Michelle vs. Jennifer and adolescence lost

Reading a recent article in Golf Digest about the obvious coming of age problems facing Michelle Wie reminded me of one August afternoon back in 1989 when I was sitting at my desk in a Los Angeles advertising agency and got a cold call from a talent agency pitch man who, knowing that we handled a good portion of the Nintendo business, launched into how Jennifer Capriati would be the perfect spokesperson for the tween gaming company.

At the time Capriati was the hottest thing to hit the women's tennis circuit. A phenom. The next Navratilova (who was still beating the bejesus out of everyone). The pitch guy was arrogant, rude and pushy, but trying to do his job I guess. Nevertheless, I ran the idea by the client when she got back from vacation (in the meantime this guy called me every day implying I was not doing my job because he hadn't heard back from me). Nintendo passed on the 'opportunity' because Jennifer had not won The Big One. We agreed that we wanted to see what her staying power was. Everyone including me thought they knew what Jennifer was, and should be. Except Jennifer.

That experience gave me a good dose of what the people are like who create the hype and 'handle' these kids and how they affect our perceptions and expectations. Not much later, Jennifer had a number of highly publicized problems that now seem to have been no more than her trying to prove her adolescence--an adolescence she may have still lost in order to overcome what she had done to live out her point. I remember that, once portraited as a human tennis action figure, all of the news photographs suddenly became as unflattering as they could be.

I think she just wanted to be a kid when everyone around her wanted her to be something different. She made it through, and has been a stalwart on the pro tour for more than a decade even if she may not have played to the expectations others set for her. I'd like to know more about that part of the story.

By all accounts the same thing is happening or about to happen with Michelle Wie. She attends Stanford University now. Yep, Tiger did, too. Must be the water. But, according to the Golf Digest story I read, this is a year Wie, her parents and handlers would probably like to forget. Her former coach Gary Gilchrist is quoted in the article, saying "She hasn't backed up the hype, and everything she does now produces negative commentary and negative energy."

So, what's her problem? Gilchrist thinks her parents may be a lot of it, "B.J. is the strategist and Bo is the perfectionist," Gilchrist is quoted as saying. "...They're arrogant, they stick to themselves, and they don't have many friends out there. A lot of people give them good advice, but they don't seem to listen."

Here is the kicker. What does Michelle really like to do? "I like to call back home, talk to my friends, and just listen to their troubles for once and just talk about silly stuff, be stupid and just be goofy and just not think about anything, just not have a care in the world...", she says in the article.

You only have to look at Michelle, Jennifer, Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton to wonder if the real problem here is just bad parenting. So, why critique and criticize everything an 18-year old does when all they'd rather do is talk to their friends on their cell phone, have fun and be adolescent?

I hope Michelle has the courage to assert and be herself. Her talent will take care of the rest. And, I wish Jennifer would talk to her.

Why we should all play golf on September 1

One of the all-time best public service programs will take place on Saturday, September 1 when public golf courses across the U.S. participate in Patriot Golf Day, sponsored by the PGA, USGA , Wounded Warriors, Inc. and the Fallen Heroes Foundation. Each golf course will donate $1.00 of your greens fees to the program.

So, if you are planning to play golf Labor Day weekend, make it count. It seems to me that $1.00 is a small sacrifice next to what our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families give everyday.

The Fallen Heroes Foundation offers financial and emotional support to the families of fallen or injured servicemen and women. More importantly, I think, they provide financial aid for educating the children of these patriots.

Wounded Warriors, Inc. owns family-friendly resort condominiums in Orlando, FL and Galveston, TX where "war-torn" families can retreat for solace and restore peace to their lives.

Take a moment on September 1 while you are enjoying the beauty and quiet of your favorite golf course to think about what a soldier is doing, thinking, feeling, experiencing at the same time.

If you are like me, you'll want to do, and give, more. As an avid golfer, and a Vietnam era Army veteran, the trauma our soldiers are experiencing now, matched against the growing unpopularity of the Iraq conflict will soon be, in the words of Yogi Berra, "Deja Vu all over again."

Do something now. Go to http://www.playgolfamerica.com/

How to win arguments on the golf course

Why is it that golf never seems complicated until you get out on the course? And, how do you fend off a hyper-competitive partner or group when your team is down 1 stroke heading into the final 2 holes and you are in a odd lie?

Do you really know when you can take a free drop, or do 2 or 3 of you think you know? How do you handle a playing partner who is 'certain' that he is right, but you are sure he is wrong? What is the maximum handicap that a player can take?

How do you score and unfinished hole? What is the penalty if your ball lies 3 feet from the pin when another player chips from 40 yards off the green and his ball hits yours?

In any given season, I know that these issues come up at least once. The answer is simple, and this is not an ad for anyone, just the logical choice. Join the USGA. I did earlier this year and am totally surprised at what a great organization it is. While a lot of golfers think the USGA exists for the purpose of regulating golf courses (which it does) it also offers a host of services and information to golfers.

For example, did you know that you and a group of your friends (minimum 10 people) can form your own USGA licensed golf club without owning a golf course? All you need is the opportunity to play together on a regular basis, a set of by-laws and a USGA registered handicap manager, and you are in business.

Visit www.usga.org and you'll learn a lot, like how golf courses and individual holes are rated. The annual dues are so little, I can't remember what they are.

Bazooka Schmazooka

A lot of weekend golfers seem interested in hybrid golf clubs, but are wary about buying one, because there never seems to be enough information out there about how they work. Well, I was recently asked to make a contribution to a silent auction at a golf tournament and I wanted to offer something unique and at a low-cost.

So, I thought of the TourEdge QL #6 hybrid iron-wood that I purchased last year, and that cost under $50.00. The TourEdge people call it the 'Bazooka,' because, I think, the ball takes off at a high rate of speed at the moment of impact (MOI) and shoots real high (if you hit it right). It was a great addition to my golf bag.

Here is how hybrid iron-woods work:

You swing them like you would any other iron, but you set up for the swing as though you were using a driver (line the ball up with the inside of your left foot). Don't stand too far away from the ball. The hybrids have a great "heavy" feel to them. If you have a tendency to swing too fast, the weight of these clubs slow you down, naturally. Remember to swing through the ball with hybrids. There is no advantage to taking a lot of turf as you might with another iron.

The whole idea of hybrids is to add distance to your irons. As golf courses get longer these days, hybrids help make up the difference on approach shots that can be 20 yards or more from where you may have played a few years ago.

The Bazooka is a great club to try before you invest in a hybrid set. The first time I used mine I hit a 140-yard approach shot that landed 10 feet from the pin. If you knew my golf game, that is nothing short of a miracle. But, you'll love the way the Bazooka explodes from the grass. And, the cobalt blue head gives the club a great look.

Finally, it is hard to practice with hybrids at a driving range. I don't think they are made for that, and I'd guess it's where a lot of folks wonder if they are effective or not.

Interesting articles you may want to read

The last two issues of Golf Digest magazine contained some of the most interesting reading of the summer. In the July issue, there was an extended article rating the Top 10 Golf Coaches in the Country as rated by peers as well as active professionals. Not surprisingly, the pros picked Butch Harmon. Surprisingly, his fee is only $600 a day while others charge as much as $2,000.
In the August issue, read the story that a lot of us have been waiting for, "What's Wrong With Michelle Wie?"