Creative Crafters Give New Life to Old Abandoned Golf Balls

My own "Golf Ball Crafts" pinboard is one of many.

Golf balls have come a long way from their humble beginnings in 15th century Scotland.

Over the years, a smooth, solid wooden orb has morphed into a be-dimpled, multi-layered sphere of high-tech resins and rubber.

This impressive evolution has contributed to a substantial increase in distance... in both professional and amateur players, hitting both woods and irons.  Which is good,  as distance is prized by most golfers.  However, there's a downside... or two... in the modern golf ball's supernatural powers.

Some surmise that the longer ball flight has led to longer courses and longer, more expensive rounds.

There's also the fact that while the modern golf ball's nearly impenetrable polymers take hundreds of years to decompose, today's balls still fall victim to wear and tear. With regular use, their aerodynamic performance will eventually become compromised by nicks, scuffs and abrasions.  Never mind that the average golfer would be unlikely to ever notice the minute inconsistencies that occur, many are quick to abandon even a slightly bruised ball.  Add to that the fact that golf ranges replace their battered golf balls regularly, and you've got to wonder: what happens to all these prematurely discarded globes of impermeable plastic?

Most of them are recycled;  they're donated to junior golf programs and sent to soldiers serving abroad or sold to players like me; recreational players who buy used... refurbished, refinished... balls for casual rounds because we accept that the less-than-pristine condition of our golf balls is not going to affect our often abysmal scores.  And because we tend lose a couple/few each round.

There's also a small but creative group of crafters who are upcycling old golf balls in all kinds of interesting ways, creating everything from original art to home accessories. As with all things DIY, Pinterest is the place to start for inspiration. There are dozens of pinboards, dedicated to golf ball crafts, and most of the projects are easy, family-friendly and fun.  So if you happen to have some old unwanted golf balls, you may want to see what you can do with them.  Or you can just send them to me.

Michelle Wie Wears Stylish Wide Brim Visors for Added Sun Protection

Like Michelle Wie, You May Want to Supersize Your Golf Visor this Summer                              © Golf Girl Media                              

An exciting Sunday at the season's first major and a win last week in her native Hawaii have put LPGA superstar Michelle Wie firmly back into the spotlight, and in addition to her brilliant on-course abilities, fans are collectively getting reacquainted with her distinctive fashion sense.

On the golf course, Wie has been wearing Nike since... well... since she turned pro in 2005, at age 15.  Unusually tall and long-of-limb, the precocious phenom made every outfit look exceptional. She regularly made the "best-dressed female golfer" lists that appeared in blogs and magazines. Off course, at dinners and galas, she wore gowns by trendy young designers...  and, while a student at Stamford, Wie actually dabbled in fashion design herself, documenting innovative DIY designs in a blog she kept at the time.  MORE -->

Breakfast With Joe LaCava: Tiger Woods' Caddy Supports Richter Park

Legendary Looper Joe LaCava has had an extraordinary life. Fortunately... as I found out over breakfast this morning... he's also an exceptional storyteller. The Newtown, CT native was guest speaker at the annual Friends of Richter Park fundraiser today, and kept the audience entertained for almost an hour with compelling tales of life on tour. 

A PGA caddy for nearly three decades,  LaCava first spent several years caddying for his cousin, the mercurial champion Ken Green, then came more than two decades on the bag of easygoing golf icon, Fred Couples. After a brief stint with Dustin Johnson,  LaCava signed on with Tiger Woods in October 2011. To say that he's caddied for contrasting personalities would be an understatement.  

Obviously, this is a man with high emotional intelligence... and the ability to read people as well as he reads putts... and that's what's allowed him to become a valued asset to such a diverse group of players.

This morning LaCava wove a narrative, with a dozen or more interconnected stories. They touched upon the joys and challenges of a job that's quite enigmatic to most of the population. It was plain to see that Joe LaCava enjoyed sharing his stories... he's naturally garrulous and open... and the audience clearly enjoyed the glimpse he gave them into his unique lifestyle. 

Meanwhile the Third Annual Friends of Richter Park fundraiser breakfast was very well attended, and we're looking forward to getting back onto our wonderful town course for the season.  In addition to the golf course Richter Park is home to a performing arts center, tennis courts, a network of hiking trails and an excellent restaurant... it's a multi-faceted recreational/arts destination.

Female Golfers With Social Media Savvy: Pitch to Play With Team Poodle

Enter the PoodlePitch Contest to win a 10-Piece Golf Wardrobe!

Our innovative partner, Poodle is holding the first ever Poodle Pitch Contest!

Known for distinctive fairway fashions that combine athletic functionality with cosmopolitain chic, Poodle is a global golf apparel company and a dedicated supporter of women's golf. They regularly sponsor women's professional golf events as well as a roster of Poodle Pros and... the Russian National Women's Golf Team.

This year, for the first time Poodle is looking to add five recreational golfers... one from each of five countries... to the team.

The PoodlePitch Contest is open to female golfers 18 and over, who play at least 12 rounds a year. There are no handicap requirements but contestants need to reside in The Netherlands, Germany, France, the UK or the US. Those chosen will win a 10 piece golf wardrobe from the PoodleGolf online store.  The contest has a unique social media sharing component that will be fun and inspiring for socially networked golfers.

Entries will be accepted through May 1, and full details... plus the entry form... can be found on the PoodlePitch page. So... if you're a social media savvy woman who plays golf... prepare your pitch! Team Poodle is looking forward to welcoming its new members.

Alicia Carriles: An Inside Look at The Masters from a Golfer's Gorgeous Wife

Who is Alicia Carriles? If you don't know, this might be the perfect week to find out.

After a subdued start... on a soggy Masters Monday... the "Greatest Week in Golf" is officially underway.

The distinctiveness of the Masters... the history behind it, the lush green visuals and the well preserved air of exclusivity ... makes for a golf event that transcends the sport's fan base.

For the non-golf fan it might be as subliminal as catching sight of Augusta's emerald fairways on a screen or device... or finding oneself at a weekend gathering that turns out to be a Masters viewing party. The thing is, the world's awareness of golf is heightened for a week in early April because The Masters... like no other golf tournament, and few other events in any sport... resonates in an emotional way. --MORE-->

The Social Media Science Behind Paulina Gretzky's Golf Digest Cover

                                            Golf Digest

The LPGA is transcending golf this weekend, thanks not to a killer leaderboard at their season's first major, but to a photogenic celebutante with incredible abs and a sizzling/slash/scandalous social media presence.  

Paulina Gretzky isn't a professional golfer or even a particularly avid fan of the sport. She's a rather good singer though, and she's the daughter of a great Great hockey player. Additionally, as fiancee to a top PGA Tour player, Dustin Johnson, Paulina is a genuine golf WAG and, according to Sam Weinman, web editor at GolfDigest.com, "a certified celebrity within the golf world". 

It's a nuanced balance of the above elements that led the athletic Instagram queen onto the May cover of Golf Digest... and provoked an outcry that has golf... and the LPGA ...being discussed in places that rarely notice women's golf.  The controversial cover model, plus some of the ensuing reporting and reaction from golf pundits, officials and industry insiders... most notably LPGA Tour commissioner, Mike Whan and several top LPGA tour players... has been discussed in AdWeek, The New York Times, Mashable and Business Insider as well as countless other non-golf outlets. TV morning shows and radio programs picked up the story as well... and on social media, where uncensored opinionating and viral sharing can amplify a timely topic exponentially, an animated debate is ongoing and has reached well beyond the golf niche. Which brings us to a cynical, well-worn cliche that today is more pertinent than ever: there's no such thing as bad publicity.    

It's very rare that Golf Digest features a woman on its cover, and for them to choose an aspiring entertainer as opposed to a professional female golfer has created a substantial backlash.  However, you don't get the impression it's a particularly unwelcome backlash, nor that it came as a surprise to the editors. In fact, some would surmise that... coming just weeks after the launch of a Golf Digest Video Channel and days after a major homepage redesign... the controversial move was, in fact, highly calculated. --MORE-->