ANNIKA Foundation Event a Success…..

The ANNIKA Experience at Fiddler’s Elbow Presented By Benee Scola Realtors & Company was a tremendous success yesterday.  I would like to thank Benee Scola Realtors & Company, Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club, and our wonderful sponsors who supported the event. Those included Wente Vineyards, Cutter & Buck, Lexus, Oakley, the USGA, Atlantic Sports Health, The Dux Bed, the EWGA, Actavis, GolfWeek, Zdenek, and Opus Pharma Consulting.  I would also like to give a BIG thanks Karen Moraghan, Jennifer Mills, Don Ochsenreiter, Kai Fusser, Jaclyn Garris, Liz Benz, the wonderful regional chefs who created tasty cooking stations, Doug and the Fiddler’s Elbow staff, our volunteers, and Mike for your hard work putting this event together.  Thanks to all of you who bought auction items as well!  We raised significant dollars for the ANNIKA Foundation!

Our group of over 150 adults had a lot of fun on the course, at the clinic, the auction, and the ANNIKA wine tasting, but most importantly with the 70 plus kids who participated in our “Nine Holes of Fun and Fitness.” I think these photos below say it all as we work towards our mission which is to teach kids the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, and to offer aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams. 

We look forward to continuing to make a difference for kids and I look forward to seeing everyone again. Thanks a lot!!

Comments

[Golf54deciple]

Wow,
What a fun time you all had. So what song did little Giga sing to you?

Were the children from a local school?

[B. K.]

Congratuations on the Foundation Events success!
Wish we could have participated, but perhaps next year.
How did little Ava do on her first road trp?
All the best,
BK

[Annika the Cat]

Hi Bloggers,

I was so very proud to participate as a sponsor in The ANNIKA Experience. All aspects of this Event were so very enjoyable and well done. Annika was a warm and gracious hostess and continues to have that humble side. She is very focused on giving back and we all know what happens when Annika focuses. The golf course played long and was in great shape. I did find two faults – the day went too fast and there was no time for my cat naps.

I met fellow blogger 31Putz who actually helped Annika out during the clinic. 31 has a powerful swing and I can only imagine how much fun she’ll have when she attends The ANNIKA Academy. Golf54 heads to the Academy next week. I wish I could be there but I’m scheduled to be in Reunion the following week for my Academy tuneup. I look forward to a full report Golf54!

AtC

[Golf54deciple]

AtC,
Thnx so much for the report and glad you and 31Putz have at long last met!! So you'll be at Reunion the week after next eh...

Ah well, our "paws" R not meant to cross at this time but who knows perhaps we're destined for great things like spearheading the first annual ANNIKA Academy Alumn tournament someday.

Was just about to send Jeanne an email how that a week from today we may be trying to get out of the "pot bunker from H***", but I don't think she even knows what a pot bunkier is!!

I've decided not to spoil her fun!!!

Anyway, check with Michelle McGee for my contact info if you like and perhaps we can text

[31Putz]

Hello AtC and G54D!
It was an AWESOME time at the Annika Experience! I brought my fello Buckeye friends (see picture of the clinic, they're the ones in Scarlet and Grey!)and was thrilled to get to hit balls with Annika during the clinic (thanks for the swing compliment AtC)now if I could just control all that power!
I was thrilled to meet you AtC and all the many wonderful people participating. Thanks for sponsoring such a great event for a great cause!
G54D have a super clinic and how memorable to share it with your Sis. I look forward to meeting you in the future! Speaking of bunkers, I think the 'Forest Course' @ Fiddler's Elbow should be renamed Sand Box! AtC you must have been in heaven with all that 'kitty litter' out there!
Hugs!

[31Putz]

...And by the way; Ava is now in the appropriate Buckeye attire! Hey Annika, the bibs were for Mike!

[Golf54deciple]

31Putz,
U have a great sense of humor!! And the children looked loike they had wonderful time. So many gleeful smiles on their faces.

Here's hoping that the ANNIKA Experience will have many visits to that area to keep nuturing the seed sown in good soil.

[Anna Lesemann]

Wow! Looks like everyone had a great time. Coinrats on the Fondation sucess!

[Ron Curran]

Annika, The following was posted on the Golf Channel Website on Oct 21. Since the person being interview bases much of his success on the book Even Shot Must have a Purpose I thought you might like to see and hear what nice things he had to say about the author. I told have read the book and while I didn't win a state tournament using the method it has helped me greatly, especially about how I go about practicing.

From the Golf Channel Discussion Board:

I recorded a conversation I had with someone I met on golfwrx.com - Michael Warton-Palmer. Michael has won his state amateur championship several times and has an academic background in sports science and physiology. So he has a depth of understanding about how to play at a high level.

You can hear it here:http://learningcenter.4golfpros.com/Public/Blog/ talking_to_the_pros/archive/2009/10/19/enoying_and_performing_a_new_approach_to_playing_the_game.aspx (I had to put some spaces in it for the GC to handle the post).

Anyway, all this to introduce something I think is amazing. Michael's main points came mainly from the impact Pia Nillson's book Every Shot Must Have a Purpose had on him. The main things I took from listening (I am reading the book now) is to break the shot process into three phases - the think box and the play box, and then the "post-shot" time. The think box is the time to specifically analyze, plan and rehearse. The play box is all about forming and retaining confident thoughts about your shot. And the post-shot is about processing the emotions from the shot so you are focused on the next shot with a positive frame of mind.

Finally, perhaps the point that is most powerful is the concept that we don't control the score - we actually can only control what we're doing in any moment - easy to understand as an idea, but harder to stay clear about and focused on. Even the result of the shot isn't the thing we can control - the best we can do is gain greater mastery over our own mind and emotions and be clear as we make a swing. Recently, each round I play I am more and more stunned by how this works.

I am reasonably self-aware with some mental discipline after decades of meditating, etc. I had always thought "once I get my mechanics better, I'll take the next step with the mental side of the game - but first I need to get my mechanics right" - and this never really happened. It's an elusive, ever-moving target. So I just decided to do the prescription from Nillson and Michael. It will take practice to do it with real authority.

But I was blown away by what happened. I got everything out of this round I could. I was so much clearer than usual as I played each shot. There was something extraordinary going on. It's like there are two growth paths - the mechanical side is about improving your skill and potential; the mental side is about getting the full measure of your current skill and potential (and maybe even pushing your definition of what you think is possible). I even think it's more than this - I think it's also how you get the most enjoyment from playing the game. Learning to trust and to feel confident in the "now" - well, that's big-time growth in my book.

Anyway, I thought I'd share this....

PS: There are also some other interviews there, with Curran, "Slicefixer" (Geoff Jones, a tremendous teacher) and Jerry Rislove, a former teaching pro who is now in the education industry who keen insight into the learning process.