Of Pin-up Models, Calendar Contests and Golf's Top Dogs

When someone says "golf pin-up" or "golf calendar model" it generally brings to mind images like like this.  Or perhaps, this.

In other words you picture a shapely lady in a revealing outfit... with maybe a golf club or two in the mix. Anything else is optional/irreverent.

Well, earlier today I discovered a different kind of "golf pin-up". One with a slightly less libidinous aesthetic.

TurfNet.com is a site for the superintendents, the often under-heralded professionals who manage the labor, time, materials and financial resources needed to care for the fairways and greens of the courses we play on.  In addition the tutorials, job boards and equipment listings, there are myriad blogs and articles that provide an interesting and enlightening look and the extraordinary effort required to keep even the most modest golf courses up to par.  It's a fascinating glimpse into the multi-faceted world of a profession that we golfers depend on for our favorite recreational activity... but one most of us know very little about.

Then there's the calendar... and this is a feature that totally transcends golf.

"Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr... and Tank; just a few of history's most popular pin-up models." 

That's how the TurfNet Superintendent's Best Friend Calendar's call for models is presented, and every year since 2002, 14 fabulous golf course dogs have been selected to grace the pages of this very special calendar.  The 2012 nominees are presented in their own video, and there are numerous other videos in the site's TurfNetTV section that present all of the beguiling canines in their photogenic glory. The quality of the photos is, quite simply, amazing.  The variety of different breeds and the diversity of the courses they inhabit is remarkable, and the way the dogs pose... and project ownership of their respective domains... is enchanting.
 
So when you've got a bit of time to spare head over to TurfNet, and check out the awesome golf course dogs.  I guarantee they'll lift your spirits.