The girls are going low. I'm not talking about the LPGA Tour players (though they're going low, too). I'm talking about those collegiate golfers who are competing this weekend in the NCAA Regionals.

There are actually three Regional tournaments -- East, Central and West, which started yesterday and will end tomorrow. Twenty four of the top-ranked teams in their zone are competing in each Regional event. And after tomorrow, the top eight teams in each Regional move on to the NCAA National Championship, which will take place from May 20-23 at the University of New Mexico Golf Course in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In essence, today and tomorrow are critical for these collegiate standouts. Even if Southern California, the top-ranked team in the country, finishes outside of the top-8 in the West Regional, they won't travel to the National Championship. But if Jacksonville State, the 92nd-ranked team in the country, cracks the top-8 in the East Regional, they're on their way to their first appearance at Nationals. 

It'll be fun to track the girls online today and tomorrow. They've already gone low, and I assure you they're not going to stop firing at the pins. My favorite part? They're not playing for money; they're playing for pride. 

Traveling with golf clubs, which has never been fun, could now burn a hole in your wallet. Starting today, in an effort to counter-balance the soaring cost of fuel, several airlines, including American, United, US Airways, Continental and Northwest, will charge $50 round-trip for checking a second piece of luggage on domestic flights (frequent flyers and first and business class passengers are exempt from these charges). This is bad news for most traveling golfers -- many airlines count a set of clubs as a checked bag. So throw in a suitcase with your golf bag and you'll have to pay the second-bag charge. Plus, some airlines now exact oversized luggage with an additional $100-200 round-trip fee (though most carriers exclude golf bags from that oversized fee, check your airlines' website to be sure). Also keep in mind that charges for overweight bags (heavier than 50 pounds) are on the rise. No longer will it cost only 25 bucks.

But here's the kicker: the fees are cumulative, which means an oversized, overweight second bag could cost you $300. Ouch!

So what are your options? For weekend getaways when you'll play one or two rounds, renting clubs could be your best bet. Most courses offer decent rental clubs for less money than these airline fees. Or if you're planning a trip to Florida, use Golf Clubs Away, a new online rental service that delivers clubs directly to your hotel ($35-45 a day for a bag of clubs, a sleeve of balls and tees).

Or, you can ship your clubs, which isn't as expensive as it sounds. Golf Digest travel editor Matt Ginella says that shipping a golf bag from Florida to California in five business days costs only $60. You can choose from large package delivery companies like UPS, FedEx or DHL, or specialized shipping companies like Sports Express, Luggage Forward or Golf Bag Shipping. And you'll feel like a queen when your set of clubs is patiently waiting for you when you check into your room.

But if you insist on keeping your clubs close, just remember these extra fees and pack wisely.

The LPGA annually hands out three scholarships to girls who play golf and plan to attend college in the fall. The deadline is May 15, so you’ve got to act quickly if you want to be considered. Here’s a breakdown of each one:

• The Dinah Shore Scholarship, created in 1994, awards $5,000 to a senior who played golf during high school, but who will not play competitively in college. Dinah Shore was a singer/actress for more than forty-five years and helped establish one of the most prestigious LPGA golf tournaments, the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills CC in Rancho Mirage, California. She incessantly promoted the game and, after her death, became an honorary member of the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame.
• The Marilynn Smith Scholarship, established in 1999, gives $3,000 to a high school senior who played competitively in school or in her community, and who is planning to compete on a college golf team. Smith, one of the thirteen original founders of the LPGA, won 21 times on Tour, including two majors, and made history by becoming the first female television commentator at a men’s golf tournament in 1973.
• The Phyllis G. Meekins Scholarship, created in 2006, provides a need-based grant of $1,250 to a high school senior from a minority background (African-American, Pacific Island, Native American, Native Alaskan, or Hispanic) who played golf in high school and plans to play in college. Phyllis Meekins became a member of the LPGA in 1981 and was inducted into the National Afro-American Golfers Hall of Fame in 1984. Under the Phyllis G. Meekins (PGM) Clinic, established in 1973, thousands of students have developed such life skills as goal setting, discipline, leadership and determination.

Golf scholarships are becoming increasingly difficult to grab (yes, even for women), so partial ones such as these can add up. Send in your entries now!

It's not a stretch to call Lorena Ochoa the most dominant player in golf. All of golf. The girl wipes out the field by playing a game nobody else even knows; she's won four of her last five tournaments by a combined 34 shots, and she does it with a smile on her face. In her last 50 tournaments, she's hoisted the trophy on Sunday approximately 40 percent of the time, and with her victory in last week's Corona Championship she  has earned enough points (27) to be eligible for the Hall of Fame, though she can't be formally inducted until her 10th season on Tour, in 2012.

Here's some more food for thought:

• Ochoa leads the 2008 money list by nearly a half-million dollars (she's earned $1,050,550 this year, over Annika Sorenstam's $604,172).
• She leads the LPGA in greens in regulation (80 percent).
• Her average score (68) is more than a stroke less than second-ranked Sorenstam (69.33).
• She leads the Rolex player of the year points (153) by more than 200% over second-ranked Sorenstam (75).

All eyes will be on Ochoa as she tees it up at today's Ginn Open at 12:54 EDT. Below, I've shared some of her comments at Wednesday's press conference:

You've had a lot of close calls at Ginn events. Do you feel like they owe you a win?
Yeah, they owe me a couple (laughter). What happened last year was a learning experience, but it was tough losing here with a double bogey on 18 and then in a playoff in Charleston.  So here I am, I'm going to give myself a good chance, and hopefully I can get that beautiful trophy on Sunday.

You keep reaching all of these wonderful goals: No. 1 player in the world, winning majors, getting into the Hall of Fame. Are you setting new goals on a weekly basis? What’s your goal now that you've attained the Hall of Fame?
My goals are the same. I want to do a lot of good things this year and get a lot of trophies. The beginning of the season has been fantastic, but I have many tournaments left. I would love to just keep winning and breaking records. My goals, like I always say, are for the things that I have control of, like getting my practice, a couple hours of short game and getting my routine on the greens, making sure I improve my stroke. I've been trying to hit different shots when I go out during my practice rounds, hitting from different lies to keep good balance. So all those things will help me improve every week, and will hopefully help me win more tournaments.

If you can stay hot in June, during the two majors in a three week span, is it crazy for us to think you'll hold all four majors at the same time? You seem to have figured it out.
Well, for sure I'm thinking of that. That's something that, as a player, would be great to achieve. So of course my eyes are on that. But I don't want to put any pressure on myself, just play week by week, and whenever June comes I'm going to be ready. One tournament at a time.  First I've got to give myself a good chance at the McDonald's and then we'll go from there. But that's too far ahead.  Right now I'm here and this is a big tournament, and we'll see what happens in June and July.

Eighteen titles in 24 months, that's a heck of a number. How does it feel to have someone like Annika Sorenstam stating that she's chasing you?
(Laughing) I like the way it feels being in the No. 1 position. I don't mind that a lot of players are trying to catch me. I'd like to stay in the No. 1 position for a long time, and I'm going to do everything it takes to stay in that position. I'm just trying to enjoy my moment. I've been working hard.  This has been something that took me a long time to achieve. It's not something that happened in a couple days or in a couple months. So I'm going to continue motivating myself, practicing hard, and hopefully I stay at the top for a long time.

What's the key to remaining focused when expectations are raised?
I don't change anything that is working. There's no need to do anything different. Just be the same girl. I just go out there and enjoy it when I play. I think I've found the way to practice, the way to travel, the way to rest, and all of that is just because of experience year by year. I'm going to just keep doing the same, no need to change.

One of the things that Brittany Lincicome mentioned in her interview before you was not only how good a golfer you are, but how good a person you are, that you would give the shirt off your back.  What do you attribute not only your success but your humility?
Thank you. Number one is my family. They are the ones that made me this way, the way I grew up, my education, the values. When I first got here, and ever since, I felt welcome and that's the way I treat others -- with a lot of respect. I'm trying to be friends with all of them, and that's what I get back. This is a great environment. I'm enjoying myself, and I feel like this is a big family. We spend so much time here traveling week by week, and this is just who I am. I'm not going to change; I think that would be wrong. That's my number one goal, to be the same inside or outside of golf, and this is who I am. 

The streak that you're on has been compared to the streak that Tiger is on. Do you like comparisons like that? Would you compare yourself to him in that way?
I think it's just something fun. This year he had a better start than me. He won those first three tournaments and I was a little behind, so I was just joking and thinking, "we need to catch up.  We need to win two more tournaments." I think it's fun. Of course Tiger is someone that I admire a lot and I have a lot of respect and I always look for him. I always try to see him play on Sunday to see what is he doing. It's an honor to be compared to him and it's a great motivation for me to try to beat him.

What kind of relationship do you have with Tiger? Has he ever sent you a text message or do you guys talk at all?
Zero, no. I saw him for the first time in many years last year at Augusta, and very briefly just said hi to him. He congratulated me for a great year, and that's it. But we play different tournaments and have different schedules, and I still live in Mexico. Hopefully in the future we'll have a little more time to see each other or maybe practice together or become friends.

Do you think that you will win a Grand Slam before Tiger?
Well, you need to let me know when is he going to win! I guess right now I'm a little bit ahead because I won the last two. So I like that idea; I'm ready for that.

You're the No. 1 player in the world. Away from the course do people recognize you the way they might recognize Annika or someone else on the Tour, or are you able to stay pretty under the radar?
In the States, it's a little bit easier and I can relax and out for dinner and have a quiet time. But in Mexico it's impossible; it's been really tough, but that's okay. That's the way it is. It's part of being a professional. If you want to win tournaments that comes together. It's tough because I don't have my time that I used to, especially when I'm in Mexico. But I'm trying to learn and deal with that in a good way, be happy with what is happening.

You're leading the driving distance on the Tour, and at the Kraft demolished everyone off the tee. What are you doing in the gym and on the range that's getting you so much more distance?
In the off season I worked out a lot and I lifted more weights. I changed my ball, and I am improving my golf swing. I have better position at the top of my backswing, and that helps me have better angles and to create more speed when I hit the ball so I have maybe five, seven yards of increase in distance with my driver. I like to see that. It really helps to make the golf courses a little bit shorter and give myself more birdie opportunities, so I'm going to continue that. 

You grew up competing in a lot of different sports, but nowadays kids begin focusing exclusively on golf early on. What do you think of this trend?  Do you feel that your early participation in a variety of activities has benefited your golf game more so than if you just focused on golf as a child?
Yes, very much. When you are a child you don't know for sure what you want to become in your life. It's important that you try many different sports to see which one you enjoy the most. I swam, I played tennis, I did horseback riding, I did many different activities. But when I was 13 or 14 I chose golf to be the only sport that I would practice and improve and get better. If kids are asking their parents to take them to the golf course and the only thing they want to do is to play golf, that's good.  But hopefully parents don't force their kids. Hopefully it comes naturally that they like the game and they love to go to the golf course. That's a better way for them to have more opportunities at the end. I think all the different sports help to level off your abilities, to find your strengths, to make you a healthier and happier person. So don't worry if your kids play different sports because that's the best way to go.

Why don't you use a glove when you play?
I don't like the way it feels. I'm more like a feel player, especially around the greens, and I never liked the way that it feels with a glove.  I don't have any problems with calluses and my hand don’t sweat, so having no glove is more comfortable to me.

Everybody knows how great the last two years have been, but do you remember back to three or four years ago when you were really having a hard time breaking into the winner's circle?
Yes, I remember. But it was fun, too. It was just a learning process, and I knew it would take me a few years to feel comfortable to win, and I knew it would take me five plus years to get to the No. 1 position. All those moments and tough times and bad tournaments is what made me who I am today. I remember those times with a lot of joy, with a smile on my face.

Does qualifying for the Hall of Fame make you feel as though retirement in the next four or five years might be an option?
When I started playing golf I said that I wanted to play around 10 or 12 years and dedicate 100 percent, making golf my priority. And I think around that time I'm going to be getting to the Hall of Fame. So it will be a dream come true to finish all I want to finish at that time, and then after that just go home and go to Mexico, hopefully have a family and spend time at the foundation.  That's what I want to do at the end. But right now I'm just trying to focus on the next couple tournaments in this 2008 season and just try to play one year at a time.

Like Annika, you would ever consider playing in a PGA TOUR tournament?
No. My goal is to dominate on the LPGA. I've had a few offers to play, especially in Mexico, in the PGA TOUR event in Mayakoba. But right now I have no intentions to do that. I think it's completely different. I think there are other things that I could do to improve my game or to have an experience, maybe an exhibition, but not to play on the PGA.

Few websites surprise me these days, but this one stopped me in my tracks: www.blackopsgolfer.com. It's obnoxious. The site offers private one-on-one instruction ($350) or an e-book manual ($49) that guarantee to teach golfers how to dominate on the course "by instilling fear, doubt, physical pain and utter emotional distress in your opponents - without them having a clue what you're doing."

This has to be a joke, right? Nobody could really be selling a product like this, right? Wrong. I quadruple-checked the material offered, and it turns out you can really buy it. Black Ops Golfer will actually teach you how to undermine your opponents by getting into their heads and making them insecure.

I'd like to think that nobody would actually buy this material, but I've personally experienced such despicable behavior on the course. As a junior and collegiate golfer, several competitors blatantly went out of their way to psych me out. After hitting their tee shots before I hit mine, they'd say things like, "Thank goodness I didn't go into that bunker on the left. That's a dead zone." Or as I'd approach my ball they'd say, "Isn't this the spot where you totally chunked it yesterday?"

Of course, I'm talking about a select few players; the majority of golfers I've played with are more than dignified. But to think that even a fraction of golfers would go out of their way to learn how to demoralize their competitors is flat-out surprising. And wrong.

Am I truly the only golfer left who believes in the integrity of the game? I hope not.

I became really annoyed by a report I saw on yesterday's CBS Nightly News. Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reviewed the 2008 Congressional Pig Book Summary, a report that highlights how much the government spends on "earmarks," or money that's granted outside public review and is often unaccounted for. The report claims that the government "wastes" $17.2 billion tax dollars on more than 11,600 earmarks.

I'm glad this summary was written because it's important to know where our tax dollars are going, but here's what ticks me off: The Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) claims that the $3 million House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) granted to The First Tee, a program that exposes golf to underprivileged children, is "pork spending" and unnecessary. The CAGW further specifies that the $3 million comes from the government's Department of Defense funds, calling it "defense pork."

The report reads: "Rep Clyburn told CNBC on November 27, 2007 that the program will help 'make generals and colonels.' Apparently, after hundreds of years of military operations without having such a program, it was critical to add The First Tee in conference, in the middle of the war on terrorism."

The sarcasm dripping from that last statement is annoying. So they're saying that of the $17 billion the government spends on earmarks, the $3 million it grants to The First Tee is unwisely spent?
Come on, now. While I realize it's a stretch for Clyburn to suggest The First Tee will benefit our country's military regime, Clyburn's spokeswoman, Kristie Greco, said the funds for First Tee will go directly to children of servicemembers. "It's to fund the program at military installations, for children," said Greco. "It builds life skills. They learn setting goals and reaching them, sportsmanship, etiquette."

In any case, exposing golf to as many kids as possible, especially to those who would otherwise never learn the game, will certainly benefit our society as a whole. Getting them off the streets and onto the golf course can only mean good things, and I'd embrace anything the government does to make this happen. Even if it means using my tax dollars. Wisely.

I've already expressed my disdain for Mattel's set of Barbie golf clubs, but even I have to acknowledge how popular they've become. They'll make their national debut this week at a booth at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA's first major of the year.  And the first-ever Barbie Golf Clinics will be hosted by LPGA 2008 Rookie Anna Rawson and James Pugliese, the leading junior golf teaching pro, on Saturday during the Championship at Mission Hills CC. Alright, alright. These clubs may be good for the game. (But I still don't like the message they send.)

Here are more stories from around the Web:

The Independent: You've probably heard about Tiger Woods' outburst on the ninth hole during the final round of the World Golf Championships-CA Championship at Doral. After a photographer snapped a picture during Woods' downswing, Woods exclaimed, "The next time a photographer shoots a f***ing picture, I'm going to break his f***ing neck." Dermot Gileece thinks the nearby microphones are part of the problem, but the biggest is the photographer who took the shot.
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The Virginian-Pilot: Battlefield GC at Centerville in Chesapeake, Virginia, looks like any other course. But its undulating fairways and small lakes sit atop 1.5 million tons of "fly ash," a charcoal-gray powdery substance left behind by burning coal to make electricity. If the area were not a golf course or park, it'd be treated like a landfill. And fly ash contains traces of several heavy metals including arsenic, which has been linked to cancer. The course has been closed temporarily by the city because it was operating without proper permits.
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MLB.com: So what's Tiger Woods' dream job (not that he doesn't already have one)? "The dream job would be a pitcher. To work every five days and the three or four days in between you're playing golf at all the best golf courses around the country, that probably would be the greatest job of all time." On ESPN's "First Take," Woods adds this about John Smoltz, an Atlanta Braves pitcher and friend of more than 10 years: "Smoltzie plays more golf than I do, and he's a professional baseball player."
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Scotland On Sunday: Geoff Ogilvy has become a father of two since he won the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, and he has a new outlook on life: "I am pretty good at prioritizing these days. I certainly don't waste time like I used to. We all waste time really. In fact, before you have kids that's all you do. All you have then is time."
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The Boston Globe: "My mind is fine, but my body's gone to hell. But I'd rather have it that way than the other way around." Bob Labbance, author of The Vardon Invasion, which outlines Harry Vardon's 1900 tour of competitive golf in the United States and Canada, has written 17 golf books and is fighting a battle with ALS.
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The Herald: "From the neck up I am still bright enough." Jose Maria Olazabal, assuring European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo that regardless of his recently diagnosed arthritic shoulders and back, he is ready to be assistant captain at the biennial matches in September.
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Times Online: Tiger Woods says his mom's passion and competitive drive are as strong as ever: "She still lives and dies over every shot. I just say, 'Mum, relax, I know what I am doing.' She says to me: 'You'll know what I am talking about when Sam gets older.' "
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This week's Safeway International at Superstition Mountain in Phoenix is one of the Tour's top events outside of the majors. This year it's drawn the top 75-ranked players on the 2007 money list, and it routinely breaks LPGA attendance records. We had a chance to catch up with Lorena Ochoa, who was profiled in GFW's September/October issue. She'll be defending her title at the Safeway this week (it was her first of seven wins last year). She's also looking forward to grabbing her second major title the week after at the Kraft Nabisco in Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.

Take a look at the answers she gave to me and a group of reporters last week, when she was home in Mexico.

Why was it so hard for you to win a major?
That's a really good question. I didn't try to understand why it was so hard. For sure we only have a major a few times a year, and I believe that to define a champion you have to win a major. I think it's all about the pressure you put on yourself. When you finally win, you're like, okay, not too hard, I can do it. You have to remember that it's going to come whenever it's your time, so you have to be patient for that time.

What did you learn about yourself from winning at the Women's British Open?
I learned so many things that week, it's hard to just give you one sentence. I guess just dreams, they come true. Like I said before, I always dreamed of winning that tournament when they first announced that we were playing St. Andrews. I had this gut feeling that something special would happen that week. I think you've got to have faith in what you can do, and you have high dreams, and they can come true. For me it was more like a test for being patient and waiting for the right time and letting things happen. I see things more that way. I just trust that it's going to happen, one way or another.

Has your confidence grown from week to week? Does playing well only make you more confident the next time out?
The more you win and the more you're in the last group and the more you have a chance to win a tournament on Sunday, the easier it becomes to get comfortable with the pressure and the gallery and the tension. It was really tough my first year on Tour and my second year on Tour to be in that position on Sunday. You don't sleep well, and you get to the course and you're nervous and you are trying to calm yourself all the time. Right now I think I handle that a lot better. For sure it's all about experience. One of the things that really helped last year was believing I could win every week and feel comfortable in that position.

How do you bounce back after struggling for a few weeks?
If I don't play good or if I have a bad round, I put it behind me, put it in the trash and I don’t look back. I'm good at that, and I think it's a great quality. My coach Rafael Alarcón has helped me become a feel player. I don’t worry too much about technique.

In the past you've mentioned the importance of spending time with your family. What does that do for you? Does it give you new energy?
They make me feel normal, and I love that. I can be myself, just the way I am outside the golf course and outside Lorena the Golfer. And also that's the way I'm happy.  You've got to be happy and you have to have a good balance to be able to play good.  I think it's all related. 

Do you feel less pressure in tournaments in the United States than here in Mexico?
Yes. I think playing in Mexico is something very special, very tough for different reasons. It's a little bit easier for me going to the States and having a little bit more time for myself and being a little more away. But it's always a treat for me to play in Mexico. I didn't play strong the first day of the tournament, but the other two days on the weekend I played really good, played very solid golf.  I'm going to leave the first round behind, and I know my game is in good shape and I'm ready to go to Phoenix.

What's your conventional game plan heading into any given week, and how does that game plan change for the majors?
I always do the same thing. It doesn't matter if it's for a small tournament or a big tournament, because I focus on one tournament at a time. Right now my head is in Phoenix and I want to be there and I want to win the tournament. Even with the Nabisco coming soon, to me it's so far away. I take one week at a time. For me, it's very important to get a good practice on Monday and Tuesday, to get together with my caddie and feel comfortable with the course. I spend extra time on the putting, especially on the long putts.  Week to week the speed of the greens change a lot, and that's the key, just to get comfortable with the speed of the greens.

What is your greatest challenge on the course, and how are you working to overcome it?
Right now I'm working a lot on 90-, 100-, and 110-yard shots.  I'm hitting the ball a little bit farther and I have good control right now just with the wedges, so that's probably my greatest challenge that I'm facing right now. I'm going to make sure I spend a few hours on the range working on that just to feel comfortable and be ready to play good.

Annika Sorenstam is creeping up on 40 years of age, and in doing that she's trying to get back up to No. 1. What do you see yourself doing in life when you're the age that Annika is right now, and is it competitive golf?
You never say no, but I do want to finish my golf career a little bit earlier than that. I still want to come back here to Mexico and work on my foundation and do other things. I do want to have a family.  Hopefully I can do that, have my wish. I don't want to play competitive golf for many, many more years.

I spend way too many work hours on YouTube. But now that the LPGA has created a YouTube Channel, I won't feel so bad logging hours watching video clips. Watch videos such as "LPGA Weekly Wrap for the week," which fills you in on noteworthy news and recounts what happened over the weekend on both the LPGA and Futures Tours, and short clips that feature LPGA Tour players divulging interesting information you otherwise wouldn't know. Other news items worth watching:

Star Tribune: Abigail Taylor, a 6-year-old who was severely injured in a swimming pool accident at Minneapolis GC last summer, died last Thursday evening from complications following her multi-organ transplant. Abigail had a rare transplant surgery to replace damaged organs after she unintentionally sat on a wading pool drain. Her injury helped enact new safety laws.
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GlobeSports.com: Rejoice! Wayne Gretzky firmly believes that golfers are athletes. In his words: "You better be a good athlete, or you can't golf...Golf is a hard sport. These guys work out every day now, they're physically fit, they travel around the world. The pressure of playing in front of 50,000 people, making a four-foot putt, to me they're athletes." And when asked about Tiger, Gretzky says, "He's the greatest athlete I've ever seen. The greatest athlete I thought I had seen play was Michael Jordan and I never thought anyone would exceed what he did."
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Business Journal: Marriott plans to make 34 of its courses meet Audubon's environmental standards by the end of the year, which means the courses must, among other requirements, maintain standards wildlife and habitat management, conserve water and reduce the use of chemicals.
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ABS-CBN News Online: Lourdes Rodriguez-Rosales has sought police assistance in her hometown of Quezon City, in the Philippines, after she received threatening phone messages. She thinks someone wants to kidnap her daughter, Jennifer Rosales.
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The Wire: Bonnie Archer, of New Albany, Indiana, scored two holes-in-one in five days. I've had two lip-outs. Does that count?
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Recent studies indicate that regularly carrying a golf bag poses a health risk, especially for younger or smaller players whose bag makes up 10-20 percent of their body weight. This finding has prompted the American Junior Golf Association, which has an annual membership of more than 5,000 junior golfers (boys and girls ages 12-18), to allow limited use of non-motorized pull carts during their events for the first time this season. Research is not yet complete, but Injuries and Overuse Syndromes in Golf, a medical journal study by Georg Gosheger published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, proved that players who regularly carry a golf bag are more prone to experience lower back, shoulder and ankle injuries.

Even so, I firmly believe that walking is by far the only way to play golf. But that doesn't mean I'd have to compromise my back, shoulders or ankles. Pull carts and push carts are becoming easier to maneuver on the course and fold down for easy storage, and carry bags are lighter than ever, which means I can still kiss that golf cart good-bye and continue to trek the course on foot.

I know it. And my golf buddies know it. But not everyone realizes how hip and helpful it is to be a golfer. Hopefully the photos below will convince you. Yesterday, Ivanka Trump and Morgan Pressel hosted a Callaway Golf event entitled "Callaway Golf Girls Club: Trade your stilettos for spikes...Your diamonds for a set of GEMS...And your handbag for a golf bag." Oh, and our very own Stina Sternberg was a keynote speaker. They each shared how golf has evolved and how it has impacted their lives.

Ivanka (yes, we're now on a first-name basis) has been playing for more than half her life. She started as a way of getting what she wanted from her real estate tycoon father: she'd ask him for something while he was concentrating over an important putt, and then interpret his grunt as a yes.

In recent years, however, golf has taken on a more important role. Since becoming Vice President of the Trump Organization, Ivanka carries out business deals on the course and says that merely knowing how to play gives her a huge advantage.

And Morgan is, well, Morgan. She burst onto the scene in 2001, when she became the then-youngest golfer to qualify for the U.S Women's Open Championship at 12 years old. And after turning pro in 2006, she validated her presence on the Tour with her first win at the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship, becoming the youngest winner of an LPGA major at 18 years old. She told us her grandfather introduced her to golf because she "was too slow for tennis."

Good thinking, Dr. Krickstein. The multi-millionaire emphasized yesterday how healthy playing golf can be. If you don't feel like working out in a gym, she said, forgo the cart and trek the course. It's as simple as that.

Stina has been in the golf industry for more than 20 years. She started working in her fathers' golf shop on weekends at the ripe old age of 14 and even met her husband through golf (she was on a Golf Channel Golf with Style shoot in Jamaica, and her now-husband was representing the Jamaica tourist board). In her nine years with Golf for Women, Stina has seen the circulation of the magazine grow exponentially, from under 300,000 to well over 600,000. She's also seen a growing number of companies dedicate a greater percentage of their resources to creating women-specific golf equipment. Long gone are the days when a men's club with an L-flex shaft comprise the extent of our options.

So there you have it: three beautiful blondes told a room of men and women how crucial and a la mode it is to play golf, both socially and professionally.

You convinced?

Golfers are, for lack of a better word, a bizarre bunch. Trap us in a room and we'd gladly talk about the game for hours on end without ever losing interest. This is precisely what we did last weekend at the third annual Better Golf Through Technology Conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts. On February 24 and 25, 22 golfers, including top-ranked teachers, scientists, doctors and coaches, offered 16 one-hour presentations, ranging from the "Biomechanics of Putting," to "Providing the Average Golfer a Tour Quality Fit," to the "Impact of Physical Therapy on Improvement." Overwhelming? At times. Incredibly eye-opening? Absolutely. Although I don't want to give away too much information in this blog (keep your eyes peeled on upcoming issues), here are three tidbits that blew me away:

1. Teaching professionals David Edel and David Orr presented the findings of their research on putting in the presentation "Aim Bias and how it Affects Your Stroke." They discovered that a whopping 60 percent of golfers aim left of their intended target line, 25 percent aim right and a mere 15 percent aim straight. Also interesting is that left-aiming putters manipulate the clubface and open it on the backswing, while right-aiming putters manipulate it on their swing path. Putter that are improperly fit may cause many of these dilemmas, so fix that before tinkering with your stroke.
2. Eric Alpenfels, Director of Golf Course Instruction at Pinehurst, and Bob Christina, an internationally recognized scholar, analyzed how golfers can maximize their practice sessions in "The Way a Drill is Practiced Determines What Transfers to the Course." They concluded that while drills are traditionally practiced in isolation of a playing context, golfers should practice drills in a playing context if they want to transfer what they learn to the golf course. And practicing in a playing context isn't difficult; it just takes a bit more time because it means you have to follow your pre-shot and post-shot routines and hit to specific targets. And what about that iPod I listen to while I practice? No good (sigh).
3. Henry Brunton, Head Coach for the Canadian Men's Golf Team, presented "The Development of Expertise for Elite Competitive Golfers and the Related Probability of Advancing to the PGA Tour." He cited an English study that concludes it takes roughly 10 years and 10,000+ hours of intense practice and dedication for anyone to become a world-class athlete. Although deliberate practice is critical, it certainly doesn't ensure success. Take these numbers, for example: a Division I Men's golf team will produce a professional golfer only once every 24 years, and one in 20,418 high school players will make it to the PGA Tour. Even myself, a glass-half-full kinda gal, doesn't see much promise in these numbers.

I can't practice without my iPod anymore. And I'm seeing more golfers listen to music as they warm up for a big round or practice for two-plus hours. But I've always wondered what everyone else listens to. While I like Latin music and mainstream hip hop, I feel like the best players probably listen to something that actually helps their rhythm. I'll be the first to say that listening to Flo Rida demean women isn't exactly beneficial, but it sure does make my practice sessions more bearable.

It seems like PGATour.com also wonders what the players listen to. They recently asked Ian Poulter, the snazzy Englishman with a fine fashion sense, what tunes gets him pumped. He said the following 10 songs does the trick. "I like hitting balls to the first song on my list," Poulter said. "It gets me focused. And No. 10 is the tune I like to putt to. It gets my heart rate down so I'm ready to tee off."

Surprisingly enough, these are the same songs I listen to.  Now I can legitimize the reasons I listen to 50 Cent (above) and Kanye on the range. It's a good day.

Photo by Getty Images.

Last Friday at the PGA Merchandise Show, Susan Reed and I were ball-fitted. Not club-fitted, but ball-fitted. Bridgestone Golf, as part of its "Bridgestone Golf Challenge," tested us to suggest what kind of ball we'd most benefit from using. After reassuring us that they recommend another company's balls 35 percent of the time, Susan and I jumped at the chance to get fitted.

Susan went first and hit three shots with the Titleist ProV1, a high compression ball, and three shots with the Bridgestone e5+, a low compression ball. Her results were astounding. By simply hitting a different ball, Susan, who swung with an average speed of 75 MPH, increased her carry distance by a whopping 20 yards. How? Her launch angle increased from 15.5 degrees with the ProV1 to 20 degrees with the e5+.

I went next and hit three shots with the Bridgestone B330, a high compression ball, and three shots with the Bridgestone e5+. My average swing speed was 90 MPH with the B330 and 85 MPH with the e5+, but my carry distance increased by five yards with the e5+.

By swapping  a high compression ball with  a lower compression ball, Susan and I gained a significant amount of carry distance. With our slower swing speeds, it was harder for us to compress a firm, high compression ball like the ProV1 or the B330. But softer, low compression balls, such as Callaway's HX Pearl, Srixon's TriSpeed, Titleist's NXT and Bridgestone's e5+ compressed more and responded better to our slower swing speeds. Plus, the more we compressed the ball, the more likely we were to induce backspin rather than sidespin on it, producing straighter shots. Think about how difficult it'd be to hit a marble straight: it's so hard you'd have to hit it precisely head-on to induce backspin. A slight in-to-out or out-to-in path, however, would make the marble fly to the right or left.

Here's the best news of the day: Low compression balls are usually less expensive than their high compression counterparts. Those Bridgestone e5+ balls Susan and I should play from now on cost just 25 bucks a dozen. I guess the saying holds true: just as you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, don't judge a ball by its price tag.

Ah, the PGA Merchandise Show. For 55 years, this trade show has showcased the latest and greatest that golf has to offer, featuring more than 500,000-square-feet of toys and gizmos. I tell everyone it's my personal playground.

While some golf gadgets are genius, others are, to say it nicely, bizarre. So I've created a list of products that are great and others that are, um. Not. So. Great. I call it Thanks...But No Thanks.

Thanks...
Shaft Skinz: You may have seen plastic sheets on Fore Inventors Only. Blow-dry them onto your shafts to spruce up your clubs in under 10 minutes. With more than 75 designs and colors, you're bound to find some you like. And don't worry, they're easy to take off.

Stackable Luggage: Club Glove is coming out with a line of stackable luggage (meaning you can pull three or four bags with just one hand) that have internal bags and compartments, making organization and travel easy. So go ahead and pack those cute shoes "just in case."

My Sports Alarm Clock: The only way to turn off this golf ball-shaped alarm clock is by throwing it. Now you can finally get back at that annoying buzzer!

Chill Cooling Sport Towel: Pull this cotton towel, made primarily with water and alcohol, out of its bag and it'll stay cool for three hours. Need I say more?

Club Count Technology: Though it has never happened to me, my sister has lost way too many golf clubs. I should get her this Cleveland Bag, which has a system of built-in electronic sensors that know how many clubs are in your bag. It chirps and lights up when you don't put a club back in your bag, which means my chirping days are over. Score.

K-Vest: This training device deserves a full article, but I'm so excited about it I won't be able to sleep right if I don't include it on my list. It works best if you have your teacher (or anyone else you trust) put it on you and calibrate it to recognize your correct swing positions. Afterward, swing normally. If you nail those correct swing positions you're rewarded with music. It's instant audio feedback you can rock to all day.

Daphne's Headcovers: Okay, so these have been around for 25 years. But every time I see the cute headcovers in pro shops the selection is severely limited. So I got excited when I found out I can order any (or all) of their headcovers online. Now comes the hard part: should I order the Maltese headcover, or the camel? Or the deer, the peacock, the rose, the clown fish or the pig? Or the trash can?

Never Bend Putter Grips: Slip these on your putter (above, right) and you'll never have to bend down to grab your ball. The suction cup attached to the end of this grip does all the work for you.

...But No Thanks
Green Novelties Putters: Want to learn the definition of sleazy? Check out these putters (left), which feature stickers of women in bathing suits saying things like, "Hit it...hard!" and "Wanna Play?!" The company claims the "sexy adult golfing girl putters will improve any golfer’s game." Yeah. Enough said.

The Caesar Dimpleless Golf Ball: I thought dimples were sorta essential to the golf ball. Was I wrong? Could someone really think dimples were aesthetic and nothing more? Apparently Cayman Golf, a Georgia-based company, did. They created Caesar, golf's first-ever dimpleless golf ball (left). The company claims that even golfers with incorrect swing paths cannot impart sidespin on the Caesar, meaning players will never hook or slice it. Sure they won't; without dimples the ball will never travel far in the air, whether it be left, right or straight.

Ashdon Golf Putter: The putter (right), which just came on the market, is hideous. But I didn't judge it by its appearance, so I tried it out (even though it's important to like the way your putter looks). Putting with it didn't convince me. So I asked Ashley, the daughter of the man who invented this putter, what it was all about. The first thing she said? It's the only putter that's toe is connected to the heel. Um, I think the toe of every putter face is connected to the heel. The second thing? That Rankmark rated it the number one putter in the country. She then gave me a printed version of an e-mail Rankmark sent to Ashdon Golf that listed the top nine putters, showing Ashdon was listed first above Odyssey, Nike and others. The only problem? The list is in alphabetical order.

Granted, I've only hit the tip of the iceberg here. I'll post more info about the latest trends (hint: colors are going to be huge) and how golf will be more women-friendly this year than ever before. 

Sunday's four-hole playoff at the Mercedes-Benz Championship wasn't the only thing that spruced up the PGA Tour's season-opener; several fashion choices also caught our eyes. The winner at Kapalua, Daniel Chopra (left image), wore white from head to toe ("I wore all black yesterday, so I thought I'd balance it out, ying and yang") and Hunter Mahan (right) paired a white belt with two-tone golf shoes. According to Marty Hackel, Mr. Fashion for Golf Digest, Mahan's decision was a fashion forward, not out of fashion. "White belts are perfectly fine," Hackel said, "with the right ensemble."
Check out Larry Dorman’s chronicles of the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

The Irish Independent: Dr. Conor O'Brien, Ireland's leading expert on drugs in sports, has an interesting take on how cocaine can help a golfer's game; especially a female golfer: "It can improve your performance by improving your body's fat percentage," O'Brien said. "This would be especially true of women drug-abusers, given that 25 per cent of any woman's body is fat. So having a higher, lean-body mass to fat content will give them an advantage. Cocaine is banned under WADA rules as a stimulant."
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The Age: The carpet python that received emergency surgery after eating four golf balls has been dubbed Augusta. Augusta thought the balls were eggs, and its near-fatal mistake could mean good fortune for Augusta's rescuers: the balls will be auctioned on eBay, with the proceeds benefiting Australia's Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary's new community wildlife hospital.
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The Virginia Pilot: Crystal Timpanaro, of Emerson, N.J., is suing Owl's Creek GC in Virginia Beach for $1 million for faulty course design. While watching her boyfriend play on the 16th tee, a golfer on the course's 17th tee shanked a drive and hit her in the left temple and eye.
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Scotsman: A former Scottish Lothian coal mine is being transformed into two championship golf courses using a new technique that combines screened colliery shale with high-quality compost. The development, scheduled to open in 2010, will be named after the Scottish-born golf course designer Donald Ross and will include hotels, leisure and retail developments and 2000 new homes.
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It's that time of year again. Almost as dreaded as the week of Final Exams, yesterday marked the first round of the LPGA Qualifying School on the Legends and Champions Courses at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla. The five-day, 90-hole tournament is known by many as Q School, and one stroke can mean the difference between competing on the Big Stage -- the LPGA Tour -- or on the mini tours in 2008. Seventeen of 134 players this week will receive exempt status for the 2008 season, and non-exempt status will be awarded to the next 35 players and ties.

In essence, this week dictates how the golfers will spend their next year: either they'll successfully post low numbers and win their exempt 2008 LPGA Tour cards, or they'll spend another year trying to accomplish the same feat. And for those who have experienced the Q School and mini tours for far too long, failing this week may mean putting the clubs away for good.

I always believed these five gut-wrenching days would automatically instill unease in any golfer. How could it not? But I had to find out for sure, so last night I called Leah Wigger, a friend and former teammate at the University of Virginia. After finishing among the top 30 in the LPGA Sectional Qualifying tournament in Rancho Mirage, California, Leah made it to the final stage of Q School this week. She had a rough start yesterday, beginning her round with two bogeys. But she bounced right back (as always) with a birdie on the 9th and another on the back nine, despite admitting it wasn't her best ball-striking day. After opening with a solid 72, Leah is currently tied for 31st.

I wanted to know how it felt to compete against women who had previously enjoyed great success on the LPGA Tour, such as Kelli Kuehne and Meredith Duncan.

"It's not weird at all," said Leah. "I know I can compete against those girls. It's just a matter of being able to play consistently and play my own game."

I should've known Leah wouldn't be fazed by such competition. But here's the kicker: Leah isn't even nervous this week. All this talk about Q School being the toughest, most demanding, overwhelming, exacerbating and nerve-racking experience doesn't rattle Leah's iron-clad confidence.

"To tell you the truth, I don't care if I don't make the cut," said Leah, who teed off at 9:10 this morning. "I know I'm eventually going to play on the LPGA Tour. Whether it's next year or the year after. It's just a matter of time."

She's always shown such poise and never ceases to amaze me with her confident demeanor. I'm as confident she'll do well this week and will certainly keep you updated.

Former U.S. Solheim Cup Captain Nancy Lopez will captain the 2009 PING Junior Solheim Cup U.S. Team, announced Wednesday by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). The prestigious event, which biennially showcases the 12 top female U.S. junior golfers (ages 12-18) competing against the 12 best European junior golfers, will be held August 17-23, 2009 at Aurora Country Club in Aurora, Ill.

As a former junior golfer,  I've always idolized and emulated Lopez, especially now that I've had the experience of working with the Hall of Famer  on her online column, Nancy's Corner. I'm inspired by her positive energy and desire to carve the way for up-and-coming junior golfers.

"All these girls are my daughters' age, so I think it'll be a lot of fun to be a part of what they're doing," Lopez said. "Hopefully I can make a difference in their lives."

Lopez is also hoping to lead the team to victory, as she did when she captained the 2005 U.S. Solheim Cup  to a 15 1/2 - 12 1/2 victory over the Europeans. As a player, Lopez captured 48 LPGA Tour titles between 1978 and 1997 and compiled a  2-1-0 record in the inaugural 1990 Solheim Cup.

Lopez was a standout junior golfer herself. She won the New Mexico Women’s Amateur at the age of 12, won the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship twice (1972 and 1974), and was a member of the U.S. Curtis Cup and World Amateur teams. Consequently, she knows the enormous pressure these girls will face and is prepared to help them overcome it.

Notably, in the four years the PING Junior Solheim Cup has been played, the host team has won every time. So Lopez and her crew enter the 2009 matches hoping to keep the streak alive and break the series' all-time tie of 2-2-0 in her favor.

However, most importantly to Lopez is the chance to nurture the LPGA's future crop of stars. Past participants in the matches have included Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Brittany Lincicome, Brittany Lang, Louise Stahle and Minea Blomqvist.  "This is a new challenge and an opportunity to get to know the players of tomorrow," Lopez said. "I feel like I've been out of the loop for many years, so to meet the new superstars of the LPGA excited me a whole bunch."

John Daly has published his very own instruction book, Golf My Own Damn Way. Here's a taste for what you'll learn: "You can't see your own belt buckle, so focus on that little extra hanging over your belt. For some of us that's easier than others. My point here is that your belly is your key to a good golf swing."
Read Doug Lowe's review in the herald

FoxSports.com: Colin Montgomerie suggests that the European Tour change its name to the International Tour: "It has always has been a bit odd that we have the European Tour in Singapore, in Korea, in China. Now we are in Russia, the Middle East, Asia. We're everywhere. So I think a name change might work."
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The Daily Telegraph: Stuart Appleby has spent more than $250,000 upgrading his $100,000 BMW M5 sedan into a customized SUV. Why? "I can and I want to."
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PGA.com: Phil Mickelson says golf as an Olympic sport "would be better if it was for amateur golfers as opposed to professional," and adds that it should be incorporated into the Olympics as early as 2016.
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The Ledger: Vicky Hurst, a senior in high school, was recently named AJGA's Player of the Year. She’ll decide if she'll turn pro after high school or go to college based on how well she does this week at Futures Q School.
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Independent: James Corrigan profiles Justin Rose, who just won the European Order of Merit, and highlights the people behind the golfer.
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Guardian: "I think No. 1 is a fair way right now but for the rest of us normal guys, No. 2 is a good goal." Justin Rose, the new European No. 1, on his rational look at the World Ranking.
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Independent: It's not easy for Padraig Harrington, British Open champion, to travel with claret jug: "I've had some very strange looks from some of the security personnel as my bag has gone through the X-ray."
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Scotsman.com: Has buying a 100-year-old Scottish course ever crossed your mind? Now you can! Turnberry GC in Scotland, which will host the '09 British Open, is for sale by its American owner, Starwood Resorts, for nearly $150 million.
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New York Times: Everyone knows NYC is all about spending big bucks, but here's a shocker: NYC has spent $15 million to build a golf course in the Bronx. One that will never exist. Bloomberg administration's decided to kill the Ferry Point GC project, which is going to cost New York City $7 million, bringing the total spent on the non-existent golf course to $15 million. Ouch.
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Sport.scotsman.com: The Asian Tour, the world's fastest growing golf circuit, will have its richest year, with six events increasing their prize money and 11 tournaments offering purses of more than $1 million.
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iol.co.za: Phil Mickelson is still feeling the effects of breathing in ash and smoke from the California wildfires: "I've been losing my voice this last week with the ash from the fires in California and I kept expecting it to go away and it never did," said the American multi-millionaire who had to flee his San Diego home.” His caddie, Jim Mackay, had to quit during the third round of the Singapore Open after becoming ill.
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The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, golf's ultimate ruling body, announced last week that it had amended 28 of the 34 Rules of Golf in the 2008 rulebook, effective January 1. The rules are revised every leap year (2008 will be a leap year) and may I say how charmingly archaic it is of the R&A to refer to "leap years" instead of prosaic "once every four year." David Rickman, R&A rules secretary, says these changes, agreed jointly between the R&A and the USGA, are an attempt to clarify the rules and make penalties more consistent with the offense.

"We always aim to make the rules readily accessible to golfers worldwide," explains Rickman. "The simpler, clearer language of the 2008 edition is designed to make them easier for players to use."

While most of the 28 amendments are slight, the following three are, in my humble opinion, among the most significant:

Rule 19-2 (Ball in Motion Deflected or Stopped By Player, Partner, Caddie or Equipment) previously stated that if a player, her partner or either of their caddies or equipment accidentally deflects or stops her ball, she loses the hole in match play and incurs a two-stroke penalty in stroke play. Under the new rule, the player loses one shot in match play and incurs a reduced one-stroke penalty in stroke play.

Kudos to the R&A and USGA! The previous punishment was too harsh. Jeff Maggert would have appreciated this rule when, at the 2003 Masters, his fairway bunker shot on No. 3 ricocheted off the lip and hit him in his chest. He consequently suffered a two-stroke penalty, lost his lead and never regained it.

Rule 12-2 (Identifying Ball) previously stated that "except in a hazard" a player may mark their ball and lift it without penalty to identify it. The modified rule states that players can now lift their balls in hazards as well.

This makes sense: it's often more difficult to identify your ball when it's in a hazard than when it's in play.

Rule 4-1 (Form and Make of Clubs) previously disqualified a player who carried or used a non-conforming club. Although golfers will still be disqualified for using non-conforming clubs, they will only incur a two-stroke penalty per hole with a maximum four-stroke penalty per round for carrying non-conforming clubs.

Being disqualified for carrying a non-conforming club you never even used? That's absurd.

Keep an eye out for these changes. While they'll make golf more fair and less punitive, rest assured that playing the game will remain as frustrating as ever.

And if you're ever suffering from insomnia, make sure to check out our Rules area online or the rules section of the USGA website for decisions, quizzes, videos and much, much discussion about the minutiae of our game.

A golf hero has risen from the ashes of the California wildfires. Golf Course Superintendent Dave Buckles of the Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) Inn, along with eight course workers, is credited with saving six homes that border the golf course. "It was either pick up a hose or get out of there," Buckles said. "I chose to pick up a hose." 

Read the full story on SignOnSanDiego.com.

Other interesting stories from around the Web:

The Honolulu Advertiser: Now here's a deal you don't often come across: Parks & Rec approved a twilight $3 green fee for nine holes at Waiehu GC in Maui, one of the oldest municipal courses in Hawaii. Non-county residents have to give up $5.
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The Salt Lake Tribune: A near-fatal car crash six months ago that severely injured BYU golfers Natalia Jimenez and Hannah Summerhays has ironically made their friendship stronger.
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ReportOnBusiness.com: Peter Pocklington, the former Edmonton Oilers owner who sold Wayne Gretzky to the L.A. Kings and turned to golf interests in the U.S. after his Canadian business empire crumbled, filed for bankruptcy in Nevada. Private shareholders claim that Pocklington, the chairman and CEO of GolfGear International, along with four other men, "virtually destroyed GolfGear International (GGI) as a viable operating company and misappropriated for themselves essentially all of GGI's assets."
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MyrtleBeachOnline.com: Paul Whitten, Horry County, S.C., director of public safety, wants to lift a ban on golf carts on area beaches, including Myrtle Beach, during the winter. "If we're going to allow a 1,500-pound horse on the beach, why wouldn't we allow a golf cart?"
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The Arizona Republic: The PGA Tour Superstore in Scottsdale has asked the city to permit the construction of a 100-foot flagpole, which exceeds the city's height restriction by 35 feet.
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