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Lexi Thompson talks playing golf with President Trump | Golf Channel

LPGA star Lexi Thompson opens up about her efforts to sharpen up her short game, and teeing it up alongside President Trump and Bryson DeChambeau, and the benefits of team play both for building her own game and for the joy of the fans.

Source: Lexi Thompson talks playing golf with President Trump | Golf Channel

Finding a healthy sunscreen that works

Parabens is a term used for a group of preservatives used in mainstream body products for the purpose of increasing shelf life and reducing the occurrence of fungus growth in the product. They are found quite liberally in the ingredients of creams, sunscreens, shampoos and deodorants. Parabens are man made chemicals that have been in use for over 100 years. They can be labeled as methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and one or more can be used in a single product.

While the FDA has repeatedly stated that there is no reason for consumers to be concerned about the topical use of parabens, scientists and other independent researchers continue to study and review studies on their safety with increasing skepticism. Currently, there is a growing concern in both the scientific and consumer communities. Parabens have been conclusively found in a high percentage within the human body, notably present in malignant breast tumors (Phillipa Darbre, 2008) and in the gastro intestinal tract (Soni, 2005). Darbre’s studies have found that parabens act as xenoestrogens, agents that mimic estrogen in the body, which again is a concern for cancer. In general, they are easily absorbed through the skin.

As an avid golfer and outdoorswoman, I have taken to carefully reading the labels on my sunscreens. Most sunscreens are laden in chemicals; parabens making up just a small percentage of these. Because golfers spend hours and hours out in the sun, they are big consumers of sunscreen and aught to be aware of their long-term effects. There are many paraben free options available in today’s market and one should consider trying them out. Even without having to go out of your way, look for newer products made my ALBA, BADGER, The Honest Company and even some Neutrogena product that are on the shelves of most mainstream drug stores and grocery stores. Read the labels. At the very least, look for paraben free and sulfate free products. If you are looking for an even more pure product, one that is absent of all chemicals beyond just the parabens that we have addressed in this article, there are quite a number of outstanding and innovative companies offering such product online, at local Health Food Stores, Whole Foods Markets and other such stores. For a comprehensive list of 20 such brands, refer to Liz Thompson’s annual Consumer Guide. Liz is an organic beauty product researcher and frequently shares great information on health products. To read her recent article on sunscreen, follow the below link.

http://www.organicauthority.com/22-best-natural-sunscreens-2016

Taking the time to choose a good sunscreen, one that is also good for you, is worth it! The ones that are good for you are typically much better for the planet too. Reef degradation is a serious concern worldwide and sunscreens are now being looked into for their role in reef safety but let’s save that discussion for another time!!

 

A Parent’s guide to College Golf

Helping a child prepare for becoming a NCAA college athlete takes time, patience and careful research. Regardless of the sport, proper guidance for your hopeful college athlete is necessary and often underestimated. You don’t want to over do it, or under do it either, and the timing of your actions is also important. Go Pac Golf has put together a list of advice for parents that might soon be navigating the college golf path.

First of all, it is important to note that NCAA rules allow prospective students to visit college campus at their own expense at any time. We would highly suggest doing so with your child in the 9th grade to learn more about a variety of schools, golf programs, coaches and so forth. Parents and students may call coaches in advance of their unofficial campus tours although the coach is not allowed to return calls and initiate contact with prospects until September of your child’s junior year. Basically you are politely calling to give the coach a head’s up that you and your child will be around on a particular day versus showing up unannounced. Keep it casual. It is often an important first introduction as the coach may now take note of the player and likely look into their Junior Golf career up to date and then follow the player over the next two years prior to making official contact with the player in September of their junior year of high school.

Junior Golf

Encouraging your child to establish a Junior Golf career by playing in AJGA events is critical. This is by far the best place for junior golfers to be discovered by college coaches. Look into how your child can earn AJGA PBE status in your state. Players need to build their competitive golf resumes and set themselves up to gain exposure to prospective golf programs.    As a parent, it is important to help set this up for your child without solely focusing on the scouts. We would suggest you focus on the fact that it will be helping your child gain experience in competitive golf to see if this is really what they want. It is also important to not feel that your child has to play for the top ranked schools. There are many great college golfers that have done well in college golf that have come from the lesser-ranked NCAA schools. Help your child choose a school that is the best fit for them based on academics, athletics, social needs, location, cost and so forth. If your child ends up in a great program that really suits them, their golf will surely benefit.

International Student-Athlete requirements.

Over 20% of NCAA Division 1 golfers are foreign students. The NCAA has specific guidelines for international athletes who wish to participate in NCAA programs. Although foreign students and US have the same recruiting guidelines, foreign students must meet certain additional eligibility criteria. The NCAA Clearinghouse is the governing body that reviews each student’s academic records. See www.ncaaclearinghouse.net for more details. Familiarize yourself with the requirements for your child. They are straightforward but important.

Generally, for the golf component, we would suggest helping your child establish a junior golf career in his or her country of origin at the highest possible level as would the American born applicant. NCAA golf coaches will be familiar with equivalent junior golf programs in your country as are used to having foreign golfers come to them. We would also suggest visiting the as many college campuses in the US as you can with your prospective NCAA golfer. Have your child play in some US tournaments. Try to connect with other foreign athletes on campus and ask them how they did it.

Most of all, good luck to you and your child in this wonderful pursuit. It is a long road but so exciting for you and your child. Enjoy each curve and turn!

 

It’s Kapalua time

Go Pac Golf is excited to attend the events at Kapalua beginning tomorrow!!!!

Is club fitting worth it?

I am a firm believer in the importance of club fitting. Having purchased new clubs after a fitting over a year ago and then watching my handicap factor drop by 4 within that same time frame, I am optimistic that the improvement in my game is in direct correlation to my new clubs. I was instantly more comfortable hitting with my fitted clubs. Everything about them felt right and I had a technological assessment of my swing to back it up.

Since 2011, major equipment manufacturers and golf ball manufacturers are placing a major emphasis on club fitting. Taylor Made has dramatically expanded its implementation of performance labs, Ping has developed a golf software program called ‘nFlight’ and other big companies have followed suit.

So what does a complete club fitting entail?

During a complete fitting, a trained fitter will address factors affecting your unique execution of hitting the golf ball. Such factors include face angle, launch angle, spin rate, ball speed, attack angle, and the path of the club as you swing. All of these factors are studied to discover the right shaft and club head combination to optimize your swing.

Getting your irons fit to you is one of the best things you can do for your game.

Tiger’s homecoming

 

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I wish one could say for sure that Tiger Woods, who hasn’t played competitive golf since the 2015 Wyndham Championships, is going to tee it up as scheduled at this year’s Hero World Championships in just over two weeks.
Woods, who is hoping to break his longest ever absence from golf of 15 months, in a recent discussion with Stephen Colbert said assuredly “I’ll be there playing”.
It’s amazing to recap what has occurred in the world of golf in Tiger’s absence. We have seen the swift rise then temporary plateau of Jordan Spieth, the ascent then injury of Jason Day, the awaited coming of Dustin Johnson, the return of conviction for Rory Mcllroy, and the steady intensification of the quality many other exceptional players. Matsuyama, Stenson, Reed, Scott…

Best Lessons Ever: Mickelson’s best bunker lesson | Golf Channel

Have a look at Phil’s bunker video. It’s worth the minute to watch.

World Golf Hall of Famer and 5-time major champion Phil Mickelson gives his best fluffy lie bunker instruction in this best lesson. For more great instruction like this, watch Best Lessons Ever on Tuesdays at 7PM ET.

Source: Best Lessons Ever: Mickelson’s best bunker lesson | Golf Channel

Golf and Ethics

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Golf and Ethics

Even the world of golf has not been spared by this year’s Presidential race politics as a big question has arisen as to whether or not the USGA should reconsider its hosting of the LPGA’s 2017 U.S. Women’s Open at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J.?

We at Go Pac Golf feel strongly that playing such a huge tournament at Trump National should absolutely be reconsidered and, in that belief, we are not alone.

Earlier this week, 3 US senators wrote a letter to the USGA to do so and urged the committee to make a principled change on the matter.

“The decision that the USGA makes is more consequential than simply the geographic location of a golf tournament,” the letter read. “In declining future association with a brand that degrades women, the USGA and LPGA have an opportunity to make clear to the world, and most especially young Americans, that our nation will not tolerate nor do business with any company that condones or excuses action that constitutes sexual assault.”

‘Golfweek’ interviewed 12 LPGA players and only one player was steadfast that the tournament should be moved. The general consensus amongst the few that were questioned was that the tournament should stay where it is (this late in the game) and that politics should not interfere.

As an avid female golfer myself, I personally would experience a kind of ethical dilemma if I were to indirectly endorse a Trump golf course by playing in a huge tournament there. No, I would not forego a berth in the US Open but might rather take the opportunity to say something about my concerns and hopefully initiate a move towards making something good out of it.

We’d love to hear from all of you about what you think about the choice that the USGA now faces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy Food for Play

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Food for play

 

I hope it does not feel like you are being driven into golf overload to now be reading about what to ‘eat’ on the golf course. In a world that is becoming increasingly health conscious, (my apologies if you don’t want to hear this) nutrition is an important factor on the golf course. Bringing to this conversation a 20 year background in competitive swimming and running and more significantly, a 25 year passion for organic gardening, food and nutrition, I cannot deny that I have given this question a lot of contemplation. As a result, I can positively attest that what one eats on the course can affect the outcome of one’s golf game. I am sorry to say, but, grabbing a “smoky” and a beer on the ‘turn’ is likely not going to help your game and is probably costing you a few or more stokes per round. It is not just the alcohol that is the culprit for the loss of focus on the back 9, but the spike in blood sugars from unhealthy food choices provided by the outdated fast food options offered by many golf facilities. A bag of chips, an overly sweet granola bar and a Gatorade are not the answer either. I have seen and heard it so many times; “I lost my focus for a few holes after lunch and the wheels fell off…”

 

So what does good nutrition look like on the golf course?

  • Choose healthy whole food options for snacks. As a rule of thumb these are often unprocessed ‘one ingredient’ foods such as carrot and celery sticks, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, fresh fruits, whole grain breads and crackers, cheese, low sugar yoghurt etc.
  • Choose low glycemic index foods to ensure no big rush or no sleepy ‘after effect’. The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods by how much they raise blood glucose (sugar) levels compared to a standard food. You want to avoid a spike in energy as well as a dip or crash. Both will affect your mental focus as well as your physical strength and energy levels. This also means avoid becoming too hungry while playing your round. Depending on your metabolism, you will likely need to eat something after a few hours on the course.
  • Have smaller portions at a time and stagger these throughout your game. For example, have half a sandwich on pumpernickel or a dark unleavened bread filled with proteins and vegetables. Whether you are raw, vegan, vegetarian or eat a meat lover, it is the quality of the protein that matters. Choose roasted, boiled, barbecued meats, poultries and fish over salty and processed cold cuts and salamis (these are filled with fats and sulphates). My favorite option is to barbecue a few extra chicken breasts and veggies at dinner and then put them away for sandwich and salad fixings the next day. If you are vegan or vegetarian, choose healthy spreads like hummus, babaganoush, nut loaf and seed pâtés and be careful to look at the labels to ensure that they are not processed with the wrong oils, salts, seasonings, sugars and preservatives. There are big differences out there in the quality of these products. ‘Making it yourself’ is often the easiest and most reliable method. A good hummus, for example, only needs a few ingredients. Chickpeas, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, tahini, a dash of cumin and a spring of parsley. Salt to taste and  blend it up. Don’t forget sushi rolls, summer rolls and wraps. These are easy to make and easy to slip into your golf bag.
  •  Make sure your food is relatively quiet and easy to access in terms of packaging. Trying to pry open a noisy wrapper can be annoying to both you and the person trying to hit their ball.
  •  Try foods that can be sipped from a bottle or thermos. Soups, yoghurts, and smoothies are excellent. There are some golf courses in the Pacific Northwest that offer a soup of the day on the ‘turn’ (packaged in a cardboard bowl or coffee cup with a lid) during the cooler fall and spring seasons. I love being surprised by a great soup on a golf course on a chilly fall day.
  • Stay hydrated. Bring a large water bottle so you can monitor how much or how little you are drinking. Never rely on getting enough water on the course from those little white disposable cups. Moreover, they’re are not ecological.

Anyhow, these are personal ideas  for how to eat to play good golf. I hope you have enjoyed the article and will contact me with further ideas and contributions to the subject.

 

Brooke Henderson wins another LPGA event ahead of Rio

Canadian golf sensation Brooke Henderson defends her title for the second straight time at an LPGA event, the Portland Classic. Coming off her first ‘major’ win only 2 weeks ago, she is forging a hot trail en route to the Olympic games in Rio.

Source: Brooke Henderson wins another LPGA event ahead of Rio

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