My Dream

The opening of my dream, the ANNIKA Academy was finally here - April 16th – a day I had been awaiting for quite some time. I am sure my sister thought it was because this day is her birthday…

My dream started about 5 years ago. I wanted to share my passion for golf and fitness, but also the expertise of my coaches. I wanted to build a platform to inspire people and help them reach their potential.

The day had arrived and the all the guests had begun to register. The napkins were folded and the champagne was chilling on ice. This day was special and the activities were planned to the minute. The day started with a little instructional clinic in which I was supposed to hit some shots. However, my herniated disc prevented me taking part, other than as the emcee. Pia Nilsson filled in to hit some shots on my behalf. Two children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation were invited to participate. I have joined forces with them as a national ambassador and thought it would be nice if some of their kids who had dreams to play golf joined me.

After the clinic, we gathered down at the Academy for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Media from all around the world were there, so were my loyal sponsors, along with many friends and family. Once Bobby Ginn and I officially opened the Academy, I took my first special guest through the facility.

Darius Rucker, the front man from Hootie and the Blowfish was the man who kindly joined us. Darius is a huge golf nut and LPGA fan, so it was a perfect fit for us to have him present. We gave him a quick tour to show off the Academy and its amenities. He tried some of the gym equipment, got to hit some shots in the hitting booth, and last but not least, we fit him with a driver using Callaway’s fitting system.

After that, everyone enjoyed a scramble golf tournament on the Ginn Open’s tournament course. The day was beautiful and everyone enjoyed the challenging course with the exact set-up the LPGA faced the day before.

The day ended in style with a cocktail party that was held at the glamorous Grande. The Golf Channel crew panned the room as the guests were greeted by a giant “ANNIKA Academy” ice sculpture. The ballroom was decorated with contemporary furniture and acrylic light pillars. The guests raved about the intimate environment in which they enjoyed the different foods and a bar that included the wonderful wine samples provided by Rombauer.

With a perfect day nearly in the books, I was finally able to relax and take it all in. As I posed for pictures with different groups of guests, I realized that I was truly living my dream. Each step of the journey has been amazing, and I look forward to watching the Academy grow.

Until next time, keep sharing my passion.