Lahinch Golf Club

The day  was so cold, windy and rainy that I didn’t stand a chance to get our potted plants into the ground.

Although we had signed up to play in the newly organized Friday evening “Social/Mixed” golf at Lahinch, I wondered aloud to my life partner, Kevin, would we have to play in this weather?  He said if the other couple want to play, then we have to play.  And play we did.  To prepare for the cold, I dressed in 4 layers and looked like I was headed to the North Pole. The other 3 had on shirts and shorts and looked like they were going to a tiki bar in Florida.  I kid you not!

We fortified ourselves with a bowl of soup and packed our waterproofs into our golf bags. Thankfully, the rain eased up and we went out to play with Margery and Brendan. Although we played in a 3-club wind at Portmarnock a few days earlier, this wind felt more fierce. Especially on the first hole, which is all uphill to a small elevated green – and actually, on every hole after that!

On the par-3 eleventh hole, Brendan,  a 9 handicap, walked up on the tee box and simply said “I don’t know.” His tee shot was in play, but none of our balls stayed on the green. The wind was a factor on every putt as well. The last time I played this hole at Lahinch, I birdied it, so I had a bit more confidence.  I think we escaped with a 5, but for the other team, it was a blank on the card.

With all the battling of the elements, one of the nicest things about playing with Irish golfers is is the same thing I like about womens golf,  I never feel as though I am battling with them personally. There may be a fiver, a pint, or a social-mixed-winner title (and some Euros!) on the line, but instead of tension, there are smiles, stories, and camaraderie as we walk to each tee and play each hole.

It is a pure links golf experience. There are no range finders, no GPS. The yardage is usually on a marker on each tee box, and there may be a 150 yard post on the edge of the fairway, or some embedded disks indicating 200, 150 and 100 yards to the green. You have to use your imagination and work it out for yourself what club to use.  A white stone may be your aiming point on a blind hole. On the famous “Dell,” the blind par-3 fifth hole at Lahinch, the stone is moved every day as the hole is cut in a different part of the green.

The more I play here, the more I marvel at the unique challenge that each hole presents. On a calm day, it is a magical stage of 18 dramas. Add the wind, and you feel more like a warrior—and a winner for just getting around the course.  Now where is that Tiki bar???   I am ready for a Mai Tai!

Taba Dale is a self proclaimed Golf Geek, learner and lover of Golf.  Author, writer/producer of the upcoming TV documentary series “Legacy of the Links”, dealer of fine golf art, and President of Premier Golf Travel, and  of Brian Morgan Golf, Taba (Pronounced Tay-ba, like the River Tay) can be found at www.ScottsdaleCollection.com & at www.BrianMorganGolf.com.

Patty Atkins & Tina Mickelson (with baby on board!)

Tina Mickelson inspired and entertained us with her women’s golf stories and words of wisdom during the Women on Course Signature Golf Event at Sycuan Resort in  San Diego, CA on Aug 10th.

According to Tina, golf provides her the opportunity to spend time and develop relationships with people she otherwise couldn’t. When she wants to spend time with her brothers all she has to do is get a tee time and she instantly has 4.5 hours of uninterrupted time!  She also described how playing golf with people she wouldn’t ordinarily choose to hang out with (men!) has helped her grow as a person – she used to be intimidated by “guy-banter”, but now she is used to it and has even learned to banter back – and the guys love it!

I find these points so true in my own life and have found that there are many different ways to experience 9 or 18 holes. I love playing ladies golf  with my girlfriends, where we just talk, talk, talk and the only time conversation ceases is for the 2 seconds during our swings (and on the putting green). I also love playing very serious tournament golf when nobody talks much at all and I’m really focused on the mental aspect of the game. Playing with my husband and kids is an entirely different experience – more fun and relaxing combined with the pleasure of sharing “family time”.  It’s just as fun for me to play with scratch golfers and admire their beautiful swings as it is to play with new golfers and mentor them along. All in all, as Tina shared, playing golf is about being surrounded by nature, gowing as a person, respecting the game, and the best part … spending quality time with quality people!

Ultimately, the only rounds that are not enjoyable are the ones played with negative nellies with bad attitudes. As Tina said, “Those are the people who you let play on through – both in golf and in life.”   Love that and so true!

Written by Women on Course member, Margaret Ferry.

“Keep your head down!” “Don’t bend your elbow!” “Loosen your grip!”  Tiffany Faucette, Co-Director of the Golf Academy at 1757 Golf Club, dispelled those and many other “tips” we’ve heard for years and replaced them with practical, “made-for-us-girls” tidbits at a Women on Course Play Day event this past Friday evening.

A group of five intermediate level golfers (we play, but not consistently, know the rules and etiquette of the game, but are having a hard time executing) came together for a “back to basics” ladies golf refresher.  While we took in the spectacular view from the private upstairs facility at the Club’s Golf Academy, Tiffany asked us each what we hoped to accomplish and then led us through a two hour session that ended with each of us realizing that we CAN play this game!  Having our swings videotaped was a real eye opener (frankly, the flaws in our hips were more troubling than the flaws in our swings!)

Over a glass of wine in the Clubhouse, we all agreed that we loved each other’s company and got so much out of our session with Tiffany that we plan to schedule several more in the coming weeks. Check out the Women on Course calendar if you’d like to join us.  Kudos to our fabulous Women on Course VP, Lee Van Giezen for setting this up and please let her know if you’d like to join us for the next session (lee@womenoncourse.com) – she’s also very happy to set up golf clinics in your area!

And meantime, don’t worry so much about keeping that left arm straight. Cheers.  :)

Women on Course member Margaret A. Ferry owns an international communications consulting practice based in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at margaretaferry@comcast.net.

La Costa Resort & Spa

Where can women golfers go in the middle of summer to find the most perfect golf weather in the country?  Forty two women traveled for an unforgettable three day ladies golf experience at the La Costa Resort and Spa on July 30, 2010.

Hosted by Women on Course, members enjoyed meeting new friends, golf on some incredible holes, contests, food, wine, fashion shows, golf clinics and plenty of gifts and surprises along the way.

Callaway Golf provided a special treat when they previewed the new 2011 fashion line, and brought the latest equipment for women to try.  The first 20 women who signed up for the weekend received a club of their choice!  Spokesperson Debbie Keller, wowed the ladies with an entertaining swing demonstration that ended by hitting a golf ball off a tee held in the mouth of an unsuspecting teen!

At the farewell breakfast each guest had a minute to reflect upon her favorite memory of the experience that was meet with laughter, thoughtfulness and a sense of empowerment of all that was accomplished.

So where to next?  Pack your golf clubs and attend the first ever Three Day Golf School Experience at Rancho Las Palmas Resort in Rancho Mirage, CA on November 11 to 13, 2010.

And don’t forget to bookmark the Women on Course calendar to keep abreast of all of the fun activities across the country!

Wow … this is exciting news as I LOVE anything Swarovski!  And if I can combine my love of bling with my love of golf, I am a very happy camper! We are now partnering with Bella Crystal – which means Women on Course members get 10% off of their products when you buy from the WOC store.

Bella Crystal Collection is a fashion accessories brand headquartered in San Diego, CA that is famous for being officially licensed worldwide by Swarovski – did you know that the Austrian based Swarovski is  over 100 years old?  I didn’t!   That license ensures that all their products are authentic.  Bella means beautiful in Italian, and that is the Bella Crystal goal, to beautify ladies golf.

I am now the proud owner of the “Pink Flower” and just purchased the “Pink Ribbon” for a good friend of mine who is recovering from breast cancer – I’m thinking stocking stuffers for the holidays, too!

Each item  is created with highest quality standards and embellished with a maximum number of Swarovski stones. Their passion for quality and golf complements us at Women on Course for obvious reasons!   We are proud to offer their ball markers on the Women on Course website – go there now and grab a couple for your friends – I’m warning you, though, you’ll want to keep them for yourself!

Stacy Lewis

June is not only Women’s Golf Month, it’s also Scoliosis Awareness Month and it’s the perfect time to honor Stacy Lewis, who overcame a 45 degree curve in her spine caused by scoliosis to become one of the LPGA’s rising stars.  She’s also the star of this week’s episode of Athlete 360, a new sports medicine show on Fox Sports that says it “lets viewers get to meet their favorite athletes, inside and out – literally.” Let me tell you, no story on this great show has been more inspiring than Stacy’s.

Many of you may be familiar with Stacy.  If you’re not, let me tell you about her.  At 11, Stacy was diagnosed with scoliosis. At 12, she started to play golf.  For 6 years, Stacy wore a back brace 20 hours a day to try to correct her curve.  She continued to play, despite the discomfort of the brace in the sticky Houston heat. Her senior year of high school, Stacy got two pieces of news: 

1. She’d received a full scholarship to play golf from the University of Arkansas

2. She’d need surgery to stop the curve in her spine from growing

Stacy’s doctor performed a complex surgery, implanting five titanium screws and a rod in Stacy’s spine, in such a way that she’d have greater flexibility in her swing.  Stacy spent the first half of her freshman year recovering from the surgery, spending time at competitions with her coaches instead of teeing off – an experience that Stacy later said was invaluable, because she got to learn so much from her coaches.  Her short game also improved dramatically during her recovery, because it was months before she could do anything but chip and put.

Stacy, the little girl with a spinal deformity, went on to become a 4-time All American, won the NCAA Championship, won Q-School in 2009, and recently took second to Ai Mayazato at the Tres Marias Championship in Mexico.  She’s a quickly maturing golfer, and she has a long career ahead of her.  Watch a great video of  one of Stacy’s great approach shots here.

The most fascinating part of the whole story is that Stacy’s spinal curvature may have actually helped her golf swing.  According to the show’s host, Mark Adickes – a former Super Bowl winner turned Harvard-educated orthopedic surgeon – “Sometimes surgery marks the end of a career.  Sometimes an athlete gets pieced back together to continue on.  Rare is the case where surgery makes a career possible.”  In Stacy’s own words:  “The way [the spine] was curved, I mean it was perfect for my golf swing. I’m more limited on my turn on my through swing than going back which is…good for golf.”

Female athletes have made great leaps and bounds just in my lifetime. But, in a world where women still make less money than male athletes and have to overcome great adversity to become respected as athletes, the lesson of Stacy Lewis’s story is a valuable one. In the face of great adversity, Stacy took what many would have considered an unconquerable flaw and used it her great advantage. We should all strive to do the same.

To learn more about Athlete 360 and Stacy Lewis, visit the show’s Facebook page.