An Unwelcome Interloper Leaves Golf Courses Waterlogged

Tunxis Plantation Golf Course in Farmington, CT  - - -  Photo: courant.com

The past couple of days have been picture perfect here in Connecticut;  temps in the high 70s... bright sunshine... low humidity.  Ideal weather for golf.  Except that many courses have been closed due to flooded fairways and waterlogged greens, remnants of the weekend visit of an unwelcome interloper by the name of  Irene.  The branches and debris she left in her wake have made numerous roads... and quite a few cart paths... impassible. Power outages remain widespread.

I know first-hand about the power problems as my home/office/etc has been without electricity since Sunday morning ... and word has it restoration may may not happen for several days.

So I've armed myself with patience and pragmatism, and found some innovative ways to work around the outage.  My posting here... and on the social networks... may be a bit less frequent for the time being as I generally do that in bed, late at night.  These days I'm actually sleeping at around midnight, which, it turns out isn't that bad at all.

Withing the next day or so I suspect most of our courses will reopen and I'm hoping to get a couple of rounds in before the end of Labor Day weekend.  I'm hoping the extra sleep will result in lower scores.  

The Liberty Cup - Cristie Kerr's Two-Day Charity Golf Event

Windows were rattled, branches were broken and a number of streets were flooded but Metro NY managed to avoid the worst of hurricane Irene.

Most New York City subways, buses and commuter trains will be back to normal tomorrow morning after a complete shut-down in anticipation of what could have been a far more destructive weather event. 

Better yet, the next several days are expected to be dry and sunny.  That's welcome news, especially if you've got a major charity golf event planned... and that's the position Cristie Kerr finds herself in.  This week the LPGA mega-star will host the two-day Inaugural Liberty Cup Charity Golf Tournament. 

The event kicks off tomorrow evening with a welcome reception at PH-D, an otherworldly space on the rooftop of the new Dream Hotel.  On Tuesday professional golfers and stars from the sports & entertainment worlds will head out to Jersey City and breathtaking Liberty National Golf Club for the Liberty Cup Pro-Am. The day finishes with a Cocktail Reception, Dinner, an Auction & Awards and will benefit Kerr’s Birdies for Breast Cancer Foundation and the Christie Kerr Women’s Health Center at the Jersey City Medical Center, as well as other Jersey City Charities.

The event promises to be spectacular, especially now that a certain uninvited guest by the name of Irene has left town. For more information, visit cristiekerrgolf.com

Artful Facebook Nudity Leads to Golf Team Suspension

Is artful nudity a breach of golf etiquette? Photo via SFGate

Competetive golf is a demanding, highly diciplined pursuit, so it's only natural that players might want to let loose a bit when they're not on the course.  

Off-course activities can sometimes go awry however, and the inventive young men of the Bethany College golf team appear to have earned themselves a suspension for their playful take on a team portrait.

The photo in question had the attractive athletes posed in row on grassy hillside.  The team's camaraderie was visible in their jaunty smiles, and their collective nudity added a refreshing element of light-hearted, joyfulness.

Yes.  That's the thing, the guys were all stark naked... but each and every one of them had taken care to assure that their "male parts" were artfully obscured behind a strategically placed driver.  A couple of the guys even added a club cover.

Revisitation: A Changing World & The Golf Courses of Libya

+19178470296 / florio@floriophoto.com     © Jason Florio

Six Months ago, the world was watching Libya as protests began to spread across the country from the eastern city of Benghazi.  At that time many felt the North African nation would quickly be liberated... that it would just be a matter of weeks... or even days... till Muammar Qaddafi, the county's impetuous leader, resigned or fled.  After all, it had happened in neighboring Egypt and Tunisia.


But in the months that followed rebel forces took control of key cities... then saw that control shift back into the hands of pro-government elements. There were Nato air strikes... and counter-attacks... and despite a no fly zone and other protective measures authorized by the UN Security Council... thousands of citizens were killed.  The Arab Spring turned into a sanguinary summer in Libya. 

Awesome Infographics - PGA Championship Visual Overview

Infographic by BlueClaw for Direct Golf UK

Before the final major of the PGA Tour's 2011 season is relegated to the golf history books, you'll want to have a look at the attached infographic, created for specialist golf retailer, Direct Golf UK by the creative folks at Blueclaw Media. 


If you read this blog you know about my obsession with infographics... and golf infographics in particular.  Professional golf is all about stories and statistics, so it lends itself perfectly to engaging data visualization.


Here, a brief history of the PGA Championship is presented in a graphical style that's fresh and whimsical. It includes some of the tournament's more remarkable players, venues and records, and takes us right up to Sunday's Keegan Bradley win. 


Next week the Fedex Cup playoffs begin, and I think we can look forward to seeing some more infographic creativity as the four event series unfolds.  

Here's the full sized version.

Garrulous Golf Instruction, Sexy Shakira Style

Some simply know her as a beautiful and talented singer but Shakira also has an affinity for golf, one that's  been quite well documented... in fact, it's been featured in the pages of this blog in the past. 


A couple of years ago the gorgeous Colombian spoke to celeb golfer George Lopez about her love for the game. He was clearly impresses. Shakira also counts professional golfers among her fans... and one very famous retired golfer.  Yes Lorena Ochoa is a "Fanatica" de Shakira...  


After you see this Shakira Instructional video, you'll probably be one too.
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Another First for Icelandic Golfer Olafur Loftsson

Ólafur Björn Loftsson Courtesy:  Charlotte Sports Information

A few months ago Ólafur Björn Loftsson, hit his first hole-in-one, in round 1 of the A-10 Championship.  His ace helped the Charlotte 49ers make history, winning a League-Record Sixth A-10 Men's Golf Title.

Then... just yesterday... the young man from Gardabaer, Iceland captured another history-making win at the Cardinal Amateur in Greensboro, NC.  That victory secured him a spot at this week's Wyndham Championship where he'll be the first Icelandic golfer ever to compete in a PGA Tour event.

Though not yet known for its professional golfers,  Iceland does have a unique and vibrant golf culture, with 65 courses, and an active national golf union.  The season...which generally runs from late May to early September... is somewhat short, but the days are long.  In fact, midnight golf is generally playable all over Iceland between June and the later part of July.

By the way, here's the video of Ólafur Loftsson's awesome ace.

...and for more on golf in Iceland check out the following:

The Iceland Open Experience: An Awesome Adventure

Golfer's Lament: When Iceland Lives Up to Its Name

NYC Area Golf Experiences - Putnam National Golf Course

Stacy Solomon, Mike Wolfe & I - Photo: Golf4Beginners

This past Thursday,  the New York metropolitan area enjoyed what will probably be its most beautiful summer day of 2011.  In a season that frequently featured oppressive heat and high humidity, the clearblue skies and bright sunshine were pleasantly tempered by cool breezes and the occasional cottony cumulus.

It was a perfect day for the impromptu "mini meet-up" and casual round of golf,  arranged by golf blogger and social media specialist, Stacy Solomon of Golf for Beginners.  The venue was Putnam National Golf Course in Mahhopac, NY, about 50 miles north of midtown Manhattan.

Joining Stacy and I was golf media multi-tasker Mike Wolfe, who produces the WAMGolf blog and radio show and runs WAM Enterprises, a social media marketing company. Stacy's husband Barry... who you may know as co-host of the Golf for Beginners podcast... rounded out our foursome.

Je Cherche le Foulard Golf - Seeking Golf Scarf

If I could create a silk scarf, with a golf theme... it would look a lot like this. Hot pink and turquoise...lots of flowers and whimsically rendered little golf things.  Oh, and in theory it's also available in a navy/pearl gray combination.  In case the pink/turquoise makes you want to thow up or something.  is too girly for you.

The thing is, these scarfs were once available at the French Golf Federation's website...  for 90 €... However that's apparently no longer the case... and I'm wondering where I can now get a hold of a few.  Any ideas.

Ryo Ishikawa - Grace, Game & A Growing US Fanbase

Ryo Ishikawa - Bridgestone Invitational / Photo: AP

I was on my way out of Akron when I received the photo at left in a message from my Japanese friend, Noriko.  With it she wrote:

"Ryo has played greatly ! Hope he plays well at the final round. I believe you like his cute smile below ..."

Heading north on OH-8 N towards Twinsburg, the midwestern landscape simmered in the steamy late afternoon sunlight.  I wasn't in Ohio for the tournament... I was actually attending  a somewhat peculiar  a uniquely interesting international convention for twins...  but that's a whole nother story.   

When I found out I'd be able to fit in several hours at the Bridgestone Invitational on Saturday I jumped at the chance, and that turned out to be the day Ryo Ishikawa fired off the bogey-free six-under par 64 that put him into solo second place behind Adam Scott who eventually lifted the trophy... and Scott was stellar... that's for sure.  Rickie Fowler was superlative as well, finishing in a tie for second with world number one Luke Donald.  Another impressive Aussie, Jason Day, shared the T-4 spot with Ryo.  But it was the "Bashful Prince" who stole the spotlight... and grew his US fan base substantially... on Saturday.

If you read this blog you know I'm a huge Ishikawa fan. I first wrote about Ryo over four years ago as he prepared to compete in Junior World at Torrey Pines.  Since then the Japanese teenager has appeared in the pages of Golf Girl's Diary over fifty times... to the extent that some have suggested I rename the blog "Ryo Ishikawa's US Fan Club".   I haven't done that, but as PGA Championship week gets underway here are a couple of my Ryo posts from years past.

Welcome Back to America Ryo Ishikawa

Ryo Style - Ishikawa Awesomeness at the HSBC Champions

Adoring Female Fans Covet Ryo Ishikawa's Balls

Everyone Loves Ryo - ハニカミ王子 - Golf's "It Boy"

Remarkable Ryo Ishikawa - Best Dressed Golfer of 2009

Maki Uchida - Golf Photography That Transcends Golf

Photos: Maki Uchida / Uchida Times

The allure of golf is hard to explain, even for those with a passion for the game. 

Whether one plays obsessively several times a week, or simply makes a point to watch The Masters each year, it's often hard to answer the inevitable, "what do you like about golf " question.

If you're reading this blog, you know the question I'm talking about. It's the one posed with a look of abject incredulity... in a tone laden with scepticism.  And when you hear it, that's when you realize... you actually don't even know what it is you love about the game.

If you're an avid player, you probably say something about the challenge of the sport... or the the connection with nature. Maybe you tout the social side.   If you're simply a fan, you may mention the show of skill and the prospect of an exciting finish.  In either case however, you realize that there's something else to it.  Something intangible...  something that goes beyond the game ...and that elusive... something... is what's so perfectly captured in the work of Japanese photographer, Maki Uchida.  Whether his subject is a famous professional golfer, or anonymous members of the gallery, he captures the feeling that goes along with the game... and the result is so compelling.

On his blog, Uchida Times, the photographer presents his work with unique humor and creativity. My Japanese is a work in progress, so I used translation software which isn't perfect but the photos themselves speak volumes and in essence,  reflect so much of what we love about the game.