists putts per green-in-regulation when the other tours list putts per round -- a rather unflattering comparison that eliminates up-and-downs from the wom-

18 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

en’s number. The LPGA also does not offer tour averages, only player averages.

So, we looked at the 10thplace competitor in a few categories all three tours keep. The Champions Tour players led in greens-inregulation and scoring average, the LPGA in accuracy. And when it comes to driving distance, it’s pretty clear who’s wearing the skirts.

Michelle Wie started her career playin g with the boy s.

LPGA Greens in regulation Driving Distance (yDS) Driving Accuracy Scoring AVERAGE

champions

71% 74% 262 288 80% 78% 72 70

PGA

69% 292 70% 70

Gotta Ask

photo / (left) getty images; (Right) Courtesy of the boulders REsort, ARIZONA

With whom would you rather play 18 holes with this weekend?

A. B. C. D. E. F.

Men Women A 50-50 mix I don’t care as long as they’re good.

I don’t care as long as they’re fun.

I don’t care as long as they’re buying.

VOTE NOW

Last month’s results GottaGoGolf readers seem to have a positive attitude about birdie putts and a healthy relationship with themselves, judging from last month’s poll results.

We asked what the little voice in your head was saying as you stood over a 4-foot putt for birdie, and here’s what you said:

Get your head in the game

53% 16%

“Hear it drop” or “Back of the cup.”

“Be careful not to blow it by the hole, you might not make the par putt.”

16%

“Even you can make a two-putt from here.”

8%

“Don’t yank it” or “Don’t push it”

6%

“This would be so embarrassing to miss with everyone watching.”

1%

“Sure hope the drink cart shows up soon.”

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 19

fitness A

nnika Sorenstam already had otherworldly golf skills when she decided to play with the guys in 2003. But to step back to the long tees at the PGA Tour’s Colonial, she needed more power. In the gym, she found 20 more yards.

It was a rigorous regimen, overseen by trainer Kai Fusser and displayed on a memorable 60 Minutes segment complete with closeups of the new ripples on the previously slender 20 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Sorenstam’s back and abs. Most stunning: She did pullups. Repeatedly.

It’s a basic, old-fashioned exercise that few women even bother to attempt. Here is a look at the pullup and two other staples on men’s exercise programs that might help women power up their golf game. They worked for Sorenstam, and are featured in her book, “Golf Annika’s Way,” a book that GottaGoGolf loves much, much more than the pullup.

photo / dreamstime

Catching the guys starts in the gym

Bicep curls Almost all women could do with more arm strength, and moves as simple as squeezing a tennis ball can add power.

Sorenstam puts a literal twist on this exercise that is made for golf: Start with a weight in each hand, palms down.

Without moving the upper part of the arm, bend from the elbow to lift the weight, turning palms up during the movement.

Squats So much of the golf swing’s power is generated by the lower body, but the squat is really not a ladylike pose, right? Sorenstam suggests starting with no weight, just put a bench behind you and make like you’re going to sit

down. But, get up before you sit down. When you can do this one 10 times, pick up dumbbells and shoulder them as you squat.

Pullup Face it, most women cannot pull their body up to meet a bar even once. Sorenstam says it took her a month to be able to do two pullups. Her tip for beginners: Get up on a bench so you can start in the finished position, with your arms bent and body pulled up to the bar, and practice slowly lowering. After you can do this a few times with control, you’re ready to start working up from the bottom toward the requisite three sets of eight to 10 repetitions. (Look, it took her a year to do 14.)

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 21

guidance

By Gail Rogers

When the blokes should give extra strokes “When I play a weekly competition between male and female friends, I think the women should get some extra strokes.

The guys say that my handicap from the tees I play takes care of that. What’s the real deal?”

Gail Rogers retired last year as a USGA rules official. In August, she and her husband, Ken, won the Mixed Couples championship at Pasatiempo Golf Club -without any handicap strokes.

Interestingly enough, both men and women struggle with the concept of handicap adjustments that might be needed when men compete against men playing from different sets of tees or men and women compete against each other.

The handicap system assigns each set of tees a rating and a slope number. The rating number is the first number, the one with the decimal point, and the second is the slope -- for example, 74.0/135.

The rating number tells us what a scratch player is expected to shoot on a given course playing her best golf. In this example, it is a difficult course so the player is expected to shoot 2 over the course’s par of 72. The second number of 135 is what we use when

22 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

we go to the USGA’s Course Rating Tables for Slope Rating to determine our “basic” handicap for the day when playing a specific set of tees.

When considering women and men competing against each other, we use the difference in the rating number to make any needed adjustments. Since typically women get a stroke or two or even three added to their handicaps, I have found women to be as resistive to this adjustment as the men. Women want a lower handicap in order to look more skilled.

“I have worked very hard to get down to a 12 handicap and I do not want to play to a 14!” one club member told me. She finally realized she was still a 12 handicap, but needed to equalize the playing field because in essence her course played 2 strokes harder for women than for men.

Men on the other hand, just do not want to give away any strokes.

In a conversation a few years ago a gentleman was adamant that he should not be giving extra strokes to the women at his course. When explanations failed to convince him, I made the situation personal. “From

photo / getty images

what you have said, I bet you are a low handicap golfer.

Do you ever play the back tees when your men friends play the regular tees?” I asked him.

The answer was, “Yes.” I found the rating and slope for the various sets of tees at his course while we were talking and so I said, “Do you know you are giving them 3 strokes before you ever hit your first shot?”

That got his attention.

The back tees at his course were rated 74.3 and the regular tees were 71.2. This difference was 3.1 and rounding makes this an even 3 strokes. He could hardly wait until his next round with “the boys” to tell them he now got 3 more strokes. Now that this applied to his game on a daily basis with his male friends, he could apply the logic to playing against women.

For more detailed information please read Section 9-3c in the USGA’s Handicap System Manual, which is at usga.org under the HANDICAP heading.

Remember, our handicaps are based on the same gender playing from the same set of tees. But the Handicap System also finds an equitable way when different tees are used for men vs. men; women vs. women or women vs. men. There is also an adjustment for women vs. men when the same set of tees is used.

One more point to consider. When playing in a couples club competition where the best two-ball score is used of the four-person team, the rating

adjustment still needs to be applied in order to have an equal opportunity for women to contribute to the team. No adjustment is needed if using the best score of the women and the best score of the men for a total team score, because, in effect, the genders are competing separately against their own to achieve their best result for the team.

Let’s enjoy the game and win by our skill, not an incorrect handicap.

Annika Sorenstam went putter-to-putter with the guys at the PGA’s Colonial, and won the admiration of playing partner Dean Wilson though she didn’t make the cut.

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 23

COVER He said, she said An unscientific study on which of the stereotypes about women golfers are the other gender’s problem and which are ours

By Susan Fornoff

W

hen a couple of women go out to play golf and are paired with a couple of men we don’t know, we women suspect our companions’ wheels are spinning with largely untrue stereotypes about us. And, we suspect that unlike in most social settings, they would rather play with the boys then the girls.

Some women turn these suspicions into defiance and take an “I’ll show them” approach. Others let suspicions give way to dread and won’t play golf if there’s a chance they’ll be paired with more than one male stranger.

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But after extensive polling of male golfers’ attitudes about golfing with women, I’ve got yet another option: Good manners.

OK, let’s wait for the feminist screaming to abate… Now, I’m talking about good manners by all, starting with the assumption one takes to a dinner party: We could very well be seated next to a stranger of the opposite sex, and we intend to hold up our part of the responsibility to make that a social, fun experience for both of us.

Of course we know he doesn’t always hold up his end. The polling of men golfers produced a wide range of assumptions and ste-

reotypes about golfing with women, and some of these are simply THEIR problem.

Some, however, are ours. I took this list to a group of about 100 women, the Fore Women Golf Association of Northern California, to sort them out, and here are some of our conclusions about each: Assumption: “I can’t talk like a guy when I’m playing with women – I have to watch what I say.” We women hope that’s true, and we’ve also heard men say that they actually like to play with women for the civility it adds to the language. We’d like to view this as a positive but are happy to utter a few four-let-

Cartoon: Cathy Bowman

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 25

COVER

ter words to make the men feel comfortable.

Assumption: “My cigar bothers women, I might as well just stay home with my wife.”

Some women like cigars too. Here’s where the manners come in for both sides: The man’s responsibility (even when playing with men) is to ask, “I’d like to enjoy a cigar, is there anyone who’d like me to be careful around them with the smoke?” Whether he does or does not do that, it is perfectly appropriate to say, “Cigar smoke makes me sick – could you just be careful with that?”

Assumption: “Women talk too much.”

Yes, we agreed, we probably do talk too much for the men. This is one area where women golfers paired with men can use the same intuition they would at that dinner party and do what we generally do to get along in their world, figure out what’s appropriate and stop at that.

26 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Is she talking too much? Or maybe she’s distracting him just by looking cute?

Assumption: “Women worry about stuff that doesn’t matter.” Well, isn’t that the truth! “Is it my turn? Are you sure? Oh no, there’s water over there, better get out a different golf ball. Oh gosh, I’m so embarrassed about that drive, they must think I’m such a hacker.” We agreed that most of us could use a few sessions on golf psychology so that we’re focused on helpful thoughts rather than things that don’t matter.

Assumption: “I like to compete and women don’t.” Many women do like to compete and could dispense with this stereotype by proposing a little match on the back nine, after assessing the guys’ games. A quarter a hole isn’t going to put us into foreclosure.

Assumption: “Women distract me from my game.” We considered solutions such as

making sure our skirt is long, our neckline is high and our fit is baggy. Uh, don’t think so.

This one is strictly their problem.

Assumption: “My wife will be jealous if I play golf with another woman.” The married women all declared this is just not true.

They would be quite jealous however if the husband went out golfing all weekend and left them home to do the housework and take care of the kids. Guys, a definite don’t.

Assumption: “I’m afraid a woman might beat me.” Sorry, gentlemen, the ladies laughed uproariously at this one. Yes, we might beat you. This is the 21st century, we thought we were done pretending to lose.

Ladies, this is their problem. The best we can do for them: Don’t be embarrassed to win, engage in some trash talk so that they’re

photos / dreamstime (this page); Getty images (right)

Assumption: “Women play too slowly.”

This stereotype won’t go away despite studies that say otherwise. We concluded that we might appear slow because it generally takes us an extra shot to get to the green – but we are unlikely to be engaged in outerlimits expeditions to find that $2 golf ball.

(Admittedly, ours is not usually a $4 Pro V1.)

We feel men generally slow us down. If they think otherwise, that’s their problem. We can make our point by doing a lot of standing around with arms folded.

COVER

start with the assumption one takes to a dinner party: We could be seated next to a stranger of the opposite sex, and we hold up our part to make that a social, fun experience for both of us. laughing while losing, and buy a cocktail for them afterward. Oh wait, these are guys: They probably just want a beer.

Assumption: “Women get to play the ladies’ tees even though they’re better than me.” The ladies would like the gentlemen to remember that all of the tees are for ladies and all of the tees are for gentlemen, and players should start at the tees that best fit their game. So this one harks to the male ego.

That ego figures into several of the assumptions in this list, and into one of the top three stereotypes the women, when permitted to turn the tables, had about playing with men: They play from the wrong tees. The other two: Men play too slowly, and they pee on the rose bushes.

We can help them play faster by inviting them to play the forward tees with us and by joining their lost-ball expeditions. The peeing on the rose bushes, that’s definitely their problem.

Fred Funk goodhumoredly donned a skirt when Annika Sorenstam outdrove him in the 2005 Skins Game at La Quinta (Calif.).

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 27

Spending time with Dad on the golf course, at warp speed By emily kay

GottaGoGolf staff writer Emily Kay keeps her father’s golfing legacy alive by taking his putter along on for adventures outside her home state of Massachusetts.

W

henever I’m stuck behind creepy crawlers on the golf course or watch with disgust as a 20-handicapper tries to chop down a tree with a 7-iron after duffing a shot, I think of my father. Not because he was the perpetrator of slow play or bad behavior; in contrast, the guy who nipped my poor sportswomanship in the bud by threatening to quit playing tennis with me if I ever again threw a racket set a sprint pace.

When I returned to golf after way too many years ignoring its existence, my dad set out to teach me the oh-so-many dos and don’ts associated with the game — its rules, etiquette and, perhaps most important of all, the never-look-back warp speed at which Milton L. Kay believed one should play his beloved sport.

Indeed, my father — an insurance broker who once notched a hole-in-one, owned a single-digit handicap and helped my brother become a pretty good player — drilled it into me that it matters not what

28 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

the groups in back of you are doing as long as you stay within a chip shot of the foursome ahead. There I was, a jittery, born-again, wannabe golfer puttering around at the pace Christina Kim likes to describe as “slower than evolution,” and my father was making his way to the next tee, lest we fall an eighth of a shot behind.

In honor of my father, I share a few of his tips to help you keep your game on the fast track: Ready, set, go! In a friendly round, forget about “honors” and play ready golf. Consider the yardage and what club to use as you walk (or drive) to your ball, hit it and move on. Same holds true on the putting green.

Let it go. When you hit your Pro V1x into the deep woods, limit your search to about a minute. (The Rules of Golf may give you five, but that grumpy group behind you won’t wait that long before smacking a warning shot over your head.) After all, even at $45 per dozen (far less on eBay), you never really own

PHOTO IMilton Kay at Pine Brook Country Club, Weston, Mass., June 24, 1985 (Courtesy of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston)

OUR GAME: Your viewpoint

My father drilled it into me that it matters not what the groups in back of you are doing as long as you stay within a chip shot of the foursome ahead. hit another shot after failing to locate the original.

Move along. Park your cart or bag behind the green so when you finish putting you’ll be walking toward the next tee instead of backtracking to retrieve your luggage. Also, leave the putting area promptly and record your score when you arrive at your next destination.

One per customer. Please, in the name of all that is sacred in the game of golf, take just one practice swing.

Better yet, grip it and rip it, like the 85-year-old woman I play with who pushes her cart up and down the hills of the Berkshires every day. Do as Therese does and you’ll save a bucket-load of strokes and have way more energy for golf at the speed of Milt.

a golf ball; consider it a rental.

Be prepared. Stuff your pocket with an extra Srixon so you won’t have to fish around in your bag for a spare after chili-dipping your chip shot into the hazard.

Re-tee for efficiency. After power-slicing your drive into said deep woods or out of bounds, pull that other ball from your pouch and tell your playing partners you’re hitting a provisional (failure to announce your intention could result in a one-stroke penalty if you’re playing with rules fascists). That’ll save you the embarrassment and extra minutes that result from heading back to the tee to

Three strikes and you’re out. Don’t plumb-bob your fourth putt. Even notorious PGA Tour slowpoke and plumb-bobber extraordinaire Kevin Na would likely be chagrined to do that. In non-tournament play, pick up your Polara after three whacks with the flat stick, take your maximum, and get set for your next tee shot.

Put down the golf club. If you’re playing that same fun round and have no handicap maximum, pocket your ball after double par — preferably a few strokes before that on a par-5. Seriously, no one wants to see you hit your 11th shot.

My father eased up on me after I swore allegiance to these eight principles of speedy golf. But I have no doubt he’s keepin’ ’em movin’ on that great golf course on the other side of life.

How has golf made a difference in your life?

Submit your story of approximately 800 words to feedback@ GottaGoGolf.com.

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 29

travel Happily ever after

He got her on a line and she reeled him into golf

I

had finally persuaded my new husband Although I had played golf since I was a kid, to play golf. This was a major deal, as he my husband had spent his down time castwas a big angler (aka fishing addict). Talk ing for trout and tying flies. Still. he could about boring. But on our honeymoon, what gorilla the ball in spectacular fashion when could he say? called for.

During our first couple of days in our seaBut he resisted, “Golf? Are you crazy? It’s side pad in Turquoise Place on the Gulf Coast hot. Why not go fishing? Sea breezes, water. of Alabama, we’d been total lounge lizards. This place has the largest deep-sea fishing We’d awakened at our leisure to sip frosty fleet in the country. Besides, we don’t have drinks at the pool and soak in our private hot any clubs. ” tub on our balcony. It was time for something “We can rent them.” more energetic.

“We don’t have any golf shoes.”

But golf? My new mate’s idea of “sticks” “We can play in our tennis shoes.” were his fishing rods.

“We don’t have any balls, tees or gloves.”

30 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

(Was there a pattern forming here?)

“Look in my makeup bag.”

“We’ll need a tee time.”

“1:07. Kiva Dunes.”

He was starting to discover that his new bride had the determination of a hustler putting for five skins.

It was a perfect golf day. No rain in sight with a slight cooling breeze.

The first few holes were blissfully uneventful. My drives flew safely down the middle; his powered down the fairway several yards past mine. Great stuff. We walked side-byside. He raked my sand damage; repaired my

PHoto: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism)

By katharine dyson

Cotton Creek at Craft Farms represents the lovely Gulf Shores golf options, but it looks like it could have decent fishing as well.

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 31

Back on our balcony, sipping a cool glass of Pinot Gris, he said, “Babe. I know you love your golf, but I just can’t play this game.

It’s way too frustrating. I’m thinking we should go fishing.”

The writer scores her new sport’s version of a birdie.

ball marks. I tended the pin on his long putts.

We shared a ham-and-cheese sandwich and a Gatorade from the beverage cart.

And he’d lost only one ball. That was until the par-4, ninth hole, when Murphy’s Law kicked in. You couldn’t see the water from the tee. That was unfortunate. His ball rolled over and down the hill into the water. Never found it.

On 12, again wet. With water on almost all the rest of the holes, he and his balls rode a disaster train.

On the last hole, he caught the behemoth bunker. Taking his sand wedge, he blasted away. Sand flew in all directions and the ball moved, maybe, three inches. Backward.

“Humm,” I said. “Try thinking of your club as an ice cream scoop. Relax. Move your weight to your left side. Open your clubface.

Not so far back ...”

I know, I know. I should have kept my mouth shut. He swung his wedge hard enough to take down a Royal Palm, missed the ball and, 32 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

with a throw worthy of a Yankee pitcher on steroids, hurled the club into the water behind the sand. (Did I say he was good with a fishing rod?)

We were out of balls.

Back on our balcony, sipping a cool glass of Pinot Gris, he said, “Babe. I know you love your golf, but I just can’t play this game. It’s way too frustrating. I’m thinking we should go fishing.”

Busted. What could I say? That I get seasick? That in no way can I bait a hook with something slimy? That I hate to see a fish with a nasty-looking hook in its mouth? We were on our honeymoon after all.

“Sure. Could be fun,” I said.

The next day I wore those elastic sea bands they claim keep you from getting motion sickness and we joined some others to go out with Captain Ricky McDuffie on his Sea Hunter Charger.

After the first mate showed me how to cast and hold the rod without losing it overboard, I had hardly dropped my line before I pulled in my first red snapper. It was huge. Exciting stuff.

Then my husband caught one and I caught

PHOTOs / Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

another. Apparently Capt. McDuffie had insider information on where the fish were biting. The crew fileted some fish, cooked it and served it to us for lunch. Talk about fresh.

Back home, an amazing thing happened. In spite of admitting that in Gulf Shores he had played golf about as well as a telemarketer pitching aluminum siding to an Eskimo, my husband got serious about the game.

He installed a driving net in our garage and relocated it to our bedroom that winter when his hands started turning blue. In the spring, he dug a bunker in the far corner of our property and lugged in several bags of sand. The cats loved it.

He also got a super-charged putting device that returned balls with such power, our floor moldings developed acne. Compulsion became an understatement and his handicap plunged from 28 to 7.

He was hooked.

And what did I get for Christmas that year? A fly rod with all the pretty feathery lures I would need. I had agreed our next vacation would be the Equinox in Vermont where I could learn to fish properly at the Orvis Manchester Fly Fishing School and we could play the Resort’s historic classic course (1769). Designed by Walter Travis and renovated by Rees Jones, the views of the mountains and the white steeple church

Kiva Dunes on the Alabama Gulf Coast got the honeymooners out swinging.

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 33

If birdies aren’t biting at Idaho’s courses, there might be fish for lunch with ROW adventures on the St. Joe River.

rising up through the trees were incredible.

(Equinoxresort.com) We had agreed: We would take our vacations in places where we could both play golf and fish. Like these: In the northwestern corner of the state, you can fish for smallmouth bass on Lake Coeur d’Alene and the adjacent rivers, and play golf at 14 courses on the Idaho Golf Trail.

ROW Adventures offers half- and full-day floating and fishing trips on the upper section of the Coeur d’Alene River, where goodsized cutthroat and rainbows (trout) are plentiful.

Tee up at the Circling Raven Golf Club adjacent to the Coeur d’Alene Casino Hotel.

Voted No. 1 Tribal Golf Course in America and one of the Top 100 Courses You Can Play (Golf Magazine 2008-2010), Circling Raven reveals huge vistas of mountains, wild flowers and rolling terrain.

Also play the Coeur d’Alene Resort Course famous for it floating island green and very cool golf carts with heated seats. Limber up with a pre-round neck massage at this highend resort course, which also has caddies.

Coeurdalene.org 34 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

story continues >

PHOTO / Greg Putnam (left); Kingsmill Resort (right)

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Love on the links When playing golf with your spouse, domestic partner or significant other, it is wise to keep these things in mind. v If your partner is having one of his or her less-inspired days, try to keep statements like, “That might play well in Bangladesh,” to a minimum.

partner’s hairpiece.

v Wearing matching outfits not only looks goofy, it’s a two-stroke penalty.

v Feel free to express your different personalities with any color ball as long as it’s white.

v Don’t replace your divot with your

v Mulligans — anywhere, anytime — are perfectly acceptable unless you’re playing to see who does the dishes that night.

v Resist the urge

to prove you are the Martha Stewart of golf rules when playing with your honey. v The only acceptable use of a cellular phone on the course is to clean your spikes. v No matter how many water holes on the course, snorkeling gear is not acceptable golf equipment.

v Leave those cute pig and cat head covers in the closet unless your handicap is less than your hat size. v Wait until AFTER your partner’s shot to yell “Fore!” v If your spouse gives you a golf shirt with a big bull’s-eye on it, get a lawyer. – K.D.

At Kingsmill, the James River plays into both golf and fishing.

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 35

Kingsmill Resort, Virginia

Primland, Virginia Tucked into the southwest corner of Virginia, Primland resembles a great national park that just happens to have a golf course running across the mountaintop.

This 12,000-acre playground, rising 3,000 feet and running along the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a rare find for those who fish, hunt, horseback ride, hike and play golf.

At night, you will be settling into piles of luxury.

Choose between log cabins, most with fireplaces and decks, and fairway cottages that have lofty beamed ceilings, wet bars, stone fireplaces and great beds along with plasma-screen TVs and even wi-fi. Roughing it? No way.

Then there’s the new lodge with 26 suites, spa and fitness facilities, an upscale restaurant, ballroom, a 72,000-square-foot clubhouse, and a recreation room. primland.com 36 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Women Welcome At Pasatiempo, there’s history in the remaking By susan fornoff

W

hen Marion Hollins opened Pasatiempo Golf Club in 1929, a neighborhood 5-year-old named Betty had no influence whatsoever.

But in 2011, 87-year-old Betty Puget became the driving force toward a new set of tees on the historic, Alister MacKenzie course in Santa Cruz, California.

“Well, I’m historic too,” Puget jokes.

Seriously, she’s such a cherished part of Pasatiempo’s history that when she decided she might give up the game because she couldn’t

make the carries to the fairways, head professional Ken Woods decided his 84-year-old course needed to change.

“It’s always been a situation here where the golf course has been considered unfriendly to women,” Woods said. “We tried to get on the Golf For Women magazine list years ago, and people came out to play and said there were just too many long carries.”

At 5,835 yards, everything about the semi-private course is long for the average woman. (Hollins, of

PHOTO / susan fornoff

With three excellent golf courses, River, Woods, and Plantation, along with one neat little nine-hole layout — perfect to help a recalcitrant golfing spouse get started in the game — Kingsmill Resort & Spa is a top golf destination with a lot more going for it.

Wareham’s Pond, site of the Bass Pro Shootout, is an angler’s dream for rockfish, bass and other freshwater fish. There is also the James River, wiyh big smallmouth bass and an on-site marina.

Stay in one of the spacious villa accommodations overlooking the James River; indulge in a spa treatment and dine in one of several places on the property, including the Marina Bar & Grille and Eagles.

Kingsmill.com

course, did not fit that description — she won a U.S. Women’s Amateur and comfortably joined men guests on any tees they chose.)

But just a few years ago, the course made a water-saving decision to let some of the native grasses grow.

Thus, the carries seemed longer by the day for Puget.

She had taken up golf at 19, and when her three children went off to school she would play nine holes almost every day, sometimes running out later for 18 more. Husband Bill was an all-around athlete, and then, Puget said with a grin, “He was forced to play golf. We’d come out at 6 a.m. and be the first out.”

Puget coaxed her course handicap to as low as 12 but never won the championship at the course Juli Inkster also called home. But she played on, pushing her own cart over nine holes until just a few years ago.

Then when the grasses started growing, Gail Rogers, the Guidance columnist for GottaGoGolf and also a member at Pasatiempo, noticed Puget losing enthusiasm and went to talk to Woods.

“It was Gail who got us thinking about a short course,” Woods said.

“The two of us spent some time looking at where we could put tees, and making sure that the course

wasn’t so short that it wasn’t recognized as a regulation course.”

“We also did not want to destroy the architecture,” Rogers said.

“We were very careful about preserving the historic aspects of the course. So instead of using big tee markers, we put red discs in the fairway, so you really need to know where to look.”

Woods and Rogers estimate the cost of these improvements at $150.

Eight of the holes have no changes, and at 4,867 yards, the temporarily named “short course” forward tees are rated 69.9 with a 127 slope.

Undoubtedly, many players other than Puget are delighted by the option, and especially by the prospect of reaching the otherwise daunting par-3s from the new tees.

So far, however, Pasatiempo has kept its women-welcoming change quiet; the tees have their own scorecard, and players who ask to use them are given a sheet of paper that tells where to find them.

If you go, though, see if Betty Puget can be your guide. She shot a 54 over nine holes with GottaGoGolf, bombing some putts and spiritedly entertaining her companions with her sense of humor about aging.

It seems she and Pasatiempo are weathering the years quite nicely.

Gail Rogers and Betty Puget on the 8th tee at Pasatiempo.

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 37

19th hole Pre-round, apres round, in round…

There’s nothing like a great Bloody Mary

By Cheryl Stotler

H

ere it is, Sunday morning, and you’re looking at a countertop full of empty wine bottles saluting the fun of the night before. Now you’ve got a few minutes to clean up before heading out to your tee time.

Here’s a better idea: Pop in a few drops of Visine, carefully apply the undereye concealer, and then mix up a batch of the classic Sunday morning energy drink, the Bloody Mary. Load it up with some ice in a thermos or even a portable cof-

38 I october 2011 I GottaGoGolf

fee mug, give the dead soldiers a cheery wave, and, well, you’ve GottaGoGolf!

(Should we add a disclaimer here? OK: 19th Hole is intended for responsible adults 21 years of age and older who know their way around a kitchen.)

Almost every beverage cart contains Bloody Mary staples, and we’ve started to notice that some golf courses take great pride in their recipe. In fact, it was an early-morning Bloody Mary at Gray’s

Crossing in Truckee, California, that sent this month’s 19th hole to bars far and wide in search of a recipe to share with readers.

One thing is sure: The Bloody Mary that was reputed to have been invented in the 20s by Fernand Petiot at Harry’s Bar in Paris would utterly bore most of us today. “Pete” mixed equal parts vodka and tomato juice, maybe with a little salt and pepper off the table. When Petiot moved behind the bar at the St. Regis in Manhattan, New Yorkers began to ask for a little more spice, and on came the likes of cayenne, worcestershire, celery salt, Tabasco, horseradish, garlic powder, dill, and lemon or lime juice.

Over the years the drink has evolved so that there is no longer a standard recipe. In fact, there is not even a widely accepted proportion of tomato juice and vodka.

So you see, the 19th Hole tasting panel had a very long Sunday morning of work ahead of it.

Here are a few things we learned during our tasting. > Individual taste: Some folks love celery salt, some folks load up on the Tabasco, and almost nobody prefers the origi-

nal recipe. We did find that the well-balanced Bloody Mary does not have a dominant flavor.

So even if you think you don’t like dill, it’s OK to add some — you shouldn’t really taste it, it should just enhance the overall flavor. And we liked lime juice, but lemon also is acceptable.

What a waste of vodka! Have you ever read the labels on those things? If you can find one that doesn’t list high-fructose corn syrup and a lot of other unmentionables, please send us a sample. We used Campbell’s tomato juice as our base. Make your own tomato juice next summer, > Garnishes: Celery tastes all the better! great with a Bloody Mary. If you > Proportion: Recipes we want peppers and olives and fruit, found ranged in juice-vodfine, but have celery on hand for ka proportion from as little as your guests. Besides, if you read 6-to-1 (soundly rejected by our GottaGoGolf’s March health is- panel) to 1-to-1. We selected sue, you know that celery ranks 2-to-1 on taste. You may wish to among the five best snacks to adjust this for effect. take along on the course. > Hair of the dog: Though

> Vodkas: Thumbs up on the very widely available Absolut Peppar! We also liked Hanger One’s Chipotle vodka, a little harder to find however. Next to these two, the Smirnoff’s fell flat. Thumbs down on the Absolut Citron that one purveyor likes to use. And one taster brought along a favorite gin; the doubting Tomasinas concluded that the herbal qualities of gin make it a fine substitute for vodka in the Bloody Mary.

we exerted ourselves during the Bloody Mary tasting, it seemed not nearly as inebriating as a typical wine tasting. In fact, the panel adjourned with fullsize cocktails to enjoy poolside; everyone noted that they slept well and had no ill effects the next morning.

> Cheers: As alcoholic beverages go, the Bloody Mary is a pretty healthy choice. Tomato juice as a mixer beats fruit juices and sodas in every way, pro> Bottled mixers: We tast- viding nutrition and creating a ed a very well known Bloody feeling of fullness that prevents Mary mixer, just to say we did. overindulgence.

Chef’s RECIPE

The GottaGoGolf Bloody Mary First, shake up a batch of this mix. In a jar, it will keep in the fridge for as long as a couple of weeks.

6 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce 8 tsp. fresh lime juice (or lemon) 4 tsp. fresh horseradish 4 tsp. black pepper 4 tsp. Tabasco (or favorite hot sauce) 2 tsp. celery salt (optional add-ons to mix: garlic powder, dill) To assemble Bloody Mary, pour over ice: 1 part Absolut Peppar vodka, 2 parts tomato juice and 1/2 part mix. Stir, garnish with celery stick, and enjoy.

GottaGoGolf I october 2011 I 39

golfoscope

By The Golf Goddess

october Libra (Sept. 23—Oct. 22)

Sagittarius (Nov. 22—Dec. 21)

Aquarius (Jan. 21—Feb. 19)

It’s probably not the time to plan a golf trip OR a fishing trip, but, no worries, everything you really need is close to home this month anyway.

Take care of yourself, stay away from cigars and those high-stakes wagers the other gender seems to favor when it comes to the game we love, and you’ll be primed for the holidays.

The stars would like you to have a moment or two to yourself this month, particularly around the 18th. No playing with or against men or anyone else. Maybe it’s time to start building strength with pull-ups, bicep curls and squats — all of which can be successfully executed without another human being of either gender.

An early warning on holiday shopping: It’s not all about the giver, it’s about the receiver. So do your best to refrain from imposing your wishes (a more colorful look? a sleeker silhouette? less damn plaid?) on your loved ones, and perhaps you could be the receiver of some of this issue’s cool fashions.

Scorpio (Oct. 23—Nov. 21)

Capricorn (Dec. 22—Jan. 20)

Pisces (Feb. 20—March 20)

This is no time to stand by silently when your playing partner is peeing on the roses! Communication is highlighted this month, so figure out what to say — and please report back to GottaGoGolf with the words.

However, if that’s your boss in need of reprimand, the stars are not exactly aligned. Shhh.

Having trouble with the risk-reward decision of that shot over the pond?

Now is the time! Not to go for it, but, to make the decision! Try decision-making away from the course, too, and take advantage of the success window between October 8 and October 10. After that, the slice could prevail.

You might think you need pull-ups, but what you really need is a review of GottaGoGolf’s September issue mental tips. Sometimes the phrase “It’s all in your head” rates as more than a cliche. And remember, the brain’s work can serve as an aphrodisiac, so don’t be afraid to go fishing with what you learn.

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Golfoscope

aries (march 21—april 20)

Gemini (May 22—June 21)

Leo (July 23—Aug. 23)

Aries (March 21-April 20): Now is the time to stop wearing the skirt, in the figurative sense, and take charge. Carrying some leftover baggage from last month’s tournaments or club championships? Resolve any conflicts now while they’re still fresh. Whatever the outcome, don’t let any of those holes carry over into spring.

Learning month has arrived — why not include a lesson or golf school in that vacation you’ve got coming up? Or pick up “Golf Annika’s Way” and see what tips might transform you from itching to golf to scratch golfer. Just watch out, however, for the dreaded Snow Woman on your scorecard on the 24th.

The stars advise doing your homework before you set off on that business foursome at someone else’s club. If men are involved, study the 10 assumptions in our “He Said, She Said” cover story and develop your own strategies to surprise the fellows.

But surprise them with the heart of a lion and not the roar.

Taurus (April 21—May 21)

Cancer (June 22—July 22)

Virgo (Aug. 24—Sept. 22)

Ah, Taur, you are just delirious by now. After last month, you don’t really care if he (or she) smokes a cigar, or if she (or he) golfs to scratch, or even whether there’s a half-decent Bloody Mary on the premises. You are all about enjoying golf with your partner, and, wow, if that’s your boss too, there’s money to be made.

Leave some room in your golf bag for the big fish you might be catching on an upcoming journey. But with love and sex outranking golf and fishing this month, maybe that’s a fish of another kind coming your way! Try not to do all of the talking, on the golf course and, uh, elsewhere, and you will score.

Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 22): It’s rest and recharge time from all those rounds and rounds of summer fun — how about a mellow nine holes late on Sunday, after sleeping in and then pouring a Bloody Mary or three? Just remember that the celery isn’t mere decoration. Eat, drink and be mellow. Maybe you’ll even find the LPGA on Golf Channel.

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