So as you all know (well, most of you probably don't…haha), this blog was originally set up as a golf blog.  Well, there are only so many golf stories you can tell, especially when your game improves at a snail's pace, like mine has.  Talk about a slow learning curve…sorry, I digress.  However, there was one portion of my blog called "Cup of Tee" where I talked about great product finds, ranging from clothes, to makeup, and everything else in between.

I am a confessed (not reformed) shopaholic and informercial junkie.  My husband always teases me that I will be the little old lady who is buried alive in her house by products that I have purchased online, like the pocket fisherman, WEN hair products, or Garcinia Cambogia.  And yes, I have tried all of those aforementioned products and wouldn't recommend them.  However, because of my penchant for shopping, I tend to find a lot of great products that I would love to tell my friends and family about.  They range from very inexpensive to pricey, but you can pick your poison, since I will pretty much try everything once.  I will be posting my weekly blog every Monday morning, with a description of my new favorite product of the week, my opinion on it, and the price and place you can purchase your very own!  Happy shopping friends and family!  muahhhhhh

p.s.  The reason I kept the blog name "Bling Swing", which has absolutely nothing to do with shopping or product review, is because I have had close to 600,000 hits on this page.  Imagine my shock when I first saw this.  At first my husband and I couldn't figure out how that could have happened…who wants to hear about a golfer with a 25 handicap?  Then I realized that there was a similar website for "swingers", so we assume that about 585,000 of the hits on my blog were by accident.  Hahaha…it's okay…I assume that even swingers like to shop, so maybe I can help them along the way as well!

Don't sweat the small stuff!!

Well, this past year has been a “DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF” type of year for both of us. When we started this blog, our goal was to see whose handicap would go down the most in our first year of blogging. Mine has gone up, down, and now up again, but has trended down overall. Patti’s went up some, but will now plummet after two fabulous golf tournaments this month. Golf is such a head game…something that can be incredibly affected by external sources and events. So more than ever, we realize that the game of golf is simply a game, and a luxury we should never take for granted.


I know I will never be the kind of golfer that has a single-digit handicap, but I will be the kind of golfer that will always try to enjoy the beautiful side of golf, like spending 4+ hours with someone I love, whether it’s a family member or a great friend. So with that said, I can guarantee a couple of things when it comes to my golf game. I will always have a smile on my face…because even if you’re playing lousy, it’s better than working, doing laundry or cleaning toilets at home. I will never throw my clubs or break them…the replacement cost could be a new pair of shoes. I will always play this sport with pink golf balls and some type of bedazzled accessory (preferably our own personal product)..sparkles and pink make me so very happy!!! Finally, I will continue to hope for a hole-in-one at the beginning of every round of golf. Even though the odds of an amateur making a hole in one are roughly 1 in 13,000, I have a much better chance of doing this than I do of winning the lottery.

Peace, love, laughter and good health to all!

Kim

Are You Serious?

Is it possible to be serious about improving your golf game and, at the same time, not take yourself too seriously?  After all, I have heard that the majority of all golfers never break 100.  Why then do so many normally confident and upbeat people become intensely serious and self-deprecating when they hit the golf course?  Last year on a girl’s golf trip to Arizona, I noticed that many of my golf buddies groan, moan, swear, scream, hoot and/or holler each and every time they hit the ball.  Before we tee off apologies are given for how awful they play.  I know it’s annoying …I do it too.  I am also guilty of talking to my ball…belittling the ball for having a mind of its own and hoping to change its fateful outcome. Never mind that the ball might be going exactly where I intended it to go…OMG…no, no, not there….oh yes, yes, please…whoppee…thank you!!!  This summer I will have no apologies for my golf game.  There are too many legitimate reasons to be grave and serious…tragic earthquakes, devastating floods and tornadoes, a country at war, illness, and countless other personal, national and global challenges.  Let’s put things in perspective…golf is game and should be enjoyed!

I’ve never been to Pinehurst although I hope that one day I might I have the opportunity to play there.  I’ve heard that posted on the wall of the clubhouse, is the “Creed of the Amateur.”  Written by Richard Tufts (1896   -1980), once known as “Mr. Golf”, a former USGA president and rules expert who opposed the commercialism of the sport, the creed signifies to me the reason why any average guy or gal would spend weekends, their precious vacation time or retirement pursuing a game. If we all embraced Tufts’ view of the sport of golf, it seems to me we would have an even greater infatuation for this game.

CREED OF THE AMATEUR In my mind, an amateur is one who competes in a sport for the joy of playing, for the companionship it affords, for health-giving exercise, and for relaxation from more serious matters. As a part of this light-hearted approach to the game, he accepts cheerfully all adverse breaks, is considerate of his opponent, plays the game fairly and squarely in accordance with its rules, maintains self-control, and strives to do his best, not in order to win, but rather as a test of his own skill and ability. These are his only interests, and, in them, material considerations have no part. The returns which amateur sport will bring to those who play it in this spirit are greater than those any money could buy.  Richard S. Tufts

Now seriously, this is something to aspire to!

Happy Golfing!

Patti

Golf "Fashion"!

In the late 1800’s, women golfed in full skirts, petticoats and bustles, and they were not allowed to take a full swing...chipping and putting only. Well, geez…it’s a little hard to take a full swing while wearing a corset and girdle! But, have we come too far since then? Since the golf world is now comprised of 5.75 million female golfers (which equates to 22% of the people participating in the sport), I feel like my opinions on golf may be justified…to some degree. ;)



Remember, these are my opinions and observations on golf fashion…and mine alone. With a handicap of 30+, I have obviously spent far more time thinking about my outfit than I have on golf lessons.


• Wife beaters should NEVER be allowed on a golf course...period, the end!


• Sports jerseys are meant to be worn in arenas, not on fairways.


• Do NOT mix plaids.


• Friends do not let friends wear neon.


• Do not wear brown on brown (unless you work for UPS).


• Tommy Bahama shirts were designed for beach vacations.


• Cowboy hats were invented for cowboys, not golfers.


• Midriff shirts and cutoffs clash with spiked golf shoes.


So as we have seen everything in the fashion world evolve over the last century, for better or worse, I think it’s fair to say that for the most part golf attire has definitely improved. Whether you are Graeme McDowell wearing all blue as he paid tribute to the recently deceased Seve Ballesteros, or Paula Creamer in her fashionably pink outfit that reminds us…YES…WOMEN CAN LOOK HOT ON THE GOLF COURSE, remember one thing…


“Golf is the most fun you can have without taking your clothes off.” – Chi Chi Rodriguez

Golf...A Contact Sport?

In Florida last week, a friend told me about a potentially life endangering golf cart accident she had just witnessed. While busy tallying up scores after her round, she heard a loud crash as her two senior gal-pals golf cart careened off the path and ended up lodged on its side in a deep, and thankfully, dry culvert.  Miraculously, the ladies ended up with only bumps and bruises to everyone who came to their rescue’s surprise.  I remember hearing about another horrific golf cart accident that broke and gruesomely skinned the foot of a friend. My big toe still remembers the day one of the most competent women I know backed the golf cart up and over my foot. The more I hear about golf related accidents, injuries, and mishaps, the more I thought I’d better do a little research to find out if golf is as dangerous as this information suggests. 

Most golfers over the course of their playing lifetime will fall victim to an injury.  Anyone following our blog has heard about chronic back pain which just happens to be number one on golf injury’s top ten list, quickly followed by golfer’s elbow, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel (nerve pain in hand), tendonitis, knee pain, and let’s not forget the trigger finger and wrist. Dr. Larry Foster, a k a Dr. Divot estimates that 60 percent of us will get a major injury if we stick with golfing. I found “Dr. Divot’s Guide to Golf Injuries” a very easy to read and practical injury prevention guide with some great warm up routines that will help us all avoid these common injuries. Maybe because I have spent a good chunk of my life in the Public Health sector promoting healthy lifestyles that I find totally preventable golf cart accidents the most concerning.  Did you know that according to a study conducted by the University of Alabama, about 1,000 Americans are hurt on golf carts every month?  The Center for Injury Research and Policy in Columbus, Ohio reports that falling or jumping out of carts accounts for the largest number of injuries, 38 percent. 

I have never considered golf to be a “contact sport” but when your body hits the golf path or you are tackled by a golf cart, it may be that.  I am going to do my part to reduce injuries by reminding my husband that it is a golf cart not a go-cart and I pledge I will never drag my foot (a bad habit I have) while driving a golf cart.  It won’t be long until someone mandates golf helmets to reduce all these injuries.  Just think – with a golf helmet you would never have to worry about being hit in the head with a golf ball... or bad hair days.

Safe Golfing this Summer!

Patti

To post or not to post...that is the question!

Yesterday I played 18 holes of golf at the La Paloma Country Club in Tucson, Arizona.  After golfing several holes, I realized that my choice to play from the silver tees was not only overly optimistic, but frankly downright stupid.  Also, I should preface this statement by stating that there were 6 colors of tee boxes to choose from...black, gold, silver, copper, jade and ruby...which to me sounds more like an OPI shellac color-selection wheel at a nail salon.  This harsh realization of my "color selection" came to me as I approached a hole that had a raised tee box with a 175 foot shot over an arroyo onto an elevated green surrounded by sand.  Sounds pleasant for the average golfer, right?  So after hoping for a golf miracle (unsuccessfully), I proceeded to the drop area where I would be lying 3.  At this point, I wondered what the rules were on switching tee boxes mid-game and not posting your scores if you were dumb enough to play beyond your ability.  According to USGA, neither of these are allowable.  But while I was looking up the rules on these concepts, I did come across some funny golf facts, misnomers and suggestions that I thought I would share:


1.  Play at the appropriate tee level...you will have more fun and your score will be better.  Novel idea.


2.  The word "trap" (as in sand trap) is a misnomer and does not appear anywhere in the Rules of Golf.  The correct term is a bunker.  Besides, a "trap" is probably not something you want to be in anyway (i.e., bear trap, mouse trap, speed trap.) 


3.  "Cup" and "pin" have replaced the proper terms of "hole" and "flagstick".  One can just as easily say cup and pin, can't they?  Besides, hearing someone refer to "pin placement" makes you think of a voodoo doll...and the object of the game is to put the ball in the hole, not the cup, right?


4.  Fairway woods should always be called fairway woods.  It just doesn't sound right to say, "I'm going to use my 3-metal for this shot".   I'm pretty sure everyone understands that they're not actually made of wood anymore. 


5.  A golf match is a test of your skill against your opponent's luck.


6.  Counting on your opponent to inform you when he or she breaks a rule is is like expecting someone to make fun of their own haircut.


7.  Golf is harder than baseball because in golf you have to play your foul balls.


8.  They call it golf because all the other 4-letter words were taken.


9.  The difference between golf and government is that in golf you can't improve your lie.


And the final golfism that applies most to me...


10.  It is more satisfying to be a bad player at golf.  The worse you play, the better you remember the occasional good shot! 


Cheers!


Kim

I am not my MRI...

I guess it's my turn to plead forgiveness for such a long hiatus from blogging. I could give you a long list of excuses, but the best one is I really should be writing a travel blog. After all, this year I have spent over six non-golfing months in fabulous destinations both out of town and country. I rediscovered my hometown of Chicago, found culinary discoveries (mostly potato...as in spud ice cream) in Slovenia, took a breath-taking bike trip in Croatia along their coastline and wine country, found mystery and intrigue hunting down James Bond in Montenegro (only to find the real Casino Royale is in Bosnia), got an insider view of Acapulco and the best marguerita's in the Baja, and my personal favorite, a month-long adventure in China, Thailand, Hong Kong and Vietnam. It didn't add a pearl of golf wisdom that is worth sharing, but the thousands of blog hits means you missed or stumbled upon us, so we will pick up where we left you. As Kim chronicled for you in our previous blog, this past golf season was a physical challenge to both of us. If you didn't know, you might think we are a couple of broken down ole ladies, but I beg to differ! I am not my MRI! You wouldn't even recognize either one of us from our "inside" self. My doc said, "Patti, you have the MRI of an ex-NFL football player but you'd never know it from looking at you." Geez that was comforting. But he had a point...Even though both Kim and I have a few kinks in our internal armor, it doesn't hold us back. I know I will survive and go on playing golf (and skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, biking, and whatever else my fanatically fit friends invite me to do) until they pry the club and/or ski poles out of my hands! Kim will keep on golfing, volunteering, being a mom, cheerleader to her family and friends, and of course shopping, shopping and shopping (she is going to kill me for this dig) and we will provide you with the best products, fashion, and style know-how to keep the "bling" in your swing.


I'm in Naples Florida this month so I am getting a much needed headstart on my golf game this season from my friends and family in the Mid-West, and particularly those of you who are in my current home state of Utah.  Eat your heart out...it was sunny and 75 degrees when I teed off this morning.


Good Health to You!
Patti

WE'RE BACK!!!!!

Well friends, it has definitely been a long time since we posted our last blog…July 8, 2010 to be exact.  Can you imagine our surprise when we logged on after a very long hiatus and realized that we had received over 400,000 hits while we were in our non-blogging, hibernation phase?   So as we both pondered this number, we came to the conclusion that people may actually want to hear what we have to say about golf, friends and life…as crazy as that seems.   Our apologies for the break, and we hope you enjoy this posting and look forward to many more!

Part of the reason for our extensive break in blogging has been due to health issues (namely back and neck) for both of us.  You know it’s not a good health year when you get excited to receive a medical bill from a provider that says zero owing because you have reached your maximum out-of-pocket expenses of $10,000 on your health insurance policy…”look honey-it’s free!”.  Since the beginning of August, I have spent my post-golf season in and out of various doctors’ offices and ER’s.   After one of many MRI’s, I finally received the unfortunate diagnosis of five bulging discs in my neck, four of them having significant bone spurs, with no options for surgery.  So as Patti was offering her sympathy, and still struggling with her own back issues, she decided to get MRI’s and xrays herself.  She also had the unfortunate diagnosis of a similar neck issue, but with bulging discs and bone spurs in her lower back as well, for a total of nine compromised discs.   While I have spent every Wednesday for the last five months at a physical therapist’s office, Patti has been experimenting with various “cutting edge” back procedures (no pun intended).  Fortunately, physical therapy has given me some relief, but Patti is still unsure about her treatment options and prognosis.  

As you can imagine, all of this has really put a damper on our LPGA aspirations, but there are still the hopes of simply improving our handicaps (and I mean that literally, not figuratively).   So some of you might be reading this and thinking “this is coming from two girls who are supposed to be writing a golf blog?”  Trust me…it seems crazy to us too.  But as the golf season approaches, Patti and I are both somewhat optimistic regarding our potential.  I actually golfed yesterday…breaking out new golf clubs, wearing double fleece and 1600 milligrams of Ibuprofen for my morning snack, with the attitude of “how bad could it be, right?”  Golfing from the men’s tees with my dad, I have to say I was extremely happy with a golf score of 99, which will probably bring my handicap down ever-so-slightly.  Fortunately, Patti is headed to Florida this month for her own “physical therapy”…golf, relaxation and sun with family.  I am assuming with that kind of therapy her handicap will trend downward as well.  

So while one of our original ideas was how to put some “bling in our swing”, we are still hopeful that this won’t end up being a website for bedazzled neck and back braces.   However, we do have some great news!  Our golf product that was originally inspired by our bling swing attitudes will be available soon (whether or not you are a golfer) on our “under construction” website.  

And always remember…”golf is a game that is played on a 5-inch course – the distance between your ears”.  –Bobby Jones

Cheers,

Kim

    

 

Accuracy at all times!

Well, this blog is in response to Patti's latest posting regarding our recent handicap adjustments.  I had in fact noticed that my handicap had briefly dipped below a 30 at one point, and I have a perfectly good explanation as to why that happened.  After golfing a 54 on 9 holes several months ago, in a hurry to enter my score and meet friends for dinner, I mistakenly entered a 54 for 18 holes instead of a 54 for 9 holes.  Even though the computer recognized this and asked for verification, "Is this correct...this is out of your normal range"...I hit yes and beat it.  Now, if a computer could talk, I'm sure it would be yelling, "Yeah, right...check the number of holes you played, idiot!  And if it is correct...join the LPGA!!!!!"   After having my bubble burst and being prematurely excited at having my handicap below 30 (meaning I would only have to enter an 8 as my maximum per hole), I now carefully review all of my information before posting.

As for my handicap actually trending downward, I am happy to report that it has come down ever-so-slightly.  Patti and I played at Jeremy Ranch yesterday and both had decent games of golf (especially Patti's 43 on the front 9).  On advice from a friend, since Patti and I were playing as a two-some, following a five-some with no one behind us all day, we had the luxury of playing 2 balls each when we had bad shots.  Of course we played our original balls throughout the game, but it was great to have the time to re-play bad putts, bad drives or bad fairway shots (not that there were very many of them...haha).   Patti finished with a 100 for 18 holes, and I posted a 110...which I was very happy about.  I  do feel like my golf game has already improved this year, but I am still somewhat erratic.  For me it's still a par followed by a 9...a great drive followed by a swing-and-miss, or my favorite one...on the green in 2 and then a 4 putt!  I also could literally write a book called "HOW TO RUIN A GOOD DRIVE".  So thank goodness there are those occasional beautiful shots that make you feel like you could really become a great golfer over time (and not want to sell your clubs on Ebay). 

Well, I'm off to golf Murray Parkway tomorrow while Patti is gearing up to golf in the Park Meadows annual golf tournament next week.  And remember..."Golf is the only sport where the most feared opponent is yourself".

What Goes Up Must Come Down...Hopefully!

We have finally had some summer weather in Park City!  It has been windy and a bit too cold for me but the sun is shining so I won’t complain after our rainy June. I have been to Chicago and San Diego since my last post and both non-golfing trips did nothing to advance my goal of lowering my handicap.  With the beginning of a new month I have a new resolve to put some serious work into my golf game. With three member/guest tournaments looming in the near future I don’t want to let my golfing partners down and I don’t want the pressure of knowing that I really haven’t done anything to prepare other than buy new golf shoes.  With these thoughts in mind I attended the first ladies short game clinic at the Jeremy Golf Club and had my first private lesson with our golf pro and coach, Jake Hanley.  I have actually gotten to the course more than 5 minutes before my tee time and shocking as this may sound, I have been spotted on the practice range several times in the last week.  With all this pent up energy directed at my golf game, you can imagine how dismayed I was when my new July 1^st handicap went up (from 25.6 to 26.3).  This got me to thinking…I wonder how Kim is doing in our little contest??? Well, I guess she’s been holding out on me…down to a 32.8 and trending downward.

I suggest to all of you who are joining us in your own personal golf quest to take a look a your handicap history.  It does make you feel a little better, when you see your handicap fluctuating more than your weight, to know that there is actual improvement over time!  For example, Miss Kimmie started her golf history four short years ago in 2006 with a handicap of 50.3 (bet you didn’t even know you could have a handicap over 50 – did you?).  Her handicap has been plummeting ever since to an all time low in ’09 at 28.6 (Bet that smartie pants didn’t even know it got that low for two weeks after winning several tournaments) to its current 32.8.  I think she should be pretty proud of dropping 17.5 points in four years!!! 

I, on the other hand, have only dropped 8 points in three summers of golf so I better get out on the practice range.  Kim is playing with me tomorrow in our guest day.  I will give you a full report of our progress in my next blog.

Happy golfing, gardening, or whatever makes you smile this July!

Patti