What do you get when you put All-Star athletes, golf chicks & bloggers, social networking, and charity golf all together? A fabulous golf event called "Team Challenge."

What and why

Using the same tournment format and interactive technology for fan participation as the Pro Team Golf League, Team Challenge pits 4 teams against one another to determine which other major sport churns out the better golfers. Smack talk won't raise money for charity, their skills will. The purse is $250,000, with 100K of it going to the winning team.

How you can get involved

You can take part in all the action and help raise that fund as well! You can virtually "coach" the team of your choice and for every participant who chooses the winner, another $1 will be added to the purse for charities. Read more about how on the Team Challenge website.

When and where

The two-day event will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net on June 7th & 8th from the Eagle Falls Golf Course, Fantasy Springs Resort Hotel & Casino, in Palm Springs, California. Charles Barkley is the commissioner of the event and according to the press release, is a "non-playing" Team Captain of the basketball foursome. Maybe we'll get to see his infamous swing in the Pro-Am.

Who else

And what about the golf chicks and bloggers? Jay Flemma will be on the scene and, schedule permitting,  yours truly will be there along with the Golf Girl and Tony from Hooked on Golf and The Golf Space, if they can make it.

Stay tuned to Team Challenge as well as here and on The Golf Chick for updates to player and event information.

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There is no debating the rich history and prestige of Augusta National and The Masters. The golf course is spectacular and the tournament is a favorite among many fans and players around the world. Winning the event is considered one of the greatest honors in golf. The green jacket is indeed coveted.

Though I enjoy watching it, the feminist in me can't help but feel guilty for it. Though women can play at Augusta if they're accompanying a member, they cannot themselves be members. I actually don't fault the club if they choose to have that policy. Private organizations can include and exclude who they choose. And it's not like anyone can simply apply for membership at Augusta. It's an extremely exclusive club with maybe 300 members, and if one is deemed worthy, they will be sent an invitation to join along with a bill for dues.

I understand that over the years, African-Americans and Jews have even been invited for membership thanks to their community standing and perhaps the effect of societal changes. Politics, religion, and financial standing are probably typical factors when men are being considered for such an invitation and I don't suppose an invite would arrive in one's mailbox unexpected. Existing member endorsement, lobbying, promotion, and member voting probably occur long before a prospective member gets the nod. I understand all that. It's a private club. I just wish that Spanky and Our Gang would take down the "no girls allowed" sign and grant women the privilege of being brought up for consideration and vetoed by members for the same reasons as men.

Perhaps one day, in wildest dreams, there will be a wealthy, Christian, republican, anti-feminist woman who will be invited to be a member at Augusta. I won't wait by my mailbox. As for a woman being invited to play at The Masters? Climate change will sooner destroy the esteemed course.

There was a green jacket promo aired during the coverage of the tournament in which Arnold Palmer says something like winning The Masters is one of the greatest accomplishements "a golfer" can achieve. I did a spit-take with my tea and almost expelled my pimento cheese sandwich on that one. I guess women are not even considered golfers. Sorry, Arnie. It's only the higest honor for male golfers.

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Anyone can play golf. You don’t need to be the greatest athlete or in the best shape to score well. Little people can hit the ball far. All you have to do is "pure it." I know: easier said than done. No matter what stage you are in your game – beginner to scratch – a solid mental game and cool demeanor will help you execute your shots from tee to green more consistently. Giant muscles will not.

Of course there are benefits to maintaining a strong, healthy body, not just in life, but in golf. You might get a little more distance even on slight mis-hits, you’ll be better able to power the ball out of thick rough, and stamina and endurance will help you maintain a solid level of play whether you ride in a cart for nine holes or walk 72 like the pros. And while there are custom cocktails of drugs out there that can help form a lean, toned physique rather than a beefy, muscled-up freakshow, if a golfer is only going to take one drug to improve his or her game, I think they’d be better off with one that enhances the mental game.

Though I couldn’t tell you their names, I know there are plenty of pharmacological products that could have a positive effect on one’s golf game. A recent article in Men’s Vogue tells the story of the writer’s experience playing golf while on a beta-blocker with positive results. Knowing that I’m not alone in my addiction to golf itself, I can only imagine how experiencing success on a golf course with a drug like that could be dangerously addictive, especially considering the health risks and side effects involved. Which is why, tempting as it is, you won’t find me experimenting like the author of that article.

Besides, beta blockers lower the heart rate and create a calming effect. They inhibit the stimulation of the beta receptors that produce performance anxiety symptoms, and performance anxiety isn’t exactly a problem of mine. Any anxiety I do feel is usually only when I’m competing, and is just the kind of stimulation I thrive on that I’ve found actually helps me stay sharp and score better, so any positive result I might notice simply from maintaining an even, zombie-like demeanor throughout a round would probably be canceled out. I guess it’s probably contraindicated for me. Besides, going around the course like a robot doesn’t sound like much fun. I’d rather score a few strokes higher and enjoy the highs and lows of my day. But I’m just an avid, casual golfer. If golf was my job, I might feel differently. At that level, the margin of separation is so minute, any advantage might be too tempting. But both the LPGA and the PGA are implementing anti-doping policies and beta-blockers are on both their lists of prohibited substances along with other "calming agents" like marijuana.

What do you think? As an amateur golfer, are you tempted to try it? Would you be if there were no health risks involved?

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