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

rules I colorado springs I Lucky bracelets I 19th hole

U.S. Women’s open champion So Yeon Ryu

It’s the game that gets in your head 12 brain training secrets of the pros How to navigate to ‘The Zone’ Exercises for mental fitness september I 2011 www.gottagogolf.com

contents ∑ play brainier golf

19th hole

12 secrets from the pros: 20 silencing your evil twin: 24 navigating to “the zone”: 14 8 traits of a champion: 12

Cheyenne Mountain Resort’s Watermelon Salad 33

Cover Image by Getty

Screwcaps were made for the golfer 31

Travel

Colorado Springs and spectating at a U.S. Open 26

and MORE FITNESS: Mind exercises 16 GLOSSARY: The makeup shot 13 GIVEAWAY: California getaway 5 STAR WATCH: Golf horoscope 34

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guidance

When the best answer to a rules problem is a question 18

new to you Viewing schedule and lineup for the Solheim Cup 7

GottaGoGolf I september 2011 I 3

GottaGoGolf The online magazine for women who love the game Susan Fornoff

welcome

Publisher and Editorial Director

Nanette Bisher

Creative Director

Cheryl Stotler

Web Director and 19th Hole Editor

Anne-Marie Praetzel Art Director

Fred Ellison

Advertising Director

Emily Kay, Gail Rogers Staff Writers

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.

4 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Shout down voices that fizzle your fun A note from the publisher The “Brainy Golf” issue of GottaGoGolf got its start on a winter Sunday, when I sat through April Kenyon’s “Play Your Best Golf Ever” program and emerged with a few simple strategies that elevated my game in the season to come.

Kenyon specializes in coaching executives, and she also teaches golf. Today she’s executive director of The First Tee of Oakland. Her mental golf workshop perhaps should be renamed “Enjoy Golf More Than Ever,” or maybe even “Get Out Of Your Way Golf.”

The game is 90 to 95 percent mental, she told us, “and the greatest challenge to improvement is overcoming the obstacles we put in our own way.”

We spent the morning examining core values important to us in golf (mine: humor, perseverance, compassion, integrity,

sportsmanship, tolerance, forgiveness, honesty, resilience), beliefs that limit us in golf (mine: I’m just a bogey golfer; I’m too busy to practice; Layups make no sense because I’ll hit the next ball into the hazard), and other introspective matters.

In those three hours, I reached an acceptance of who I am and why I play golf — and I came away believing I could have more fun if I: 1. arrive at the course early enough to spend 10 serious minutes putting 2. maintain my fitness 3. fuel myself so as not to run out of steam and enjoyment on the back nine.

If your goal is 59 perfect shots, you might have other strategies. I hope this issue offers everyone help in navigating the obstacle course of the brain. — Susan Fornoff

The next winner could be...you —and three of your friends!

Want to win a weekend getaway for four to Rolling Hills Casino and John Daly-designed Sevillano Links, in Corning, California? To enter, send us an email and tell us: Who would complete your dream foursome?

Clinton, Bush and Obama? Paul, Ringo and Yoko? Annika, Lorena and Yani?

Or maybe just three loved ones or pals? Tell us who and tell us why.

We’ll print the more interesting answers, and everyone who emails will be entered for the resort weekend — including two rooms for two nights with two rounds of golf for your foursome. Your REAL foursome, that is… Thanks to Rolling Hills and Sevillano Links for making this happen!

GottaGoGolf congratulates Fran Gentry, winner of 200 Cutter Bucks for her shopping pleasure. Fran, who plays most of her golf at Moraga Country Club and San Francisco’s famed Olympic Club, says she’ll be looking for clothes that move with her swing. Many thanks to Cutter & Buck for the prize!

GottaGoGolf currently has 1,600 registered subscribers, so your prize-winning odds are pretty good!

“Advertise in GottaGoGolf’s October issue,” he says. She agrees.

The “He Says, She Says” issue will be good for a giggle and maybe even a tear, with stories on men and women golfing together, competing against each other, and sharing a suitcase to a great golf destination. Plus, a yummy Bloody Mary recipe and the usual rules, fashion and trends — all in GottaGoGolf’s October issue.

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: September 16.

And plan now for the November “Holiday Gift Guide.”

Deadline to advertise: October 14

Contact us by email or call 510.507.3249 Interested in 2012 sponsorships? Talk to Fred Ellison, 901.481.1832.

GottaGoGolf I september 2011 I 5

6 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

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

New to you

photo/ LPGA

Captain rojo aligns U.S. stars U.S. Solheim Cup team captain Rosie Jones eyeballed her roster of automatic qualifiers on Aug. 21 and decided to get a little wild and crazy with her two captain’s picks.

She added Solheim first-timers Vicky Hurst, 21, and Ryann O’Toole, 24, to a list of nine players who have already kissed the cup and newcomer Stacy Lewis, the Kraft Nabisco champion this year.

“I had no idea it

would be this hard,” said RoJo, who tracked stats and kept detailed performance charts all season as she watched her top 10 emerge, but did not make her two picks until the last day, when she saw them rise on the leaderboard of the Safeway Classic at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon.

Hurst hasn’t won yet on the LPGA Tour but could have taken the 10th automatic spot from Christina Kim had she won the Safeway; an impressive weekend

Team USA, clockwise from top left: Christina Kim, Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, assistant captain Sherry Steinhauer, captain Rosie Jones, player/assistant captain Juli Inkster, Brittany Lang, Angela Stanford, Stacy Lewis, Morgan Pressel, Ryann O’Toole, Brittany Lincicome, Cristie Kerr, Vicky Hurst.

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short game

left her tied for fifth.

And that tie was with O’Toole, who caught many eyes under the cameras of the Golf Channel’s Big Break and finally got RoJo’s attention with a ninth-place finish at the U.S. Women’s Open at the Broadmoor in July.

“Going for a very wild pick” was how Jones somewhat nervously named O’Toole, whose feisty personality overcame her at the microphone. “I’m ready Danielle Kang says she’s won her last U.S. Women’s Amateur.

to kick Europe’s butt,” O’Toole blurted.

Male viewers no doubt will be disappointed to see the Solheim Cup uniforms cover far more leg than is typically revealed by Hurst, who favors short shorts, and O’Toole, the poster girl for Skirt Sports’ line of bodyskimming short skirts. But, sorry guys, Ireland’s climate calls for more coverage; maybe in 2013, when warm weather is guaranteed at Colorado Golf Club just outside of Denver, the hemlines will rise.

And for that 2013 Solheim Cup, the qualifying

A cup for early risers The Golf Channel will carry the Solheim Cup’s U.S. vs. Europe matches live from Killeen Castle in Ireland Sept. 23-25. Here’s the viewing schedule in East Coast time.

Friday, Sept. 23: 2:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 24: 2:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 25: 5 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

short game

photo/ (left) @USGA / Steven Gibbons; (Right): courtesy of Perry Sanford

criteria will be just a little different. Eight will make the team on Solheim points and two more on Rolex points; this year, for instance, Inkster and Kim would not have qualified and Hurst and Kristy McPherson would have.

The captain still will be able to make two (wild and crazy?) picks.

Punching a ticket for the 2013 Cup Danielle Kang, 19, made a case for a spot on the 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup team when she won her second straight U.S. Women’s Amateur last month at Rhode Island Country Club.

The Amateur, like the Solheim, is a match-play tournament, and Kang steamrolled the opposition to join the likes of Kelli Kuehne, Juli Inkster, Kay Cockerill and Betty Jameson as back-to-back champions.

Academically ineligi-

ble for the Pepperdine team last year, the Los Angeles-based Kang announced her intention to turn pro rather than return to school.

“Every time an amateur decides to turn pro, they always think, am I ready?” Kang said at the Amateur. “That’s what they ask themselves.

Now I know that I am and I have to go to the next level. Whether I’m top player there or not, it’s somewhere to start after this position. So hopefully I improve more and I’ll be at the top level of the LPGA.” For now, she’ll have to hope for sponsor exemptions or qualify on Mondays. But listen for her name when the next Solheim Cup captain is announcing her team.

Only 9 years old and 12 under par Women who play golf for fun might feel somewhat

daunted by the latest accomplishment of a 9-year-old California girl.

That’s because Karah Sanford just might be having more fun than anyone in the game. Last month at Pinehurst, the legendary North Carolina resort, Karah won the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship, topping a field of 9-year-olds from 48 states and 45 countries with a three-day score of 12-under 96.

The 9-year-old girls played the back nine of Pinehurst’s Longleaf Course at a setup of 2,100 yards. Karah, who is home-schooled in Escondido and plays golf almost every day, did not have a bogey over the three-day championship but had 10 birdies and an eagle. Runner-up Emilie Alba Paltrinieri of Italy finished eight shots back.

Karah’s proud father, Perry, has all the details posted at KarahSanford.

Karah Sanford celebrates a bogey-free title.

com and emailed GottaGoGolf with news of Karah’s victory. He notes that the child prodigy

already has a mentor on the LPGA, Paula Creamer, who connects via Twitter.

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GEAR

Performance bracelets: Panacea or placebo?

O

K, so there’s not a lot of science behind the idea that wearing a bracelet is going to help your golf game. In fact, most research concludes that it won’t.

There is, however, evidence that belief in a lucky charm will help you sink more putts. Seriously! A University of Cologne study, reported in a 2010 issue of Psychological Science, confirmed that volunteers putting from 4 feet who were told they were using “lucky balls” sank 6.4 putts out of 10 – two more than the volunteers using the plain old unlucky ball!

If you’re thinking of wearing a lucky bracelet, here are some that might help your game in some other way as well:.

A timely piece of jewelry

1

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Philip Stein watches use “natural frequency technology.” An embedded metal disc is supposed to interact with our own biofield to reduce stress, which should be good for making 4-foot putts. One study also con-

cluded that the technology could improve our sleep quality and duration. Surely, however, these golf performance bracelets will do one thing for us: Help us make our tee time! Most models $450 at PhilipStein.com.

2

Applying pressure in a good way

One bracelet with FDA approval and research to support its claims is the SeaBand, which has been soothing cruise-ship passengers on the high seas without side effects. The technology here: acupressure.

If the bracelets are properly aligned, a stud presses the point on the wrist related to motion sickness and also nausea (even that from chemotherapy). So we can be sure at least we won’t get carsick on the way to the tee. Around $10 a pair in drugstores and online.

3

Well if Rory wears it…

short game

The Trion:Z, which is not to be worn with a pacemaker, has a hip young cast of endorsers, including Rory McIlroy, Brittany Lincicome and Rickie Fowler. Its hype states that it “may” help our games with its magnet (commonly used to treat arthritis and migraines) and its negative ions (which may or may not counter all the positive ions given off by our cell phones and other electronic devices). But at least wearing one will improve our “cool” quotient. $20 for a sporty model to $150 for a dressy titanium look at TrionZDirect.com.

charming 4 One lucky charm The makers of Sporty Chic Designs offer one bracelet that has golf balls among the semi-precious stones and another that has a tee toggle clasp. Your color choice represents a value—including black onyx for determination, pearls for wisdom, red coral for energy, rose quartz for love of the game. What is certain: These very un-kitschy bracelets look much prettier than four-leaf clovers, and designer Deborah Poland promises they’ll survive a round of golf. $47$87 at SportyChicDesigns.com.

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Gotta REad by David Wogahn

The 8 Traits Of Champion Golfers: How To Develop The Mental Game Of A Pro Authors: Deborah Graham, Jon Stabler There are two facts of golf training.

One, successful golfers spend nearly as much time polishing their mental game as they do polishing their skills.

Two, the fundamentals don’t change – especially when they are backed up by research.

This month’s book highlight offers a look back at both of these facts.

Licensed sports psychologist Dr. Deborah Graham along with her coauthor, Jon Stabler, identified the eight crucial personality traits that separate true champions from the rest of the pack. Their research and findings were based on 25 years of clinical study and research and the result was first published in 2000.

Standing the test of time, the book 12 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

remains in print and is highly rated by reviewers at Amazon.com. What are the eight traits?

• • • • • • • •

Focus and Concentration Abstract Thinking Emotional Stability Dominance and Competitiveness Tough-Mindedness Self-Assurance Self-Sufficiency Optimum Arousal and Managing Tension

Using their GolfPsych® program, the authors help readers discover the important elements of their personality and then measure them against

GLOSSARY

the traits of Dr. Graham’s clients – who include Lee Janzen, Dave Stockton, Michelle McGann and Gary McCord.

Stockton had reason to offer this hearty endorsement: “In 1993, my second year on the Senior PGA Tour, I won five tournaments and $1,175,944, was leading money-winner, and named Player of the Year. The main reason I had a year that for me was unbelievable is that I worked hard on the mental side of my game. Two years earlier I had begun working with Dr. Deborah Graham and with her help worked very hard to improve the mental deficiencies that were keeping me from playing my best.”

David Wogahn is editor and publisher of the Golf Yellow Pages and can be found at Sellbox.com.

Courtesy of GolfMediaLibrary.com. Discover the new, exceptional and overlooked in golf media: Interviews, books, DVDs, Kindle Ebooks, Games, Apps, Music and More...

“Maybelline shot” It’s one that will give you a glow Ever chunk your tee shot about 20 feet, then pull out your 3-wood and nail the next shot 180 yards with a sound that sings “sweeeeet spot”? You have just executed one of the most important shots in golf, the Maybelline shot.

Generically, this would of course be the makeup shot, the one you never would have needed had you not screwed up the one before.

It does not require a 3-wood,

just extrication from some selfimposed predicament.

Think of the Maybelline shot as the golf equivalent of undereye concealer the day after you’ve stayed up way too late having way too much fun. And if it’s a really great makeup shot, well, would that be… Lancome? Estee Lauder?

Dior?

Choose your favorite, and wear it well.

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short game

Gotta Know

Navigate your way to on-course bliss, grasshopper

Q A

What is this “zone” I hear athletes talking about? Where is it and, most important, how the heck do I get there?

Ever step up to the tee certain you’re about to split the fairway? Or stand over a downhill, right-to-left putt and notice that the cup looks as spacious as a basketball hoop?

That’s The Zone, a place with which LPGA Tour star Natalie Gulbis is familiar.

“The Zone is confidence and just going out there

and trusting what you do,” Gulbis said during a charity golf event in Massachusetts this summer. “When you’re in The Zone, the game is easy....

The fairway looks like a jetway you’re landing on and the hole looks big and ‘it’ just flows....It’s when the game of golf is just really easy.”

And then there’s that other place “When you’re not in The

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When her game takes a wrong turn, Natalie Gulbis turns to her checklist.

Zone,” she said, “you’re working on your swing and just trying to grind it out on the range, or get as good a score as you can so you can get back to the range to try to figure it out.”

Gulbis, who has one career victory, has navigated both destinations — often during the same round.

She began the final round of June’s LPGA State Farm Classic at 4-under after eight holes, and then...

“I started hitting it left and right and I’m trying to figure out my swing,” she said. “I’m over there with my caddie and I’m going

through my checklist that my coach has given me and my caddie and I are talking about it between every single shot.”

Gulbis was able to get back on track, notch a couple more birdies, and finish her round with a 4-under 68 and her best finish of the season so far, a tie for 15th. But what about the everyday golfer, who has only herself to keep the ball in the fairway?

She could try the 2010 British Open strategy of Yani Tseng, who warded off pessimistic thoughts by singing to herself en

route to her first trophy there. “If I think any negative things,” she said, “then I will just sing a song. I was singing songs all day today in my mind.”

Your own “zone” may not result in hardware or a round in the 60s, but the directions are all the same, say those who’ve been there and back.

Ready? Take a deep yoga breath, settle into a comfortable pre-shot process that blocks out contrary musings, and then — to paraphrase Harvey Penick — take dead aim and trust your swing.

—Emily Kay

Gotta Ask

If your head’s not in the game, where might it be?

You’re standing over a 4-foot putt for birdie.

What’s that little voice in your head saying?

photo / (left) getty images; (Right) Susan FornofF

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

B. “Hear it drop” or “Back of the cup.”

C. “Don’t yank it” or “Don’t push it” D. “This would be so embarrassing to miss with everyone watching.”

E. “Sure hope the drink cart shows up soon.”

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

Last month’s results Judging from the poll results, GottaGoGolf aspires to loosen up the dress code preferences of the readership! We’ve been admiring the new sense of style on the LPGA and thought it was a sign that golf is supposed to be fun and for all, not just those who dress a certain way. How about we loosen those collars a little bit?

Cracking the (dress) codes

48%

Cover up: Shorts and skirts should be at least fingertip length.

24%

Strictly practical: Hats for sun protection, pockets for tee storage.

13%

Unisex: Collared shirts for men and for women.

11%

Anything goes: If you can golf strapless, go for it!

4%

Airlines style: At the discretion of the pilot...er, starter.

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fitness W

hen the hottest golfer on the planet became the youngest player in history to win her fifth major championship at last month’s Women’s British Open, Yani Tseng had more than scary power and a steady putting stroke in her corner.

Tseng, 22, relied on her mental fitness as much as her physical well-being to get her through the grind of a hotly contested 72-hole competition.

“I...put a little note in my yardage [book]... that said good posture, good preparation, smile,” Tseng told re16 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

porters after her four-shot win over Brittany Lang at Carnoustie Golf Club July 24. “I looked at the yardage book and just kept telling myself, OK, sometimes on a links golf course you’re just going to get bad luck easy, and just forget about that, always look forward, good posture, chin up, and then smile, and it helps a lot.”

Tseng, who’s been known to sing to herself during matches, believes that a cheerful outlook and the determination to move ahead—even after a disastrous hole—exemplifies the power of positive thinking. Maintaining one’s composure during a heated golf tourney is as difficult for many profession-

als as it is for amateurs battling the flop sweats during club championships.

Tseng’s mental coaches, Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott, may not have you hoisting LPGA major championship trophies, but the Vision54 gurus offer tips to help pros and everyday golfers alike overcome the fairway fidgets.

The pair’s most recent book, “Play Your Best Golf Now” (with Golf Digest’s Ron Sirak), focuses on the Think Box/Play Box concept, where you plan your shot in the Think Box and then step into the Play Box to execute.

The book offers eight strategies; here are some exercises for No. 2, “Decide and Commit.” —Emily Kay

photo / getty images

Train your brain with these tips from Vision54

Yani Tseng triumphs at Carnoustie.

Decisionmaking practice While practicing or playing, voice your decision about the upcoming shot.

Pare to the essentials the amount of data you need before hitting a shot. Look at the target and choose a club without figuring the yardage.

Repeat several times, adding information each time, to help you calculate how many facts you need to play a shot.

Hit six putts from 15 feet, adding levels of preparation—from doing nothing to checking everything imaginable—with each stroke. Figure out how much prep you needed to make your best putt.

Hit 10 putts from 15 feet, imagining each ball hitting the bottom of the cup.

Alternate and gauge the difference between hitting shots with an indecisive

body language and as the world’s most confident golfer.

Commitment practice Physically separate Think Box and Play Box areas with a string.

For a full practice session, only hit shots to which you are completely committed. If you hesitate at all, step across the line and start again.

Hit 10 straight shots with total engagement or redo.

Repeat with 12 successive putts and three tricky chips, three pitches and three bunker shots.

Decide and Commit practice Have a friend choose 10 targets and tell you what types of shot to hit. Repeat after making your own decisions.

Monitor your diligence on each shot during a round.

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guidance

By Gail Rogers

S Gail Rogers recently retired as a USGA rules official. She now serves on the Northern California Golf Association Board of Directors.

ometimes a question involving a possible rules breach has arisen in my group. When asked, I have given the player the “penalty/no penalty” answer and the options available in the given situation. Frequently this discussion prompts another player to say, “Are you sure? I was penalized for that in a tournament.” My next question is whether the person giving the ruling showed her the answer in the Rules of Golf.

The response is usually no. That tells me that a more important question went unasked.

I am sure that head golf professionals like Ken Woods, at Pasatiempo, and Al Krueger, who was at Round Hill Country Club for more than 40 years, would not consider giving a ruling without looking up even the most basic rules situation. But all too often, the decisions of the “go-to” people at our clubs – the ones who should have the answers to rules questions – are based on personal experiences rather than indepth study.

Ask the question “Do you know anything about the rules?” and just about everyone, from golf

18 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

professional or assistant, to the rules guru of the club, to a respected low-handicap player, to a state or regional golf association member wearing the requisite logo uniform, responds, “Of course I do.”

An answer is then given without ever opening either the Rules of Golf book or the Decisions on the Rules of Golf. Too frequently this answer is incorrect and now four or more players have wrong information, which they then pass along innocently to other players.

My advice to players who are given a ruling with no Rules of Golf in sight is to always ask, “Could you show me that in the rulebook?” To illustrate how important the Rules of Golf book is to USGA Rules officials, there is a saying, “A rules official without a rules book is as prepared for the day as a person who has forgotten to put on pants.”

While I believe the rules are too complex and need a major overhaul with simplification emphasized, they are what we have and a player needs to spend some time trying to understand the basics. I recommend purchasing Decisions on the Rules of Golf. While this 752-page book appears thick and intimidating, it is

photo / getty images

What’s the smartest answer to a ruling?

Learn to ask the best question in golf

Christina Kim hails an official for a ruling of which she can be sure.

actually easier to work with than the smaller, portable Rules of Golf book because it is full of real situations that have happened to golfers just like us. Each decision is like a small story.

Not boring at all.

But you will find that you need to strengthen your understanding of definitions in order to fully understand the answers.

Yes, that first section of the Rules book is DEFINITIONS. If you look at the definition of a stroke, it says the player has the INTENTION of striking at and moving the ball. When your friend makes a practice swing at her ball lying on the fairway and accidentally moves the ball, she wants to know what she must do now.

If you know the definition, you know she has not made a stroke but has just accidentally moved her ball in play. It is the same as if she accidentally kicked it or dropped a club on her ball. Rule 18 Ball at Rest Moved tells us the ball must be replaced with a one-stroke penalty assessed. Further, the penalty statement under Rule 18 has an asterisk (*) statement, which tells us that if we fail to replace the ball and instead play it from its new position, the penalty increases to two strokes instead of one stroke in stroke

To carry—and not Visit www.usga.org and click on “shop” to order the “2010-2011 Rules of Golf” ($2) and the hefty 2010-2011 “Decisions on the Rules of Golf” ($15.95, $12.95 for members).

Other popular resources available through booksellers include “The Rules of Golf in Plain English” by Jeffrey Kuhn and Bryan Garner (most recent edition 2010) and the USGA’s “Golf Rules Illustrated” (effective through 2011). play, or changes to loss of hole in match play.

Carry the small and lightweight Rules of Golf book in your golf bag, it will only add a few ounces to your load. Even if you cannot immediately find the answer, perhaps someone in your group can.

At the very least, you will know the person giving the ruling now has no excuse for not showing you the information needed when you hand over your own Rules of Golf book and ask, “Can you please show me that in the rules book?”

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COVER What a head game

Even the pros battle demons on the golf course – here are 12 lessons the rest of us can learn from their wars

By Susan Fornoff

P

erhaps “girls just wanna have fun” represents an oversimplification of the research on the psychology of women who like golf.

But, really, just two years ago, the Little Family Foundation commissioned a study on 1,772 female golfers (including more than a third categorized as “lapsed”) and concluded that for women the golf experience “must be an enjoyable social occasion, should leave them with a sense of accomplishment, and should not be fraught with unnecessary physical and emotional stress.”

That sounds suspiciously like “girls just 20 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

wanna have fun.” But of course “fun” means different things to differently motivated golfers. It might mean draining a long putt to make the cut at the U.S. Open, the way Michelle Wie did in July. Or outplaying the world’s No. 1 player on the final day of the Kraft Nabisco, as Stacy Lewis did in April.

Maybe for you it means being invited to join the office group every Saturday. Or being able to count your strokes without beads or calculator. Or, maybe it’s all about playing in the final group in your club’s championship.

Whether your goal is to be a better player or to have a better time, it never hurts to train

the brain along the way. Even for beginning golfers, it has been found that the combination of mental imagery and physical practice results in more success than mere physical practice. That kind of training doesn’t require a dollar or an hour or a car.

Here are a few lessons that GottaGoGolf has picked up from the pros, on success, fun and the role of the mind:

1

If you have trouble finding the silver lining, put on stronger glasses. In one short U.S. Open press conference after an abbreviated round that included a double bogey,

Angela Stanford used the word “good” five times and the word “great” three times, in the context of “the good thing is…” and “it’s good that…” She concluded, “There’s no reason to think I can’t wake up in the morning and make three birdies.”

Even Kraft Nabisco champion Stacy Lewis has trust issues.

2

If fun is proportionate to performance, get to work! “For me, there is no such thing as overpracticing,” says amateur Amy Anderson. That’s true of the pros, but, how about you? And if you’re not practicing, why are you beating yourself up because you couldn’t get out of a bunker with a 10-foot lip?

3

photo: Getty Images

The next time you get nervous because people are watching, just think of the good they could do. When Cristie Kerr fired a shot into the woods at the Broadmoor, she said, “The only thing I was thinking about, if I was Arnold Palmer, someone would have jumped in the way of that thing. So I guess I have to keep getting more popular so I can get a little army following me around out there.”

4

Learn to spell all of the words that can help you. Stacy Lewis didn’t win the Evian Masters, but she made sure she had a pep talk handy. “I wrote on my glove today … ‘confident’ just to trust what I’m doing, beGottaGoGolf I september 2011 I 21

COVER

“If you expect a bad lie even for one second, the gods will know it and give you a bad lie, because you deserve it for thinking that way.”

5

Even the pros sometimes hear the evil twin, but they roll out the unwelcome mat when she shows up. Ryann O’Toole says she keeps an ear out for negativity and advises, “Learn to back off, especially when certain thoughts come to your mind.”

6

Sometimes attitude trumps technique.

Lewis has this analysis of Kerr’s renowned putting prowess: “I don’t even know if it’s in the stroke. I think it’s more her determination. She puts her head down and she is not going to let anybody beat her.”

7

Alcoholics Anonymous advice goes for golfers too – accept that which you can-

Michelle Wie shares a laugh with the golf gods.

22 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

not change. No moaning about the heat, humidity, breeze or drizzle. When postponements meant she had to play 31 holes in a day, Ai Miyazato observed, “I can’t beat the weather.”

8

Don’t get ahead of yourself. Yani Tseng recalled the brutal lesson Jean Van de Velde learned at Carnoustie in 1999 when she stood on the 18th tee this year with a threestroke lead in the final round of the British Open. The Frenchman’s three-shot lead, and smile, disappeared with one triple-bogey 7.

“I thought, OK, let’s hit a good drive, finish here,” Tseng said. But even with 135 yards left to the hole, she said, “I hit a 9-iron, and I was thinking about Jean Van de Velde.” Lesson learned.

9

Don’t get behind yourself either. Van de Velde kept his composure and sank the putt for 7 that got him into a playoff. This

photos / Getty images

cause what I’m doing is working. I just need to trust it.”

COVER

little quote was uttered by Michelle Wie at 14, and it gets a nod from golfers of every level: “If you expect a bad lie even for one second, the gods will know it and give you a bad lie, because you deserve it for thinking that way.”

10

Knowing where you stand – make par and you’ll break 90, bogey or better to win the club championship, birdie gets into a U.S. Open playoff – is not a jinx. In fact, as Nancy Lopez told Brittany Lincicome earlier this year after the latter professed a fear of looking at leaderboards, “If you start looking at the leaderboard your nerves will build you into where you’ve got to be.” The rest of us can substitute “scorecard” for leaderboard.

It’s OK to know we broke 50 on the front nine and finally have a chance to break 100.

11

Success is easier when you’re having fun. Lincicome changed caddies and won, not because of A.J. Eathorne’s masterful putt reading but because the two gab and giggle their way around the golf course. And of course five-time major champion Tseng credits her success to, of all things, her smile.

Cristie Kerr sometimes seems to will putts to drop.

“Always look forward, good posture, chin up, and then smile, and it helps a lot,” she said.

12

Even for the best players, there’s more to golf than golf. Six years after retiring from the game, Betsy King qualified for

the U.S. Open and had this regret to share: “Sometimes it was a little hard for me to maybe respond or open up to fans while I was competing. If I could do that over again, I’d try to realize it doesn’t take as much as you think it does. You can still be nice and win.”

GottaGoGolf I september 2011 I 23

OUR GAME: Your viewpoint

I swear I didn’t hit that shot, it must have been my evil twin Michelle Smith has been playing golf for about 10 years now and has won nine club titles.

She divides her time between the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California and Scottsdale, Ariz.

S

he’s the sister you wish you never had, the “Bad Seed” who’ll do whatever it takes to get her way.

Strangely enough, she’s wearing the same blackon-white wing-tipped golf shoes that you wore today.

She’s got on that same plaid skort you bought off the sale rack at the pro shop, and she’s even sporting a black visor adorned with Swarovski crystals like the one you snagged at your last Invitational.

Sis seems to be on the warpath these days, wreaking havoc with your golf game. Last round she put a hex on your 7-iron, causing you to excavate more dirt than the Flintstones ever saw. Round before that, your putter swung with the weight of a bowling ball. It seems there’s no end to the mind games your evil twin sister has in store for you as she attempts to reverse any downward trend in your handicap.

When I took up golf I had no idea the biggest challenge would be mental. With head trips ranging from mere chatter to a paralyzing fear of those unquenchable oases of sand known as bunkers, it’s a wonder

24 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

that the 19th hole isn’t equipped with security bars and straitjackets.

Take chatter, for instance—the whispering of purposeless sweet nothings that suddenly begins 1.5 seconds into your backswing. In my early days of learning the game, chatter originated behind my right ear as if emanating from a tiny devil perched atop my shoulder. Such nonsensical verbiage reliably occurred whenever a large body of water had come into play. With “You’re gonna hit it in the water!” uttered three times in rapid succession before I completed my swing, you betcha that dang ball ended up wet.

Now, given that we females have certain preoccupations, it’s inevitable that some chatter reflects our body images. How many of you have stood over your tee shot and thought, “My butt’s as big as a doublewide mobile home, and everyone’s staring at it”?

Come on, admit it. You know who you are.

Do men have similar preoccupations? Are they

PHOTO Illustration from a Getty images photo

By michelle smith

Is it Michelle Wie or her evil twin taking this shot?

harassed by the brother from another planet? Think about it—when’s the last time you heard a guy duffer mumble something about his evil twin brother?

Truth be told, while some say “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus,” my experience shows that men golfers suffer from head trips similar to those that torment us ladies. Recently I was playing in a foursome of women toward the end of Arizona’s golf season, well after the “snowbirds” had flown back to the Midwest and Canada. It was late May (a little known secret time for primo Arizona golf), and the course was quiet. A male member of the golf staff joined us at the turn for a few holes.

After the four of us gals teed off on a challenging uphill par-4 and delivered some of our best drives of the day, our male companion stepped to the forward tees wielding a mere hybrid and bombed one up the fairway. Somewhat dissatisfied with his shot, he picked up his tee, turned to the group and said, “It felt weird having four women

How many of you have stood over your tee shot and thought, “My butt’s as big as a doublewide mobile home, and everyone’s staring at it”? Come on, admit it. staring at my butt.”

Fears reflect our insecurities and are powerful enough to transform a shallow ditch into a gorge the size of the Grand Canyon. They reinforce the notion that you don’t have a club in your bag adequate enough to carry your ball to the other side of that ditch.

So what’s a girl to do when faced with such swingaltering thoughts, or when her evil twin sister is about to rear her ugly head again?

For me, deep breathing slows my heart rate and invokes an immediate, albeit temporary, sense of calmness. I’m not talking all-out meditation here. You only need to tap into that deep breathing bit for about 10 seconds lest you lengthen pace of play. Don’t be surprised, however, if that vixen reappears in the midst of your backswing and remarks that you’re a lousy player, moments before you send your ball into a lake on a hole other than the one you are playing. And don’t be shocked to see your evil twin settling into the passenger side of your golf cart with a smirk plastered on her face.

Just pick up your stick and try again. As is the case for reinforcing a proper golf swing, repetition is key. It’s helped my chatter diminish to an occasional twitter. But if you’re unable to rein in your nervous energy by taking slow deep breaths, when all else fails, try reminding yourself that golf is nothing more than a (mind) game.

How has golf made a difference in your life?

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

GottaGoGolf I september 2011 I 25

travel Stars and peaks

When it comes to the U.S. Open, there are venues and then there’s Colorado Springs

A

s fireworks crack and boom below the deck of the Cheyenne Mountain Resort, I can’t help but sing along to the music. “Oh say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave…”

It’s a lovely, patriotic, unexpected end to a long day of travel to Colorado Springs, schlepping bags and clubs in an age when porters have gone the way of the typewriter.

I’d been praying merely that the hotel kitchen would still be open on Fourth of July night. It was bustling, with a special holiday buffet, and fireworks outside.

The red, white and blue provide an apt be26 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

ginning to a week at the U.S. Women’s Open, where warm crowds cheer every good shot but hope to see, in the end, an American holding the trophy.

During my newspaper career, I covered at least five men’s U.S. Opens, which end on Father’s Day. This was my first U.S. Women’s Open. Usually situated around Independence Day, the tournament is not as well attended as the men’s, by spectators or the press.

And that makes star players and sterling golf shots all the more accessible. Hotel rooms too – the Broadmoor, an ever-evolving 1918 resort that plays a central role in the

history and color of Colorado Springs, had rooms available for spectators seeking the convenient, luxurious choice.

But when online searching uncovered Cheyenne Mountain Resort – CMR, the staff says fondly – a mile or so down the hill at less than half the cost, I booked it.

With $20 million in recent renovations that updated and upscaled rooms and common areas, yet with a warmth cultivated over 25 years, Cheyenne Mountain Resort doesn’t pretend to compete with the Broadmoor.

Surroundings star at this four-season destination, which has its own lake, health club,

Photo/ getty images

By Susan Fornoff

Paula Creamer becomes part of the Colorado mountain scenery at the U.S. Women’s Open in July.

GottaGoGolf I september 2011 I 27

last to offer a few suggestions on enjoying any Open: Choose an Open venue that’s accessible. The longer it takes to reach a destination from a major airport, the less likely it is that the destination’s nongolf attractions will entice and the more likely it is that lodging properties will gouge. Pinehurst, Pebble Beach and every charming golf mecca, I’m talking to you. Colorado Springs has a fine airport I hear, although I elected to fly to Denver; my hotel room cost less than $200, and I am confident there were options in the area for less than $100.

The Golden Bee was a 19th-century British pub until it was shipped to the Broadmoor 50 years ago.

golf course, beach, water sports, tennis and squash courts and swimming pools.

And the Mountain View Restaurant and Will Rogers Bar provided a friendly refuge at the end of the long, storm-delayed days of this year’s Open, which qualifies me at 28 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Don’t overspend on accommodations. But do choose a place where you can happily nest all evening. Guests at the Broadmoor, with its 18 restaurants and cafes and lounges, do not have to leave the property at night; with CMR’s locally-influenced cuisine and relaxed service, I was content to rest my feet watching on the deck as the twilight re-colored the mountains.

Play golf if you can manage it. OK, so you can’t book the most famous course – but the next-famous will give you an idea of what the contestants are up against. My

round on the Broadmoor’s Mountain Course – a welcoming 4,928 yards from the front tees – showed me the pristine condition of the resort courses, the speed of the greens and the confounding breaks. My round on CMR’s Country Club of Colorado, designed

by Pete Dye and thankfully tamed from the front tees by his wife, Alice Dye, taught me that even a layout that looks flat really isn’t if it’s in Colorado Springs.

Avoid driving to the Open if you can. In Colorado Springs, Broadmoor guests could walk to the golf; CMR offered frequent shuttle service. The U.S. Open park-and-bus system adds time and fatigue to an outing that is exhausting even on the best of days.

At least once, eat at a restaurant recommended by a local. My fellow golfers at the Broadmoor told me not to miss Adam’s Mountain Café in Manitou Springs.

And a colleague took me to the Olive Branch in downtown Colorado Springs. The attention both spots gave to organic, wholesome ingredients made for two of the best breakfasts I have ever had – and great fuel for a day ahead of serious walking. Which reminds me…

PHOTOs / Courtesy of the Broadmoor (left); Courtesy of Cheyenne Mountain Resort (right)

choose a place where you can happily nest all evening.

Guests at the Broadmoor, with its 18 restaurants and cafes and lounges, do not have to leave the property at night.

Look at the layout before you leap. Few courses test a golfer’s legs the way the Broadmoor’s mountain-meandering East Course does, or the way that Pebble Beach Golf Links will. There’s no typical “nine holes out, nine holes in” setup at either place, which makes it tough for spectators to cover a lot of ground. Here, I can recommend Pinehurst. Which reminds me…

Women’s Opens are better for kids than the men’s Opens. Before the 2011 tournament started, there were events and clinics and autograph signings for the kids.

There were lessons and activities ongoing in a play area. The women give generously of their time, and, most important, it’s not so crowded at a Women’s Open.

Be prepared to evacuate. Midsummer visitors to any place but the West Coast can expect thunderstorms to begin early in the afternoon – even in Colorado Springs, where the sun shines 300 days of the year but is interrupted by clouds and lightning on about 50 of those. Golf clubs are lightning rods, and the USGA does not mess around with that kind of risk, not even for ticket holders. See lightning? Hear thunder? Find shelter. Or go to San Francisco next year to see the men.

On the first two days of the Open, arrive at the course first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon. Even if you’re in an otherwise

The par-3 17th hole of the Pete Dye-designed Country Club of Colorado looks daunting from the member tees.

boring destination, you’ll have half the day to play by the pool or go into town. These are sunrise-to-sundown golf days! I made a point in Colorado Springs of scheduling time for The Cog, a stunning rail ride to the 14,000-foot top of Pikes Peak (and a 40-de-

gree temperature drop!), and a meditative walk in the Garden of the Gods, a gorgeous park full of rock formations.

Attend the last two days of the Open only if you’re with the womGottaGoGolf I september 2011 I 29

U.S. Open venues Men’s U.S. Open venues June 14-17, 2012 Olympic Club (San Francisco) June 13-16, 2013 Merion Golf Club (Ardmore, Penn. – just outside of Philadelphia) June 12-15, 2014 Pinehurst Resort (74 miles from North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham airport) Women’s U.S. Open venues

You have to be above the Broadmoor to grasp the vastness of the historic Colorado Springs resort.

en. The men will have 50,000 fans following just a few groups at the end of the pack.

Better to watch TV in a local watering hole.

The women? Oh honey, they’ll be so glad to see you!

Maybe leave Monday open for more golf. The men could have a Sun30 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

day tie and 18-hole Monday playoff. The women? Well, look at the upcoming venues – they’re likely to have thunderstorms, delays and a Monday finish the way they did in 2011, and 2010, and…well, just be flexible.

Use your visit to the U.S. Open to open yourself to the delights of these United States. Although the fireworks inspired patriotism, that was nothing next to the awe I felt gazing down from

Pikes Peak – at views that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write “America the Beautiful” – and wandering around the Garden of the Gods, created by nature but preserved and revered by citizens just like me.

And of course you’re sure to have some life-affirming chats with golf fans from around the world. I’d do a Women’s Open again anytime. If they’d just have one in as beautiful, meaningful and accessible a place as Colorado Springs.

PHOTO / Kevin Syms (left); Dreamstime (right)

July 5-8, 2012 Blackwolf Run (Kohler, Wis., an hour from Milwaukee) June 27-30, 2013 Sebonack (Southhampton, N.Y., far out Long Island from Manhattan, an hour and a half from JFK Airport) June 19-22, 2014 Pinehurst Resort (an experiment in venue sharing with the men, though a week later)

19th hole Just the beverage for when your game gets a little screwy

By Cheryl Stotler

19th Hole won’t venture into the argument over who really said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Could have been Einstein or Twain or Ben Franklin – but also could have been a frazzled GottaGoGolfer hailing the drink cart and ordering a glass of wine.

We know there’s beer, Bloody Mary mix, Jack Daniel’s and no wine on that cart. But still we keep asking. Lunacy!

Well, here’s our September exercise for retraining the brain: Remember to

pack your own screwcap-sealed bottle of wine – selected from our tasting list this month or your local vintner’s recommendations – for your next 18 holes.

Yes, we know that unscrewing a bottle of wine deritualizes the restaurant experience of watching a server wrestle with the corkscrew. And we realize that there’s little evidence yet on how the screwcap impacts a wine as it ages.

But we’re talking about a wine we can drink right this minute, on the GottaGoGolf I september 2011 I 31

golf course. So before you hold your nose in memory of early backseat days with Boone’s Farm or Mogen David, consider the following support this month’s panel mustered for screwcap wines of the 2000s: > You can afford to buy more of them

because metal is less expensive than cork.

> You’re saving Cork Oaks. > They are just so easy to “uncork” af-

ter your evil twin has just sent your ball sideways into the lake on the adjacent hole. > Those tall skinny bottles of white wine no longer fit in the fridge when you recork them; screwcap wines go right back in. >

Screwcaps are the most pristine

closures for wine: No one on the panel had ever gotten a “corked” screwcap wine, while an estimated one in 12 cork-sealed wines are “corked” or at least somewhat tainted. > Sharing a screwcap-sealed wine can raise some lively in-round conversation that will get your mind off your absent golf swing.

32 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

And did we mention, you don’t have to carry a corkscrew? Try the recommendations below from our panel – or let us know about your own favorites at feedback@ GottaGoGolf.com.

Laird Cold Creek Ranch Pinot Grigio 2009

(Carneros, Sonoma) – Enter this wine into a blind tasting and your guests will declare it a Chardonnay. Yes, it’s got a little bit of the expected apple flavor, but it’s not too tart and has the fresh and bright minerality of WHITES an unoaked Chardonnay more on the French New Age White (Mendoza, Argentina) – This side. Don’t guzzle it like you might a typical refreshing, light-yellow starter comes from Pinot Grigio – 14.6 percent alcohol - if you Bodega Valentin Bianchi, one of Argentina’s can help yourself! Can be found online for oldest wineries. Somewhat effervescent, around $17. its blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Malvasia tastes fruity but off-dry with just a hint of REDS sweetness. With alcohol under 10 percent The Climber 2009 (California) – Blending and a price under $10, it definitely beat par 63 percent Zinfandel, 21 percent Cabernet for the tasting!

Sauvignon and 2 percent Petite Syrah from Polka Dot Riesling 2006 (Pfalz, Germany) – all around its Napa Valley headquarters, Clif It was the blue bottle with the pink polka dot Family Winery created a wine as inviting as and the pretty price tag ($6.88!) that jumped its eye-catching label. Its lightness deceives off the shelves at our local Cost Plus, our – the alcohol content is 14.1 percent – and surprise hit of the tasting. A classic German it is full of flavor, with a big berry nose, ripe Riesling, medium sweet with floral notes and fruit on the palate and a spicy finish. Only lots of ripe stone fruit, it finished so beauti- $13, and might even go with a Clif Bar. fully, we finished it fast. Note: If you find this Barrel 27 Right Hand Man Syrah, 2007 Riesling with a green polka dot, that’s a more (Central Coast, California) – Our threecitrusy wine than the sweeter pink dot. member tasting panel loved this big (15.2

19tH Hole

Chef’s RECIPE

Watermelon Salad with Honey Cayenne Vinaigrette From Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Colorado Springs

percent alcohol), peppery Syrah from a winery that represents “a dream realized by three friends.” The Central Coast mix of cool and warm weather creates an intense black fruit backbone, represented beautifully by the wine’s deep garnet color. This summer sizzler, delicious on its own or with anything you throw on the BBQ, should be a great winter golf warmer. Around $20.

(California) – This almost-black blend of Temperanillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Graciano and Petite Syrah from cult winemaker Mark Herold was described as “masculine” by one reviewer, but 19th Hole found it quite pretty and elegant though certainly plus-size! At around $30, this might be the one to decant at home before an afternoon round and then enjoy with dinner. Its balance of medium to strong tannins and low acidity make it a great pairing with a variety of cuisines, from a simple light meal with a good Manchego and sliced chorizo, to your best paella recipe, to a big juicy steak.

Collide Red, 2009

T

his salad from Bill Poulin, executive chef at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, blends textures and flavors in a surprising, healthy, satisfying dish that could make a meal for many. Heed the tossing instructions – saving a few ingredients as toppings.

Drunken goat cheese, also known as Murcia Al Vino, can be a challenge to find but is worth the effort! This culinary treasure really needs no wine pairing at all – its compatibility with most alcoholic beverages makes it the perfect party accoutrement. If you can’t find this creamy-tart treat in your market, try feta or even a plain old sober goat in this recipe.

A young, dry, fruity wine will complement For the vinaigrette: ½ cup rice wine vinegar 1/8 cup chopped shallots ½ tsp. cayenne pepper ½ cup honey 1 cup blended oil Salt and pepper to taste Place the first four ingredients in blender and blend on high.

Slowly drizzle in oil to form emulsion. Add salt and pepper.

and heighten all the fresh flavors in this salad: Brut Champagne, a rich Rosé or an off-dry Riesling would be great partners.—C.S.

For the salad: 2 cups fresh baby spinach 2 tbsp. toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 2 oz. medium dice watermelon 1 oz. julienned jicama 1 oz. shredded drunken goat cheese

to coat evenly with 1 ounce of the vinaigrette. Place in large pasta bowl while maintaining as much height as possible.

Top with jicama, then cheese and pepitas last. Serve immediately.

Place all ingredients except cheese, pepitas and half of jicama in mixing bowl and toss GottaGoGolf I september 2011 I 33

golfoscope

By The Golf Goddess

september Virgo (Aug. 24—Sept. 22)

Scorpio (Oct. 23—Nov. 21)

Capricorn (Dec. 22—Jan. 20)

Don’t let your romantic month be spoiled should your significant other wake up in the wee hours to watch the Solheim Cup. Really, maybe he is interested in the golf and not Ryann O’Toole’s legs. Be consoled by the fact that the Solheim Cup unis are less revealing than the short, short, and did we say short, skirts she usually wears.

Adjust your expectations to match your practice time, or vice versa, and your fun factor could be in for such a boost, not even a few snippy comments from your evil twin can spoil the mood. If she does happen to show up, maybe the two of you could doubledate as a Sevillano Links foursome with the September giveaway.

If a romantic, magical trip to Colorado floats your boat, get paddling with your honey in the first half of the month. Be sure to take a plunge in the restorative waters of some frigid springs, especially if you play one of the Broadmoor courses. Cut your befuddled brain some slack here — the greens mystify the best!

Libra (Sept. 23—Oct. 22)

Sagittarius (Nov. 22—Dec. 21)

Aquarius (Jan. 21—Feb. 19)

Rest up for the club championship in the first half of the month, and be consoled that those poor rounds are going to bring up your handicap and inspire false confidence in the opposition. Eat right — maybe try our healthy watermelon salad recipe — and wear the proper bracelet for a chance at the trophy, or at least a smile.

As is so often true for GottaGoGolfers, Sag, your brain is not your friend this month. Irritation sets in on a bad shot, and the Maybelline shot offers little consolation because you’re still seething. Be sure your wine bottle has a screwcap or you’re likely to break the cork into a thousand irritating little pieces.

Know that better days lie ahead, at least with a great Bloody Mary recipe on the way in GottaGoGolf’s October issue. A little patience — not so much your strength, water girl — might soften the brutal numbers on the scorecard early this month. Maybe a good time for that mental golf workshop you’ve vowed to take?

34 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Golfoscope

Pisces (Feb. 20—March 20)

Taurus (April 21—May 21)

Cancer (June 22—July 22)

Review the August issue for ideas on looking your best as you assume the athletic pose on the tee this month — you are oozing magnetism even when you don’t have magnets in your wrist wear! Might as well look fantastic and see what comes of it all. Sometimes the best golf tip has nothing to do with your swing.

Why even read a golf horoscope, Taur, when it is sex that’s on your brain?

Or is it that you’re looking for help to train the brain to focus on more important things — putter alignment, follow through, coordinating shoe laces? See this month’s Fitness column for ideas on focus (and Cosmo for what’s really on your brain)!

So full of initiative and energy you are, channel it in a good way: party planning! It’s not too early to come up with groovy ideas for your club’s holiday party — though you’ll have to wait for the next issue for the very best of the cool new tee prize possibilities. How about a groovy alternative to the pathetic random gift swap?

aries (march 21—april 20)

Gemini (May 22—June 21)

Leo (July 23—Aug. 23)

Admit it, you have been flirting with the idea of shaping up. It’s your time to boogie on into The Zone with some serious mental exercises. The same steps that will help your golf game — visualization, first of all — will stop you short of the fridge at midnight.

Send a tweet Tiger’s way, maybe you can both break bad habits.

Nervous about an upcoming tournament? Pick out a song you like that has a nice, easy swing tempo and puts a smile on your face. Works for Yani Tseng, and who’s to argue with that in 2011? Maybe Danielle Kang?

At least Gemini won’t be distracted by the evil twin — you’re used to the chatter by now!

You were expecting another charmed month like the last one? Oh, please, repeating a great golf swing is the most elusive talent of all, and the stars can’t help you here. Take some deep breaths, visualize some pretty shots, and maybe you’ll find your way into The Zone. Oh, no, wait — that was August. This is September.

GottaGoGolf I september 2011 I 35

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rules I fashion I travel I Courses I Equipment I Entertaining 36 I september 2011 I GottaGoGolf