GottaGoGolf June 2011-- The online magazine for women who love the game

gloves I fitness roller I savannah I lpga friendly foes

THE RULES

They’re black, they’re white, but sometimes they make us blue

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pro rules quandaries good golf manners

And why are gimmes longer with guys than gals?

JUNE I 2011

www.gottagogolf.com

contents ∑ special RULES package: QUANDARIES that stump the pros 6 Know it alls we call Rules Nazis 25 GUIDANCE from Gail Rogers 23 GIMMES: Why women are stingier 21 Manners fit for the experienced 38

Garb:

A lady wears gloves — for all kinds of reasons. 27

FITNESS:

Loosen up your back, firm your abs and strengthen your legs for golf with a foam roller. 29

and MORE:

GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 2

Glossary: What’s a gimme? 39 GIGGLE: This takes the cake 33 Gotta ask: Your take on rules 35 STAR WATCH: Golf horoscope 46

Heat up your business by advertising with us TRAVEL:

The Savannah Harbor course, Copperopolis’ Saddle Creek community. 40

19th hole:

GottaGoGolf’s July issue beats the summer heat with cool clothes, gear and tips — plus a cooling vacation getaway. Don’t miss the chance to place your ad in our gorgeous print-like magazine, or position your products in the rotator at the top of the GottaGoGolf.com home page.

FREEBIE:

Deadline to advertise: June 23 Early advertisers (June 16): Bonus position of your logo in our monthly newsletter.

Contact us by email or call 510.507.3249.

Winery owner loves golf, and an easy chicken recipe. 43

Make sure you’re registered on our home page to win this lightweight but sunscreening twin set from Iconic Sport, in your choice of size and color.

Susan Fornoff, Publisher GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 3

COMING IN AUGUST: Golf in Style fashion special

GottaGoGolf Susan Fornoff

Publisher and Editorial Director

Nanette Bisher

Creative Director

Cheryl Stotler

Web Director and 19th Hole Editor

Anne-Marie Praetzel Art Director

Emily Kay

Staff Writer Contributing WRITERS

Kathie Dyson, Gail Rogers, Michelle Smith photography

Getty Images Illustration

Cathy Bowman Contact Online home: www.GottaGoGolf.com Email: feedback@GottaGoGolf.com Phone: 510.507.3249 For information about advertising partnerships and rates, contact Susan Fornoff at 510 507.3249 or email susan@gottagogolf.com 4 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

The online magazine for women who love the game

Staff Susan Fornoff, the founder and voice of GottaGoGolf, has written thousands of newspaper and magazine articles in a 30-year journalism career, most recently as San Francisco Chronicle Travel Editor. Her books include “Lady in the Locker Room” and “Northern California Golf Getaways.” Fornoff has covered the Masters, several U.S. Opens and a slew of PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events. She lives in Oakland, Calif.

Creative Director Nanette Bisher, of San Francisco, created the logo and look of GottaGoGolf. Bisher most recently was Creative Director for the San Francisco Chronicle. Previous experience includes leadership roles at Danilo Black international design and branding firm, The Journal News, The Orange County Register and U.S. News & World Report.

Web Director Cheryl Stotler, of Calistoga, Calif., oversees the online presence of GottaGoGolf and supervises 19th hole coverage on food and beverage. She is wine educator on the Napa Valley Wine Train and has a history of success in the hospitality industry, including at Northwest Airlines, WaterBarge Restaurant (which she coowned with her partner, John Coss), Tudal Winery and Lindblad Expeditions.

Art Director Anne-Marie Praetzel of Berkeley, Calif., has worked in magazine and newspaper publishing for many years, most recently as a designer at the San Francisco Chronicle. Before that she lent her wide-ranging skills to magazines including Publish, 10 Percent Magazine, PC World, Electronic Musician and National Parks.

Staff Writer Emily Kay, former club champion and multiple-time senior club champ at Crumpin-Fox Club in Bernardston, Mass., tracks women’s golf news for GottaGoGolf. Kay’s Choice Communications takes on projects in the business and tech worlds — her masters at American University was in public affairs journalism — and she writes for Waggle Room, National Golf Examiner, Boston Golf Examiner and New England Golf Monthly.

June Spotlight: Our monthly Guidance columnist loves the rules, but it’s not scary to play golf with her because she also loves the manners and etiquette of the game. So Gail Rogers is not about to call a two-stroke penalty on her companion in a casual round. Gail lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., and plays with the nine-holers and the 18-holers at Alister MacKenzie-designed Pasatiempo, where LPGA Hall of Famer Juli Inkster grew up on golf.

She’d be happy to take your questions here — and, like any good rules expert, would be delighted at a challenge.

welcome Here’s to a healthy respect for rules A note from the publisher If there’s any universal rule in golf, it is to bend the rules when dictated by good manners or good sense.

Not in tournament golf, of course. That’s when every infraction can cost a player a hole, two strokes, even disqualification. But think about your latest casual round: Did you take any mulligans? Play an out of bounds shot as a lateral so as to keep play moving? Accept a gimme? Bump the ball out of a divot? Take a drop without following the formal procedure to do so? Play out of turn for the sake of pace of play?

On a busy golf course, it’s good etiquette to keep up with the

group in front of you. In a social setting, it’s good manners to get along with the rest of your group.

In a competitive setting, it’s essential to play by the rules.

So this month we bring you GottaGoGolf’s Rules, Etiquette and Manners issue with a cover story that zeroes in on some of the situations that have confounded the professionals and required official attention. Look at the examples and see how many of them you’d have com- Do I really have to make this? I thought they told me it was good. petently handled yourself, and then go visit usga.org to fill in who you really want to be. views on playing by the rules. your rules gaps.

If you’ve wondered why men When you’re finished with us, If you know all the answers seem so much more generous please get out on the course and or think you do, be sure to read with gimme putts, check out play golf in whatever way you Kathie Dyson’s essay on the Rules Michelle Smith’s theories. and your companions have the Nazi, and consider whether that’s Take the poll to share your most fun. — Susan Fornoff GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 5

cover Playing by THE RULES Where golf seems more like life and less like a game

By Susan Fornoff

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(with guidance from Gail Rogers)

ome golfers love to play by THE RULES, others love to bend THE RULES and still others think, oh, if only I could understand THE RULES then maybe I could decide to play by them or not.

Then there are our role models, the professional golfers we watch on TV every weekend. Think they know the rules? Doubtful. Any time a ball goes into a tree or lands on a cart path, GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 6

there’s a 20-minute delay so that a rules official can come and tell them what most of us amateurs already know.

OK, so maybe we already know this stuff because we’ve been in more trees and on more cart paths than the good players have. And maybe they’ve got to call in an official because some no-life on the couch has the slo-mo remote ready to

detect the most minute violation – and call it in!

The point is, THE RULES are complicated, and (for some more than others) very important. In these pages, we take a look at some of the rules quandaries encountered by the pros in recent years.

And we ask you: Which questions would you have been able to answer without calling in an official?

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Hmm, we’re guessing both Suzann Petterson, at the 2009 HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore, and Alvaro Quiros, at the 2009 Commercialbank Qatar Masters in Doha, had no trouble identifying their golf balls in these unfortunate settings.

One would think they could proceed under the unplayable lie rule without an official, but they both called one anyway – maybe they needed help identifying the species of tree?

THE OPTIONS: One is almost always permitted to play the ball as it lies – with exceptions including newly seeded areas and environmentally protected areas. So in this case one could chip the ball out of the tree. But, one must first be sure it is one’s ball – in which case the unplayable lie seems a savvy choice (taking a twoclub-length drop from the point on the ground 8 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

directly below the ball). If one cannot find an angle sharp enough or binoculars strong enough to positively identify the ball, one could declare the intention of calling it unplayable and shake the tree to try to get it to come out and be identified. Without a positive ID, the ball is lost, and then the only option is to return to the point where it was played, taking a one-shot penalty.

Photos / Getty images

THE RULE: Rule 28 covers the unplayable lie and Rule 27 covers the lost ball. Remember that 28 applies only if the golf ball can be identified; otherwise it’s Rule 27 all the way, or Rule 20-7 (playing the ball from the wrong place) could get you disqualified.

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One would think they could proceed under the unplayable lie rule without an official, but they both called one anyway – maybe they needed help identifying the species of tree?

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photo / GETTY

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Michelle Wie – shown here awaiting a ruling back in 2006, when she hit one out of bounds at the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic – is going to graduate from prestigious Stanford University, so perhaps she’s put her brain to better use than mere rulebook studying. Oh, but wait, she’s making millions of dollars in golf! It would figure that she might want to learn the rules rather than declare them “not right” as she did during the Kia Classic at La Costa last year. Wie put one foot in the water and made a credit-card-commercial-worthy shot out of a hazard – but, her club touched the ground before the shot.

Can’t ground your club in a hazard, those of us who attended public school know.

THE RULE: 13-4b says that before you make a stroke from a water hazard you must not test the condition of the hazard (or even one like it), touch the ground or water in the water hazard with your club or even your hand, or touch a loose impediment in the hazard. Rule 26-1 outlines procedures for when the ball is in a water hazard.

THE OPTIONS: You’re not allowed to do anything that is construed as “testing” the conditions, but of course one always can take relief from any water hazard, taking a one-stroke penalty and playing the ball from the spot where it was last played, dropping the ball behind the water hazard (on the line from where the original ball last crossed into the hazard), or, in the case of a lateral water hazard, dropping the ball outside the hazard, no closer to the hole, within two clublengths of where the ball entered the hazard or at the opposite point on the hazard as long as it is no closer to the hole.

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Quail Hollow Championship, 2009, Charlotte, N.C.: Miranda Cooper, seated, laughs and Jason Dufner strokes his chin as they wait for a rules official to determine how Dufner should play his ball after it came to rest in Cooper’s lap.

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Photo / MCT via Getty Images

Granted, this might warrant consulting an official – though the one Dufner called joked, “You’ve got to play it as it lies.”

Miranda Cooper wasn’t planning to be a participant when she propped up

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a chair alongside the first fairway at the Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina two years ago. So when Jason Dufner’s tee shot landed in the 18-year-old’s lap, she blushed.

Granted, this might warrant consulting an official – though the one Dufner called joked, “You’ve got to play it as it lies,” before finally putting a tee directly under Cooper’s chair to mark the spot where Dufner would get to drop.

THE RULE: 24 covers obstructions, and Miranda and her chair would be considered movable obstructions, 24-1.

THE OPTIONS: Dufner was able to take a free drop and play the ball without penalty from the spot beneath where Miranda’s chair had been. He didn’t hit the green in regulation, however, and he ended up with bogey.

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4 Solheim Cup, 2005, Crooked Stick Golf Club: Annika Sorenstam tries her luck with LPGA rules official Barb Trammell, center, after the match referee Kendra Graham had refused to allow Sorenstam to repair an area of the 17th green that had been damaged by metal spikes worn by USA team player Natalie Gulbis. U.S. team captain Nancy Lopez keeps an eye on the discussion.

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Remember the last time you wore metal spikes? Probably not. But at the Solheim Cup in 2005, Natalie Gulbis still had a pair in play and left a nice big hole behind that, fate would have it, marred the line of a player in the next foursome, Annika Sorenstam.

Sorenstam later admitted to a bit of animated gamesmanship here for complaining, sort of like a soccer player taking

a fall and hoping the official would bite. “It was a big spike mark and I was wondering if there was something we could do about it,” Sorenstam told reporters. “Obviously I know the rules, but I was thinking we could tweak it this time.”

one in playing the hole. Which means, if the spike mark is in your line, you cannot fix it.

THE OPTIONS: As Sorenstam, a renowned rules maven, well knew, violating this rule would cost the hole in match play. So her only opTHE RULE: 16 dictates contion was to forget about the duct on the putting green, spike mark and make her putt. and by 16-1c one is permitted She didn’t make birdie but her to repair only old hole plugs team won the hole and the and ball marks, but not spike match (but the U.S. team won marks if the repair might assist the cup).

Photos / Getty images

5 If Gavin Coles had known the rules he might not have looked so despondent as he waited for an official during the final round of the 2002 Australian Masters. He had just slipped on his way out of a bunker and dropped his putter on his golf ball. Leading at the time, Coles was envisioning a twoshot penalty that would take him out of contention. “I didn’t know the rule, that’s why I just stopped there,” he told the press later, after finishing second in a playoff with Peter Lonard.

THE RULE: 18-2b would impose a one-stroke penalty on a player who causes her ball to move outside the accepted methods. If the player fails to return the ball to its original point and goes on to start the next hole, she risks a two-shot penalty under 20-7 because she played from the wrong place

cials were able to use the footage to confirm that his ball didn’t move and so there was no penalty. It took them three holes to give him the final “all clear,” however, and meanwhile he made bogey and played on nervously.

THE OPTIONS: Coles was lucky to have the TV cameras on him: OffiGottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 15

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Annika Sorenstam went away crying after one of the most famous international rules brouhahas. This one at the 2000 Solheim Cup – and, yes, these international competitions tend to bring out the rules enforcer types – began after Sorenstam chipped in for birdie in the four-ball match between her and Janice Moodie and Americans Pat Hurst and Kelly Robbins. Robbins stood over her ball and concluded that she was actually away and Sorenstam had played out of turn – an official measurement confirmed Robbins indeed was a yard farther away.

THE RULE: Rule 10 covers the order of play, with order determined at the tee by honor and otherwise by distance from the hole. In match play if a player plays out of turn, the opponent may require her to replay the shot, as Sorenstam well knew.

THE OPTIONS: Sorenstam had to drop the ball because she was off the green (at the tee she could re-tee and on the green she could place) and replay the shot. And, no, she did NOT chip in again. The Americans won the hole and the match (but not the Cup).

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Photo / Getty images

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Annika Sorenstam knows the rules as well as — if not better than — any pro golfer, but a rules call at the 2000 Solheim Cup still caught her off guard and left her off kilter.

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drop nearby at a point that’s not closer to the hole. But in this case, Jeev Milkha Singh of India had good reason to request a ruling from his match referee on the eighth hole of the 2009 Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain: There was not an enticing place to drop that was not nearer the hole. After some discussion, Singh played his shot from the cart path, with an iron he probably got for free from a clubmaker. Readers, don’t try this at home.

THE RULE: Rule 24-2b describes the process of taking relief from an immovable obstruction, which defines a cart path. If the ball is on the obstruction or the obstruction interferes with your stance or swing, 24-2b applies.

THE OPTIONS: Singh could have taken a oneclub-length drop from the nearest point of relief (where the ball would not be on the path and his swing and stance would not be interfered with by the path), but not closer to the hole or in a hazard or on the putting green. As is almost always the case, he can opt to play the ball as it lies.

Note that Singh has not lifted this ball before determining his options – by Rule 18-2, if he had lifted the ball and then decided he was better off playing from the cart path, it would have cost him a one-stroke penalty to put it back on the path.

Photo / Getty images

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Most amateurs know the cart path rule and, during a recreational round, casually take a

Volvo World Match Play, 2009, Finca Cortesin (Spain): Jeev Milkha Singh gets the low-down from the match referee on the 8th hole. Caddie Janet Squire ponders the options.

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Anthony Kim is a big hitter, but he didn’t choose a utility wood off the tee of A 466-yard par-4 because he was playing it safe. At the 2008 HSBC Champions in Shanghai, Kim was walking along the seventh fairway with his driver when his clubhead accidentally struck a sprinkler head.

The club didn’t seem quite right, and his drive at the eighth veered out of bounds only about 150 yards off the tee. His second shot wasn’t much better and he took an 8 on the par-5. On the ninth, Kim used a utility wood off the tee; two holes later he finally found a rules official and had a conversation that resulted in a ride back to the clubhouse.

THE RULE: Rule 4-2 covers club damage, and it appears that the question here was: How did Kim damage the club? If he’d done so during the normal course of play, he could have continued using it without penalty. He could also have fixed the club, or replaced it with another.

THE OPTIONS: Because Kim was considered to have done the damage 20 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

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in other than the normal course of play, under 4-2c, he was not supposed to use or replace the club.

Using the damaged club again resulted in his disqualification.

SCHOOLIN’ State and regional golf associations routinely hold on-course rules seminars, so check with yours. It’s a great way to learn the rules in a fun environment – so you won’t have to wait for an official to make a ruling.

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He says ‘That’s good.’ She says ‘Oh really?’

By Michelle Smith

E Photo / Getty images

ver noticed how competitive women are — with each other?

Especially in the arena of fairways and greens? Ladies don’t like to give each other those 2-foot putts; yet guys give any putt inside the length of a driver, sometimes taking offense if they aren’t given those 4to 5-foot putts that reside within what you and I affectionately refer to as the “throwup zone.”

But is it also true that women golfers are more competitive than their testosteroneladen counterparts? This subject was recently brought up for the umpteenth time while I was enjoying a round of golf in mixed company. A male caddie accompanied us, so men outnumbered women three to two.

Typically, the topic of hard-nosed female golfers and their lack of generosity on the course is brought up by a man. In listening to men discuss the matter, you’d think a group of women couldn’t come together for anything without a good-old-fashioned “cat fight” thrown in. But this time the issue of female rivalry was posed to me by the other woman in our foursome.

On this particular day, my friend and I were playing a round of golf with our husbands, who were more than eager to give us testy

putts. But when my female companion insisted on putting out, her husband retorted that women are tougher on each other than men are, rarely conceding putts that guys readily concede.

As we left the green, my friend, a relatively new golfer, asked for my opinion. Being the diplomat that I try to be in mixed company, I offered the following response: Perhaps women appear more competitive with each other than do men because history has shown us that women’s presence on the golf course was shunned by men. In an effort to be accepted, women found it necessary to learn and abide by the rules of golf, written or otherwise, which meant playing in a timely fashion and doing whatever it took to avoid GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 21

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When my female companion insisted on putting out, her husband retorted that women are tougher on each other than men are, rarely conceding putts that guys readily concede. the ire of male golfers. Somehow this play-by-the-rules mentality morphed into a pervasive attitude of competitiveness toward other women golfers.

I know—my theory sounded weak even to me. But it’s not that farfetched given the encounters I’ve had with a rules diva or two along the way. You know the type—Nurse Ratched, who stands ready to whip out the USGA’s “The Rules of Golf” at the slightest hint of an infraction. Or the cranky Miss KnowIt-All who insists that your practice swing was a whiff.

Thankfully these scenarios are exceptions. Nevertheless, I fol22 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

lowed up my play-by-the-rules theory with what I believe might be the truth: I think not so much that women are hard-nosed with each other; rather, I find men have bigger egos than we have.

I know … hard to believe. But for some men, vanity means “taking” those 3-footers that might otherwise be missed in the presence of their friends. By conceding similar putts to their compatriots, they hope to receive the same favor in return.

Immediately upon tendering this theory, I received a wink and a nod from our caddie, who then volunteered (on the “downlow”) that he wholeheartedly

agreed about male ego. Given that caddies spend quite a bit of time with all manner of golfers and overhear more than their share of private conversations, I give much credence to their opinions about sex-based trends on the golf course.

Even the husbands in our group acknowledged that male pride figures into their giving or not giving putts much more than the cat-fight stereotype applies to women golfers.

The truth is, I no longer blindly subscribe to the opinion that we’re more competitive with each other than are men. In fact, I think golf serves to unify wom-

en who appreciate the challenge and camaraderie it fosters.

While some ladies prefer the “hit-and-giggle” method of playing golf followed by a glass of Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc, others are fervent competitors who have familiarized themselves with the rules and who enjoy a little friendly competition— not the “my clubhead covers are cuter than hers” cattiness some would have you believe permeates the community of women golfers.

Michelle Smith, former newbie turned club champion, splits her time between the golf meccas of Arizona and California.

guidance

By Gail Rogers

Think the rules need bending?

The USGA is listening “There are some rules that I just do not think are fair. Is there a complaint department for the Rules of Golf? Who makes these decisions anyway?”

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

the committee.

We average players can send an email to the USGA with a rules question. This might be about something that is not fully covered in the Rules, or it might involve something that happened during a tournament where we question the answer that was given.

That is a very good question. As golfers we should When I worked for the Northern California Golf all understand how rules evolve and how decisions are Association as Director of Education, we had a player made and who makes them. But, more important, we who could not find his ball and had to return to the tee should understand that we can have input and even to play his next stroke. When he played that stroke he cause change in the Rules of Golf. inadvertently played from about 6 inches in front of The United States Golf Association is the govern- the tee markers instead of within the teeing ground. ing body for interpreting the Rules of Golf for the U.S. Was his ball in play with a two-stroke penalty (in adand Mexico. The Royal and Ancient Golf Society of dition to the stroke and distance penalty) or did he St. Andrews, Scotland, has responsibility for the rest have to correct the situation? of the world. Each group’s standing rules committee Because the Rules did not cover this at the time, contains the most knowledgable rules people in their when we called the USGA (908.234.2300) they gave countries as well as staff members and volunteers for us the “Rule de Jour,” saying the ball was in play. But their associations. In the United States, a person from they asked us to send them information regarding the the PGA, LPGA, a state or regional golf association, situation. This documentation then went into a file to and collegiate golf all have a representative voice on be discussed with the R&A at a joint meeting of the GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 23

committees. It was agreed that this needed to be included in the rules. The verbiage was drafted, approved by the Joint Rules Committee and then ratified by the Executive Committee of the USGA and the Rules of Golf Limited in Scotland.

Today, if you look at the Definition of Ball in Play you will see that this situation is now covered in the definition.

The next changes to the Rules of Golf will be in 2012 when both the Rules and Decisions books can change. In 2014, only Decisions will change, but those give us insight into how a rule might 24 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

be modified in 2016. (*NOTE: You can email the USGA with Rules Questions by going online to usga.org and under the Rules Heading at the top of the page select Contact Us in the drop down menu. ) Occasionally a situation arises that those writing the Rules determine would be best addressed immediately. For example, with high-speed cameras, we have recently seen situations arise where a player is disqualified for signing for a wrong score (too low) for a penalty that he did not know he had incurred and which could only be discov-

ered by reviewing high definition/slow motion photography.

Decision 33-7/4.5 was recently revised to protect players from disqualification, though still applying the penalty. Thus when it requires a careful review in highdef footage to determine a ball has moved after address, as with Padraig Harrington, or that a player has double-hit a shot, the penalty is applied to the player’s score but the player is no longer disqualified if this is determined after the scorecard is returned.

This does not exempt any of us from failing to include a penalty that we should have known we had incurred and including it in our score before returning our scorecard.

Craig Stadler should have known the Local Rule regarding building a stance when he put a towel beneath his knees to play a shot in the 1987 Andy Williams Open, and at the 2005 Samsung Tour Cham-

pionship Michelle Wie could have asked about the area she was going to drop if she had any question to avoid playing from a place too close to the hole. In these situations, the player is still disqualified even if the error is discovered after he or she has signed and returned the scorecard.

Each of us is responsible for knowing the Rules of Golf.

Stewardship of the Game: Pace of Play. As a rules official at a recent collegiate event, I was reminded again about the importance of maintaining a good pace of play. Many college players work hard on their swings, but put little thought into working on efficient playing techniques – having an efficient pre-shot routine, walking quickly between shots, and being ready to play when it is their turn. With a few simple changes, a 4½ hour round of golf should feel like a leisurely, enjoyable stroll.

photo / getty images

Visit usga.org to see the rules of golf and decisions. Email rules questions to Gail Rogers.

OUR GAME: Your viewpoint

Maybe we shouldn’t call her the Rules Nazi, but...

By Katharine Dyson

M Cartoon / cathy bowman

ost women’s leagues have at least one. Instead of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” the R&A-approved “Rules of Golf” sit by her bedside. She keeps

up to date on revisions such as the rule that now allows you to lift your ball to identify it when in a hazard.

She’s the Ralph Nader of golf, the Martha Stewart of fairway etiquette. I had never played with her before, but her moniker, the “Rules Nazi” said it all. Terrifying.

“So you’re playing with the Rules Nazi today,” said Sue.

“Ever play with her?” I asked.

“Nope, but Maddy did last week and she was almost in tears.”

“Why?” “She was disqualified for having 16 clubs in her bag.

The Rules Nazi counted them and called her on it.”

“What happened?”

“Her husband had thrown a GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 25

Cover But you’ve got to wonder, if you have to keep going to the book or your club’s designated RN to play the game, can we call this fun? couple of extra clubs in her bag when he was cleaning the garage.”

“So sad…”

Now here I was playing with RN in our weekly sweeps. On the second green, in a fluid motion with one hand, I replaced my ball and picked up my ball marker.

“Uhn un,” RN said. “I don’t want to get sticky but you can’t do that.” Her voice, I have to admit, was soft and sympathetic.

“You have to put your marker down first and then lift the ball. Then you have to place your ball back and then lift the marker.”

“I thought that’s what I did.”

“You placed and lifted at the same time.”

She was right of course.

On the fourth hole, one of our foursome lagged her first putt 1 inch from the cup, then stepped up straddling the hole and tapped it in toward her.

Another no, no she told us. (Rule 16-1e) In stroke play, it’s a two-shot penalty; in match play it’s loss of hole.

On an uphill par-5 with a lot of trees and boulders on the left, Emily, a new golfer, hit her ball about 8 feet into the woods with a boulder just in front.

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There must be a rule for when your ball lands in the course’s lily pond...

“Taking a provisional?” asked the RN. “Why?” asked Emily.

“Just in case you can’t find it. Then you won’t have to come back here and play another,” RN said, no doubt harking back to Rule 27-1.

“Oh, I’ll find it.” she said.

The RN said nothing and off we went.

“I got it,” shouted Emily happily. The ball

was wedged in a root behind a tree. “I’m taking an unplayable lie,” she yelled, throwing her ball out onto the edge of the fairway, thereby exercising her perceived right that by taking a one-stroke penalty, she could place her ball for a clear shot to the green.

I wanted to say something. But in this case I was a coward, a wimp. Then (bless her) RN stepped in. “”Sorry Emily, but you can’t do that.”

“Can’t do what? I’m taking the penalty.”

“Well….you can drop the ball within two club lengths of where it’s lying; you can take the shot over from where you first hit it but not nearer the hole; or you can drop it as far back as you want but you’ve got to keep the place where it landed directly between the hole and the spot where you’re dropping it.

Sorry.” (Rule 28.)

“Really? So what you’re saying is the best choice I have is to go back to the tee.”

“Afraid so,” said the RN, not unkindly glancing back at the group behind us slowly closing in.

I looked down at the ground sheepishly, while Emily trudged back up the hill to the tee box.

GARB I could tell by the slope of her shoulders, she was not in a happy place while I was in the state of huge cop-out.

I had to admit, I was actually grateful to the RN for “protecting the field.” And except for the rules lessons, she was easy. Even shared her trail mix with us, watched our drives and helped us find our balls.

But you’ve got to wonder, if you have to keep going to the book or your club’s designated RN to play the game, can we call this fun? Could the rules be simplified for those of us who don’t make our living playing golf?

Hey, 250 years ago there were only 34 rules.

Now there are numerous sections and subsections and more than 1,200 decisions covering everything from etiquette to ball relief.

And every year there are more.

I know, I know. You need to understand and adhere to the rules when playing in a tournament. But for those just getting into the game, those not playing tournament golf, getting too heavy into The Book can dim enthusiasm and love for the game. That is not a good thing if we want more women players.

Knowing all the rules, even for experienced players, is not an easy task. For new players, it can be a huge distraction. Better in the beginning to learn how to keep moving and play “ready golf” – knowledge of rules will come.

In golf, a lady still wears gloves (but usually just one)

G

loves haven’t ever connoted good manners in golf, they’ve simply connected the gripping hand to the club.

A relatively new performance aid, they didn’t come on the scene until the 1930s, but today millions are sold each year and all but about 15 percent of players wear them. Here, we look at a few of the newer developments in golf gloves that seem well suited to the longings of the average woman golfer. One breaks the rules – and they all break the mold.

GARB continues >

Lady Classic’s nail and ring glove. See following page for more details.

GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 27

GARB

1

3

For longer drives The fastest growing glove brand in golf, Bionic, loads up its product with so much technology, testing at the Pinehurst Golf Academy led to claims of a six-yard boost.

The gloves pad areas that need extra material – careful, the less expensive StableGrip conforms to USGA regulations only conditionally (users should have a medical reason to use it), but the higher price of the PerformanceGrip is somewhat offset by the properties that might help the glove last a little longer than the 18 rounds a traditional glove is expected to play. $24.95 StableGrip, $29.95 PerformanceGrip, bionicgloves.com.

For safe skin Ever notice how the hand that wears the glove looks less worn than the other? Lady Classic has a golf glove that allows rays to penetrate and tan the gripping hand, but Iconic’s Sun Glove evens thing out in a new way – so new that the company doesn’t have a photo yet in its catalog. Basically, the Sun Glove is a lightweight but sun-screening shield that fits onto the back of the nongripping hand (for most, the right hand). Keep an eye on iconicsport.com for pricing and purchase information.

28 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

2

4

For sure style Karen Lovcik goes over the top for golf fashionistas at Glove It. She’s so much about coordination, it is impossible to buy just a glove, because every glove comes with a matching valuables pouch. But before you know it you’ll also have a visor, cap, shoe bag, tote bag and water bottle cover to match.

If you must have plaid, sparkle or animal print on your golf glove, Glove It will deliver – at last look, the site had 39 different, and very different, looks of gloves at about $19.95, gloveit.com.

For the Lady Yes you can too have it all – diamonds, gorgeous nails, and a golf glove that fits without ripping at the ring. In the past, you had to buy two sizes too big to accommodate jewels and nails, at the risk of weakening your grip due to a baggy fit. Now you can try Lady Classic’s nail and ring glove. It comes with a wedding-ring slot and fingterip openings, in seven color choices. $17.95 at ladyclassic.com.

fitness Foam rolling: looks easy but might feel darned hard stretching in general and getting massages.

at Oakland’s Pilates to the People studio and a big fan of hen Jane Park stepped the roller. into the interview room Q. What was that, foam “It’s great for muscle release, after moving into second rolling? for fascia release, and, for place at the Kraft Nabisco PARK: Yeah. golfers, especially the IT bands this spring, she introduced (thighs), lats and serratus Q. What is foam rolling? some new vocabulary for (ribs), and neck,” she said. the assembled media: foam PARK: It’s like it’s hard The full-size rollers are to rolling. to describe. It’s like this be found at fitness studios Park had been mostly cylindrical… it’s very tough, it’s and online for about $35, in missing in action on the LPGA very hard, and you just kind of black (the hardest), marble Tour with back problems, roll your back over it, and yeah, (dense but softer) and white and here’s the transcript it kind of massages you. And it (the softest). Au said older about her therapy that helped hurts a lot of times, but it just folks with less padding or her bounce back onto a gets all the bad stuff out, just joint pain might prefer the leaderboard: like getting a massage. softer roller, but, in keeping Q: Are you doing anything to with that old “no pain, no kind of keep it good?

Actually foam rolling works gain” maxim, it is the harder PARK: You know, foam rolling for more than just the back, roller that bestows the most says Kendal Au, director has really helped me and just blessings.

By Susan Fornoff

W

GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 29

FITNESS

Here we demonstrate a few simple techniques that might help a golfer loosen up before her next round: Lats and serratus

Golfers will try this one and say, well of COURSE! Stand perpendicular to the wall and lean slightly forward. Start with the roller at the bottom of the ribcage, then squat to send the roller up the lats. You go down, it goes up. The key: You control the pressure with how hard you lean in.

The neck (upper photos): “This is the one that sells the roller,� Au said. Lie

down with the base of the skull atop the roller and turn the head slowly from side to side. The key here: Get the feeling of lengthening and opening the neck.

The IT bands (Lower photos) This area on the outside of the thigh between

the knee and hip can hold a lot of tension, and tightness here can also signal crunchy knees. The key here: Roll from the area just above the kneecap up to the hip bone, keeping the roller on the side and not the hamstring. Newbies can bend the upper leg and put that foot on the floor for stability and less pressure.

FITNESS Pecs This one is known as “chicken

wings” and it’s a great release not only for the pecs but for the shoulders and upper back. Position the roller lengthwise so your head is supported and your arms are up, hands facing, directly above your chest. The arms now come straight back over your head, then come perpendicular into goalpost position as the hands turn out. The key: Bend the elbows in close to the torso at the end of the circle.

Abs Au showed off several great ab

options, including planking with the roller beneath the ankles or thighs, belly in and back straight. Here, we show one that works the obliques, the muscles so essential for a good turn. In the start position the body is very slightly bent at the waist, feet slightly off the floor, lower arm on the roller. Now lift upper and lower body with a slight inward twist.

GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 31

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

New to you Matches with matches Last month’s Sybase Match Play Championship in New Jersey brought to light two LPGA Tour friendships that are transcending international and generational boundaries .

Pairing One: Suzann Pettersen, 30, and Yani

Tseng, 22. The blonde Norwegian and her Florida neighbor from Taiwan found competitive harmony as Tseng ascended the ranks to join Pettersen among the tour’s elite players. Their friendship came to light last year at the Kraft Nabisco, where they vied in the last two rounds for the trophy Tseng won.

“She has a great personality, very straightforward,” Pettersen said then. “There’s no chitchat...She has a great Karrie Webb, left, and Paula Creamer have a friendship that spans the LPGA’s generation gap.

32 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Gotta Giggle

photo/ DREAMSTIME

St. Andrews club considers bridging the gender gap.

game, very aggressive player. Kind of reminds me a little bit about myself, and it’s just nice to have someone out there that you can tee it up with during the winter and kind of test your own game.”

Pettersen hosted Tseng at Bay Hill for a few matches the week before the Sybase but was mum on who prevailed – except to joke, “She didn’t have a chance.” Then they played each other in the quarterfinal, Pettersen winning 1-up.

Pairing Two: Karrie Webb, 36, and Paula Creamer, 24. The Australian Hall of Famer and the reigning U.S. Women’s Open cham-

pion raised in California apparently forged their bond over a bit of ribbing over Creamer’s trademark color last year, and then one thing led to another.

“I felt like I had to definitely earn my respect from her and I like that,” said Creamer, who won their secondround Sybase match, 1-up. “She challenges me, she gives me grief … talks about my pink balls, stuff like that, and it’s fun. … Those are the people that I really like to be around, that can take it but also they can give it pretty well.”

Though both friendships seem unlikely, all four players appear to balance a fierce will to

clude them. After 168 years, the club has been prompted by Equality Kilts yes, Act 2010 to widen its skirts no? embrace.

This is not exactly the The Women’s British Scots’ equivalent to AuOpen busted through gusta admitting women. the doors of the imposWomen have been playing building at St. Aning the Old Course at drews that houses the St. Andrews for more Royal & Ancient Golf Club in 2007. Down went than 100 years, and in fact the property draws the sign that said “No vacationing men and Dogs, No Women,” and in went the women – for women from around the world. a week anyway.

If the members abide Four years later, the by their leaders’ sugall-male St. Andrews gestions, though, maybe Golf Club (which inthe still all-male Royal & cludes Jack Nicklaus Ancient Club will step to among its honorary members) has been con- the tee next and make a country where men wear sidering revising memskirts seem a bit more bership policies that do not explicitly ban women hospitable to women who don’t. but simply do not inwin with a unique sense of humor.

There are plenty of wedding cake toppers where the bride looks lovely and the groom carries clubs. One of them even has the groom carrying clubs and looking at his watch! This one caught our eye because the bride is clearly having none of it. We imagine her asking, “You brought your clubs but left mine in the trunk?”

GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 33

short game

Change in the wind Golf’s rules aren’t written in stone, as Gail Rogers’ Guidance column points out in this month’s GGG. Look for a long overdue change, perhaps even before the men tee it up at the U.S. Open June 16.

That would be on Rule 18-2b, “Ball Moving After Address.” You know this one – it says “If a player’s ball in play moves after he has addressed it (other than as a result of a stroke), the player is deemed to have moved the ball and incurs

A proposed rule change won’t legalize fanning.

34 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

a penalty of one stroke.

The ball must be replaced unless the movement of the ball occurs after the player has begun the stroke or the backward movement of the club for the stroke and the stroke is made.”

Yes, you read it right: If the ball moves on that slick putting surface after you stand over it and ground your putter behind it, it’s your fault and that’s a penalty.

Without the change, 18-2b renders legal golf virtually impossible on a windy day. And now HDTV telecasts reveal subtle ball movement on the pro tours. When Webb Simpson took a penalty in the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic earlier this year, a

roar finally went up to change the rule.

USGA officials have been on it, and we can expect soon to play on without penalty if an outside agency is deemed to have caused the ball to move.

A handy aid SensoGlove didn’t qualify for our June Garb feature because it’s not something you’d wear on the golf course. Not unless you’d want to be disqualified, anyway.

But it lays some claim to curing cases of “death grip” that afflict golfers hanging on to the club for dear life. Built-in digital

If there’s a beep, lighten up.

sensors provide feedback through a 1.2-inch LED monitor, which registers grip pressure on a numerical scale and even locates the improper pressure on the hand for correction.

Most players who test the gloves find out right away – beep, beep, beep – that they hold the club too tightly. Then it’s a matter of experimentation to find the groove.

SensoGlove comes in men’s and women’s sizes, at $89; replacement gloves (for when the glove is worn but the computer isn’t) are $22.48, sensoglove.com.

Gotta Ask

Balancing act: Follow, bend, skirt or ignore rules?

In last month’s poll (below, right), we asked readers where they would like to take GottaGoGolf on their next vacation.

Your top pick: Ireland for the Solheim Cup. Sounds like a sweet September destination! (Next month’s GGG destination didn’t finish in the top three, but you might move it up after you hear about golf in the Poconos!) Now it’s time GottaGoGolf went to school on its readers: Are you rules observant, rules ignorant, rules lax or rules rebel? Pick the answer that best describes your approach:

A. I play strictly by the rules, in life and in golf.

B. I play strictly by the rules in life. In golf, not so much.

C. I play strictly by the rules in golf. In life, not so much.

D. Rules serve as fine guidelines in both life and in golf, but sometimes it’s appropriate to, er, customize them.

E. I would play by the rules in life and in golf, if only I could understand them.

F. Call me a rebel: I don’t follow any rules.

Vote NOW

Last month’s results Where would you like to take us (don’t forget to pack the e-reader) on your next vacation?

31%

Ireland for the Solheim Cup.

19%

Bandon Dunes, to see what all the fuss is about.

17%

South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head or Kiawah Island.

14%

Scotland, with a stop at St. Andrews.

12%

Pebble Beach, to see if it’s as pretty live as on TV.

5%

Someplace where I can learn to say “Fore” in Spanish.

3%

The Poconos, for golf and more.

0%

Orlando, Fla., with a ride at Disneyworld.

GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 35

short game

Gotta REad by David Wogahn

Wonder Girl The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias Author: Don Van Natta Jr.

“It would be much better if she and her ilk stayed at home, got themselves prettied up and waited for the phone to ring.”

Fortunately for women athletes and sports fans, Babe Didrikson Zaharias did not listen to sportswriter Joe Williams. But the quote does capture the state of affairs for women athletes in the early 20th century.

Considered one of the top 10 athletes of the 20th century, Zaharias’s accomplishments are legendary: • Two track and field gold medals and one silver medal in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.

• All-American status in basketball.

36 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

• Expert diver, roller-skater and bowler.

• The first (and at press time still the only) woman in history to make the cut in a regular PGA Tour event.

• Oh, and she was an expert seamstress, making many of the clothes she wore, including her golf outfits.

In this biography of Babe’s life, author Don Van Natta Jr. brings to life the extraordinary life and sporting career of golf’s first female superstar.

A founding member of the LPGA,

EQUAL TIME...NOT Babe (named after Babe Ruth) won more consecutive tournaments than any golfer in history. But near the peak of her fame she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Never one to give up, a month after undergoing surgery in 1954 Babe won her 10th and final major with a U.S. Women’s Open championship at age 43. She died just two years later.

Tom Brokaw’s capsule: “Wonder Girl is a wonderful read about a woman who charged through life shattering stereotypes on the playing fields and off. As a boy I followed her amazing career in the sports pages as she changed the face of golf and the Olympics but now, thanks to Don Van Natta, I have the complete story of this authentically American trail blazer who was so much more than just a gifted athlete.”

Courtesy of GolfMediaLibrary.com.

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

Sometimes it pays to finish last.

Other times, it pays really well.

Seems there’s powerful incentive for women to try to qualify for the U.S. Open that occurs in June at Congressional rather than the July U.S. Women’s Open in Colorado Springs. Just the possibility of making the cut puts $$ in the eyes.

Last year the last-place money finisher at Pebble Beach – it was a tie between Jason Preeo and Pablo Martin, actually – took home $11,707. The last-place finisher at Oakmont, Sarah Kemp, made $7,783.

So it does pay much better to be a U.S. Open last-place man than a last-place woman – except in the case of the U.S. Senior Open. Fuzzy Zoeller made the cut and came in 75th with booby prize money: $1,364. —Susan Fornoff

u.S. Open: Biggest Losers, compared

Men’s Last-place

Women’s Last-place

money finisher:

money finisher:

$11,707

$7,783 GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 37

short game

Gotta Know

Etiquette tips for Nervous Nellie and Nancy Newbie

Q

Golf has so many unwritten rules, generally known as “golf etiquette,” that I’m intimidated about playing with strangers. What are the good manners that won’t give me away as a newbie – and might even get me an invitation or two for a future round?”

A

The good news and the bad news about golf etiquette: It’s just like learning social etiquette. Bad news: Have you tried to lift any of the social etiquette books?

Ow! Good news: Once you learn etiquette, it requires little thought as long as you offer grace and a smile.

In the interest of posi38 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

tive imagery – always advised in swing thoughts and etiquette – here are a few key do’s:

1

Meet your fellow players before teeing off. Some golf course starters initiate introductions – it’s a good time to announce what tees you’ll each play from, state a preference for “ready golf” (playing when ready rather than waiting for a player

who might be farther out to arrive at her ball), and tell your companions you’re new or terrible or have a hangover.

2

Turn off the cell phone before teeing off, and get really quiet whenever another player is hitting nearby. If they aren’t extending the same courtesy, try taking a few practice swings, looking them in the eye, smiling,

then taking a few more practice swings. They might learn something.

3

Pay some attention to the whereabouts of the others’ shots.

Nothing will put you deeper into their good graces than quickly finding their ball in the weeds.

And when it’s your ball that’s lost, call off the search long before the cows come home.

4

Be generous with the words “good shot.” A little more challenging: Remember to say “thank you” when someone compliments a shot you think was dreadful.

5

Move around the course expeditiously.

The label “slow player” translates to “Gee I accidentally deleted your number from my smartphone.”

GLOSSARY

6

You probably know about walking around (not on) a player’s putting line. But do you also try not to walk on the area right around the hole if possible? And did you know to stand off a player’s putting line – both behind the player and behind the hole? One teacher tells students to remember that when another player is putting, they should see either her face or her butt.

7

Take good care of the course. Fix ball marks, rake bunkers and fill divots.

PHOTOs / dreamstime

8

And, finally, remember the basics from those heavy social etiquette guidebooks.

The virtue of generosity and the art of conversation provide a mannerly foundation, whether you’re holding a driver or a fork.

—Susan Fornoff

“Gimme” Can’t miss it if you don’t hit it Although a common term in life and a common practice in golf, the gimme – a putt so close that it is deemed unnecessary to hole – has no place in the Rules of Golf.

Yes, it is true that in match play a putt may be conceded.

But the player whose responsibility it is to make that putt has the obligation to refrain from batting her eyelashes, putting her hands together in prayer or taking any other action that could be construed as begging or asking “Gimme?”

On the other hand – as discussed in Michelle Smith’s essay in this issue –

a recreational round of golf often includes putts that are agreed to be gimmes. In a casual round with friends, it is not improper to beg for a gimme. The size of the wager may dictate the length of putt accepted as a gimme, and also what extreme the begging may take. High stakes and empty wallet?

Take a knee.

In an official by-therules match between two players or teams, how does an opponent concede a putt? With the two words a GottaGoGolfer most longs to hear – even better than “good shot.”

“That’s good.”

Hear it? Say thank you, pick up your ball, and move along.

GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 39

The adjacent Westin highrise and the historic city across the river dominate views at Savannah Harbor.

travel Course review: Fab, fine or fizzling for women?

Savannah Harbor

1999, Bob Cupp and Sam Snead

The sweet southern city of Savannah, Georgia, claims fame for its ghosts and its gardens, not its golf. But just across the river on Hutchinson Island, in the shadow of a towering hotel and conference center, Troon-managed Savannah Harbor warrants a little diversion from the haunted houses and trolley tours.

The carefully tended 18-hole course — where women are still referred to as ladies — falls under the purview of the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa and attracts the Champions Tour each spring for the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. It is well designed, well respected and no doubt well feared from those back tees of more than 7,200 yards.

woman-welcoming 5,261 yards that owe their charm to military references, native grasses, and views of Savannah’s historic downtown and glittering City Hall dome of gold just across the river. Home to eagles, hawks and ospreys, and fertile ground for trees bearing flowers and fruit, Savannah Harbor serves as an urban wildlife refuge, just a few minutes from downtown.

But the most forward of the > Course: The flat and walkable five sets of tees weighs in at a Cupp-Snead design opens gently 40 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

with the easiest hole on the front nine, the par-4 1st measuring only 229 yards from the jade tees.

Yet, a bunker guards the front of the green and a hazard lurks not too far back. And so it goes throughout, demanding thinking woman’s golf and tactics that might have served the city well in Civil War days. The famous hole is No. 7, Big Dog, at 477 yards from the front; really memorable was eerie and marsh-lined Alligator Alley, the 247-yard 14th

hole, which demanded straight shooting at the risk of encountering some of the indigenous creatures otherwise. Tomo Chi Chi, the 12th hole, gets its name from a large Indian chief — justification perhaps for the sprawling 17,000 square foot green. > Ambiance: If Sam Snead’s ghost feels compelled to roam his courses, it could do much worse. The staff is so hospitable, the starter offered me a few gently used golf balls to fill the bag of my rental clubs. Perhaps because the golf course and spa require a ride from the main resort center, the restaurant is small, very much a 19th hole rather than a destination in itself, and

a bit pricey. Have a cocktail and then hit one of the dining spots on the other side of the river. One gripe: An on-course ladies room didn’t have toilet paper. > VALUE: Prime times on the website booking system were

running $115, all inclusive, with later times at the very good value of $80. The Westin’s golf package, including room and golf for two, was going for $339 this spring. Tip: Watch out for Mondays, because the area’s private golf courses are closed and Sa-

vannah Harbor gets busy. > WOMAN APPEAL: With its tour-worthy conditions and varied, strategically thought-provoking design, Savannah Harbor rates a Fab for Women with an asterisk: With five sets of tees, it

would be nice to have two sets under 5,500 yards. — Susan Fornoff Email us at feedback@gottagogolf. com for information on how to have

your golf course certified by the Women Welcome golf course consultation, evaluation and certification service.

GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 41

TRAVEL

community

Old mining town of Copperopolis evolves into a golfopolis We hear some of the women who live at the Saddle Creek Resort, in view of Yosemite and California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, don’t play golf. They go fishing, ride horses, hike, water ski and maybe even do needlepoint.

All the better for the 100 or so women of the Saddle Creek Women’s Golf Club. Along with getting to say they live in the tongue-rolling town of Copperopolis (think “acropolis” and “metropolis”), they have easy access to one of the world’s greatest unknown golf courses.

At Saddle Creek, an exquisite 1996 Carter Morrish design, all of the holes meander around a wide-ranging real estate community without ever encroaching on the 312 lavishly spaced homes – or each other. One does have2011 to play here many times 42not I June I GottaGoGolf

to be able to vividly picture each hole; it doesn’t hurt that each has a name, starting with “Hope,” the gentle opening hole, and finishing with the challenge of “Mother Lode.”

Picking a favorite, ah, that’s the challenge. But women who play here universally love the tee options, starting with 4,486 yards from the front, perfect for the growing group of beginners, and the more classic “ladies” length of just under 5,300 yards. (Advanced players can move out to 6,000 yards, 6,400 yards or for the big tournaments 6,800 yards.)

Rigorously maintained for the residents, the semi-private course attracts a healthy amount of outside play that subsidizes the Castle & Cooke-developed community. The comfortable Copper Grille, perched above the scenic ninth green, brings neighbors in for its daily lunch menu and dinners three nights a week, and elegantly furnished bungalows enhance the playand-stay appeal.

Although only a couple of hours from San Francisco and the Silicon Valley and with a charming, new town center, Copperopolis

is not a “fancy pants” community, notes Linda Beck, the town historian. She describes Saddle Creek as mainly a retirement and second-home community of middle-and upper-class folks “who have worked hard and deserve to enjoy themselves.”

And it has been hit hard by foreclosures.

Two-bedroom homes in the Mitchell Lake area start in the low $200,000s; custom homes in the $500,000s.

Just be sure to add in a membership at $11,000 to one of the world’s greatest unknown golf courses. – Susan Fornoff

19th hole When not blending grapes, she blends foursomes

By Cheryl Stotler

photo / Courtesy of Whitehall Lane Winery

W

hitehall Lane Winery owners Karen and Tom Leonardini are all about wine and golf, not whine and golf, and so Karen isn’t about to complain when her husband says, “She plays like a man.”

Tom, after all, taught Karen the rules and etiquette as he’s come to know them, so she knows he means that as a compliment. She, however, estimates that she plays about a third of her golf with men, one third with women and the other third with mixed couples.

“I feel more pressure playing with other women because women are so competitive with each other,” Karen Leonardini said. “When I play with three men, there is no pressure. But I still love playing with my girlfriends. Competition can be fun.”

Karen, a tall and athletic looking 67-year-old, took up the game in her 40s, after the kids were grown. Before that, she played tennis because it took less time; now she values having more time with her husband. In the downtime for the

Karen Leonardini at her Whitehall Lane Winery in St. Helena, California.

GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 43

Well-mannered wines The Leonardinis supplied the selections for this month’s Rules, Etiquette and Manners tasting.

We found all three to be exemplary party guests in the company of men, women, or both.

The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (11 percent Semillon) presented a pear nose and tasted bright, full of yummy citrus flavors, until we put it with some food that transformed it into a complex mix of honeydew, lemon and lime and a hint of vanilla. It ham-and-egged perfectly with the goat cheese in the wine-food two-ball match.

The 2007 Napa Valley Merlot (10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 9 percent Syrah) was fit to fill our favorite golf shoes and, yes, we’d drink it up. Rich and 44 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

ripe with velvety tannins, the words smooth, balanced and elegant supplanted our usual talking points of par, birdie and eagle. Oh, and with the duck liver mousse: Look for the ball in the hole!

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve ( 4 percent Malbec, 4 percent Petit Verdot) had to be the classiest guest, with its revolutionary stopper of glass instead of cork. Full of big, intense black fruit, toasty oak with a zippy finish of pepper, it held hands nicely with the gouda. Already having 92 points from Wine Spectator, what more could a few golf spectators add?

Take your own swing at Whitehall Lane from your favorite supplier, with the Cab for $45-$60, the Merlot for around $25 (also available in half-bottles for the golf bag), and, our well-mannered bargain winner, the Sauv Blanc at under $15. — Cheryl Stotler

19tH Hole

“When I play with three men, there is no pressure.

But I still love playing with my girlfriends.

Competition can be fun.” wine business in St. Helena, California, they take golf vacations together and with other couples. A favorite golf destination: Incline, an up-and-down course with views for miles on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

Starting out with lessons and half-rounds with the nine-holers at her home course of Peninsula Golf & Country Club in San Mateo, Calif., Leonardini soon was on her way to a respectable 25 index and memories that include: • Standing at the first tee at St. Andrews, where there’s always an audience.

• Setting a caddie straight in Ireland after a tractor ran over her ball. “Too bad about the lie,” the caddie commented. Karen dug out her ball. “I was there to have a good time,” she said.

• Playing at Napa’s Silverado Country Club with her husband and two other men, Karen hit driver on a par-3 and lost the ball flight in the sun. Everyone was looking for her ball, she remembers, “And the men were getting so frustrated that I just told them to forget it and sat out the hole.” Tom putted out first and found two balls in the hole, his – and Karen’s one and only hole-in-one.

Chef’s RECIPE

19tH Hole

Leonardinis’ Roasted Chicken with Potatoes, Capers and Endive

photo / Courtesy of Whitehall Lane Winery

Here’s a recipe the Leonardinis find easy to prepare at the home 19th hole — you could even do the prep before your round and then just pop the roasting pan into the oven when you get home. They recommend the Whitehall Lane 2008 Pinot Noir Carneros-Las Brisas Vineyard alongside, and who are we to argue — their wines seem to bring out the best in food, and vice versa.—C.S.

Karen takes her game seriously enough that she never drinks Whitehall Lane or any other spirits on the course. She also steers clear of skorts because at 5-8 she feels too leggy in them. Otherwise, she fits the profile that applies to the average woman golfer: Busy with many interests and obligations, she’s a fair-weather player who approaches the game socially, for fun and with friends.

She’s found that the keys to doing those things successfully, with men or women or both, are: “Don’t hold anyone up, play ready and know the rules.”

Karen and Tom Leonardini started playing golf together to fill their new leisure hours after the kids were grown.

1 chicken (3-3 ½ lbs) 3+ Tbs. olive oil ½ c. lemon juice Salt and pepper 8 or more cloves of garlic 6 Belgian endive cut in half length wise 1 lb. small red potatoes, scrubbed & unpeeled 1 large sprig fresh rosemary 3 Tbs. capers, drained and rinsed Preheat oven to 450*.

Rinse and dry chicken, place in large roasting pan. Rub chicken with olive oil and drizzle lemon

juice. Scatter potatoes, endive and garlic around chicken. Put rosemary inside cavity.

Roast 45 minutes. Scatter capers around and roast 15 more minutes until cooked.

Transfer chicken to warm serving platter. With slotted spoon remove veggies and arrange around chicken. Skim off fat from pan juices. Pour remaining juice with capers over chicken.

Carve and serve.

Serve with: Pinot Noir 2008 Whitehall Lane Winery Carneros – Las Brisas Vineyard GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 45

golfoscope

By The Golf Goddess

JUNE Gemini (May 22—June 21)

Leo (July 23—Aug. 23)

Libra (Sept. 23—Oct. 22)

Gemini (May 22-June 21): Feeling sorry for the weak, the underdog?

That’s all well and good unless you’re giving 12-foot putts in an all-square match. Save the generosity for a time when you can better afford it. And, fore! That time just might be later on this month, which is oozing with prosperity at the bank and in the bedroom. Just don’t sprain your ankle on the way there.

Jupiter’s arrival in your career house surely must come with that corporate country club membership you’ve been coveting! Just be sure to review all of GGG’s advice this month and the members will be the ones feeling lucky just to have your soft spikes pitter-patter on their slick greens. Well, unless the club is St. Andrews...

Ready for a bit of role reversal with your S.O.? That short game you’ve always admired takes life in your hands, while your usual patient, Golfers Anonymous-induced, one-shotat-a-time approach has hit a pitchmark and veered over to the other side. Enjoy the novelty while it lasts — maybe with a romantic excursion to the Poconos next month?

Virgo (Aug. 24—Sept. 22)

Scorpio (Oct. 23—Nov. 21)

Opportunity comes on strong, but, really, how many tee times can a girl make? Lots, if you’re living at Saddle Creek (see page 42). But try to limit temptation to 18 holes a day to preserve some energy for the surprises the eclipses are about to deliver. Not all of those surprises look like birdies on the blooming scorecard of life.

It’s swingin’ time for Scorpio, so let the dust mites have their way with your wool carpet while you have your way with some Bermuda grass carpet.

If your spouse is wondering about undone housework, be sure to provide a caddie to show the way to the supply closet — while you meet some fun, like-minded players on the links.

Cancer (June 22—July 22) The eclipses this month might leave you with a few aches and pains; try the roller exercises in this month’s Fitness feature for some relief. Consider planting seeds for late-season golf blooming — but not at any great expense. Maybe the local department of recreation gives summer lessons?

Or try a DVD in your happy home.

46 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf

Golfoscope

Sagittarius (Nov. 22—Dec. 21)

Aquarius (Jan. 21—Feb. 19)

aries (march 21—april 20)

She said she had an 8 but you’re sure it was a 9. Choose your words carefully or before you know it the whole club is requiring all players to use those cute little counting beads newbies favor. And, Sag, don’t dare suggest the obvious solution of taking lessons and reducing scores. How about brain-enriching golf sudoku instead?

When that nasty rules dispute arises in your club, defer politely, pass along the USGA’s email address and then go schedule a tee time with that interesting work group you’ve been wanting to know better. Fidelity might be part of your marriage vows, but nowhere do the rules of golf advise worldly Aquari against mixed matches.

It seems like talk time all month and there’s so much to say, with the U.S. Open on tap and the Women’s Open coming July 4 and so many delicious Whitehall Lanes from which to choose in our 19th Hole this month. Just remember to zip it when your companion has taken five practice swings waiting for you to shut up.

Capricorn (Dec. 22—Jan. 20)

Pisces (Feb. 20—March 20)

Taurus (April 21—May 21)

Health and beauty preoccupy your mind, but try on the trendy-again pedal-pusher before liposuction and lasers suck up your summer golf funds. In mirror and on course, avoid interpreting what’s real as what’s bad; instead of fearing the pot bunker in front of the pin, think about how much you’ve always loved the beach.

Prosperity in your money house prompts you to play on golf courses lined with houses; you’re looking for the idyllic spot, removed enough from the fairway so that men won’t pee on your roses yet close enough that you can cheer the hole-in-one.

Before you take sole ownership, however, look: Is that your idyllic partner in the next foursome?

You’re doing this for the spouse, that for the boss, and oh so much for the kids as the school year ends.

The ‘50s ended, like, 50 years ago, tough Taur. Put the credit card down on those new hybrids and set off for the range, the nine or the whole 19 — whichever one you think you don’t quite have time for. Just make it.

GottaGoGolf I June 2011 I 47

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rules I fashion I travel I Courses I Equipment I Entertaining 48 I June 2011 I GottaGoGolf