Kamis, 31 Maret 2011

Nude Golf has a New Venue: Karlskoga Golfklubb

Newsflash: Karlskoga Golfklubb, in central Sweden, is relaxing their dress code... significantly.

Effective immediately as soon as it warms up a bit, "country club conservative" will be replaced by "clothing optional" on the fairways of this established course. You see, the golf club has recently partnered with a local "naturalist club" and Karlskoga General Manger, Sven Nödtorftig, embraced

Rabu, 30 Maret 2011

GolfGirl Infographics - 2011 Masters, Early Picks
















Infographics are awesome.  Marketers love them - that's a given - but so do regular folks, and these days they're everywhere; offering a whimsical visual representation of virtually anything,  from the cause of jet lag... to the cost of a latte... to the demographics of the internet.

At their simplest infographics are merely charts or graphs,  but they can also be compelling works

Selasa, 29 Maret 2011

A Chat With the Enlightened Golfer - Blog Talk Radio

A bit later today... 12noon ET to be exact... I'll be joining Golf Goddess Margarit Brigham of Enlightened Golfer to talk about... golf.

We'll discuss the state of the recreational game... on course and online... and we'll touch upon some of awesome organizations that are working to make golf more accessible. Particularly for women. We'll talk about how golf media has grown exponentially, and

Senin, 28 Maret 2011

German Golf, Ryder Cup 2018 & Sandra Gal's Win

I had to smile when I heard about Sandra Gal's win at the Kia Classic yesterday.

The first thing I thought of were the headlines it would produce. Any time a golfer has a last name that's also a word, things can get ...well... weird. Who'll ever forget the Jim Nantz reciting Bette Midler in honor of Justin Rose debacle, right? Needless to say, I was expecting the worst. -->



However,  thus far

Playa del Carmen: Superlative Golf & a Very Sexy Hotel

A couple of decades ago Playa del Carmen was the small, sleepy fishing village tourists passed through on their way to Cozumel.  Now it's the center of the Mexican Rivera, and has itself become a mecca for travelers seeking a south-of-the-boarder holiday on the Caribbean Sea. Playa offers Mayan ruins, beautiful beaches and golf.  Lots of golf.

There's the Norman designed El Camaleón Golf

Minggu, 27 Maret 2011

Golf Club Cutie and a Weekend Facelift

Two human years, it's been theorized, is like 10 in blog years, which means Golf Girl's Diary is approaching 45... and I realized a few days ago that the time had come for a facelift.

I didn't want to do anything radical, just a quick fix to reverse the signs of aging... without down time or risk of complications, if you know what I mean...and if you've ever inadvertently messed up the coding

Kamis, 24 Maret 2011

Tiger on Today's Young Guns: "I'd Go Watch Ryo"

.
It was boorish question,  but Tiger Woods didn't hesitate to answer it.

Asked who he'd most like to follow among the next generation if he were a fan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the answer came quickly:  "For me personally, I would go watch Ryo"

Tiger then attempted to explain the unique appeal of the Japanese superstar, mentioning basic characteristics like his gentle demeanour and

Funny Golf Tweets - A Repetitive Scavenger Hunt

.

Rabu, 23 Maret 2011

Raph's Rousing Win & Tiger's Take on the French Bid

.














My first official round of golf took place in France, on a municipal course just outside of Paris, and my biggest cheerleader in learning the game has been a Frenchman.  That same Frenchman is also my favorite and at times most annoying playing partner. The French Open, back in 2007, was my first time at a professional golf tournament.



Without a doubt, France has a major place

Selasa, 22 Maret 2011

JLPGA - Raising Funds & Facing Event Cancellations

.














The LPGA took giving to a whole new level at the inaugural Founder's Cup this past weekend, with the entire $1 million purse going to charity.  Half the amount went to Girls Golf and the other half to player designated charities with quite a few players choosing Japan Relief charities for their shares. 



Meanwhile half a world away a group of JLPA players... their country

Minggu, 20 Maret 2011

Portrait of a Golf Girl by Mike Belindo

.
Remember last week I told you about the social media golfers in Spain who've launched Twittour, a Twitter-based golf tour?  Well the Twittour website was designed by one of those golfers, David Amezqueta, and a couple of days ago he sent me the above rendering of... @GolfGirl. She's a whimsical Marge Simpson look-alike who clearly loves the color pink.

David is from Pamplona and has his own

Cristie Kerr Honored at "Celebrity Fight Night"

.




















It was quite a weekend for Cristie Kerr.

Her fourth place finish today at the inaugural RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup means that her designated charities will share in the $1 million all-charity purse.  Not surprisingly, Birdies for Breast Cancer the charity she founded five years ago and has worked for tirelessly, will get one half of her $40 thousand winnings.  The other

Kamis, 17 Maret 2011

Japanese Fans Take Comfort in Ryo's Message Home

 .
















Several days ago Ryo Ishikawa posted a message on his blog for the people of Japan.  One of my Japanese friends, Noriko Imano, told me about it and supplied her translation.

Even though I'm in the US, I can feel that people in Japan keep calm and cooperate closely. 
I'm very proud of this as a Japanese, from the bottom of my heart. 
At the same time, I've been thinking what I

Rabu, 16 Maret 2011

Golf Season Starts at The Connecticut Golf Show

.
With temperatures rising into the fifties and the last traces of snow quickly (finally) melting away,  courses here in CT... and throughout the tri-state area... are preparing to welcome the season's first golfers.

Meanwhile, area golfers can get back into the swing of things at the new Connecticut Golf Show, which starts tomorrow and runs throughout the weekend at the Connecticut Convention

Senin, 14 Maret 2011

Men's Golf Fashion - The Fuller Cleveland?

.















Last year at this time it seemed the latest revival of the Full Cleveland had finally played itself out.

After two seasons of near ubiquity, many assumed it was headed back into hibernation for a decade or so, as it's done a number of times in the past.

Apparently however, that assumption was misguided as recent tournaments have yielded several sightings of the sartorial

Sabtu, 12 Maret 2011

Birdy & Grace Seek the 2011 Golf Woman of the Year

.
Spring is just around the bend, and the search is on.

Birdy & Grace, has launched its second annual search for the Golf Woman of the Year, so if you know a woman with a passion for golf, family, fitness and community... or if you are that woman... listen up! ~ Because that's the type of woman they're looking for.

An “everyday woman", who inspires or helps others through the way she lives her

Jumat, 11 Maret 2011

Ryo Ishikawa Shows Amazing Strength at Doral

.













Here at Golf Girl's Diary our Ryo Ishikawa obsession is well known.

Normally our stories are light-hearted; we write about Ryo's whimsical outfits or his delightfully quirky commercials. He even made a certain Sexiest Men in Golf list recently.

The combination of his stellar on-course accomplishments and his superlative star quality make Ryo Ishikawa a uniquely entertaining

Rabu, 09 Maret 2011

GolfOMeter - Golf Gadget of the Month?

.
It's an odd little instrument... and I'm not really sure what it does... so it may not be worthy of the prestigious Golf Gadget of the Month designation.

From what I can see, though, this rare vintage "New Haven Golf Meter" measures yards and miles. I don't not know how it works.... or... if it works, but it looks like a pretty awesome collector's item to me.

If anyone reading has used a

石川 遼 - Ryo Ishikawa: The Field's Youngest Gun

.













Early one morning a couple of weeks ago,  a lone golfer was observed on the range at Dove Mountain, hitting balls in the chill desert air.  It was Ryo Ishikawa.  GolfWeek writer Jim McCabe described the scene, including the gaggle of photographers sprawled on the frosty grass nearby, dutifully doing their job.

Ryo is back on the scene this week for the star-studded  WGC Cadillac

Selasa, 08 Maret 2011

Twittour 2011: Golfers in Spain Launch a Twitter Tour

.
Todos Juntos.  It means All Together and it's the tag line for Spain's bid to host the 2018 Ryder Cup ... but it could also be the tag line for Spain's Twittour 2011.

Twittour was dreamed up by a group of Spanish golfers on Twitter who call themselves #jugones which means... gamers?  Close enough.  Anyway, these golfistas twiteros from all over Spain got to know each other over time via the

Minggu, 06 Maret 2011

Life Unscripted - The Real Rookies of the PGA Tour

.
One of the more talked tweeted about off-the-course golf stories of the past week was the strategically placed rumor? report that a group of PGA Tour wives were pitching a reality show.  The topic was timely and the packaging was perfect. It came just as our voyeuristic hunger for the unscripted adventures of attractive people reached new heights. Thank you Charlie Sheen.

Various elements of

Kamis, 03 Maret 2011

The Discrepant Lives of PGA Tour Wives

.
In the past PGA Tour wives tended to live their lives out of the public eye and under-the-radar.

When they did appear... a few times each year... it would be in feature stories or sidebars, where they'd be shown collectively raising funds for children's charities or visiting flood-ravaged neighborhoods. They were always giving back and they were always in a group.

Only when the Ryder Cup came

Rabu, 02 Maret 2011

2011 Travelers Championship and Early Commitments

.


.
The Travelers Championship was recently honored as the "Most Fan Friendly Event on the PGA Tour".  Fans love the relaxed vibe and the beautiful course (with it's remarkable finishing holes).  A special Women's Day and active Kids Zone also make it an awesome for families.

The tournament is Connecticut's biggest sporting event, and though it takes place the week after the US Open there's

Selasa, 01 Maret 2011

Golfzon Goes Global With Quest to Popularize Golf

.
Young Chan Kim is clearly a patient man.

He started his company in 2000 with a long term vision that included the popularization of golf and the fostering of a inclusive culture built around the game.

More than a decade later Golfzon has become the biggest player in the international golf simulator market while remaining focused on its core mission, which is to make it possible for everyone