Scruffy knows how danged particular I am about knuckle dragging fat heads that won't fix a gull darned divot if their mother's honor depended on it...so when he was asked to do a review on this little gadget, he gave me a call.

If you are reading this article either you are not in your right mind and are still thinking about running a golf outing after reading Part One of this series OR you have no choice in the matter… as in “if you want to keep your job, you’ll organize this event” position.

Next steps: (some of these are a “given” and are not intended to insult your intelligence, however, when you’re up to your arse in alligators, it’s difficult to remember that your original objective was to drain the swamp!)

1. Choose a date – remember, your customers/clients want to get at least an afternoon out of the office! Monday afternoons and Fridays anytime are a great idea! Golf courses tend to be in the best condition in May, June, September and October, which is also prime time weather here in the Midwest.

Remember that in this area, you can’t be too sure about the weather much past the middle of October. Most courses should have discount rates in October, if cost is a major concern. They will also be selling mittens, toboggan hats and hot chocolate! One caution, many courses will aerify greens sometime in September. You want to schedule before this or no sooner than two weeks after aerification. This ensures that the greens will be in good shape, a must for any credible golf event.

2. Select your venue (otherwise know as golf course/ golf club): Here’s where your course directory comes in handy. You may also rely on your own experience as a golfer, or ask around the office. Be sure you know the reaction to last year’s location.

Perhaps you weren’t completely satisfied with the course and would like to look at alternative golf clubs, or you rotate your event each year. A word to the wise, before booking any course, be sure you know if they cater to corporate outings and business clientele, and if it is a “female Friendly” facility.  And certainly a great way to confirm this is to play the course. Once they know you are serious about the possibility of booking with them, most clubs will “comp” your round (free golf – yeah!). It’s a tough job, and you’ve got it!

3. Plan the details. Most golf clubs will have event coordinators who will walk you through food and beverage options, (don’t forget that on course beverage carts are a big hit when trying to impress your clients), on course contests, type of start and format. “Type of start” refers to straight tee times, shotgun or the two-tee or wave. Each type usually carries a different fee. Format refers to the game you’ll play whether it’s individual stroke play, best ball or scramble, to name a few. Most of your customers will probably prefer a scramble, as it then becomes a team competition and takes some of the pressure off any one individual’s game. To confirm the event location, most golf clubs require a contract with a commitment for the number of players, and a non-refundable deposit. Be sure you know their rain policy before signing on the dotted line!

Cynthia E. Lamb is CEO and owner of RHINO Enterprises, which specializes in marketing and management consulting. She also operates H&L Golf, a “swinging” division of Rhino, which offers consulting in all things golf. After spending several years in management and marketing with Fortune 500 companies, and earning her MBA, Cynthia spent ten years with American Golf Corporation. She has played golf since she was 13, including competitive golf in high school and college, and has a real passion for the game and its traditions. She is currently also teaching marketing at the college level. She is also a friend and sometimes business and golf partner of Sherry Tabb, author of Ladies on the Tee Golf Blog.

Thanks for visiting Ladies on the Tee Golf Blog at www.sherrytabb.com. You are invited to share your experiences and comments with us below.

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Annika may have retired from golf but she has been super busy – especially in the month of March. On 3/11/09, she launched a signature fragrance called ANNIKA that has appeal to golf enthusiasts, career-minded professionals and active, fashion-forward women. Like Annika, the fragrance will be casually elegant and unpretentious. The fragrance will be available in stores in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Scandinavia beginning in May 2009, but pre-ordering is currently available online. On 3/13/09 Annika announced her and hubby bought a new home across the fairway from her current home on Lake Mona, Florida - interesting enough the new house was formerly David Leadbetter’s pad. On 3/17/09 Annika was interviewed by the Golf Channel at Doral and discussed her new fragrance, her retirement and pal Tiger Woods.

On 3/19/09 Annika announced:
“Mike and I are very pleased to announce that we expecting our first child. We have had a lot of exciting changes in the past few months, and adding a new addition to our family later this fall will certainly be at the top of that list. We are absolutely thrilled and look forward to this new chapter of our lives! We appreciate the love and support that we have received from our family, friends, and of course my fans.” Congratulations Annika & Mike!

There a couple days left in March what else can she announce? Well here's something to look forward to on March 31 - the Golf Channel will broadcast the Annika Celebration "Skins Game" that was completed on February 3, 2009 at the Ginn Reunion in Reunion, Florida. The Skins Game included Annika, Natalie Gulbis, Lorena Ochoa, and Paula Creamer. The ladies teed off in a two-team competition pairing Annika and Paula vs. Lorena and Natalie. Spoiler Alert: The team of Lorena and Natalie won by one stroke.

I came across an interesting rules incident recently, which in my opinion gave rise to possibly the best Golfing headline ever. I was browsing through an interesting book, ‘Golf Anecdotes: From the Links of Scotland to Tiger Woods’ by Robert Sommers, when a story caught my eye concerning the great English professional golfer, Henry Cotton, while he was playing in the 1956 U.S. Open. It is all the more interesting because it concerns one of the few occasions where a professional golfer has been openly accused of cheating. The brief circumstances were as follows. Henry Cotton, past his prime at age 49, was playing well as he started play of the long, par-4 17th hole, during the first round at Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, New York. Having missed the green with his second stroke he chipped on and then putted to an inch or so past the hole. Reaching across the hole to tap the ball back in, he either did, or did not, stub the putter on the ground, missing the ball completely, depending on whose version of the incident you believe. In the Rules of Golf the definition of stroke says,

“A stroke is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke."

So, if Cotton had intended to move his ball into the hole with his action it was clearly a stroke and must be counted as such. His fellow competitors on the day were Cary Middlecoff (the eventual winner) and Jimmy Demaret, both of whom were convinced that Cotton had definitely made a stroke at his ball, whereas he claimed that he had merely lost his balance as he stretched across the hole and had only stabbed his putter to the ground to steady himself. Where there is such a dispute over the facts Rules officials have no choice but to accept the player’s word, but at the end of the round neither Middlecoff nor Demaret would attest his score for that hole. Was it a case of cheating, or not? There is no doubting what the local Rochester, newspaper editor thought. The following day, his classic headline over the report of the incident read, “Brittania Waives the Rules”.

Wishing you good golfing,

Barry Rhodes
Author of ‘999 Questions on the Rules of Golf’

Hello golf world!

I’m Carling Coffing, a professional golfer on the Duramed Futures Tour with a passion for high heel shoes! I’m so excited to start my first full rookie year on tour because they are giving 10 LPGA cards to top money listers, and I hope my name is written all over one! I’m about to begin a journey of a lifetime and I want you to come with me! So check in from week to week to see my good moments…and my bad…as I kick and scratch my way to the top.

This year I’ll be playing 17 tournaments in 24 weeks across 14 states. PHEW I didn’t say it was going to be easy! While traveling from week to week, I’ll also be staying in foreign beds, eating healthy food on the road, staying in top athletic shape, and playing 7 days a week–all while keeping my young, girly, head on straight!

A little bit about me…

I’m from Middletown, Ohio where I grew up with my parents and two older brothers. My dad was an All-American wrestler with two regional Olympic titles; did I mention he’s also my coach and caddy?? It may have taken twenty years, but we have finally figured out how to work together and take on the world “Coffing Style”.

We’re open and honest with one another and get out frustrations as soon as possible before an emotion explosion takes place. It works most of the time. We both have our moments! My mom comes to all my tournaments too and without her I don’t know how we get out the door in the morning. It’s been a dream to work with my family.

I’ve been type I diabetic since I was five years old. Being diabetic has been a tough road but I have never let it set me back. I do have an extra something to worry about on a daily basis, but who doesn’t? There’s no reason to use it as an excuse, and I know with good blood sugars I can be as competitive as any girl out there. Switching to the insulin pump in 2008 has been so fantastic. It almost works like a real pancreas, so I named him “Hank the panc”. He’s good to me.

After winning the Ohio State tournament in High School, I went on the play for The Ohio State University where I was an All-Big Ten player. While dealing with a wrist injury in 2007, I worked for Coach Jim Tressel as a sports broadcaster covering Ohio State Football. My dad is a professional speaker and taught me himself. He is known as, “The Speech Doctor” for his ability to train in public speaking. I loved every minute of it! I can’t wait to pursue my career in broadcasting! First…I have my eyes on golf…

I know this year is going to be an emotional battle. I’m not sure whether I need to worry about accepting my trophies with grace or whether I can pick myself up after missing the cut, but I don’t know one thing for sure. I have loved this game since I was a little girl, and I will continue to love it for years to come. It is just a game, so let’s have some fun! …and hopefully pick up one of those cards on the way…

Thanks for visiting Ladies on the Tee Golf Blog at www.sherrytabb.com.  We are looking forward to following Carling’s career as she takes us ‘Inside the Ropes’ this season.  Feel free to add your comments below.

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