@ATTProAm and Pebble Beach Cultivate Camaraderie, Generosity and Robot Technology #ATTBlogger #ATTProAm

This past week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, there were several stories in place other than professionals and teams playing for the win: one story was about a foursome's journey to uncover what really goes on behind-the-scenes at one of the most exciting golf events on the PGA Tour.

Probably the most memorable part of the journey was interacting with celebrities and professional golfers up-close-and-personal, something that most people dream of including this blogger (one day I will meet Phil Mickelson!)

Blushing teenager Katie Horsford received her wish to meet her hero Jordan Spieth. "The AT&T National Pro-Am is special because it brings together pros and amateurs and celebrities and people like us who are fans."

Got to meet Jordan Spieth today!!! Definitely can say, BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!! @JordanSpieth #ATTBLOGGER #ATTProAm pic.twitter.com/plIJaMzMFV
— Katie Horsford (@kthorsford) February 11, 2015

Dan McLaughlin hopes to play here one day as a professional and "Getting a glimpse of what the players are doing to prepare for this tournament is huge for me."

Celebrities are customary at the AT&T National Pro-Am but charitable giving is an avenue in which this tournament shines its brightest, having raised over $120 million dollars during its thirty-year tenure. The Foursome visited one of these charities, the Veterans Transition Center of Monterey County, which supports homeless veterans and their families.

"Before I came here, I had no idea a golf tournament could have this type of impact on a community," said Tiffany Fitzgerald of Black Girls Golf. "It's pretty inspiring."

Foursome member Tim Lang, a Marine who lost his leg during an explosion, felt a personal connection, "It's just a great example of veterans helping veterans, leaving no one behind."

From being led on a personal tour of Pebble Beach by the course historian to tackling the latest technology at the Golf Academy, the Foursome, and those interacting via social media, received a perspective that very few get to watch. Each member of the group received four lessons with different instructors...and a robot!

"What surprised me most today is where technology has taken golf," mentioned Katie who, as part of the Foursome, was given a very special lesson with a robot "instructor" at the Pebble Beach Golf Academy and Practice Facility. "There's a robot that can make you swing like a specific golfer."

"I was kind of afraid of the robot, said Tiffany Fitzgerald, "because you have to let everything go - you have to let it control you." Although it may sound frightening, when Tiffany was asked to hit a golf ball afterwards with her eyes closed in a simulator, the results were outstanding (check out her swing in the video below!)

Foursome member, Tim, made the most of the tech within the practice facility, "The robot's pretty strong - you can't fight it," continuing with "golfers really love technology because it gives them the edge over their competitors."   ... hashtag awesome, Tim!

The experience shared by the foursome is now in the history books but, thanks to the internet, can be remembered with the click of a mouse. A parting confession from Tiffany recounts, "I came to Pebble Beach to share my experience with others and help get other people excited about golf and I think I did that." You sure did, Tiff and we thank you for giving fans an insider's look at this awesome tournament!


Walk inside-the-ropes with this video of the Foursome at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am:



This post is in partnership with AT&T. All opinions are my own. Voice your opinion on this blog or on @Golf4Beginners.

Texan Holds ‘Em: Stanford’s HSBC Champions Win Ends 14-year American LPGA drought

Angela Stanford ended a wait of fourteen years and four months for an American victory in a LPGA golf event in Asia when she won a four-player play-off at the HSBC Women’s Champions at Singapore’s Tanah Merah Country Club. Tim Maitland reports.

 Stanford won with a par on the third play-off hole, finally knocking Korean teenager Jenny Shin out of the reckoning after Korea’s world number two Na Yeon Choi and China’s Shanshan Feng had been eliminated in two previous trips up the tough 18^th hole. All four had finished on 10-under-par 278 for the tournament.

SINGAPORE - FEBRUARY 26:  Angela Stanford of the USA with the winners trophy after the final round of the HSBC Women's Champions at the Tanah Merah Country Club on February 26, 2012 in Singapore.  (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Amazingly, the last victory for a US player in the LPGA’s long history of staging tournaments in Asia was Juli Inkster’s win at the Samsung World Championship of Women’s Golf, from an invitational field of sixteen LPGA players, in Seoul, South Korea in October 1997. The 2012 HSBC Women’s Champions was the 39^th event in the region since then.

Of the six Asian events on the LPGA’s 2012 schedule, the last to boast an American champion was the Mizuno Classic in Japan which was won by Betsy King in 1993 when it was known as the Toray Japan Queens Cup. King’s win, at the Lions Country Club in Hyogo, was the last US victory against a larger field, over 18 years ago.

“I’m the first American to win in Singapore. That’s pretty cool!” said the thirty-four-year-old Texan, unaware at the time of how long her compatriots’ drought stretched back.

“It’s funny; sitting at the Pro-Am party (on the Wednesday before the tournament) I was thinking we haven’t had an American win this thing yet. Honestly, I thought, well, I’m an American. Might as well give it a go!”

Stanford, whose last win was in 2009, didn’t do it the easy way; only converting the fourth of the putts she had to win the tournament. The cruelest of those was in regulation play after a violent thunderstorm struck with the final group on the 18^th tee and all their rivals safely in the clubhouse. After a 90-minute delay, play resumed with nineteen-year-old Shin leading Stanford by one shot, but the young Korean found a water hazard off the tee and made double bogey, while Stanford’s first chance for victory went begging when she missed a par putt from around five feet.

Making pars throughout the play-off, Stanford adds her name to a roll of honour that consisted only of players to have been rated the best in the world game, from defending champion Karrie Webb through Ai Miyazato and Jiyai Shin to the winner of the inaugural event in 2008, Lorena Ochoa.

“I feel extremely honoured to be in that group of players and to be the first American to get a win is pretty special. Everybody knows this is one of the premier events on tour and always has the best players,” Stanford said.

For Shin, who won the US Girls Junior Championship as a thirteen-year old in 2006, there was the whole range of emotions.

“It’s a little bit of everything; I’m very excited but I’m very disappointed at the same time. The tee shot on the eighteenth was all from nervousness. In the play-off I wasn’t nervous at all. I was really comfortable in the play-off. I really feel like I can do this again. I’m very surprised about how well I did. I’m happy… kind of: happy-sad. I’m accepting it,” she revealed.

Shin’s wasn’t the only hard luck story. China’s Shanshan Feng fell a fraction short of becoming the first player from her country to win an LPGA event, the third time in her short career that she has had to settle for second place.

Current world number one Yani Tseng of Chinese Taipei, who was Jenny Shin’s main challenger for much of the day, finished one shot back in fifth place. She might have won had her approach shot to the 17^th hole gone in for eagle rather than catching the lip of the hole as it span back, leaving her a birdie putt that she missed.

“I do feel disappointed. I just needed a little more luck. I‘ve been very close for two years. Hopefully next year I won’t be disappointed,” said Tseng, who was aiming for back-to-back wins after her victory at the Honda LPGA Thailand the week before.

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and friend on Facebook.

Read about "China Golf Firsts"

SINGAPORE - FEBRUARY 22:  (L to R) In Kyung Kim of Korea, Michelle Wie of the USA, Morgan Pressel of the USA, Yani Tseng of Taiwan, Beatriz Recari of Spain, Melissa Reid of England, Suzann Pettersen of Norway, Se Ri Pak of Korea, Paula Creamer of the USA and Natalie Gulbis of the USA during a Welcome Reception Photo Call at the Raffles Hotel prior to the start of the HSBC Women's Champions at the Tanah Merah Country Club on February 22, 2012 in Singapore, Singapore  (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

Twitter makes media social for New York golf bloggers in Putnam

It is unusual and exciting to meet up with Twitter users whom you follow and chat with regularly but that is exactly what happened when three of the most recognizable golf bloggers in New York converged last week at the lovely Putnam National Golf Club for a fun game.


Social media jumped out of the computer and met face-to-face on the golf course!


Patricia Hannigan, President of Golf Girl Media and writer of the fun and flirty golf blog "Golf Girl's Diary" joined Mike Wolfe, President of WAM Marketing Solutions and myself (with my husband Barry), putting away our smart phones in order to explore Putnam National as a foursome.


Mike had recently played golf at Putnam National and in his review appreciated the "scenic views", "elevation changes" and "undulating greens" of this once private golf course. Patricia enjoyed this Mahopac golf course only once before on an autumn day. "What I remembered most was how the brilliant fall foliage extended up the surrounding hills to provide a colorful vista at almost every hole."

Putnam National Golf Club


I took pleasure in being enveloped by the natural beauty of my surroundings and the feel of calm joy being out on a beautiful day with a friendly group. A few solid bunker shots and a receptive driver didn't hurt either!


Jason Peck, in an article entitled, "How Social Media is changing golf"  mentioned that, "One of social media’s strengths is being able to compliment real-life events and extend their reach and interactivity."



This idea tends to work both ways in golf: being one of the most social sports, golf is ripe for converting internet conversations into friendships on the course and also for players to be able to find others in cyberspace interested in discussion and meet-up.


"I think the more golf can utilize social media to help make the sport and golfers more accessible and interesting to casual fans, the more the game will grow,"  said Peck.


Our foursome's face-to-face golf experience concluded on the 19th hole at Putnam National's pub with a few beers and a chat about our respective games. We took pictures and vowed to play golf again in the near future. Until we meet again, we can still be social!

Golf4Beginners, WAMGolfs and GolfGirl at Putnam National...in the flesh!


Meet and follow us on Twitter:
Stacy Solomon @Golf4Beginners
Patricia Hannigan @GolfGirl
Mike Wolfe @WAMGolfs

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

 

Stacy Solomon, Golf for Beginners Bio

Stacy Solomon has been a student of the game of golf since 2000 and blogger for "Golf for Beginners, because we're always learning" since 2004. She has written hundreds of articles and blogs for well-known internet websites such as Worldgolf.com, AT&T and IBM and her work has been reprinted on thousands of sports websites.

Hi Friends,

Golf for Beginners started out as a way for me to keep my lessons in a format where anyone could see them and benefit from them. The website has grown to include PGA Tour and LPGA Tour commentary, equipment news and reviews of travel destinations. I am very proud to consider Golf for Beginners a worldwide blog, realizing that golf is growing on a global level!

An amateur golfer, my handicap stands at about a sixteen which drops as the year progresses and as my short game improves! As I always say, "the game is played from 100 yards and in!"

Although I began my writing career in 2004 working for various online media outlets, in 2006, I was asked to join the Worldgolf.com golf blogger team. In addition to a weekly column on their site which reached out to over 2.5 million golfers per month, my husband and I also produced the popular five-year long Golf for Beginners Podcast, a regular top-ten on iTunes amateur sports listings. We earned kudos as a pioneer of podcasting by several newspapers including New Jersey Jewish News, "Couple Uses Media Technology to Teach golf to beginners" and The Working Musician. Portions of the Golf for Beginners podcasts have been reproduced on radio stations as far-reaching as South Africa!

I am very proud that I have helped to make Golf for Beginners so recognizable: my blogs can found re-posted in the NY Daily News Sports Section online and in South Florida Golf Magazine. My editorial selections can be accessed via Riversip News app.

Golf Channel has scrolled my tweets on TV in order to highlight their 2012 U.S. Open rebroadcast, I have partnered with corporations as an "Influencer" for IBM in order to bring awareness to their vision of Smarter Commerce and with AT&T to introduce their latest smartphones as well as to bring visibility to the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

I am proud to have worked with Legends Invitational Golf Event to bring awareness and support to the National Navy UDT SEAL Museum, a patriotic and worthwhile charity which educates, enlightens and helps families of fallen SEALs - I am very honored to have been of service.

I have been invited as a guest on several radio shows such as AOL Sports Radio, the GolfClubRadio Show with Danielle Tucker and the Enlightened Golfer Radio Show. Ms. Tucker has mentioned that Golf for Beginners offers "positive and constructive feedback plus great blogs and insight." My most recent radio appearance was as a guest on the On Par Radio Show with Anthony Scorcia. 

Inciteful and instructive interviews have been conducted through email, podcasts and Twitter with some of the best-known golfers and thinkers in the industry including Hank Haney, John Daly, Morgan Pressel Jim Furyk and former PGA President Brian Whitcomb.


Golf4Beginners has taken flight on Twitter and, because of the thousands of friends I have made there, was recently asked to reveal some of my expert secrets in the premier issue of 914 Inc. Magazine.

I had initially chosen to keep Golf for Beginners on Facebook for personal communications but now, since many of my golf fans are friends, I publicized it to my many friends in the social media arena. Within six months of going public, I now have about 3,000 golf-loving friends and have just begun a Facebook page for Golf for Beginners so that all fans have a voice!

Dennis Allen, a twenty-five year golf industry veteran and Executive Vice President of the new Back9 Network stated, "she cares about the game of golf and is insightful. She has lots of ideas percolating in her head that she willingly shares."

Probably not even realized by many in the industry is that, because of both my husband Barry Solomon's and my continued fight for the rights of new media talent to be considered as knowledgeable and respected writers, we helped set the stage for bloggers to gain media credentials at professional golf events such as the 2010 Sybase Match Play Championship and the Puerto Rico Open.

My career has been as varied as a Party Planner for Billboard Magazine to Circulation Sales Director with magazines at Fairchild Publications. I accepted a volunteer position on the Steering Committee for The Club Cup, an inaugural social media event designed to help grow the game of golf among the masses with the assistance of PGA and LPGA Tour players. For the past several years, I have committed myself fully to internet media as a Digital Content, Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Manager.

An honor graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, I chose to remain in my hometown attending New York University on a full four-year scholarship. I love new technology and to be able to explain and engage others with my passion. Combining my love of tech with golf has been a long-term goal for me.

Several years ago, I became a member of the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association and am very proud to be one of the few females in the group as well as one of the only golf writers exclusively serving the online community.

I have always promoted causes that are near and dear to my heart and will never compromise on my resolve to be the best person I can be. The message in golf is a good one and I live by the rules of the First Tee Program; be honest, have integrity, confidence, and respect, play by the rules, and persevere despite challenges!

Why the Puerto Rico Open is "Must See TV"

Both the Puerto Rico Open and the WGC-CA Championships are being played this week but Doral doesn't quite hold the same "mystique" as in previous years.

With Tiger Woods opting out of another event on the PGA Tour schedule, fans need excitement and the Puerto Rico Open is an event ready to comply!

Here are just a few reasons to tune in to the 2010 Puerto Rico Open this week:

1. This is the only stop on the PGA Tour that lands in Puerto Rico. In 2009, forty-two year-old Michael Bradley landed an 11-foot birdie putt to seal the deal at the 18th hole on Trump International Golf Club. He will be in the field to defend his win.

2. John Daly received a sponsor's exemption. Expect the Lion's clothes to match his colorful spirit. As he said on Twitter, "Changing out grips and Gettin Ready for a great Week at the Puerto Rico Open."

3. Check out some of Latin America's finest players: Rafael Campos, Max Alverio and Erick Morales. The PGA Tour is not all about Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker, now is it?

4. Champions Tour golfers Tom Pernice Jr. and Fred Funk will be in the field. Let's watch Funk's return after knee surgery I don't think Vijay Singh ever really recovered, do you?

Tom Kite, the course designer of Trump International GC, among other great golfers, will also be in the field.

5. Trump International Golf Club, at 7,526 yards, is one of the longest on the PGA Tour. Scores have been so close in the previous two years of the event which leads to dramatic thrills on the 18th green. Views of El Yunque Rain Forest and the Atlantic Ocean are breathtaking!

Puerto Rico is a 3,350 square mile Commonwealth of the USA. Watching this stop on the PGA Tour may just give you the desire to visit the Shining Star of the Caribbean!

The Golf Channel will cover the event from Thursday through Sunday. Check your local listings.

Golf for Beginners will also be on hand in Puerto Rico! Follow along with Golf4Beginners and PuertoRicoOpen on Twitter!

Surely you cannot miss Chi-Chi Rodriguez smacking his ceremonial first tee shot! I wonder if he'll be swinging his golf club like a sword...

PGA Tour can learn from John Daly's social skills

Although the PGA Tour "communicates" with its fans through online giants Twitter and Facebook, people who follow don't usually receive much of a personal response. Two-way conversation is crucial to opening the doors of social media.

With social networking still in its infancy, the potential for growth within these two vastly contrasting formats is enormous, providing that the PGA Tour is willing to adapt its style to meet the demands of both.

Executive producer of PGA TOUR.com Scott Gutterman feels that by extending reach to Twitter and Facebook, fans will experience a "direct connection" that they crave but admits that "their audience numbers are not as high as the Tour would ultimately like." Guttman understands that "two-way communication of social media doesn’t happen overnight."

ESPN sports analyst and former NBA star Jalen Rose believes that "interaction" is the key to more fans and followers.

"The PGA needs to talk with the fans who are posting on their wall. They need to interact with people talking about golf on Twitter, and even have golfers give live lessons on Ustream! It’s time for the PGA to build a culture where golfers and golf fans come to the PGA’s social media accounts when they want to talk or find out more about the sport."

Various internet studies comparing Twitter and Facebook mention that, although many users have profiles in both communities with some interconnectedness, some celebrities grow a much larger fan base due to the scope and ease of communication through one social medium over the other.

Coincidentally, social media trends indicate that although most Fortune 100 companies have some type of social media presence, Twitter is becoming more popular.

For now, the PGA Tour seems to have a better connection with its Facebook group probably because this social media option is more like its current website.

The allure of Facebook is long-term community-driven status with the ability to apply pictures, information and a "face" to the Tour while Twitter followers appear to be more chatty and unreserved, wanting information in more immediate, quick bursts. Youtube.com is almost an offshoot of the PGATour.com website so, even though there were 4.4 million uploads of golf videos as well as over 128,000 visits to the site to date, it can hardly be considered "social" media.

Taking into consideration that the PGA Tour has more than double the number of Facebook fans (45,000) over Twitter followers (about 21,000) and that the PGA of America maintains that there are 27 million golfers in the USA, the Tour should be asking what can be done to grow their visibility on both platforms as well as internationally as golf is a worldwide sport.

One way to reach fans en masse and in person? How about on-course during an event: go to where the fans are and seek them out. Although cell phones are considered a "no-no" at events, perhaps the PGA Tour could set up special tents with Twitter on net books close enough to the action where fans could post tweets in exchange for giveaways. The winner gets tickets to a future event or an 'inside the ropes' activity. Sign up as a "follower" and see your name on one of the big boards around the golf course!

Six events are set up for the West Coast Swing alone, which puts into play two Arizona golf courses and four more in California. Followers could be increased by reaching out on-course as opposed to solely through internet strategies.

The list of "fan-friendly" PGA Tour golfers can perhaps also use their power of persuasion by adding the @PGATour link occasionally during a tweet. The connection between professional golfers and the Tour would benefit because the PGA Tour has the more statistical analysis while the golfer could add 'pizzazz'.

John Daly, one of the most vibrant "tweeters" in the world of social media, (@PGA_JohnDaly), currently has over 44,000 fans on Twitter, more than double the number of followers than @PGATour yet falls short on the number of Facebook followers with slightly more than 14,000 fans.

Daly keeps in touch and keeps it "real" and so he appeals more to Twitter fans. When someone asks a question (and he's available) they can expect a response from JD.

John involves the fans with regularity from mounting a Twitter campaign as the Golf Channel's next "Haney project" to offering autographed copies of his new CD. Now that's the way to market yourself!

Of course Daly's eclectic lifestyle makes many fans want to keep track of his larger-than-life status but maybe the PGA Tour should take a tip from JD when it comes to Twitter because communication and putting a face to the tour really helps in adding value to the brand.

Adding fan base may as simple as having a a few surprise celebrity "tweeters" on @PGATour or following a few of the hot golf bloggers to stir things up a little (like @golf4beginners for instance?)

Other PGA and LPGA Tour golfers are enjoying celebrity status on Twitter rather than on Facebook and finding it easier to jot down a quick note while practicing or even just after winning an event.

Ian Poulter, @Ianjamespoulter (7,004 Facebook/ 977,239 Twitter fans) just won his first event ever in the US, a match-play event and, at 2:01am after the event tweeted, "Evening friends, What a day, just sitting on my bed in palm springs, doing cobra commercial tomorrow. 6.45 start, so happy after winning." You can't get much closer to your golf hero than that!

Michelle Wie, @theMichelleWie (2,716 Facebook/14,984 Twitter) told her fans what she was doing on Valentines Day: "spending valentines day writing a paper and listening to Metallica in my hotel room. haha so ideal...not. :)" Who would have thought Michelle Wie to like Metallica!

Stewart Cink (2173 Facebook, 1,226,058 twitter) asked fans about some of their favorite songs: "Just listening to David Bowie's "Space Oddity" on the way to practice. One of few songs I like that include a countdown. Your favorites?"


All of the examples above have both Facebook pages and Twitter accounts but less time is needed for a 140 character update than the investment of time required with Facebook.

With the ability to have tweets directly imported to Facebook, MySpace and other social websites, fans still feel connected but the connection originated with Twitter. Facebook also looks and feels like any other website, with the ability to put up a "wall" separating the fans from personal connection.

That being said, both social media platforms are tools for communication, each with its own unique functionality. Whereas Twitter has become more of a quick way to meet friends and network, Facebook prides itself on a deeper level connection.

Both forms of social media are necessary in order for the PGA Tour to grow on an international level. If only the Tour could find a way to "humanize" itself and add a bit of the celebrity mix which people seem to gravitate towards, it would marry both its online business concern with a more approachable presence.

Written by Stacy Solomon
http://golf-for-beginners.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/golf4beginners
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