Golfing with Memo!

So on this miserable, cold, snowy, non-golf day in Salt Lake City, Patti and I headed across the street to golf with Mehmet Okur of the Utah Jazz (my neighbor and friend). He has an amazing golf simulator in his basement that he installed last year, which has helped improve his own handicap to 15. We golfed a course called Emerald Dunes...actually we only golfed 1 hole...in the 45 minutes we were there. Patti golfed a 21 on the hole (yes, on 1 hole), and I golfed an incredible 16...hahaha! But in typical Memo-fashion, he was a great sport, offering everything from compliments on the few good shots we had to back exercises. So we are simply going to attribute our bad play to nerves and golfing in front of a world-class athlete! That's our story, and we're sticking to it. :)

The Donald

So it’s already the end of March, the snow is melting, green patches are appearing in front yards, and everyone is putting away their skis and dusting off their golf clubs. So what better time to start a golf blog, right? March in Utah…there are tons of options for golfing. Maybe if you’re Donald Trump! Speaking of Donald Trump, we did golf several years ago at the Trump International Course in California, which is a beautiful course, has the most sophisticated golf carts loaded with the best GPS systems available…and yes, our husbands still managed to get lost. So Patti and I decided to actually follow our GPS and tee off without the guys. As we both finished hitting the ball, we hear “Hello ladies…how are you enjoying MY course?” Yes, it was THE DONALD. And in case any of you are wondering, a comb-over does NOT do well in a strong, ocean breeze. So I digress...

Today I will be dusting off my own clubs and heading to Bonneville Golf Course with friends to see just how rusty one’s game can be after a 6 month winter break. Patti started off the year with a week of golf in Playa del Carmen and 4 days of golf at the fabulous Dove Mountain in Tucson, Arizona with the “big girls”, so she really has a leg-up as far as golf goes since my only golf has been on my new Wii! And because my golf options are limited here in Utah, I will be heading across the street this Wednesday to golf with the “big guy”, Mehmet Okur of the Utah Jazz, on his indoor golf simulator. Hmmmm…Pebble Beach, St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, St. Andrews?

Kim 

Cup of Tee!

In addition to our blogs about golf and related issues and items, we have decided to add something called our weekly “Cup of Tee”. We wanted to have something for our blog friends to follow who don’t necessarily have an interest in golf, so we thought we would write a small paragraph once a week about a great item we recently discovered or something we already use and love. You might read about our new favorite granola bar, our favorite golf sunglasses, or simply a great pair of flip-flops…so stay tuned!

Well, the gauntlet has been dropped...or shall I say the line in the sand trap has been drawn! Twelve months from now you will see what lengths we go to, where we travel, the dedication it takes, and the scores we post (even those late night, tipsy/hangover bad scores). Neither of us fancy ourselves joining the Tour, but we would like to be asked to golf for reasons other than "she’s nice" or "they’re fun". Not that we mind being nice and fun, but we are also very amusing, or so WE think, and we plan to up the fun-factor this year. We tend to get included in golf outings and trips because we sort of “bribe” our way in, not because we’re particularly good. I’m not talking about out-and-out bribery, but subtle little incentives that we offer...like the Cosmos we pull out of a cooler on a hot day, champagne in the cart ready to be popped in honor of a birdie (or even a par if it's been a birdie-less day), the disco ball Kim hung from the roof of our cart in order to win the $50 best cart décor award, and post-game dinners that far outshine the day’s play. When you golf like we do, it is always wise to provide enticements that divert one’s attention away from the swing. But by next spring, we want to still be enjoying ourselves AND be better golfers! For me though, it hasn’t always been fun…

My first year golfing, my husband and I joined a local golf club in Park City, The Jeremy. We knew very few members, which turned out to be problematic for me once we started playing. Each golf day as our tee-time approached, I would pray that no one would join our twosome. I was anxious, self-conscious, and generally dreaded the thought of having to play with any unknown, seasoned golfer. After all, this is supposed to be an enjoyable leisure-time activity, right? I just didn’t want to subject anyone else besides my husband to my erratic and sometimes frenzied golf game. Since I only played on picture-perfect days, we almost always ended up paired with another twosome (my luck... almost always two guys playing from the pro tees). I found leisurely golf turning into an aerobic sport as my heart accelerated from the stress. They were usually somewhat forgiving and I would survive the round, but I quickly knew that if I was going to spend so much time learning to love a new post-retirement hobby, I needed to recruit some girlfriends. That day I signed up for The Jeremy's ladies association, put a sign on the bulletin board that said, “New Member: Will Cook for Golf Partners!” Later that summer I hosted a fabulous dinner party thanking the 40+ women that put up with me my first year of golf, and it turned out to be one the best bribes I ever made.

I don’t ever want to lose the fun factor that Kim and I have carefully cultivated and somewhat perfected over the last few years. We are not in the “big girl” league yet (and by big girl I am referring to one's swing, not her big...hair), but if and when we make it there, you can bet that there will still be plenty of giggles. So prepare to laugh at us (and with us), commiserate, cheer us on, and hopefully learn a thing or two about improving your own game through our lessons and experiences. So here's to two girlfriends who really believe that there is more to life than golf, and who want to get the most out of the sport that we can!

Over to you, Kimmie,

Patti

So it’s official…our blog is up and running, or shall we say swinging! We have several goals, but one of our main goals is to lower our golf handicaps in 12 months. We will chronicle our golf adventures, lessons and struggles while hopefully turning this into a successful business venture as well. Our mantra is: “Nothing like some bling to take the focus off the swing!” Here are some important stats regarding us girls:

Patti Pavey
Age: 54
Height: 5’5”
Weight: N/A
USGA Handicap: 26
Personal handicap: Bad back
Astrological sign: Cancer

Kim Thronson
Age: 43
Height: 5’10”
Weight: N/A
USGA Handicap: 32
Personal handicaps: 35” inseam and a bad back
Astrological sign: Aquarius

Wish us luck, and watch for our golf accessories that will soon be available online through our company, BijouJeux (fancy for gem/sport)!