Halloween Golf

A few years ago, before I'd ever swung a driver or rolled a putt, I was having lunch at our local golf club in late October and observed a gaggle of witches and goblins and ghosts (as well as a couple of pimps and ho's) frolicking on the fairways, sort of playing golf, but definitely having a blast. Count Dracula hit an awesome chip shot, a fairy princess got stuck in a bunker and the devil's putting was ...hellish. Anyway, this close encounter with a Halloween scramble almost convinced my to take up golf. Not quite though, it would be another year before I actually picked up a club, got out on a course and fell in love with the sport. And from the beginning I looked forward to the Halloween Scramble. Unfortunately, they haven't had one since I began playing...too many other events taking place a this time of year. But I'm hoping to help arrange one for 2008.

In the meantime, I'm getting ready for Halloween at my house tonight. We live in a historic Victorian neighborhood, and it's a glorious mild day so I'm expecting lots of trick-or-treaters. Like about 1,200. Believe it or not, that's normal on our street. But, I've got plenty of candy, even though I've eaten loads of it these last days. Now I just hope I can squeeze into my costume.

Halloween 2006 pics.

GGTV Episode IV - Dining with Greg Norman

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On the menu for this episode is dinner at my house ...with Greg Norman wines and some of my favorite golf buddies... I'll also take you to some of the environmentally friendly courses in my area. Then, I've got a tip for how to look good on the golf course for less.

Site Links: Greg Norman Wines---- Cuisinart Double Ice Cream Maker---- Richter Park Golf Course---- Marshalls

Recipe: Golf Girl's Lobster/Avocado Salad

Avocado Layer
two small haas avocados
1 tsp minced red onion
1/2 teaspoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Tomato Salad - Grape Tomatoes and a pinch of ground parsley in vinaigrette of choice.

Lobster Layer
The meat of two small lobsters, chopped
2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

First make the avocado layer - just peel the avocados and remove their pits, then mash them with a fork adding lemon juice, olive oil and onions, mix well, add salt and pepper to taste.

Next is the Lobster salad - combine the lobster meat, lemon juice, and 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add a half teaspoon of dijon mustard if you like. Mix well. Add fresh ground Salt and Pepper to taste.

Place a ring mold in center of one salad plate. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of avocado mix in the bottom. Smooth it with the back of a spoon. Add an equal abount of lobster salad. Pack neatly on top of the avocado. Press down lightly on the lobster salad as you slide the mold up, leaving a layered stack in the middle of the plate.

spoon tomato salad around the stack and drizzle with vinaigrette. Repeat for second plate. Garnish with a bit of chopped parsley.

Golf Girl TV - Episode IV - Slightly Delayed but on it's Way

Uh-oh...here she is again. That conroversial little Golf Girl, precariously balanced on her tee. That can only mean one thing GGTV is experiencing slight technical difficulties. Yes producing a show is a learning experience, that's for sure. Anyway, I'll definitely have the show up before the weekend's over...maybe sooner. C-U-then.

Ariya Jutanukarn - Youngest Ever !

These incredible Golf Girls...they're getting younger and younger. When will it stop?

Who knows, but for this moment at least, adorable Ariya Jutanukarn, a petite 11-year-old from Thailand, holds the record for youngest golfer to compete in an international tour event! She took the record by qualifying for the Honda LPGA earlier this week, and teed off yesterday to beat Michelle Wie's record by five months. No doubt she'll be hearing a few cautionary tales base on Ms. Wie's troubled trajectory, For the time being though,Ariya is just happy to play against so many golfers she admires, especially, Annika.

Ariya's Dad is ultra proud of her. He's also very proud of her caddy Moriya. You see Moriya happens to be Ariya's 13-year-old sister.

Badass Golf Clothes

Cassie and Willow are twins. They love golf. They hate matronly golf clothes. Let's see: Twins? Check, love golf? Check, hate matronly golf clothes? Check. Yeah, I can relate. But the thing is, these girls did something about it. They created Death to Argyle, an awesome line of edgy, uber-wearable, golf clothes for girls who are tired of looking like ... Easter eggs. You won't find pastel pinks, butter yellows, baby blues and lady lavendars in this line. What you will find are hip clothes that combine modern trends with retro accents.

Their on-line shop just opened. It's nice to have options. The Easter egg look doesn't always work for me either.

Euphoria for Annika

This past weekend, awesome Annika Sorenstam was in South Africa to check on her signature golf course, Euphoria, currently being built in an area called Mookgophong.

Word is the course is coming along nicely, with each of the 18 holes shaped, and grasses being added steadily. Sounds like its going to be a challenging course too, with lots of undulation and elevation, as well as some tricky bunkers... so ball placement and strategy are going to be key here. That sounds like Annika's game doesn't it?

The course is called Euphoria, because its so beautiful. However, there are some things that might make playing on this bushveld course slightly more intimidating than a bad lie or a treacherous sand trap...like the leopard footprints that were recently seen on one of the future fairways.

Sexy Back Singer to Tee Off in Abu Dhabi

We all know about Justin Timberlake's passion for golf, right? Well things have definitely been going his way golf-wise lately.

Word has it he was recently accepted into the uber-exclusive LA golf club of his dreams, Mountain Gate Country Club. The $50,000 initiation fee and $600 monthly membership will be easily covered with earnings from his hugely successful, sold out "FutureSex/LoveShow" tour. Speaking of the tour, it winds up in Abu Dhabi on December 6, with a performance at the opulent Emirates Palace Hotel, and I hear from an exclusive source, (a friend of mine who works at the Emirates Palace in an "unofficial PR capacity") that JT has already booked a tee time at The Abu Dhabi Golf Club where the 3rd annual Abu Dhabi Golf Championship will take place in mid-January.

Last spring it was reported that Justin actually hoped to become a professional golfer one of these days. Well maybe if he puts on a really stellar performance...and doesn't offend the conservative local sensibilities with his racy show... he'll get one of the eight "special invites" to play in the January championship. That would be a step in the right direction for Mr. Sexy Back.

GGTV Special Announcement

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Ultra busy October in Golf Girl Land!

...And From the Opposite Side of the Political Correctness Divide...

...there's this story posted by Keil Christianson at TravelGolf.com.

As implausible as it might seem, the athletic director of a high school in Michigan won't allow the Girl's Golf Team to wear shirts printed with the John Daly-inspired slogan "Grip it and Rip it". Why? Because he feels the slogan carries a sexual connotation. Do you believe that?

As Mr. Christianson points out, there's a whole litany of expressions and slogans in golf that can carry a sexual connotation, thus perhaps the sport is just too racy to be played by high school girls.

Imagine that, golf as a sexy, racy sport. Clearly, progress has been made.

Sexy Messages on Golf Balls Get Teacher in Trouble

Yes, you read it right, and the story is even more bizarre than the title indicates, because after the pervy PE teacher penned his provocative prose on 40 golf balls, he threw them to the bottom of a swimming pool, then then directed his jr. high school students to dive in and collect the balls, read out the questions on the balls they found, and provide answers for them. Mm-Hm. Apparently the lesson plan was conceived to get the aquaphobic kids "interested in the water".

The 32 year old teacher has since resigned. No word on what became of the lewd and lascivious golf balls though.

Golf Lives on in Afghanistan (Updated)

Despite monumental challenges, the scrappy and spirited Kabul Golf Club lives on.

Today's New York Times featured a front page story on the course's implausible survival and its tenacious director's struggle to keep it alive.

I've long been fascinated by this once thriving golf course, situated perilously in harsh, beautiful Afghanistan, a country that's been torn by war and occupation as far back as I can remember.

On this nine hole course the greens are called browns. Abandoned tanks and discarded weaponry litter the landscape, but the young locals who take lessons and play at the Kabul Golf Club are apparently passionate about the sport. They regularly scramble up up craggy hillsides to retrieve their few balls for practice, and in addition to clubs, these guys carry around a section of artificial turf to simulate fairway shots. We talk about being golf obsessed; they've taken that to a whole new level.

I urge you to read Kirk Semple's NYT article. It's touching, sad, inspiring and hopeful...all at the same time.

Update - 10/16/07: If you liked this story, check out the accompanying video on Oobgolf today. It's amazing. I hope Kabul Golf Club can survive and, when Afghanistan finds peace, thrive. In the meantime I'm hoping to find a way to support this heroic little golf course... I'll keep you posted.

Episode III - Nine is Fine

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In this episode I extol the virtues of the nine hole round and explore the pleasures of a surprisingly delightful golf snack. There's also some happy Poulter news.

Story Links: Hostess Twinkie---Waggle Room---The Curtis Cup---Ian Poulter Design

Note from Golf Girl: I apologize for the multiple postings of this...post...but I had a few minor technical problems with the uploading and such...still have to make an adjustment or two. Many thanks for your patience. I hate technology. Except when I love it.

Golf Girl TV - Episode III - Sometime Friday

I know, another delay. But just a slight one. Episode three should be up sometime on Friday.

In the meantime I'm posting this odd little illustration. It came up when I did a search for golf girl illustration. Not quite sure what it means but it's kind of cute. In a slightly lascivious way.

Hugh Grant Enjoys Golf, and Other Pleasures, in Scotland

Hugh Grant's recent visit to Scotland is raising some eyebrows. Not because of anything he did at the Dunhill Links celebrity pro-am tournament... though that bunker shot does look a bit convoluted...it has more to do with what happened at night after the tournament.

It seems the so-called "aging Lothario" went to a bar in St. Andrews, met up with a bunch of pretty college girls in their early twenties and, when invited, went off to party with them at a student apartment. And that's what everyone's all upset about. Which I don't really understand as everyone in the "incriminating" photos seems to be a consenting adult, and word from the scene has it that there were no minors present. But the press is being quite vindictive with the roguish actor. The Daily Mail's headline read: "Hugh silly old goat: As he cavorts with students half his age, why CAN'T Hugh Grant learn to grow up?"

How did these steamy photos get all over the Internet you might ask? Well, one of the young ladies in the photos did what any normal young person in 2007 would do if they found themselves in such photos. She immediately posted them on her Facebook page.

More revealing photos here.
AND... be sure to stop by tomorrow (Thursday) for another episode of Golf Girl TV.

French Golf Culture - Elégance and Sensualité

After yesterday's nod to Spanish golf blogs, I thought I'd proceed on up to France where there's also also a distinct and growing golf culture, despite the fact that, here in the US, "French Golf" still tends to bring to mind "Van de Velde's Carnoustie catastrophe".

My favorite French golf blog, (which just happens to be written by one of the world's cutest golf bloggers) is simply called Golf. Brigitte, the alluring auteur posts almost daily with a voice that's uniquely hers. She's an excellent writer, and she knows her subject. This girl is totally passionate about golf...but at the same time she's light-hearted and fun-loving and it shows in her posts. If you read French it's a highly recommendable golf blog. If you don't read French I would suggest you have a look at Fairways, site of the French golf magazine of the same name. It too is in French, but there are lots of visuals, and it gives you an idea of the elegant, chic and sensual nature of French golf. If you do venture there, be sure to go to the portfolio section and check out the beautiful Fairway Girls. And...just for fun, see if you can pick out the beautiful golf blogger Brigitte, among them.

Another Golf Blog Birthday

Or should I say, a cumpleaños.

Feliz cumpleaños to my fave Spanish Golf Blog, Fuera de Límites! Pablo Herrero and company just celebrated two years of informative, on-topic golf blogging. I feel ultra-lucky to be able to read Spanish, as this blog provides a unique and detailed view of the golf scene in Spain... and on Spain's extraordinary and controversial golfers. Pablo also posts on golf news and happenings from around the world.

If you read Spanish and like golf, I urge you to have a look at Fuera de Límites. I'm pretty sure it'll become a daily read. And...you'll end up knowing a lot more about Señors García, Jiménez, Olazábal and Ballesteros...not to mention pretty Paula Martí, the ultimate Spanish golf girl.

GGTV Episode II - My Favorite Threesome

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In this episode I introduce you to my three favorite clubs. I also share some Monty gossip and a golf hat trick or two. Enjoy.

Story Links: Cleveland Golf--- GEL Golf--- Birdie Girl--- The Green Blazer

Note from Golf Girl: Admittedly, I have a ways to go in the quality dept. I hope to be able to get beyond the built in camera mic soon, as my sound is really in need of improvement. Lighting too... I've got to work on that. A better tripod, a more robust movie editor, a camera man (person)...all things I need to aquire eventually. In the meantime, I'm enjoying do what I can do with what I've got. Hope you enjoy watching.

Oops, I did it again - Golf Get's in the Way

Yes, I'm afraid so, it was a beautiful Indian summer afternoon and I had to choose between editing the show and golf. Needless to say, golf won. And my twilight round lead to the 19th hole... and...

I promise I'll have the show up sometime tomorrow. Actually, Thursday is probably a better day to post than Wednesday. Perhaps in the depths of winter I'll be able to make my Wednesday deadline, but for now I think I'll switch it to Thursday. Once again, I appreciate your patience. A lot.

HOG Golf Blogging Milestone - 1500 posts

I read it yesterday on Oobgolf (itself no stranger to prolific posting)... Hooked on Golf, recently made his 1,500th post. This entertaining and informative golf blog has been around since 12/05/04... That's more than a post a day! Congratulations Tony Korologos, that's pretty extraordinary.

It's especially amazing because Tony's posts so consistently engaging; often including personal opinion, anecdotes and stories of his own experiences, and frequently illustrated with photos and video. He doesn't just phone it in. That's for sure. Tony also runs The Golf Space, a real pioneer in social networking for golfers.

Yes Tony's golf blogging resume is pretty impressive and he seems like a really fun guy, too (don't you just love his Halloween logo above). I might take a trip out to Utah one of these day and interview him for Golf Girl TV.

Oh, BTW, I hope to have a new episode of GGTV up later today.

Woods / Weir : Diverse Reactions from the Blogosphere

There were decidedly varying opinions on some of the events that took place last weekend at the President's Cup. I'm not talking about the valiant Woody Austin ball rescue Belly Flop...everyone loved that...except maybe Woody. No, I'm talking about the Tiger Woods / Mike Weir match-up, which was eventually won by Weir, to the joy of some and the consternation of others.

That Canda.com and the Winnipeg Sun chose a cheerful spin was no surprise, neither was Chris Baldwin's provocative in-your-face reaction. Chris Baldwin was just being Chris Baldwin, pretty predictable. But I think the post I enjoyed most was this poem, penned by Golf Gal for her blog Chicks with Stix. It's short and sweet and matter-of-fact:

Ode to Mike Weir

There once was a lefty named Weir
Who took down "the Cat" without fear
Though the bookies picked Tigger
Mike beat him - go figure!
All the world heard Canadians cheer!!!

- Golfgal -

See that, she's poet and a golfer. You go, Golfgal!