Sunday at the Masters

Sunday at the Masters

How lucky are we! On the final day of the Masters we get to drive up Magnolia Lane and park on the grounds! Because our whole group was together I had to sit in the luggage compartment of the SUV with our chairs. Our game plan is to place our seats on the 18th green so we can watch the action at the end of the tournament. We are first delayed by security.

Every day when we enter the grounds our passes are scanned. Today the scanners are broken! So we are forced to pull over and wait! Nobody behind us could enter either and after a time they decide to let us through. Our hosts Jim and Stephanie have explained our strategy – be the first at the holding rope area and when the release us rush – but don’t run – to the 18th green and place our chairs in the front row.

We soon find out that this will not be possible. The new rules for this year only allow Augusta National members and one guest or people on the “preferred patrons” list to enter early. The rest of us are told to go to a different holding area where we will be allowed to enter only a minute or so before several thousand other patrons! In the confusion we are separated from some of our group. While we wait, we talk and joke with the other patrons. A man cagily asks where I am planning to place my chair and offers to buy me “Azaleas”, a drink, from the clubhouse if I tell him. Another Patron describes how he became the 17th person in New York City to own an i-phone by buying a place in line. We talk about the strict rules and how easy it is to lose one’s passes. I feel less like cattle when Michael points out to me that Gary Player’s son is also waiting with us. When we are finally released it is a mad rush – without running – to the 18th green.

Because I am vertically challenged I am forced to follow one of our group without having the slightest idea where I am going. I see a man trip over a trash can and fall and a couple of other people fall around him. After some scary moments we get to our spots but are only able to get fourth row from the ropes. We stay to stake out our territory for a while, we find out where the rest of our group will be and then we go to watch the players practice.

The feeling of Sunday at the Masters is electric and awesome! Not “like totally awesome” but full of awe. It’s not just that so many of Golf’s greatest have performed great things at Augusta National, it’s the unique qualities of the rich culture and history of this golf course and this tournament combined that, for me, make this experience not unlike a pilgrimage to the very essence of the game of Golf.

Where else in North America do the spectators know enough about the game of Golf that they only applaud good play? Where else can you place a chair that will remain in the same position for the entire day, whether you are there or not? What other tournament does not allow more than four minutes of commercials during the televised coverage? I feel so privileged to be at Augusta National and at the Masters.

I love the fact that the leader boards are still updated manually. We could hear the roars from all over the golf course when someone made a great shot. We would then wait with anticipation to see if it changed the leader board. We didn’t actually see  Phil Mickelson’s daring 6 iron escape on 13 from the trees but we could hear it! We did see the raw emotion from both Phil and his wife on the 18th green as he won his third Green Jacket as the 74th Masters Tournament Champion. What a wild ride!

I am so thankful that we were able to witness a piece of Masters history

and I am so grateful to our hosts for the invitation of a lifetime!

Our Masters Golf Odyssey ~ Saturday Sitting on 6 Watching 16

Saturday Sitting on 6 Watching 16

Today we are driving ourselves to the Augusta National golf course and plan to find a good place to sit and watch. This time we are later in the day so we park to enter at the main gates. This is where the large gift shop is.

Just like everything else at this tournament the gift shops are run with military precision. It’s easy to see why they make tens of millions on Masters products – not that the products are expensive – in most cases the items are less expensive than at private golf courses – the sheer volume is incredible! We were told on the first day if you see something you like – buy it because it will be gone by the end of the tournament. It’s not a scam it’s true! The Masters mallet putter head cover I wanted was sold out by today.

We found a great spot to set up our chairs on the 6th hole. The players drive over our heads on this par 3 and because our chairs are right beside the ropes the players pass right by us on their way to the green. We also have a great view of the 16th green.
As we have come to expect we make friends with the people sitting around us and we take great delight in watching two young boys who desperately try to bump knuckles or high five the players as they pass by.

Most players or their caddies are very gracious and even throw the boys golf balls.

Our Masters Golf Odyssey ~ Wednesday ~ A Taste of Washington Ave

Wednesday ~ A Taste of Washington Ave

No driving today! Yay!

All of our group except Stephanie, Michael and I went to the course early.

Michael and I wanted to experience Washington Avenue so Stephanie dropped us off later and we walked the Avenue and later we walked back to the McMansion. There were the usual vendors selling stuff and we had heard that John Daly’s touring bus would be parked along Washington. It is actually a little bit of a circus and very different than anything I was expecting.

What we didn’t expect was to see the man himself, along with his incredibly buxom girlfriend, hawking his own stuff!

So because I am always interested in reading biographies, especially about bigger than life characters like John Daly, I bought his book and John was kind enough to sign it and take a picture with me.

The walk home did us both good after two days sitting in the car.

The evening was great with our houseful and three other friends, dinner, fine wine, fun, fun, fun…

Excited about actually stepping on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National tomorrow 🙂

Friends Alliances & Partners at the PGA Show ~ Glove It

The Golf Belles would like to let everyone know how Karen and the crew at Glove It rocked the PGA Show! Not only was their booth and explosion of colour and fabulous product but it was packed with people all day long. We finally got a chance to chat with Karen about how the Belles could work with her and her team late in the day on Saturday when things started to close down and wrap up but we still had to fight through the crowds to get to Karen!

Not only was Karen inducted as a Golf Belle watch out for her Quest in the near future!!!!

A couple of pics with the Golf Belles checking out some gorgeous accessories and posing with Karen 🙂

Love Love Love the purple bag!!!!! 🙂

Glove It, LLC

With a passion for fashion her entire life, Karen Lovcik took her idea from a girls, golf outing and created Glove It, LLC, fulfilling the need for functional, yet fashionable, golf accessories. The Arizona State University Fashion Merchandising graduate has come full circle, basing Glove Itheadquarters in Tempe, AZ after living and working in New York City. Prior to creating Glove It Karen owned Regalia Accessory Co. for 18 years traveling worldwide buying and designing clothing and accessories.

Today, Glove It is the leading manufacturer for Women’s and Junior’s fashion golf accessories. Their collection includes quality Cabretta leather golf gloves, visors, accessory bags, neoprene water bottle covers, club covers, and shoe bags.

Setting Glove It apart from other golf manufacturers is their well-coordinated product line in fun prints and styles from traditional argyles to animal prints. Each glove comes with a matching valuables pouch, giving the consumer one more reason to pick Glove It.

Glove It is the exclusive golf licensee for renowned fashion designer, Nicole Miller. TheNicole Miller Golf collection rounds out the product line with their unique “conversational prints” consisting of martinis, women’s accessories, and the award winning Pink Ribbon Collection.

It was the Pink Ribbon Collection that won best new product at the 2005 PGA Merchandise show in Orlando. Additionally, Glove It is a proud sponsor of Rally for the Cure and together they support the mission of Susan G. Komen for the cure. Glove It donates a minimum of $10,000 per year to the fight against breast cancer.

Glove It and Nicole Miller Golf products are carried by top golf courses, country clubs and golf specialty stores nationwide. International distribution includes Europe, Canada, and Australia.

Friends Alliances & Partners at the PGA Show ~ Shi Golf

If you have not heard of Shi Golf you soon will 😉 Shi Golf http://www.shi-golf.com is stylish awesome golf clothes that can be worn comfortably on the links or out for a cocktail after your round. The Golf Belles are so excited to have met Kelly at the PGA Show! Now the Global Golf Sisterhood can look and feel great while they do something they love!! GOLF!!

 

 

 

The Founder of Shi Golf ~ Kelly Su and her story….

My name is Kelly Su, founder and designer of Shi Golf.   With the rise in popularity of fashion conscious professional women golfers in the LPGA and in the mainstream media, women all over the world have been motivated to learn the game of golf.   I was one of these women.  Learning how to golf in my late twenties, I discovered quickly that my dream of the LPGA was likely not attainable and my vision of being a fashionable golfer was even less attainable.

Traditional golf apparel did not suit my sense of style nor did it fit well.   So as a designer, I began to coordinate my golf outfits with pieces and accessories from my favorite ready-to-wear clothing lines while incorporating key traditional golf pieces.  The compliments and questions about my golf outfits from my girlfriends who golf and other golfers were overwhelming.   It was then that I was inspired to create Shi Golf, a contemporary women’s golf wear line that would be appropriate for golf course requirements yet chic enough to be worn outside the golf course.  With its versatile style, modern fit, chic designs, and quality fabrics, Shi Golf was designed to be carried at any golf course or boutique.

 

Golf Belles in Phoenix

Hey Everyone, Excited to finally get together with some of our Golf Belles at our head office in Phoenix. Of course we were hard at work on the golf course planning events, designing our new golf clothing line and  discussing how we will be taking over the world one Belle at a time. 🙂

More pics to come with more meetings planned for the next 5 days.

Susanita and Jackie G