5 Questions With The Golf Girl

Patricia Hannigan, The Golf Girl, is the creator of one of the most popular independent golf blogs on the ‘net today. With her signature "fun & flirty" style, she covers fashion, pros, and even how botox can improve your game! A featured blogger at Golf for Women, she was reluctantly brought into the sport in 2006. Now fully immersed in the golf culture, her humorous and rather insightful musings are a must read for any golf fan. I was quite elated when she put down the clubs for a moment to answer my 5 questions!


1. I've read your story about being dragged into a game with business colleagues as your first attempt at the game. What is it about that game that you think sealed the deal for you? What would you say to others that are having apprehensions about picking up the sport?

Well, that first time was scary. I went out there feeling like I'd be a real burden to my playing partners who were all golfers, however, I soon found that despite my lack of skills ( I had none ... zero...zip ) I was able to enjoy the adventure of a new and multi-layered sport. The great thing about golf is that you can do so many things to keep it moving along. When I'd hit an awful shot...and I hit many out there that first day...I'd just pick it up and move to where the foursome's best shot landed. Then I'd take my next shot from there. So, I didn't slow anyone down. And among all the bad shots and missed putts were some brilliant ones. And that's one of the things that got me hooked. I could see the potential was there to play this game relatively well. And the thing is - we all have that potential because it's not a game that requires an extraordinary physique or extreme conditioning. The fact that golf is so multifaceted and takes place outdoors, in a park-like setting was also very appealing.


2. So, being a relative newbie to the sport (as am I), do you ever find others on the course or at the range becoming frustrated with your game? How have you managed to become so well-versed and informed in such a short time period? What advice would you give to other newcomers that are maybe feeling the pressure?

Oh, I sometimes have my friends making fun of my game but that doesn't bother me at. That's what friends are for, right? LOL! And one will rarely encounter frustration or impatience on the part of other players if one respects the basic etiquette and moves along at a reasonable pace. That's were much of the contention comes in...pace of play. Any time I have ultra fast people behind me, and granted, there are some folks who like to play really fast, I will always have them "play through" and get rid of the problem that way. The thing about becoming well versed quickly and not feeling pressure is this: the whole game and even the detailed etiquette, is pretty intuitive. Much more so than it seems. And that's what I try to tell newcomers. Just follow your intuition and if your just starting out, tell your playing partners to let you know if you do anything that' s supposed to be done differently. I always did that at the beginning and my partners (even strangers) were always great about it. The thing about golf is that it's so much less daunting then it seems and despite rumors to the contrary, most golfers are really nice.


3. You have many posts on the fashion of golf, including one that stressed the importance of the "old-fashioned" notion of proper golf attire (noting Michelle Wie's unfortunate tank). Why do you think it is important to preserve the standards of "proper golf attire"?

I'm actually considered somewhat subversive in relation to golf fashion, as I often advocate shorter more form fitting styles, as opposed to the traditional big and boxy look. However, I too have my pet peeves that veer towards the traditional. I don't like to see collarless shirts and tank tops, or denim, on a golf course, whereas some people are fine with both. To me it's awesome to maintain a certain specialness in golf course attire, but then I'm fashion-focused, and the Target tank and cut-off jeans bother me more because they're anti-fashion then because they're anti-tradition. Others just want to be comfortable and still others feel the short, slim golf fashions of today are too racy. So you see...golf fashion is controversial :)


4. So what clubs are in your bag now? Are they your "dream set"? Which club are you best at hitting? I'm guessing that you use more than a 7 iron and putter now!

When I decided I wanted to pursue golf I went right over to ...Target... and bought an $80.00 full set of Ram clubs. The set came with a cute bag and the needed arsenal of clubs, from driver to putter with a very adequate assortment of woods and irons. It served me perfectly for my first season and a half and I would recommend that approach to anyone. After a year and a half, when I was ready, I replaced the driver and was able to get quite a bit more distance. Then I lost my sand wedge so got a 56 wedge that I had been wanting. Other than that I still have my original set, however this year I'm planning to make some changes...get a little closer to that dream set. I'm very much into hybrids which I've tried with my friends and ...well we'll see what we come up with.


5. What's next for Golf Girl TV? I noticed that you have something "coming soon" and haven't had a new episode this year.

Golf Girl TV is definitely going to be a major part of what I do in the coming year. I'm currently working with a number of companies and individuals on sponsorships, and at the same time upgrading my studio and equipment. I'm convinced that video on the web is the future; however it's an enormous undertaking for one person, alone. Thus a team...and adequate funding... is crucial. I will be producing shorter episodes, (about 1 - 11/2 minutes each) on a more regular basis. I also plan to do a live show on BlogTV that will revolve around golf fashion, golf culture and other topics for recreational golfers. I'm really excited about these projects ... and a few others still on the back burner.



I’ll be keeping tabs on The Golf Girl’s shenanigans and will let you know when her new web episodes launch. In the meantime, check out a previous episode of the longer-format Golf Girl TV at the top of this post.