Ever since I can remember February brings to North Texas two things. First comes the Well-Digger’s-Shovel cold weather and then, secondly, the phone calls asking me the tee times at the golf course. Several times over the years they happen at the same time.
However, for the past three years there has been another natural occurrence taking place in February here in the Dallas/Ft Worth area of Texas. It comes in the form of an email inviting me to attend the Volunteer of America North Texas LPGA Shootout Media Day event.
This week that call to action was given and yesterday I drove up to the TopGolf facility in The Colony..which for those who are not familiar with North Texas, The Colony is located far, far North of Dallas up near to what seems when you take the North Dallas Tollway to be somewhere close to the Oklahoma border…to check out what can be expected at this year’s tournament.
But, for this trip, I didn’t mine the long haul because I was going to get to be in the same room with my favorite little girl..now a grown women…professional golfer, Stacy Lewis. If you didn’t know, Stacy is one of several Texas’ home grown players on the Ladies Professional Golf Associations (LPGA) tour. Stacy Lewis is also the reigning champion of the 2014 North Texas LPGA Shootout that is returning in 2015 for it’s third year at the Las Colinas Country Club in Las Colinas (Irving), Texas.
The Stacy Lewis Story
So why is Stacy Lewis here and why is Mr Business Golf excited to see her? Well..here is the story.
Back in 2007, two years after I started my adventure into blogging about Golf and how it works..or doesn’t work… in the business world, I was invited to attend the Kraft Nabisco Championship played at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, CA. My mission was to review how women business owners and executives were using major golf championships as business golf events.
However, that event also gave me the opportunity to unofficially meet Stacy Lewis..and her father who was at that event her caddie. My meeting of Stacy was far away from the official hoopla of the major golf championship. I was shopping for a deal on a golf shirt at Pete Carlsons Golf Shop in Palm Desert, and right next to me at the ‘Sales Rack’ was Stacy’s dad. As I looked around to see who he was talking to..there stood Stacy..still dressed in her on course attire telling her dad, “You will look better on camera if you wore green”. From what I overheard during that 10 minute of co-shopping with Stacy’s dad I learned he was going to be interviewed by the Golf Channel and he needed a new golf shirt. I was very impressed because if you are looking for a deal on golf shirts in Palm Springs..he was in the right place.
Back then Stacy’s natural Texas draw was much more pronounced than it is now, but after me spending nearly a week out in ‘Radio Voice’ California, Stacey’s voice coming from across the huge rounder of golf shirts at a run of the mill golf shop was like a call from home to me.
Stacey was just a kid then…an amateur..but on that day, she held a commanding lead of a LPGA (Big Girl) Major golf tournament…holding off the best women golfers of the WORLD. Also, on that day in the spring of 2007, Stacy became the pride of Texas…and she still is.
Though Stacey and I did not get to met officially then, nor did we even get to exchange pleasantries, it was one of the many special moments over the past 10 years I have had in my adventures into the world of professional golf.
North Texas LPGA Shootout Back in Town
But now, Stacey and I have met and hope to meet again at this year’s 2015 North Texas LPGA Shootout.
The 2015 North Texas LPGA Shootout is the Week of April 27, 2015. Sponsorships are available and make sure to get you tickets early.
