Japanese Lingerie Firm Creates Bra That Can Be Used as Putting Mat
And now for something completely different... as Monty Python would say. A Japanese lingerie brand has created a bra that can also be used as a putting mat. The lingerie brand believes the putting bra will be of interest to Japanese young women, who are becoming increasingly fond of golf. More Japanese young women may be taking up the sport of golf but this bra is completely ridiculous and impractical. Putting greens and bras are two totally different items that should be kept separate. Take a look:
The Sherwood Forest Golf Course in Cedar Mountain, North Carolina is using llamas as caddys. Kids really like the llama caddys. The llamas have been specially trained to carry golf clubs. A boy in the video describes it best when he calls having llamas on the golf course as "awesome." Take a look:
LiveScience.com reports that Justin Timberlake's eco-friendly golf course called Mirimichi is opening tomorrow in Memphis, Tennessee. Mirimichi means "place of happy retreat." The golf course is the first golf course to receive the Audubon International's Classic Sanctuary certification.
Originally called Woodstock Hills, the golf course is older and was actually the first place golf-enthusiast Timberlake learned to hit a golf ball.
"...Last year we found out they were going to auction it off and turn it into a development," Timberlake told PGATour.com. "So we thought it was such a landmark for the community, we'd scoop it and save it. And we did. We were able to before it was auctioned off."
Renamed Mirimichi Golf Course, Timberlake's newest venture is the first project in the U.S. to receive the Audubon International's Classic Sanctuary certification.
Some of the green features on the golf course include irrigation systems that maximize the use of rainwater, native landscaping and solar-powered electric golf carts. Mirimichi also implemented sustainable resource management principles that incorporate wildlife conservation and habitat rehabilitation. The Audubon International certification requires a yearly audit to ensure the Mirimichi golf course continues to implement natural resource management principles.
Justin Timberlake is also considering writing a book about golf. He also has an endorsement deal with Callaway Golf.
The New York Observerreports that golf-crazy Justin Timberlake wants to write a book about golf.
Justin Timberlake wants to write a book about golf! Sources say lit agent David Vigliano-who has recently repped books by celebrities like Shannon Doherty and Clay Aiken—sent editors a short proposal by the singer last month. Mr. Timberlake has been a golf fanatic for years, getting his first taste of the game as a boy and later playing it with a group of roadies during the last *NSYNC tour. Today, he regularly competes in charity tournaments, and even owns an environmentally friendly golf course in his hometown of Millington, Tennessee.
Golf has become both a hobby and a business for singer Justin Timberlake. Just Timberlake has an endorsement deal with Callaway Golf. He also owns an eco-friendly golf course in Memphis.
Annika Sorenstam announced plans to retire from professional golf last year. She retires with numerous accomplishments including winning 72 tournaments. Annika is embarking on new projects and business opportunities since retiring from golf including course design and the Annika Academy.
She's also launching new products including a new fragrance called Annika. She partnered with SA Fragrances for Annika, which is a fragrance with aromas of amber, vanilla, white flowers and fresh citrus.
"It is an honor for me to have a fragrance that bears my name," said Annika. "Confidence is so alluring for a woman in any industry, and I want the women who wear 'ANNIKA' to feel that."
Brandweek reports that Annika Sorenstam has also launched a wine that carries her name. Annika wine is a blend of 75 percent Livermore Valley Syrah, 15 percent Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and 10 percent Livermore Valley Golf Vineyard cabernet sauvignon.
You can read more about Annika's wine here on her blog.
Pinks and Greens Launches Online Store for Women Golfers
Pinks and Greens is a new online golf store for women that sells fashionable golf apparel. The store's founders wanted to create a women's golf clothing that was more like a boutique and less like a sports store.
We founded PinksandGreens to change this. We wanted to create a shopping experience similar to that of your favorite boutiques. No more massive sporting goods stores, where you can also pick up a batting helmet and a hockey jersey! Believe it or not, there *are* many great golf brands out there that allow women to look chic on and off the links, and PinksandGreens is here to help you discover them.
We are starting with our favorite brands that we've found through traveling and recommendations; as we grow, our inventory variety will continue to expand. The product is shot on active models and is shown from multiple angles, giving you a true understanding of the fit and fabric. Customer ratings and feedback will further help you find pieces that will flatter as well as compliment your game. If we do not carry what you are looking for, give us a call or shoot us an email; we will work with you to find your favorite brand, color, size, that cherished shirt from your honeymoon that you can’t find anywhere else...
Bloomberg reports that Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. has negotiated the return of thousands of Lehman Brothers merchandise that had been transferred to Barclays Plc when Lehman's sold Barclays its brokerage unit.
Tote bags, umbrellas, stress balls, Tiffany paperweights and other items now stored in closets and warehouses from New York to Chicago will be returned to Lehman and sold to pay creditors, according to a court filing yesterday. Lehman filed the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history in September and has about $200 billion in unsecured liabilities left to pay, Chief Executive Officer Bryan Marsal said Jan. 28.
As part of the arrangement, Lehman is barred from trying to sell the objects to Barclays' employees, according to court papers. The investment bank may need a liquidator to move the logoed goods, which would fetch "a discount to their intrinsic value," said Richard Kaye, chief marketing officer at Hilco Trading, which values and sells assets for companies, in a phone interview.
"A golf ball plays the same way no matter what it says on it," said Kaye, who might offer Hilco's services to Lehman, he said. "But does someone want to walk around with a logoed Lehman umbrella?"
The article says its unclear what Lehman's will do with the logoed items now. They could try and sell the loot on eBay. There are a few dozen Lehman Brothers items listed on eBay as of this writing. They aren't selling for high amounts.
Here's a listing of the items Barclays wil be returning to the Lehman Brothers according to Bloomberg.
Items in storage include: 1,630 green canvas duffle bags with Lehman ribbon, 353 green compact golf umbrellas, 75 Waterford Marquis Treviso crystal clocks, 682 white Lehman coffee mugs, 130 Swiss Army pens, an English beechwood-lined sterling silver box from 1902, 200 Lehman conference pens, 12 pairs of Links of London cufflinks, 24 Screwpull wine openers inscribed "LB," 24 Titleist PRO VI golf balls inscribed "LB," 30 girl Teddy Bears, 18 large, ivory womens’ F&G stretch snap shirts and one Tiffany shooting star.
The Lehman umbrellas won't go for much but some people may not mind the Lehman Brothers logo if it is a good umbrella. The Tiffany paperweights, Links of London cufflinks and Waterford cyrstal clocks will sell.
Calvin Klein, Inc. has inked
a global licensing deal with Premium Golf Brands (PGB), a firm based out of Cork, Ireland. The deal is to market men's and women's golf clothing and accessories.
PGB has replaced Windsong Sport LLC as the licensee for Calvin Klein Golf men's and women's golf apparel and accessories. CKI and Windsong inked that deal in 2007, but Windsong made a strategic decision to exit the golf business, according to CKI president and chief executive officer Tom Murry.
PGB is no stranger to the golf line, which is part of Calvin Klein's better-priced white label assortment. It was the European distributor under the previous arrangement and now is the exclusive global licensee. PGB is Europe’s largest supplier of golf apparel and already operates Calvin Klein Golf showrooms in Cork, London, Manchester in the U.K., Berlin, Villamoura in Portugal and on the Costa del Sol in Spain.
"We were very impressed with [PGB] and continued the dialogue, and came to the conclusion that it might make sense to have them as our global partners," Murry said. "They presented us with a very well-thought-out business plan."
The plan is to aggressively market the brand in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the United States. The two companies announced the deal during a breakfast honoring Irish prime minister Brian Cowen who is in the U.S. for trade talks.
You can see a gallery of the Calvin Klein golf apparel here.
Luxury Tiger Woods Golf Community Being Built in Dubai
Tiger Woods has partnered with Tatweer Dubai for an amazing luxury golf community called Tiger Woods Dubai. The luxury community will consist of palaces, mansions, villas, a luxury spa and a luxury boutique hotel. The golf course at Tiger Woods Dubai is called Al-Ruwaya, which means "serenity." Tiger Woods himself helped design the golf course and its challenging holes. The golf course will include dramatic elevations and stunning water features.
Luxury residences at The Tiger Woods Dubai will include 22 palaces, 75 mansions, and 100 signature villas. The 360,000 sq. feet luxury boutique hotel will include 90 suites and 14 bungalows in sizes varying from 1,600-9,500 sq. feet. The hotel will target top-tier clientele and includes a 10,000 sq. feet swimming pool, as well as a luxury spa.
Memberships will be very limited. The press release said the memberships will be limited to only 200. The Tiger Woods Dubai website says "Al Ruwaya will be one of the most exclusive golf clubs around the globe. This exclusivity will be ensured by a very strict limit on memberships along with a limit on the number of rounds played annually."
A chance to golf on a course designed by Tiger Woods himself in a destination full of architectural marvels like Dubai sounds like a golfer's dream come true. (via Golfers Golf)
A Forbesarticle (via MSNBC.com) discusses what it says are
the coolest sports gadgets. The list includes a radio-controlled
baseball pitcher from Hammacher Schlemmer, the Suunto X9 sports watch, the Lowrance LCX-26C HD fish finder, and a useful bike computer for cyclists from Vetta. But the coolest product on the list (if you are a golfer) has to be the Remote Golf Caddy, an automated
caddy robot that follows you around the golf course carrying
your clubs and drinks. Unfortunately, despite the $3,800 price tag,
the Remote Golf Caddy won't give you any sage Bagger Vance type of advice.
Here is what Forbes has to say about the Remote Golf Caddy:
Caddies should quiver when they learn of the Remote Golf Caddy, a
self-propelled automated droid that follows you around the golf
course, carrying your bag for you. It tracks you by following a
pager-sized transmitter that you can clip to your belt. The
Remote Golf Caddy then keeps a polite distance of 5 1/2-feet
behind you as you play. It is powered by two 12-volt
deep-cycle batteries and is driven by two omni-directional
1/4-horsepower motors that can get it over tough hills. It
also has special electromagnetic brakes that let it stop when
you stop, plus a special locking switch on the pager to keep
it from running away from you every time you try to get a
club. Plus, it holds two drinks, golf balls, tees, scorecards
and has a storage area that can double as a cooler. It does
not, however, offer any advice on club selection.
Today's travel guides are no longer just one size fits all guides
about a specific location. Today's travel guides target specific types
of travelers. The Charlotte Observer points out that, "established publishers have started new books aimed at a wider range of travelers taking different types of trips, and there are the niche guidebooks to consider: titles for hikers, bikers, women, families, gay travelers and people who won't leave home without their pets." There are a lot of new options and packages offered specifically to special interest travelers like outdoor enthusiasts, pet owners, singles and golfers. The travel guide publishers are helping to organize and
highlight these special deals and new options available.
ESPN.com is reporting that there is a thriving market for golf products at eBay, the leading auction website. Some of the golf-related items up for auction on eBay include drivers, golf apparel, golf balls, clubs, bags, putters, wedges, carts, shoes and training aids.
eBay golf sales in 2003 were over $200 million and the auction site contains about 75,000 golf items currently for sale. While there are plenty of good products being sold in online auctions buyers should be aware of scams, stolen items and knock-off products.