NOT CARNOUSTIE

Golf Refugees intrepid reporter has sent us some news and pictures from the opening round action at Carnoustie, venue ofthe women’s 2011 British Open.

However, he failed to mention on his CV that he used to work for News Corp’s News of The World and is consequently about as reliable as a chocolate teapot.

pic src: beachgolf

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SQUIRREL MONKEY

If you were starting a new sports brand, what would your logo be?

Others such as Puma, Lacoste, Lyle and Scott go for creatures.

Golf Refugees have come up with their own creature: the squirrel monkey, because they are free spirited and belong in the wild. Which sounds like a good marketing line to us.

We’re going to conduct some market research at next years London Olympics and ask fans if they will swap their Pumas for Squirrel Monkeys?

If there are any investors who love squirrel monkeys, feel free to get in touch.

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CARNOUSTIE TIME

If you are feeling a little bit under the weather and find yourself at home later this week. Sit back and relax with Hazel Irvine as she presents live BBC coverage, starting this Thursday with first round action, of the women’s British Open from Carnoustie.

Now if you fancy a little flutter, here are some of the latest odds on the Brits;

Catriona Matthew – Scot – 50-1

Melissa Reid – Eng – 80-1

Becky Brewerton – Wal – 100-1

Laura Davies – Eng – 150-1

And let’s not forget British amateur champion Lauren Taylor (pictured), from Rugby and just 16 years old. She could be a good outside bet at 250-1.

The World's top 15 women players are all contending for this the final major of the year.

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GOLF PRADA STYLE 2012

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MISTAKEN IDENTITY PART TWO

At first I thought this was Jan Molby. You know the ex Liverpool Danish central defender who signed from Ajax.

On closer inspection, it turns out to be Brit pro golfer Laura Davies, playing in the annual charity football match at the Evian Masters.

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MISTAKEN IDENTITY PART ONE

  At first I thought this was Fernando Torres. You know the ex Liverpool Spanish striker who joined Chelsea for £50m last January.

On closer inspection, it turns out to be Brit pro golfer Melissa Reid, playing in the annual charity football match at the Evian Masters.

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HOW LONG?

Well, if you hook one into the gorse bush and after 5 minutes of searching are forced to drop another, it could live in that bush for hundreds of years.

It can take anywhere between 100 and 1,000 years for a modern golf ball to biodegrade. This is very bad news for the environment, considering that 300 million balls are lost or thrown away each year in the US alone.
 

When a modern golf ball dissolves, potentially hazardous toxins from heavy metals such as zinc become attached to ground sediment poisoning nearby flora and fauna.

How do golfers feel about the environmental legacy being left behind by their golf balls?

Should the governing bodies of golf be negotiating with leading brands to introduce a new generation of environmentally friendly golf balls fit for the 21st Century?

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TEXAS SCRAMBLE

Is this what they mean by a ‘Texas scramble’?The LPGA deny having any ‘let’s sell sex’ policies, or ‘devising ways to get more female golfers to rock hot pants and tube tops on the driving range’.

Laura Neal, manager of communications at LPGA insists that ‘players are independent contractors and can make their own decisions’.

But would ‘Lingerie Golf’ take off?

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PURE GENIUS

Most young golfers such as Rory and Rickie sip those colourful isotonic sports drinks.
 

But as Darren Clarke’s Open win proves, ‘good things come to those who wait’.

With his favourite tipple a pint or two of the ‘black stuff’.

I’m sure ISM is on the case, but if he’s not already sponsored by Guinness, he soon will be.

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DARREN CLARKE

Congratulations to Darren Clarke.

Open Champion Clarke's victory continues the remarkable run of success in major championships for Northern Ireland. It now boasts three victories in 13 months. 

Graeme McDowell won the US Open at Pebble Beach last summer, McIlroy won the same title at Congressional last month, and now Darren. Incredible for a province of only a million people.

Hopefully this will keep momentum bulding for the R&A to reconsider their stubborn position and hold an Open Championship at Darren Clarke’s home club Portrush.

It would be a fitting tribute to celebrate Irish Golf.

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GEORGE NOT GEORGIE

Georgie has a single figure handicap, excellent knowledge of the rules of golf and an exemplary record on etiquette.

However her application for memberships of Royal St George's came up short.

Approximately six inches short; for Georgie doesn’t have a penis.

We’re not sure about the committee’s ruling on ladyboys, but women members are strictly forbidden.

After listening to Peter Dawson (Chief Executive of the R&A) trying to defend the indefensible during an interview with Hazel Irvine, Golf Refugees simply ask, how can the governing body of golf award a major championship to a golf club that refuses women members?

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THE TALE OF TWO TOM'S

You name your son Tom after golfing great Tom Watson.

Then twenty years later, you watch him play with Tom at the Open.

He shoots a 65 to end joint leader on the opening day.

He watches Tom’s glorious hole-in-one on the second day.

The two Tom’s walk and talk down the links fairways, stride for stride at Royal St Georges.

What a story.

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READY FOR THE OPEN

Golf Refugees - British. Indie. Eco 

http://www.golf-refugees.com/

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OPEN FAVOURITE

So, who’s your Open favourite?

Well, with any major championship it’s important to study form.

And on that basis our pick is Ellie Harvey, wife of Aussie Jason Day.

Though we have no idea what she’s doing in this picture.

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SK GIRLS

Congratulations to South Korean So Yeon Ryu for winning the US Open after a three hole play off with compatriot Hee Kyung Seo; pictured here wearing a denim pleated skirt.

Currently, there are four South Korean women in the World’s top ten

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4 AND 2

Predictably it blew and rained at The Scottish Open, held for the first time on the picturesque links course Castle Stuart, Inverness. The switch from Loch Lomond had been greeted with approval from leading golf pros who wished for additional links practise before this weeks Open Championship.Despite the weather GMac and Donald both hit record low scores of 64 and 63. Which begs the question, where do we go from here to make golf courses a challenge for the pros? With Championship courses being lengthened every year, necessitating repositioned bunkers and narrowing of fairways.

The current rules of golf are stifling technology advances in golf equipment. The limits on COR and MOI can be reached by all brands using similar materials. Sports need to move forward with technology, hopefully being encouraged towards sustainable technology and recycled materials.

Golf Refugees would therefore like the current technology restrictions to be lifted. There is a substantial benefit for the vast majority of golfers to try and play with golf balls and golf clubs which potentially allow them to hit the ball further. The biggest restriction to average golfers increasing their ability is time. Finding time off from work and family commitments to practice more.

This action will probably lead to professional golfers being able to hit 400 yard drives and beyond in the near future. To restrict their scoring and preserve existing courses, Golf Refugees advocate removing all par 5’s and par 3’s from tournament golf. This would leave only par 4’s and par 2’s for professional golfers.
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US OPEN

Illustration by Anne Muhonen


It’s the US Open for girls this week.
Naturally we’ll be routing for the Brits; Laura Davies and Melissa Reid.

With late start times and thunder storms suspending play on day one in Colorado Springs, it’s going to be a 36 hole marathon for the dynamic duo on the tough Broadmoor course today.

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LONDON LOOK

What’s this? A new ‘London-look denim style’ for golf?
 
US actor Keanu Reeves enjoys a few holes at London’s Dukes Meadows golf club, whilst on location in the UK filming an 18th Century Samurai flick.

I wonder if he will audition for a new film script which tells the story of a band of media hacks who take revenge on their bosses for leaving them out in the cold. Provisional title is ‘Boycott The Sun on Sunday’

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LET IT ALL OUT

Has women’s golf got something missing?After watching two-weeks of tennis at Wimbledon, it hit me.

It’s too silent. There’s no grunt, or squeak or shriek at the point of impact with the ball. It’s just as physical to hit a golf ball as a tennis ball, so why no sound from the players?

Granted it would cause some confusion when the ‘quiet please’ signs went up.

To be on par with their counterparts, women golfers need to make a noise approaching 95 decibels and for a duration of 1.5 seconds.

With 70% of women tennis players on tour screeching, there's a long way to go.

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BLUBBER WATSON

'Blubber' Watson makes a valid point. Who the heck do these European golf fans think they are? Carrying mobile phones and cameras around to professional tour events, where US golfers have taken the time and effort of flying over.

These paying golf fans should leave all of their gadgets at home, keep quite and preferably still. For goodness sake, it’s really important not to be distracted by noise. Blubber insists there needs to be lots more rope on European events, to separate the pros from the public. The fans need to be held back, well away from the action.

There could be an instance when I’m walking down a fairway, thinking about my next shot and strategy, when I hear some bleep, or click. It’s the difference between shooting a low score and missing the cut.

I’m sure all of the British fans will enjoy watching and listening to Blubber at the Open down in Kent; the garden of England. We’ll try not to laugh and enjoy ourselves at his expense.

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GOLDEN BROWN

Wimbledon is still going on and pictures of golf stars; the Great White Shark and the Golden Bear visiting the All England Club have been circulating the British media.
Jack mentioned to the BBC he had 'special grass’ back home in Florida, better than he could find in south London. Our finest metropolitan drug officers held back while Jack continued to explain he has three grass lawn tennis courts which he regularly smoked a few backhands down the line.

When questioned about Tiger, he said Tiger is an endangered species, but feels he will return to flourish again. It would be devastating if injuries forced Tiger out of the game.

Rory the young lion is a great kid with bags of talent.

Jack reminisced about himself and Tom Watson, all losing tournaments down the homeward stretch. How important it was to learn how they lost and then how to win.

He later went onto say that he’d love a Rory curly mop syrup.
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