The Executive Women's Golf Association (EWGA) recently developed a plan to highlight the golf courses that are friendly to women. The details were announced in a press release, so hopefully courses will strive to get on the good-list.
First of all, the course must be a part of the EWGA Network to be eligible for the designation. The determining factors of female-friendliness fall under two categories, Playability of the Course and Customer Service.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
New 'Women-Friendly' Category When Ranking Courses
Monday, April 23, 2007
Hollywood Will Head to the Fairway
The Salvation Army has set the date for its upcoming Celebrity Invitational Golf Classic. The 
May 31st event will be hosted by none other than Donald Trump and foursomes will go for $10,000. 
Past participants include Mark Wahlberg, Magic Johnson, Penny Marshall and Bob Saget. So far there is only a press release out covering the spring game at Trump National Golf Club in California. Past participants include Penny Marshall, Magic Johnson, Bob Saget and Mark Wahlberg - who has also been rumored to be facing a bit of a golfing adjustment with his new role as a family man.
Apparently (according to ContactMusic.com) girlfriend Rhea Duram enjoys the golf fashions but dislikes the amount to time it steals Mark away for a game. And just a few weeks ago StarPulse.com reported that he's being forced to turn his backyard practice area, where he once worked on his swing, will soon be replaced with a play-set and swing.
(Albert L. Ortega/WireImage)
A Mexican Takeover
Congratulations to Lorena Ochoa, who finally won the power-struggle for the number one spot in women's golf today. It was only a matter of time with Annika Sorenstam off the golf course due to an injury. The 25 year old Mexican golferette was thrilled with her arrival at first place. The icing on the cake was that she got to enjoy being the best player in the world at home, preparing for the Corona Championship.
(Getty Images/David Cannon)
Reuters captured the leading lady's winning words, 
Why Women Turn to Golf
Journalist Paul Lin, with the WSJ, shot a video piece briefly investigating why more women are playing golf these days and how the industry is catering to them.
Lin visited Sterling Farms Golf Course in Stamford, Connecticut to talk with Head Golf Pro Angela Aulenti. Angela explained some of the factors drawing ladies to the game,
Paul Lin narrated,
Angela continued, saying,
Angela definitely covered two big reasons why More Women Embrace Golf.
May Giveaway ... Free Lessons!
As FitSugar reported last Thursday, PlayGolfAmerica.com will be hosting free 10-minute lessons with PGA professionals nationwide this May. All you need to do is visit the PGA Free Lesson Month page to locate a teacher near you and sign up. So any fellow rookie golfer girls, grab those clubs and take this opportunity to gain a bit more confidence on the golf course.
Two other upcoming female-friendly events include
Women's Golf Week (June 2-9)
and Take Your Daughter to the Course Week (July 9-15).
Friday, April 20, 2007
For the Philly Female
Living in Philadelphia right now, I drove by a sign at a local course for GolfPhilly.com, and it's a pretty decent site for the public golf offerings in this city. Since spring has finally arrived I decided to go to the driving range as soon as I stepped out of the office!
I really wish there were more driving ranges. The ability to get off work and make a relaxing trip to the range would be amazing, but lately I find myself heading into rush hour traffic after I get home from work - who wants to do that???
(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Philly does offer a centrally located one, in the Philadelphia Park System aka Fairmont Park; I'm just picky and hope for a golfing utopia with well manicured public driving ranges, located every 5 miles.
Corporate Golfing
The idea of corporate golf is a solid one. It was even featured as part of a challenge on Season 4 of NBC's The Apprentice.
Today, Fortune Magazine online received a question from a business woman, raising to the executive ranks: "Must I play golf to get ahead?"
According to expert Hilary Bruggen, the answer is YES. Although the article states,
There are lots of tools available out there that specifically target the business golf outing. My
personal favorite, Eye Candy Caddies ... are you serious? They even have a site dedicated to corporate events! I did major in marketing, so I must give them kudos for identifying a "unique need" out there and being very one-of-a-kind.
The (evidently) typically male-based excursion can be advantageous to the working woman. Washington DC (at times crass) gossip blogger Wonkette addressed a question about finding a way to network with the big-shot Lobbyists, her answer was GOLF.
I definitely think corporate ladies should pick up their golf clubs and head to the fairway. The woman who posed the "problem" to Fortune columnist Anne Fischer sounded a bit fearful or anxious about hittin' balls with the boys, and I fully understand where she is coming from. Golf has tended to be such a male-based sport, I find my rookie-self feeling a mix of anxiety and pride when I arrive at the driving range or golf course. All the more reason for every woman to get out there and do her thing, athletic or not - its not like you're heading onto the football field.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Bringing Sexy Back to the Green
This will be the first boy featured on The Fairway Flapper, but us gals need to keep up on the celebrity gossip when it tees off!
Again "cold off the press" - On Sunday Mr. Justin Timberlake graced the green at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland, before beginning his "FutureSex/LoveShow" European Tour - as Now Magazine reports. I first became aware of this fairway frenzy when scrolling through the best celebrity gossip site ever, Perez Hilton.
[Image courtesy of PopSugar.com]
For the Mommy Golfer
Jennifer Mario for TravelGolf.com discovered Mother's Day Golf Gifts for the Rest of Us. Witty Ms. Mario gets right down to business, tossing out the classic "yawn" Mother's Day gift ideas and presenting a list of obviously great ones, such as a tee time and a babysitter.
The Fashionable Birdie
Due to my crazy corporate schedule this month I've been severely slacking as The Fairway Flapper. Luckily, my good friend was nice enough to alert me on FabSugar's Designer Spotlight: Birdie (be sure to check out any of the "sugar" blogs - they are top notch). Young golferette Kate Sutton was fed-up with golf wear closely resembling a potato-sack, so last year she launched her own line. In just one year Kate's clothes have soared into the lime-light, having been featured in numerous magazines, of course including Golf for Women.
Check it out - even the website is utterly adorable!!!
"Annika Academy"
Not quite hot off the press at this point but in case you haven't been paying attention, lady golfer Annika Sorenstam opened her own golf school in Florida yesterday. Could The Annika Academy be her way of fighting back against the recent speculation of her slipping off the No. 1 pedestal? Doubtful, since her new position on "the bench," as Ochoa threatens to overthrow, only came about a few days ago.
Doug Ferguson with the AP picked up this golfer girl story,
He also managed to nab us an update on the Swede's injury,
Friday, April 13, 2007
Two Premier Ladies Out of Commission
As the New York Times announced, yesterday Annika Sorenstam joined fellow leading lady Michelle Wie in acquiring a new type of handicap, the incapacitating injury.
Michelle was forced to drop out of competitive play this February due to an injured wrist (she fell while jogging). Then Annika withdrew from a tournament yesterday, with a ruptured disk, leaving her out of commission for at least one month.
On Annika,
On Michelle,
Golf columnist Damon Hack concludes,
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Fairway Fixations
On a personal note ...
Inconveniently, the corporate world has been keeping my focus occupied lately. I have however managed to squeeze in some golf gear shopping.
Due to my "green" golfer status, it was high time for a fairway makeover. Interestingly enough my automatic "must" items are The Bag and The Shoes ... how predictable.
The Bag:
Ridiculous vs. Respectable
I was instantly drawn to the lure of the chic black Burberry bag ($335). My irrational "Veruca Salt shopper" instinct kicked in, with justifications such as "it's not that much more than you were planning to spend ..." (only 3x's more) ... "you'll never need to buy another bag again!"
Then there was the very smart looking Callaway, with a practical price tag ($139).Standing there in the store I had a golferette epiphany: How ridiculous would a Burberry golf bag look, being toted around the course by a freshman-female golfer?? Not that I care what the boys think or anything, but who's going to take a girl on the golf course seriously if she's toting around designer duds with no talent?
Needless to say, I am the (reasonably) proud owner of the basic yet smart Callaway cart bag.
The Shoes:
Ecco Enchantment
Again, being the clueless golf shopper, I did some minor investigating to figure out the optimum shoe to attain. So far the obvious answer has been an Ecco, and if "you get what you pay for" I suppose that makes sense. Ecco's give a girl comfort, support, quality, and style. Its website demonstrates the technology behind the shoes.
The website Ladies Golf Journal highlighted Ecco's in two articles. One posted back in 2006 and a more recent piece, which explains,
"Leading the sleek and chic fashion is Ecco. "ECCO loves women. And women seem to love them right back," reports Golf World Business. It is one of the most popular on private courses and on the LPGA Tour."Ecco is partnered with the Ladies European Tour and became the Official Parter to the 2007 European Challenge Tour. Pro-golferettes sporting the Ecco include Carin Koch, Anna Rawson, Meena Lee and Juli Inkster.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Ladies' Influence on the Business of Golf
A Wall Street Journal piece illustrated how Golf Business Wants More of the Green, perceptively pointing out the influence of the woman's dollar on the golf industry. Surprisingly this influence isn't the disregarded yet dominating force I was expecting it to be. Despite the fact that a major chunk of new golfers are women, our overall population is declining.
John Paul Newport explains that,
"In addition, girls are showing an interest in golf. The proportion of girls among players under 18 has almost doubled since 2000, to about 25 percent. In part this reflects the growing popularity of the LPGA Tour and its attractive cast of young players such as Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis.
But the fact is that these efforts are small compared with the base of existing golfers - and they haven't been able to boost golfer-retention rates significantly. The retention rate for women is particularly poor. Since the late 1990s, women have taken up golf in unprecedented numbers. In recent years, about 40 percent of all new players have been female. But the total number of core women players has actually declined. According to the NGF, the number fell to 2.3 million in 2005 - the latest year for which figures are available - from 2.7 million in 2003."
Dispite this dampening news, there is plenty of buzz indicating that the women's golf industry is poised to "explode," and become larger than ever. Blogger Jay Flemma associates the recent win of Morgan Pressel to this prophecy, declaring,
"Everyone LOVES Morgan Pressel. Serious golf writers love her game and her attitude. Fans love her fire. Between her and Paula Creamer, the LPGA has enough
lightning to last a generation . . . and they're just the tip of the iceberg. Women's golf is poised to EXPLODE with spunky players with gem-hard game that will resonate with the men. Who needs women vs. men when the ladies' tour is this compelling?"
So break out those clubs girls and bring your friends! We have to show the market our numbers if we want better attention from the golfing world.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Chicken Soup for the Woman Golfer's Soul
How very feminine, "Chicken Soup for the Woman Golfer's Soul: Stories About Trailblazing Women Who've Changed the Game Forever" was released as the latest addition to the infamous book series this month. Quite a title?! I like the subtitle the best, it kind of removes the Dr. Phil-esque impression one might get when confronted with a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book.
The publisher's blurb about the collection provides an distinctive description,
"Since Mary Queen of Scots broke golf’s gender barrier in the sixteenth century, women have been underrepresented on the links until now. Chicken Soup for the Woman Golfer’s Soul is a tribute to pioneers who have paved the way ..."NBC in Augusta appropriately tied The Female Golfer into it's boys' only April event thanks to the coinciding publish date. "Women Golfer's Have Augusta Roots and 'Chicken Soup for the Soul," highlights some local golferettes who contributed their accounts.
"Many golf enthusiasts will agree that golf is the fastest-growing sport and hobby among women, and inside this book, you’ll find how the great game of golf helped female executives, seniors, Gen Xers, and moms find empowerment, clarity, and the thrill of victory--on and off the course."
Read a few more local looks at some of the featured lady golfers:
The California Girl - Susie Berning
From the State of Independence - Mary Fox
Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Kristen Samp
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Age is Not a Factor for the Ladies This Week
Apparently age is just not a factor in a golferette's success on the course this week. Last Sunday, 18 year old Morgan Pressel became the youngest woman ever in the LPGA to win a major tournament, at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. The conquest was thoroughly covered by the media thanks to an enjoyable AP article. Congrats Morgan! ... although I must admit I'm always a bit resentful when girl who is younger than me realizes such awesome achievements ... but have fun with that $300,000 too!
Robert Laberge / Getty Images
Here are the top Kraft Nabisco Championship Scores:
1. Morgan Pressel (-3)
T-2. Catriona Matthew (-2)
T-2. Brittany Lincicome (-2)
T-2. Suzann Pettersen (-2)
T-5. Stacy Lewis (-1)
T-5. Shi Hyun Ahn (-1)
T-5. Stacy Prammanasudh (-1)
T-5. Meaghan Francella (-1)
Like a Kid in a Candy Store
So in my amateur quest to officially join in the vocation of golf, I headed into my local Golfdom store. Wow! It's amazing in that place! Normally, a decent selection of quality women's golf goods is somewhat hard to come by, but Golfdom has some seriously cute things, from clothing to golf bags.
Oddly there are only two locations, each in an area I frequent - being from Northern Virginia and now residing in Philadelphia. Sorry to everyone not passing through either place. Tragically their online shopping isn't quite up to par and does no justice to the great stuff available on site.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Birdies in Burberry
Apparently the world of fashion is smart enough to extend its designer-labeled hand and bring the competitive display of materialism onto the golf course.
Burberry has an entire women's golf section on its website! The clothing selection isn't very extensive but there are some great accessories.
Here are some choice picks:
Hole In One at 102
This week 102 year old Elsie McLean landed her first hole in one, after nearly 80 years on the course.
Wow! This is obviously a record breaking event and it's kind of amazing how difficult it was to locate online!!! I spotted it on The TODAY Show this morning and now it's practically disappeared from the face of the earth! After painfully searching every inch of the internet I found it, reported by KNVN the local NBC affiliate in Chico, California where Elsie achieved this monumental feat.
Elsie was actually featured in Golf Digest last year, in an article called "Who Are You Calling Old?" and in her local Chico News & Review (pictured above).
Congratulations Elsie!!! Keep driving those balls!
No Girls Allowed!
The "boys only" clubs have been phenomena in existence for centuries. Even the Little Rascals had their very own "He-Man Woman Haters Club." I guess this alienation began as a result of our cooties and passion for the color pink, but grown men? What's up with that? I suppose they're just not comfortable with our gingerly ways and the liability that we may actually be better than them at something. We create anxiety.
As for the world of golf this is a very present concept and it's being slowly revised across the pond in the UK. The BBC ran an insightful article, Where Are Women Still Not Allowed? this week covering the currents changes to some of the working men's clubs over there. It features the heading, "Golf War"
I personally have no problem with men's only clubs, if they like 'em let them have 'em. Political correctness is overrated and makes me nauseous once I've rolled my eyes. What difference does it make? We can easily go out and start some women's only clubs. I feel that protesting such establishments doesn't really accomplish anything beneficial to either party. The men loose their hang-out and a potentially therapeutic environment for themselves, and we acquire a lot of unnecessary resentment and one more course to play at (out of roughly 16,000 in the US - according to Golf Digest's "Planet Golf"). Why would you want to play with people who don't want you around anyways?
What are your thoughts?
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Where Its At
The obvious place to start is with the two best sites out there right now!
LPGA - Amazingly young and interactive, loads of good features and topics covered. This site definitely makes up for the fact that there's nearly nothing out there in cyberspace at the moment!! (it may also be the reason there's nothing else out there - the monopoly)
Golf for Women - Decent, the women's section of Golf Digest. I definitely think it could offer a lot more but I guess you have to buy the actual magazine for those perks.
Some other decent general Golf websites include The Golf Channel and the NCAA Women's Golf page.
A Golf Blog for Gals
One day I finally began following in the footsteps of my father and decided I wanted to golf. I'd owned clubs since I was 12 thanks to dad's Golfsmith hobby of assembling them himself. I only went out a few times with my dad and it wasn't always the best experience (think, ex-Marine with 12 year old daughter lugging her clubs around the course, miserable).
Now in my maturity I have a few friends who golf and the sport is amazing, definitely a women's sport if you think about it ... spending a quaint day outside, chatting away with your girlfriends and maybe a cocktail, and wearing cute outfits, all while being "controversial" - invading the boys territory (nothing we love more). Golf can travel with you and is often enjoyed in the best spots on the planet. Its also very satisfying hobby, always room for challenge, growth and improvement but also a lighthearted fun day outside. It honestly is also a pretty nice environment to be in if you're single young female like myself; "golf" - and the stereotypes it possesses - kind of weeds out the good ones for us! Sort of a screening process.
Well in an automatic attempt to prepare myself and perfect my game I turned to the Internet and was shocked at the lack of quality content out there for us ladies! It's almost amusing it's so ridiculous! So I decided to create a blog, for one-stop-shopping. Weed out the scarce quality information out there and put it in one place.
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