The Travelers Championship Means Much More Than Golf to Nutmeggers

The Travelers Championship - A CT Golf Event That Transcends Golf    via TravelersChampionship.com

While the golf is certainly stellar, for Connecticut residents, the Travelers Championship is also synonymous with history, community and charity.

For over fifty years the PGA Tour has come to the Hartford area for this annual event. It brings together sports fans of all stripes for a celebratory week of activities; a week that transcends the game and touches the lives of many. The Travelers Championship is Connecticut's largest professional sporting event and as the infographic above illustrates, 100% of the proceeds go to local charities.

For 2013, Travelers Championship week will run from Monday, June 17th thru Sunday, June 23, and the field is getting deeper by the day, with commitments coming in yesterday from Rickie Fowler, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Jason Dufner, Fredrik Jacobson and Padraig Harrington.

And... the tournament's world class Cromwell venue, TPC River Highlands, is right on schedule to receive the PGA Tour stars. We played there yesterday as part of the Travelers Championship media day, and though our team was less than impressive on the fairways and greens, conditions were great, and all the elements that make the Travelers Championship so compelling to watch (the natural amphitheaters, the many greenside bunkers, the spectacular finishing holes ) also make the course fun... and challenging... to play.

Tickets for the Travelers Championship are available on the event website and you can get the latest news leading up to the tournament by following the Travelers Championship on Facebook and Twitter.

@TravelersChamp on Twitter
Travelers Championship on Facebook

Turfpath: An New Social App for Homeowners and Golf Course Managers

Turfpath: a mobile-social app for grass lovers      photo: © Golf Girl Media

A lawn is defined as, "an area of land planted with grasses which are maintained at a short height and used for aesthetic and recreational purposes". 

Now to me, that sounds a bit like, well, a golf course... and if you happen to be a golfer who owns a home in a continental climate zone, chances are you often spend spring, summer and  autumn torn between the competing demands of your lawn and your game.

Just as area courses begin open for the season's first rounds, a plethora of spring lawn care tasks present themselves; raking, liming, over seeding, fertilizing ... and pulling up those perennial dandelions. It all must be done if you want to maintain decent lawn, and if you do, you'll inevitably find yourself sacrificing some of your early rounds and practice sessions for days of utilitarian yard work.

Other days you'll hit the course, which has hopefully been aerated, top dressed, nourished, trimmed and spruced-up for spring.  Good golf course maintenance makes early season playing a pleasure, but the vivid, lushness can also provoke some serious "lawn lust" because let's face it, we all want our lawns to look like our golf courses, right?  It's even been said that today's lawn care industry was actually born in the Spring of 1967 with the first technicolor broadcast of the Masters, when suburban America saw Augusta National, in its verdant glory, for the first time.

Now available at the Google Play and iTunes app stores

With that in mind, who better to liaise with when your goal is a gorgeous green lawn than golf course managers and turf grass specialists?  And that's part of the premise behind Turfpath, an ultra-promising new app now available in the Google Play and iTunes app stores.

Created by John Kaminski, an associate professor at Penn State (and a multi-faceted renaissance man) who understood a couple of years ago that a mobile social network would be a stellar way to allow anyone with interest in growing grass... anywhere in the world... to connect and exchange information.

The app features a growing gallery of images and descriptions of the various weeds, diseases and insects that can be problematic for grass growers.   Turfgrass professionals, golf course superintendents, landscapers and lawn-lusting suburban home owners can then add to the galleries with their own photos and information, and can exchange ideas on how to control these turf trouble-makers and prevent future infestations. The app will also contain live, geo-specific infestation alerts.

Adding to the social factor is a system of points and badges one can earn for posting, sharing information and interacting with others.  I happen to be one of those golf-loving, lawn-lusting suburbanites I described earlier, so I downloaded the app this morning and I've already identified a couple of the annoying weeds that have recently appeared on my lawn.. and gotten some eco-friendly advice on how to handle them.

I'm pretty sure Turfpath will soon be one of my favorite and most frequently used apps and I'm guessing I may have a greener lawn and a better golf game by the end of this summer.

Jordan Baker: Golden Age Glamour Meets Golf in "The Great Gatsby"

Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker       Photo:Warner Bros Pictures

Name: Jordan Baker

Age: 23

Hometown: Louisville, KY

Occupation: Professional Golfer

Body-type: Slim, Athletic

Pet Peeve: Carelessness

Controversy: Accused of moving her ball from a bad lie to win her first tournament

Quote: “It takes two to make an accident” 



When The Great Gatsby opens later this week it'll undoubtedly influence fashion and decor trends... and will inspire themed parties, weddings and events... across the globe.  The jazz age excesses portrayed in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel... and made larger-than-,life in the most recent film version... will always be tantalizing. The story features excessive wealth and reckless abandonment and the allure of that combination transcends generations and jumps national borders. 

The fact that Jordan Baker... a significant secondary character in Fitzgerald's literary classic... is a professional golfer probably means there'll be numerous Great Gatsby Golf Tournaments this season as well. 

At first glance, Ms Baker is not a particularly appealing personage. Beautiful... but haughty and cold... she drifts through the narrative, tainted by rumors a cheating scandal, never fully explored. In retrospect however, she's seen as something of a trailblazer; an independent woman in the 1920's, when that concept was relatively rare. 
I think it's safe to say that she's the preferred female character for the majority of contemporary women who read the novel. 

It'll be interesting to see how this golden age golf girl is presented in the new film. Early reviews of the Baz Luhrmann's version of The Great Gatsby, hint at a dazzling production that's a bit short on substance, but from what I've seen of the trailers, I'm guessing that when it comes to Jordan Baker, it'll be hard not to be "halfway in love with her" by the movie's end.

For a bit more on Jordan Baker's magnetism check out Matt Cooper's piece at Back9Network.com

Of Wing Tips & Weekenders - New Golf Shoe Styles From 'Equipt for Play'

Just a few of the new styles from "Equipt for Play" 

It's Springtime in Connecticut and as you may know from reading Tennyson (and from perusing this blog) in Spring, "a fuller crimson comes upon the Robin's breast ... and a young man's this golfer's fancy turns to thoughts of love golf shoes".

True to form, several red-breasted avians have appeared in our pear tree and I've got my eye on the season's latest golf footwear options.

To be honest, my quest has just begun as Spring's late arrival had me in my winter golf uniform... black jacket/sweater, black pants, black shoes... till the end of April.

Though temperatures aren't yet high enough for shorts and sleeveless, I've happily transitioned some color back into my closet and I'm very much looking forward the multi-chromatic months ahead. And how fortuitous that a copious collection of new golf shoe styles from Equipt for Play is now available for preorder, with delivery expected by the end of the month.

I wrote about this extraordinary line... and its fabulous founder, Annie Jaroszewicz... in the fall of 2011, shortly after it had officially launched.  Since then the company has more than doubled their sales and the collection is now available across the US and Canada.  A year ago Equipt for Play scored the ultimate ace, making the prestigious "O List" as one of only 9 products Oprah Winfrey deemed "Guaranteed to Make You Feel Good".

The 2013 collection includes new "Wing Tips" that meld madras with leather in whimsical color combinations and "Spectators" that are both elegant AND stylistically unexpected.  The classic Oxford comes in suede and leather, in a plethora of shades.  Then there's the Weekender, a driving loafer that's equally at home on fairways and highways.  In fact, all the new styles feature an innovative comfort-traction sole that's perfect for golf or street wear.

The only problem with the new "Equipt for Play" line is that you'll undoubtedly have trouble choosing just one pair. I'm working on that right now and I've managed to narrow it down... to about eight.  H/T ShiShiPutter

Miss Georgianna Bishop, The Connecticut Golf Girl Who Won at Merion

Georgianna Bishop

In just a few weeks the 2013 U.S. Open Championship will tee off at one of the country's most iconic golf courses.

Merion Golf Club is a National Historic Landmark and its East Course... where a hand-woven, red wicker basket tops each pin... has hosted the Open four times.

The scene of some of golf's most memorable moments, fans of the sport tend to associate Merion with names like Hogan, Jones, Trevino and Nicklaus. Few, however, connect Merion with Georgianna Bishop.

Miss Bishop, who can be observed in photos wearing ankle length skirts and swinging hickory shafted mashies, was a native of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and in 1904 she won the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at Merion.

Yesterday, the USGA launched usopen.com, the official website of the 113th U.S. Open.  The site contains myriad interactive features to provide live video, real-time scores, news and highlights throughout the championship. In addition there's a wealth of content on the rich history of Merion  and its past champions. That's where I encountered Georgianna Bishop for the first time, because despite my own Connecticut origins and my interest in women's competitive golf, I was unfamiliar with this inspiring lady golfer until now.

Georgianna Millington Bishop was born in Bridgeport in 1878 and played for Brooklawn Country Club.  Having taken place before there was an LPGA... before the advent of professional golf for women... Bishop nonetheless managed to carve out an impressive place for herself in CT golf history. Though she never again won the national championship, for a period she dominated women's golf in the nutmeg state. Winning the Connecticut Women's Amateur four times between 1920 and 1927, Georgianna Bishop was inducted into the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame in 1959.

The USGA's Rhonda Glenn has written a wonderfully evocative account of Bishop's win at Merion, that I'd highly recommend to anyone interested in golf history and the early days of what was then known as Merion Cricket Club.

Meeting Wendy Byrne, Top Dog at Global Golf Apparel Brand "Poodle Golf"

With Wendy Byrne at Golf Girl Media World HQ

A couple of weeks ago... as the Masters was getting underway in Augusta... Wendy Byrne was traversing New England.

On a whirlwind trip from her adopted home in the Netherlands, Wendy was visiting family and friends in Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and by the time she pulled into my driveway she'd covered hundreds of miles.

Wendy grew up in New Milford, CT just down the road from my home here in Danbury. A transfer to Holland to manage operations at an international language academy took her across the Atlantic over a decade ago for what was meant to be a temporary stint, but additional opportunities presented themselves.

These days Wendy lives in Amsterdam where, in 2008, she founded Poodle Golf, which has quickly become a leading independent provider of ultra-stylish, highly functional women's golf apparel.

I first wrote about Poodle Golf when the company was a sponsor at the 2010 Tenerife Ladies Open. That's when I got to know Wendy... virtually... and found out about her CT origins. Since then Poodle has been present at LET events all over Europe and beyond. They proudly... and tirelessly... support women's golf with tournament, team and player sponsorships. Recently in a multi-year agreement with the Russian Golf Association Poodle Golf became the apparel sponsor for the Russian National Team.  

Then there's Dogleg Media. Wendy's husband, Robin, is a stellar photographer who shares his wife's commitment to the global growth of women's golf.  Together they created DogLeg Media to promote and provide targeted, high quality media coverage for professional and amateur women's golf.  Their archives contain thousands of extraordinary photos from tournaments and events, that they provide to businesses and publishers at very reasonable fees. Both Wendy and Chris are extremely skilled in graphic arts and content creation, and they've created  a unique, highly engaging brand.

My Poodle Golf Ivy is Perfect for Spring

Needless to say I welcomed the opportunity to have Wendy visit Golf Girl Media World Headquarters on her recent trip stateside, and when she arrived that chilly spring morning it was quickly clear that we had more in common than the shared geography of our childhoods and our mutual affinity for golf and fashion.

We consumed multiple cups of coffee in front of the fireplace that morning. Wendy shared some of Poodle's latest designs as well as some of the marketing initiatives she's planning.  Expect to see ice blue and lemon yellow, plush outerwear, and some unique customer events, among other things. As far as expanding Poodle Golf's distribution in North America, that's something that's in the cards as well... and something that'll make golfing ladies in these parts very happy.  Wendy's stay was brief, as she had to catch a flight back to Amsterdam that afternoon, but I have little doubt I'll be seeing her again soon, and in the meantime I look forward to keeping up with her... and her stellar global golf brand... where we originally met, on the internet.

Poodle Golf on Facebook • • • @poodlegolf • • •  Poodle Golf on Pinterest
DogLeg Media on Facebook • • • @DogLegMedia • • • DogLeg Media on Pinterest 

Golf Ball Therapy - The Hidden Healing Power in a Small Dimpled Sphere

Golf Balls for Breakfast - photocredit: schoeband via photopin cc

The modern golf ball is an amazing feat of science and engineering.  Composed of an array of different polymers layered, in varying strengths, around a rigid core, their current form is the result of decades of extensive research.  And that research has paid off in added yardage for golfers.

So stealthy are today's balls, there have even been calls to "slow them down" and impose limits on their performance. Otherwise... the reasoning goes... even the mega-long courses that have become standard in the US will be too short for the long hitter.

Meanwhile, away from the fairways and greens, innovative individuals have discovered and developed some interesting off label uses for the dimpled orbs we chase so relentlessly.

A recent post in Men's Journal suggested there might be some value in standing on golf balls, the premise being that this excruciatingly painful rather uncomfortable activity will train your body to tolerate discomfort, and will stimulate nerve endings.  The description of said activity made me hope I never need to develop my tolerance for discomfort... and for the time being my nerve endings appear to be sufficiently stimulated.