ANNIKA Blog

New Photos Of Ava

We wear a lot of hats....

 

It is Saturday morning and a week has gone by since my last blog. That theme was an update on the ANNIKA brand of businesses and the new life of little Ava. I thought I would continue with that theme as we have more to share.

Ava is now 26 days old and she is really growing! Even though she is still tiny, she has gained over 10 ounces and grown nearly an inch. Her eyes are open more often and she is more alert. We are enjoying her waking hours and we like to give her some “tummy time” to strengthen her neck muscles as well as her core. It’s never too early!  It is cute to watch her as she tries to learn how to crawl. She pushes off our arms and is able to move about five feet. We call it an “assisted crawl.” Both Mike and I are still taking turns during the night to make sure we get as much sleep as possible.

In less than a week, the Academy will open up for our third season. We have enjoyed a good summer, but come October 1stwe will be running at full speed and will share our passion for golf and fitness through the different packages that we offer. We have a few new offerings this season as I mentioned last week. First of all we would like to welcome Evian as the “Official Water” of the ANNIKA Academy. Our guests will enjoy the premier water in the world as well as their Brumis facial spray.  We will also do some fun promotions with them throughout the world as our brands have a lot of symmetry. 

As I mentioned, we are now a certified Callaway Performance Center.  We will continue to use their state of the art CPAS fitting system, but now we are now selling more Callaway equipment in our shop at the Academy and we will be marketed and recommended by Callaway Golf world wide. This is huge for us and I would like to thank Callaway for their support and trust in the ANNIKA brand.

We have also created the Dynamic Analysis Package which is a complete three hour golf and fitness assessment.  Guests will enjoy swing analysis, club fitting, and a personal fitness evaluation.  If you are in the Central Florida area, please give us a call 1 888 ANNIKA 2 to schedule an opportunity to see the Team. Also, look for our new advertising that will air on the Golf Channel and their website starting next week. 

My golf course design business is in high gear. I am now on my eighth project worldwide and in discussions with a few others. My main market so far has been Asia, where I am planning to go check on a couple projects again in a few months. Two of the courses, Beijing and Malaysia, are now in “phase two” and the permit stages. We are in the drawing (routing) phase for the course in the Philippines. It will be a spectacular course as we have a lot of nice land and ocean views to utilize.  My course outside Seoul, Korea is in its late stage. We only have a few more holes to finalize and then we will let it grow and mature for the grand opening early next year. I truly love this area of business and look forward to my first project here in the US.

I have so much to share, but have to run. I will get back to you with next week with a Foundation update. It might have to be a whole blog in itself as we have several initiatives in the works including the ANNIKA Experience at Fiddler’s Elbow presented by Benee Scola Realtors & Company.  There are still spots available for you to join us at this golf and culinary event on October 14th in New Jersey.   As you can see, there is never a dull moment with the ANNIKA businesses and the McGee family.  That’s the way we like it!

Why the LPGA Needs a Star to Shine

Why the LPGA Needs a Star to Shine

By Ron Sirak
Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images (September 28, 2009)

Somewhere down the road, perhaps at her wedding, Ava Madelyn McGee will be embarrassed when her father, Mike, tells how she watched her first Pittsburgh Steelers football game at 10 days old in her bassinette covered by a black-and-gold Terrible Towel. Her mom, Annika Sorenstam, will no doubt shake her head and roll her eyes. She has learned to live with a certifiably nuts Steelers fan. All is good for Annika, who is in a new, personally satisfying stage of her life. The LPGA she left behind can't say the same.

When Sorenstam talks about Ava, she uses words like "bliss" and "peace." And if motherhood has plopped Sorenstam in a place of unimagined pleasure, her departure from the tour has had greater impact than anyone imagined. The LPGA misses Annika more than Annika misses the LPGA. For years she was one of the most reliable stars in sports. Imagine the PGA Tour without Tiger Woods. That's the LPGA now.

A seamless transition was expected from Sorenstam to Lorena Ochoa, but life got in the way. From 2001 through 2006, Sorenstam won 46 of 124 LPGA events and was in the top 10 102 times. She won eight of 24 majors with 17 top-10s. Annika was almost always part of the story. Then along came Ochoa, who won 21 times in 2006-08, including two majors.

Click here to read the full GolfWorld article

ANNIKA Update....

It is Saturday, September 19th, and Ava’s due date was to be yesterday. She is now 19 days old and we are adjusting to our new lives as parents. It has been an amazing experience so far and we are enjoying every minute with our little daughter. As many of you know, parenthood is a full time job.  I think Mike and I are adjusting nicely to less sleep and multitasking as we care for Ava full-time and continue to run our business. 

Talking about business, I would like to update you on some of our ventures in this blog. The Academy has been “on the road” some this summer. We went to Korea in early May for five days. It was an interesting experience to say the least, but we were happy to share our passion for golf and fitness in that part of the world. A few months later we went to Lake Tahoe for a package at Old Greenwood and had a blast. It is so beautiful there in the summer and our guests loved it. Last month, my sister, Charlotta and my coach, Henri went to Switzerland to instruct a few members in Engadin. This was also a success, so we are already planning for next summer’s activities.  Our “season at home” starts in two weeks and we look forward to unveiling some new packages along with our status as a certified Callaway Performance Center!   

My consumer-branded products are doing well despite the tough economy. We are seeing a lot of interest in my Syrah, and we are really excited about our Chardonnay that will debut next year.  We are selling directly to consumers mostly via annikavineyards.com, but have approached select restaurants and resorts that have been happy to add Annika to their wine lists. The response has been fabulous and I can proudly say that our Syrah is one of my favorite wines, and I am just a little particular! 

My fragrance is also selling nicely as we continue to grow the various channels of distribution.  Last but certainly not least, the ANNIKA Collection with Cutter & Buck is as popular as ever.  New shops around the country continue to add our line to their inventories, which is fantastic!  The high-tech styles and color combinations are incredible in the new lines. 

All of these products, with the exception of the wine, are now available on our latest venture, ShopAnnika.com.  For those of you interested in ANNIKA Academy shirts or hats, but haven’t made it to our school, you can find them now with just a click!  We just launched this site and I am happy to share my passion with all of you.

Have a great weekend. Stay tuned next week for some more business updates with regards to my Foundation, golf course design, partners, etc. And of course, Ava!

Welcome To Ava's World

Whenever we have new photos, we post them on the blog however, as time passes, they drop off the main page.  They're still on the blog but harder to find.

So that readers can easily find images of Ava and the family, we've created a photo archive entitled "Ava's World" which is now on the left sidebar.  You can go there and see all the images we've posted.

Enter Ava's World

More Family Pictures

Labor Day Weekend....

It is Monday of Labor Day weekend and we are enjoying a quiet day at home. The last week has been incredible and calling our experience life changing would be putting it mildly. Mike’s parents just left and we will miss their help, especially Jill at night!  We are now officially on our own as parents. There is no manual, DVD or virtual aid on how to take care of little Ava, only common sense and lots of love. We are progressing each day and continuing to learn the ropes.

Despite all the “warnings” I don’t think we realized how much there is to do with a new born.  One minute it’s feeding time; the next it is time for a diaper change and then nap time. The cycle then starts over every two- three hours. During the nap time, we try to catch up on the house hold duties, e-mails or the needed rest.

However, despite all of that, I love it! Being a Mom is the most rewarding and satisfying thing I have ever done. Those might sound like strong words, but it is true.  I feel lucky to have achieved a great career and to continue to excel in the business world, but this is the most satisfying feeling ever. 

This afternoon we would like to catch some tennis from the US Open in NY, and also some of the PGA Tour event. By the way, congrats to Suzann Pettersen on her LPGA win yesterday in Canada. It’s nice to see her back in the winner’s circle again!

Well, I have got to run. It’s time to start a new cycle.

Best wishes to all of you. More photos coming tomorrow.

Annika Academy Brochure

My First Blog...

Hi everyone.  This is Ava writing my first blog.  I came into this world yesterday, which was 18 days ahead of schedule.  I feel fine, and the folks in funny suits that come in to see me keep telling my parents that everything is great. Whatever that means. 

 I assume Mama is doing well.  Though I’ll have to take Dad’s word for it because he says she has a high pain tolerance and never complains anyways.  Mama tells me that we have a lot of great friends out there who have been extremely supportive. Some of you even approved of my name in a poll a couple weeks ago.  I figured I would thank all of you and send you some photos from my first day of life. 

It’s been a long day.  Time for a nap. 

Welcome......

Mike and I are happy to announce that I gave birth to our little girl at 3:30AM this morning.  Ava Madelyn McGee is six pounds 10 ounces and 19 inches long.  We are all doing well and we truly appreciate the support we have received.  We are VERY excited about our new addition and will keep everyone posted in the coming weeks. Thanks!