Though the PGA of America was founded in New York City most don't think of the Big Apple as a golf town. In fact, for a time the city's public courses had been the subject of ridicule. Their club houses were crumbling and the fairways bedraggled. Greens were frequently bumpy and burned out.Changes came in 1983 when the Department of Parks and Recreation turned golf course operation over to outside operators. Clubhouses were refurbished or rebuilt and courses were redesigned and replanted. The First Tee opened at Mosholu Golf Course in the Bronx and now exposes thousands of city children to golf each year. The idea was to teach city kids golf and the life skills that come with it.
LPGA Champion Cristie Kerr was part of that effort earlier this week when she spent the day at Dyker Beach Golf Course and Junior Golf Center, a wonderful facility in Bay Ridge Brooklyn. She hosted a free clinic for junior golfers who are part the golf program which is presented by the René Lacoste Foundation. Lacoste is one of Cristie's long-time sponsors.
In addition to a free clinic for junior golfers Kerr shared stories of growing up with golf and reminded the young players of the importance of maintaining good grade. She even found time to make public service announcement promoting junior golf in the city she's grown to love.
.
ReplyDeletedon't hold me to it but i think VAN CORTLAND was the FIRST PUBLIC access golf course in america
frankD
(ex-NYer)
ft lauderdale
I've often thought there were too few professional golfers promoting junior golf so it's good to see Cristie doing it.
ReplyDeleteWere you paid by Cristie for these articles? Are you presently or have you recently been paid to do PR for Cristie? If you are, you MUST say that...
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Jay ;o)
ReplyDeleteI've been writing about Cristie for almost four years because... like so many others... I admire her exceptional talent and dedication to golf, as well as the work she does for her own charity, Birdies for Breast Cancer, and for many other great organizations.
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Cristie and working on her website, which I've always been very open about. As for the articles here... on my own personal blog... no, I've never been paid for a single one of them. And just so you know, I haven't been paid by Ryo Ishikawa or Rickie Fowler or Lorena Ochoa or any of the hundreds of other golfers I've written about here. Though as long as what I was writing was sincere, I wouldn't feel a moral dilemma in being paid for it. On the other hand, I do feel a moral dilema in reporting rumors, which has become commonplace among both bloggers and "journalists". The recent Colin Montgomerie debacle is a perfect example.
That said, I didn't "call out" the writers who reported the rumors because I realize that the journalistic landscape is changing. In this era of citizen journalists, and social media the public will seek out the content that resonates with them and the content that they trust. And now, in the words of the beleaguered Mr. Montgomerie, "lets make this about golf" ;o)
Touche Patricia, I might advise you to seek a "blogstraining order" against Mr. Flemma, he seems quite obsessed.
ReplyDeleteI've spoken to so many kids lately who never even consider golf. It's not even on their radar when they think of sports. That bothers me because it offers so much. It's great to see Cristie Kerr and some of the other LPGA golfers getting out and spreading the word.
ReplyDeletethis is just another of the reasons why I like what Cristie Kerr is doing for the game of golf. She takes her public persona very seriously, works tirelessly to raise money for Breast Cancer, promote women's golf and she makes herself accessible to the public. A role model...yes, I think so!
ReplyDelete...and that is EXACTLY what I am talking about Patricia. If you are taking money form Cristie...or The Birdie Sisters...or anyone else for doing work for them, blogging or otherwise, you are REQUIRED to put a disclaimer on the piece, and not the halfway disclaimer you have on the front page of your blog. Otherwise it's completely misleading.
ReplyDeleteWhat "Colin Montgomerie debacle?"
Dude... you're not getting it. We read this blog because we like the content and respect the writer. So give it a rest. OK? And you ask "what Colin Montgomerie debacle"? Go to WaggleRoom, FanHouse, SportsbyBrooks... to name a few a search Colin Montgomerie.
ReplyDelete.
ReplyDeleteare sexual favors considered "payment" for services rendered
frankD
ft lauderdale
See? That's what I'm talking about...she brings up the salacious non-story NOBODY in the media center was talking about...NOBODY. But I see why you tune in...for the lowest common denominator.
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that Cristie Kerr, one of the top golfers in the world has a residence in New York City and seems to be embracing it in a way few other golfers do. While it's not an obvious golf town there's plenty of great golf around New York and a huge population of young people to introduce to the game. Kudos to Cristie.
ReplyDeleteFlemma, Your friend and colleague Ryan Bellangee broke the "salacious" Colin Montgomerie story, no?
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I never even saw it mentioned on this blog.
For a guy who seems to think he is a professor of journalism, you can be quite dense. By debacle she meant the Brit tabloid habit of throwing out anything. Patricia did not do that. It was not a debacle by Colum. She meant by certain media people.
ReplyDeleteSo Patricia worked on Kerr's website a while back. So what?? Larry Brooks worked for the Devils and now "reports" hockey in the NY Post. If Patricia was trying to "sell" something of Kerr's, that would be different.
Before lecturing so much, how about trying to learn something first.
I enjoy reading positive stories about golf and like to know what Cristie Kerr is doing for junior golfers. She obviously feels passionate about it and wants to "give back" in a meaningful way.
ReplyDeleteAs for the other nonsense. It's Patricia's blog and she can write whatever she chooses. Fortunately, she keeps it honest and truthful. So what if she was paid (which she wasn't) if the story is truthful.
Lastly, readers don't have to stop by this page they choose to do so. Obviously Patricia is doing something right to have so many loyal readers.
Is nudity allowed on this site?
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/golfswingexpert
.
ReplyDeleteden,
i certainly hope so
also
i don't think the jay flemma thing is really jay flemma which of course is a limitation with any posts, even those with published identities - you never really know who the author really is
anyway be well
frankD
ft lauderdale F L A