Archive for the ‘From the Fairway’ Category
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
Do not be confused by Ceo golf store. They are not CEOgolfshop.com, the original store catering to CEO’s, professionals, and celebrities and authorized online reseller for selective major apparel brands including Bugatchi Uomo, Loud Mouth Golf, Ian Poulter Design, ProQuip and Sunderland of Scotland.
After 30 days, CeoGolfStore has not fully complied with our CEASE AND DESIST letter. There is a new web store domain name, but they are still advertising using ceogolfstore.
Read the legal letter we sent to them here. CeoGolfStore cease and desist PDF download
Tags:ceo golf store
Posted in From the Fairway, News | Comments Closed
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008
With the July/August issue, Golf For Women ceased publication and more recently, its web site was incorporated into golfdigest.com. While editors cited a tough economic market, most women found it difficult to understand the failure. The only common agreement in the closing forums was that apparel advertisers were pretty off base with their $1000 outfits, not a typical investment for the average golfer.
Will Golf Digest fill the void? I’ve been receiving it for free for quite a while and I’ve been thinking I’d rather save the trees. Other than the recent addition of an Annika column, it’s missing the appeal of the women’s interest stories and women specific tips. The reaction among women has been overwhelmingly negative and I think we’ll see the emergence a dominant internet site that attempts to fill the void. Why would any advertiser for women’s products want to pay $45,000 for ads in a magazine subscribed to largely by men?
The LPGA announced it will require players to speak English starting in 2009, with players who have been LPGA members for two years facing suspension if they can’t pass an oral evaluation of English skills. There are 121 LPGA Tour international players, 20% of the total which includes 45 from South Korea, and 26 countries overall. After a huge backlash, about national origin discrimination, The LPGA withdrew the requirement.
In both of these cases, you have to wonder, how well did they think this through? Did they talk to the people it would affect and ask for their input? Was there another solution that would have resulted in greater unity and acceptance?
Just like getting out to vote, it’s important to get involved. If you see room for improvement at your golf club or favorite charity tournament- volunteer to help! You may be helping to prevent changes you never wanted.
Christine Speedy is CEO of CEOgolfshop.com and an Executive Women’s Golf Assn. member.
Tags:women's golf
Posted in From the Fairway, Uncategorized | Comments Closed
Friday, July 18th, 2008
Lately I’ve been fielding calls for executive gift ideas. Some marketing directors are planning now which is an excellent idea. If you want a quantity of shirts in a popular color, plan on 4 month’s advance notice to be sure you can get the sizes, styles, and colors you want.
What are great gifts for CEO’s and executives?
If it’s not the right gift it will be re-gifted in minutes. During the holidays, I know some company President’s that select one item and then everything else is put into a holiday grab bag for employees.
The older the executive the more creative you need to be. If the CEO is a popular business leader, i.e. involved in the community, surely he or she will have received just about everything you can imagine, including lots of plaques and clocks. It helps to know a lot about your recipient and the best place to get that information is the executive assistant.
I’ve found two items that are still working strong. The first is the tour size Windbrella golf umbrella. Some have already received one, but maybe lost it or loaned one to a friend who didn’t return it. We’re planning a charity golf tournament now that we gave away the golf umbrella four years ago to. The committee was unanimous in getting the same umbrella because most no longer had their original. None broke, they just were lost over time. Everyone agreed it was the best umbrella they ever had and they really missed it. This is what you want- people remembering what a great gift it was, and where it came from!
The second item is a high quality shirt, which you have to give with forethought. By that, I mean you need to find out the shirt size, color, and style preferences in advance. Why buy all solid black shirts if most of them wear colorful or pinstripe shirts? What’s the risk of running out of large and having the wrong size left for someone who comes later to the registration table? Observe what your recipient wears when he’s not in the office. Take notes at the next tournament you play in, or simply look through the post- tournament pictures of what the executives you want to reach were wearing. Lastly, be careful about logo placement. Many won’t wear shirts with logos, unless it’s what I call a ‘badge of honor’ logo, such as Dan Marino’s Celebrity Golf Tournament.
If you must have a logo, then I recommend the Bugatchi polo golf shirt. If you’re willing to pass up the logo, or are OK with a subtle tonal logo on the sleeve, then I recommend the Bugatchi ribbed shirt. It’s the kind of shirt they always remember where it came from, because they love the shirt so much. Every time they wear it, they’ll feel good and associate those good feelings with your tournament or your company.
Tags:executive gifts, gift ideas, golf gifts
Posted in From the Fairway, Q&A | Comments Closed
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008
From the Fairway, By Christine Speedy published in print July 2008.
Is your child golfing this summer?
Don’t miss Take Your Daughter to the Course Week, July 7 – 13, 2008. My daughter and I played in this event in NY last year. Free golf, free food, the kids can drive the golf carts, and it’s very low key. It’s a great experience to build your daughters interest in golf. Also, they are usually flexible if an adult outside the family takes the young girl. The main objective is to get the girls out to play.
How do you evaluate golf camps? Please don’t just put your child in any camp without first finding out the certifications of those who are teaching. A child can be molded to swing the club in just about any fashion. And just like adults, it’s can be very hard to change their swing after it has been developed. If your child shows an interest in learning the game after a few times practicing with the family, and maybe even a few clinics at the local muni, I recommend investing in some more serious training if you can afford it. Again, it’s much better to build on a good foundation, than spend years fixing what they initially learned. Kids have exceptional swing memory.
I don’t know anything at all about this group- United States Golf Teachers Federation- but I do know they offer a home certification course that can be done in a weekend. PGA Golf Instructors have to undergo a more rigorous program, including rules of the game certification, and that should be your starting place.
Local recommendations:
Delray Beach Golf Club – BEST VALUE- Low to Moderate- specializes in kids http://sandra-lpga.com/
Heron Bay Golf Club*- moderate to expensive.
Inverrary Golf Club*- Barry Goldstein-expensive- I’ve seen the results – his young students include scratch players!
The Deer Creek Golf Club*
* Lessons include video analysis
Look up the nearest event near you at
Jr golf Links American Jr. Golf Assn.
LPGA-USGA Girls Golf
Christine Speedy is CEO of CEOgolfshop.com and an Executive Women’s Golf Assn. member.
Tags:jr golf
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Sunday, June 1st, 2008
From the Fairway, By Christine Speedy published in print.
Now in its fourth year, American Express Women’s Golf Month is a collaboration of the top U.S. golf organizations aimed at increasing the participation of women in golf. Scheduled to be held at golf facilities across the U.S. from Sunday, June 1 through Monday, June 30, 2008, American Express Women’s Golf Month offers women 14 years of age and older free golf lessons and golf-related networking and social activities customized by each host facility.
Last year Executive Women’s Golf Association Members played for free at Doral Golf Resort & Spa as part of the Amex promotion. What a great opportunity! It was a beautiful day and the pro shop extended a big discount to all players for their apparel. No matter what your golf level, everyone should take advantage of this event.
You can count on a local week-long series of fun and exciting golf and golf-related activities designed exclusively for women, and at a variety of locations including:
* Free golf lessons and clinics
* Networking receptions
* Golf rules and etiquette seminars
* Fashion shows
* On-course playing opportunities
* On-course golf instruction
* Luncheons
Look up the nearest event near you at http://www.playgolfamerica.com
For more information about the EWGA .
Christine Speedy is CEO of CEOgolfshop.com and an Executive Women’s Golf Assn. member.
Tags:EWGA, women's golf
Posted in From the Fairway | Comments Closed
Friday, May 23rd, 2008
From the Fairway
By Christine Speedy
It’s golf tournament time- are you ready?
May kicks off the biggest charity golf tournament schedule of the year, with golf courses willing to make deals to keep the courses full after the snowbirds leave town. It’s also time for seeding and other course maintenance; so if you are a tournament host, verify again your course will be in playable condition since sometimes these schedules can change.
Golf is a game of honor…although if you listen to the chatter, laughs, and whining after a typical round at a charity tournament, you wonder if there is anyone at all who plays by the rules. Or who even knows the rules. Some tournaments, people just want to have fun and taking that improved lie from the rough is just part of their game. Or maybe they just ‘forgot’ how many mulligan’s they used up. For others, adhering to the strict rules of golf is part of the game.
Maybe it’s the amount of money invested (from zero to $2500) that drives the honesty factor, but I don’t think so. I think in large part it stems from how players play their weekly game. How frequently do you play every ball as it lies vs. giving yourself an improved lie since it’s only for fun? I’ve seen some guys who roll the ball with their club ON EVERY SHOT to get it to set up right. They don’t change their game at tournament time. Then there is the player who is having a great game, but has a few bad shots. “I’m not counting that one.†Do you see the trend?
Regardless of your weekly game with buddies, in tournaments players need to be mindful of the rules. Enjoy yourself and play any way you want. But if you turn in a scorecard to contend as a winner, make sure you are signing the card with an honest score. You may not win, but at least no one will be talking about how you cheat either.
Local event: March 20 – 23 PGA World Golf Championships-CA Championship Doral Golf Resort & Spa
Christine Speedy is CEO of CEOgolfshop.com and an Executive Women’s Golf Assn. member.
From the Fairway is published in a regional print magazine in the Lighthouse Pt. FL area.
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Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
From the Fairway By Christine Speedy, published April 2008
Trends in Women’s Golf Apparel will continue to evolve
With the increasing realization of how much money women spend on golf related items, we’re also seeing a huge increase in variety of golf apparel. A recent issue of Golf for Women featured 8 urban outfits, with plenty of brand names I’ve never heard of. My new favorite brand- Bugatchi Uomo- wasn’t even around 4 years ago.
I took a look in my closet and have no less than 13 different brands of golf shirts alone. Half the brands I wore in the past are barely on my radar today. Most men I know buy one or two brands almost exclusively, though they may have a larger variety they acquire through gifts, golf tournaments and such. Why aren’t women as loyal to a specific brand as men?
The sad truth is that although it is improving, we haven’t seen the core elements needed to be loyal to a single brand: quality, style, fit, variety, and availability in the right size. All that is changing. Sarah Hand McAleer, formerly of Tommy Hilfiger and Cerutti 1881, was brought in to help boost the Greg Norman women’s line in 2005. In February Greg Norman skorts were offered at our local Costco, showing the broad market reach they are achieving. Bugatchi Uomo has the widest variety of colors for ladies shirts that I’ve ever seen, and the spring collection is a mix of classic lines and fashionable ‘lifestyle’ clothing for both on and off the course.
And how about shirt giveaways at golf tournaments? The planners still act as if the only golfers who play are men. Maybe 1 in 500 will have a ladies shirt option.
It’s still hit or miss at our local golf specialty stores, but the collections at Pro Shops have gotten much better and may be your best bet for local purchases.
Local event – April 24-27 LPGA Stanford International Pro-Am
Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club, Aventura, Fla.
Christine Speedy is CEO of CEOgolfshop.com and an Executive Women’s Golf Assn. member.
Tags:From the Fairway, women's apparel
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