TEENAGE ANGST

Should there be an age restriction for young golfers? Currently it's eighteen for women wishing to compete on tour. 

But what about the old adage ‘if you’re good enough you’re old enough'? 

Now that the authorities have given an exemption to the exceptional Lexi Thompson will the tour gates have to be opened a little wider? 

Down under, a 14 year old Korean born New Zealander; Lydia Ko, has just made history by becoming the youngest ever winner of a professional golf tournament.

Unfortunately her amateur status sees her winners cheque passed to the second placed (professional) golfer.

I’ve no idea what 14 years olds are into but she must feel a little bit miffed missing out on a shopping spree for some new clothes, make-up and boy-band tickets.

Still making golf history should be some compensation until a pre-teen golf star enters the record books.
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GOLF HERO

Who are your golfing heroes?

Could it be top players such as Tiger Woods, Yani Tseng or golf equipment designers Scotty Cameron, Bob Vokey?

Golf Refugees would like to suggest Prem Sreyroth.

She is 24 years old and makes your favourite golf apparel, for an average wage of £80 per month.

Sounds like a golf industry hero to me.
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TIGER'S BACK

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SWEATSHOP OLYMPICS

Here is the official London 2012 Olympics mascot called Wenlock.

Organisers commissioned 40 focus groups before deciding upon the final design.

Many people think the design is rubbish, some people believe it looks like a penis and others really like it.

Unfortunately for the organisers, information has leaked out that all of the mascots were made in China using sweatshop labour, with hourly rates of just 26p per hour being paid to the workers.

Would it be a good idea for all goods to have the amount paid to the workers displayed on the product?

If this causes embarrassment for the organisers or brands who are official suppliers, perhaps they will consider paying a living wage.
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TIME TO CELEBRATE

Ladies European Q-school is over for another year and what an exciting conclusion with six players’s fighting to secure the final two places in a nail-biting finale.

Indian sensation Shamila Nicollet secured the final place with a heart-stopping birdie putt on the third play-off hole.

A little closer to home - and not forgetting this blog is sponsored by Visit Wales - there will be ‘singing in the valleys' as Welsh starlet Sahra Hassan secured 9th place overall. Da iawn Sahra.

Special mention to English golfer Anna Scott, who after taking a year off to remove a rib in an attempt to alleviate her suffering for many years with thoracic outlet syndrome(TOS), reached the final qualifying day of the best 52 golfers.

It’s going to be a humdinger of a year on LET 2012.
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IRREGULAR STRIPES

Golf Refugees can do stripes and in a variety of vibrant colours.

However they are slightly unusual; we call them ‘irregular stripes’.

Each one is different, unique, just like you.

Bright orange irregular stripes on a base grey ethically made polo shirt using organic cotton grown in India. Certified by the Soil Association.

Just let us know which colour and how many irregular stripes you’d like on your next clean conscience golf polo shirt.
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EVER WONDERED?

Ever wondered what you are actually wearing?

Just check the label on your golf shirt. It will probably say ‘polyester’.

Each polyester polo shirt takes approximately 50ml of crude oil to produce.

Now you know.

You are wearing an ‘oil slick’ polo shirt.

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GRAFFITI MOSS

The model for golf course aesthetics has been Augusta National.

Augusta's seemingly impossible range of layer upon layer of greenness is achieved by high water and pesticides usage (and even the odd can of green paint to keep up appearances).

Golf Refugees think we’ve found a more environmentally friendly solution to Augusta’s green colour addiction.

The unlikely sounding ‘moss graffiti’.

All the green-keepers at Augusta need are a few cans of beer, some sugar and several clumps of moss.

Simply add the beer and sugar to the moss and blend the mixture to a creamy paste.

Then you can start painting or spraying your graffiti moss. Eventually the moss will re-constitute itself and grow.

How cool, green and sustainable is that?
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SHARMILA NICOLLET

With western nations still in the grips of economic recession, thanks to the greed of the one per cent, should we all be looking east and towards the huge potential of developing countries for the world’s next golf stars?

Here’s one to keep your eye on; Sharmila Nicollet.

You can imagine she has a huge fan base back home in Indian, though her current plans are to compete on the Ladies European Tour in 2012.

That should help increase event participation and media interest in women’s golf.

Could Sharmila be the first golf Bollywood movie star?
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CASUAL GOLF

If you're learning the game or out to have some fun, is it OK to ignore the rule book if it increases enjoyment and participation levels for the game of golf?

PGA magazine and Golf Refugees agree the following for casual golf:

It’s OK to not to keep score.

It’s OK to play from the shortest tees or start at the 150-yard marker.

It’s OK to give yourself a better lie by rolling the ball around a little.

It’s ok to tee the ball up anywhere when you are first learning.

It’s OK to only count shots when you make contact with the ball.

It’s OK to throw the ball out of a bunker after one try.

It’s OK to forget a ball that may be lost or out of bounds.

It’s ok to drop a ball where you think it might be .... or where you want it to be.

It’s OK to just chip and putt a hole when you feel like it.

It’s OK to pick up in the middle of the hole and enjoy the outdoors and scenery.

It’s OK to skip a hole if you need to take a break.

It’s OK to play less than 9 or 18 holes and call it a round.

It’s OK to move your ball away from trees, rocks or very hilly lies.

It’s OK to hit the same club for the entire round, while using a putter on the green.

It’s OK to play golf in your trainers. Be comfortable!

It’s OK to wear denim and flip-flops.

It’s OK to get enthusiastic (high fives, fist pumps and big smiles are encouraged).

It’s OK to talk and use your mobile phone on the golf course, enjoy a nice conversation or tell a few jokes.

It’s OK to bring your kids to the course, whether they are 5 or 45.

It’s OK to play golf just for fun.

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JANUARY T-SHIRT OFFER

All organic, carbon neutral tee shirts only £9.99 (12 euros or 15 US dollars) excl. P&P

E-mail you order with ‘JANTEEOFFER’ to; refugees@btinternet.com 

Subject to stock availability. Offer ends 31/01/12.

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ST TRINIAN'S WITH STICKS

This weekend at the La Manga Club in Spain see the girls kick off their heels and replace them with spikes to compete at Ladies European Tour Qualifying School.

With the likes of Rachel Connor, Lucy Williams, Hannah Barwood and Kelly Tidy in a strong field of European golfers all trying to earn their 2012 cards and emulate the success of established stars such as Melissa Reid and Florentyna Parker.

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WHICH SOUNDS BETTER?

Which sounds better?

Rickie Fowler wears breathable moisture wicking anti-bacterial quick drying performance polo shirt.

Or, Rickie Fowler wears ethylene glycol dimethyl terephthalate antimony trioxide polyester polo shirt.

Unlike food, personal care and cosmetic products, textiles or clothes do not have strict labelling or disclosure requirements when it comes to chemical ingredients. The only disclosures required for fabrics are information regarding (1) fibre content (2) country of origin and (3) manufacturer or brand.

Despite this, here at Golf Refugees we choose to use only Soil Association certified organic cotton for the manufacturing of our polo shirts.

Golf Refugees polo shirts, for golfers who don't want to wear a cocktail of toxic chemicals next to their skin.

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CELEBRITY GOLF BALLS

I wonder why more celebs with a keen interest in golf don’t launch their own balls?

I found this funny vid for the ‘Dino’ Dean Martin golf ball.

Who next? How about the ‘JT’ Justin Timberlake ball, especially now that he works as a design consultant for Callaway.

Then there’s Bill Murray and Cameron Diaz. Who wouldn’t want to play with Cameron Diaz?

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