Golf Talk

EVIAN FRANCE

Bonjour!   I am writing you from the Evian Royal Resort from the beautiful hillside of Evian, France!  I am especially excited to be staying at this five star resort as a previous winner of this week’s event.  The players all stay at one of the two hotels here in Evian.  I have a great “junior suite” with a spectacular  panoramic ocean view at the royal…  It is an honor to stay at this hotel with the former champions and to see their pictures displayed in the entry and hallways.   The town of Evian strongly supports this tournament and the large bright pink Evian Masters flags are hung all over this charming town.  The weather is beautiful and it’s warm and sunny.  How great is it to look below the hotel onto Lake Geneva which is a huge lake se parating France and Switzerland which I can view from my French patio doors.  The hotel sits on the hillside with the lake below and the golf course just above. On our grassy hill is a huge infinity pool that spills off into the view of the lake.  I am here with so many fond memories of my first win here last July.

I just spent a productive week at home in Vegas last week where I spent most of my time testing new Taylor made drivers.  I am traveling with a new selection, the new Burner with the same shaft that I played with here last year.  I look forward to putting it to the test!! I have already been on the golf course for the past three days and the course is in the best condition I have seen it in the four years I have played it.  I am paired with the number one player in France, Glawdys Nocera and also Lorena Ochoa whom I was paired with last year.

My mom is here this week.  She came to the event last year so I’m glad she came this year too.  I am really excited and proud of here. She has lost 28 pounds with the help of a trainer from 24 hour fitness. She has been training three days a week and alternating with an hour of cardio the other days.  Her workouts are almost two hours and her diet is strict!

We work out each morning and run stairs, do cardio and lift weights.  I have to step up my fitness as she is in better shape than I am!  I have all my golf outfits planned for this week and will be wearing the latest Adidas Fall season which includes lots of dresses so I am excited. 

Yesterday afternoon we took a boat ride across the lake to Lausanne, Switzerland to shop and sightsee.  This is a favorite outing for the players, family and fans.

This is our masters and the field is among the strongest of the four LPGA majors.

I am ready for this tournament to begin…  Au Revoir!

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Evian Masters
Evian-les-bains, France

Hi Everyone

I am on a plane to France. I am really excited to go and defend my title in the Evian Masters.

I have spent the past week in Las Vegas practicing and playing. I got in a lot of great work and fine tuning. The weather was 100 degrees every day with none of those East Coast thunderstorms!

It was so nice to be home in my house!  It’s the little things like being able to go to 24-Hour Fitness in the morning, drive my car, and sleep in my own bed!

I spent one day of the off week in LA with EA Sports, launching the new “all play” feature for the Tiger Woods 2009 game. It’s for the Wii and is an amazing feature on all the EA Sports games, making the game more user friendly. It allows a beginner gamer to play against advanced gamers with user friendly features. Before the event we played the game backstage for hours. What a treat to play me in a video game. Surreal! 

Hope everyone is great!

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FROM THE STANFORD INTERNATIONAL PRO-AM

Hello from just outside Miami. We are playing in Aventura, Florida, in the Stanford International Pro-Am. This is the first pro-am-style LPGA event to be played. The format is similar to the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, on the PGA Tour. It is one professional, paried with one amateur, best ball. After two days, 20 pro-am teams will advance to the weekend. It’s a really fun format that highlights just how special the sport of golf is. There are very few sports where a professional golfer and an amateur golfer can play together on the same field. It’s fun for players to mingle and play with top executives, celebrities, entertainers and avid golfers!  We are playing at the Turnberry Isle Resort, which is the same course where I was paired with John Elway for the Skins Challenge back in the fall of 2007. John and I won here, so I have many fond memories of this place. It’s beautiful here. Turnberry is an amazing resort and a fun course to play.

My partner this week is Ted Fortsmann. Many of you know I caddied for Ted at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am event early this year. It’s fun to be partners this week.  I hope everyone gets a chance to watch the event on TV!  Thanks for coming and checking out my website!

Natalie

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Hello From Vegas! I am having a great week at home. I have been on the road for almost a  month so I am very excited to be home!  This is a great time of year in Las Vegas.  The weather is perfect, and the golf courses are in wonderful condition. I took one day off to get organized then back to practice on Tuesday. On Tuesday evening I had the chance to cook dinner for Mark King, Ceo of Taylormade-Adidas.  I was nervous and excited to have him at the house and cook. I love to cook and entertain, but I just wanted the meal to be perfect!  I made filets, salmon, parm asparagus, new potatoes, salad, broccoli and a chocolate cake for dessert. I thought everything turned out great, what a relief!  We really had a great time.  I have been with TaylorMade for 7 years. They are such a wonderful company.  I am very grateful for the invite to be part of their team. In my opinion, they make the best performing driver, irons, wedges, and balls on all professional tours!

I use 14 clubs from the burner driver to the new burner irons which I love! I just switched two weeks ago. They are amazing irons. Very forgiving and consistent.

I am an avid SHAPE magazine reader. I was thrilled to be asked to do a workout spread for the magazine. At noon, 12 people came into the house to prep for the shoot. The shape stylist brought in at least 30 workout outfits, 10 Adidas outfits and 10 pairs of shoes. We shot in my backyard by the pool. It was fun to be in my own backyard for the shoot!

I meet my trainer, Mel, after the shoot to workout at 24-Hour Fitness. It was a long day. I layed low and relaxed for the next few days. Workouts and practice and relaxing at home.

Friday was a fun night. I was invited to go to the Miss USA pageant. It was so fun to see it live.  Everyone was very dressed up to attend the event, wearing full ballroom gowns and suits. I enjoyed seeing the outfits, hair and make-up, and trying to anticipate the winners along the way. I can only imagine how nervous those women were!

After a good week of practice at home, workouts, and regeneration I am excited to go back on tour. I am off to Orlando and am on the road for 5 weeks. I am packing right now, which is not my favorite thing! I overstuff the largest bags so they barely zip!!!

Hope everyone is great!

Natalie

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Many of you know that I am very close to my family. My aunt valerie helps me feel the sense of family on the rode. I have called her auntie val since I could talk. She is famous in our family, on tour and even in the media for her NAT PAKS.  She sends me care packages once a month filled with all my favorite things and cute fun surprise.  Each pack has a theme. Last week it was easter so there was everything in easter theme from napkins to paper plates and every color was bright and spring shades of pink purple and lime green. She sends thank u note cards, tooth brush hair tyes, ribbons, to go containers, lip gloss all the fun things a girl has at home but not on the road because its difficult to travel with those things

She also send cookies homemade breads, foods, peanut butter and jelly sandwich necessities.  She has me dialed in. The attention to detail in this pak is amazing. I appreciate the effort time and love she puts into these paks

Well this week my parents, and family rented a home. Its a beautiful place with a infinite edge pool and lake. The kids splash in the pool and we have bbq”s almost every night. For me its extra spoiling because auntie val leaves me notes on the coffee maker for when I get up at 5 to head to the gym. She packs me a lunch for the course and has amazing dinners every night from. From home made turkeys dinners to spaghetti, steaks and she is going to teach me to make homemade key lime pie. I have learned many cooking tricks this week

It has been great to learn more about my grandparents and our family traditions too. The mornings are so fun. There is so much going on. Everyone is cooking and getting ready for the day.   There are 7 people in the house. They all get up at different times and all have a different favorite for breakfast from country fried steak, pancakes to my protein smoothie. Of course my aunt has it whipped up gourmet style in minutes

She makes team shirts for the group that match my adidas outfits everyday. The shirts for sunday have a california license plate that says Nat Pak and my logo on the front.  They are fantastic!!

My mom got in thursday which completes the motherly love in my life. Its been such a treat having the family together

I hope everyone has a great weekend

Natalie

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Hello from the shoot out in The dessert.  The event is held at lake las vegas..here are some pictures from the day of fun.  It kicked off with a clinic by all the pros then I got to hit a shot with every group.  I was on the best hole on the course the par 3 17th hole at reflection bay.  It was a perfect day and the hole glistened with the lake so close.  I had the chance to meet and spend time with golf greats billy casper and hubert green.  I also spent time with announcer Joe Buck who was hilarious! The highlight was definitely the time with Jerome Bettis.  Being a steelers fan and having teh chance to meet Jerome was great! He was so nice, funny and fantastic with the players and fans.  In the afternoon we had a shootout..team natalie vs..team jerome.  The two teams wore team Budweiser hats for my team and steelers hats for Jerome. It all came down to the 18th hole where jeromes partner knocked in a 40 yard eagle chip..lu! cky!  No, it was a fantastic shot.

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Hello Everybody. Hope you are enjoying the look of my new site. I am very excited about it. I have been home in Las Vegas for over a week and spending my time on the practice facilities at the Butch Harmon School of Golf. My swing is getting better by the day and I am getting back to where I was at the end of 2006. I had gone back to some of my old habits, swing was long and fast. It’s getting better.

It’s so nice to be home. I was excited to be joined by my friends Mitch and Lara who came from Atlanta to see me. We had a great time! I would practice during the day, while Mitch got a lesson and Lara shopped at the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace. I love those shops too! I needed to be practicing during the day but would meet up for the evening.  We went to “Love,” the Beatles-themed Cirque de Soleil show. It was wonderful!  What a show. I am a Beatles fan and I was blown away at this show. The choreography, performers, and story that was told for each song was fabulous.  My favorite song was “Yesterday.”  My mom sang that to me every night as a little girl so it was fun to hear it live. Lara got the best seats in the place. We had so much fun! I recommend to anyone who goes to Vegas.

My next trip will be Tuesday through Thursday in Palm Springs. I am going down to Mission Hills Golf Course, where the Kraft-Nabisco event is played. The first of four LPGA majors. It’s a great golf course and I always look forward to the event, the golf course, and the community. And of course, 90 degree weather is also wonderful!  Finally Spring is here!  I have never gone to a tournament site early to prepare and map out a golf course. It was so nice to be able to take my time and chart the greens and holes. Tournament weeks are so busy with players, media, fans and pro-ams. We usually get to the event on Monday and play a few practice rounds on Tuesday.  The first round of the event is on Thursday.  Unfortunately, this does not leave much time to chart the greens, which can be very tricky.

Well I am off.

Wishing everyone a great week!

Natalie

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Back in the USA!  I’m happy to be home.. I have been on the road for almost 7 weeks.   I spent the first week of my Asia trip in Singapore.  What a fun place that is. I played better this week over all. My ball striking was better and my putting, which was my weakness in the first two weeks on tour, improved. I am looking forward to the next three weeks to work on cleaning up my game and getting ready for the West Coast swing. That includes our first major of the year in Palm Springs

I had quite a busy few days in Tokyo. My first day was a holiday called “Girls’ Day.” What a great holiday!  Following each photo shoot and interview, I was presented with small gifts in celebration of Girls’ Day. The traditional gift was a pastry type Japanese rice cake called a “hina-arare”. Really good, very unique flavor. I love the food in Japan. Many of my favorites, including green tea, sushi, sashimi, and Kobe beef. 

My first day there after coming in on the red eye, I did a shoot for Japan Vogue, which was a big honor.  The Ritz Carlton in Tokyo gave me an amazing suite that had a panoramic view of the city. Incredible!  We did all the shoots and meetings at the hotel and ventured out on the second day to wear a traditional

Kimono for an interview. To wear a kimono you are first placed in two layers of fabric wrapped very tight with two belts. Then the kimono is wrapped perfectly and tied with three more belts. By the time I was dressed I had 6 belts, a bow, and three layers.  I could only take very small steps.  It was a beautiful purple kimono with gold flowers.  I really felt privileged to wear the traditional piece. 

Tokyo has a lot of shopping areas. It would not be right to be there without a trip to the shops.  My first stop was to Samantha Thavasa. These are very popular designer handbags. I had about an hour to shop before my flight back to the States and I spent it in the store. We met with the owners and designers earlier that day and enjoyed seeing the beautiful purses.  I’m glad I left room in my bag for three new purses. I was also presented with some very special gifts from the temple near the hotel.  I have visited the temples in Japan before, and always enjoy experiencing other cultures.  I headed to the airport for another red eye back to the USA. It’s fun returning home because I left at 6:30pm in Japan and returned to the USA at 11am on Tuesday.

I am so happy to be home. I am meeting Butch Harmon tomorrow at 10am to evaluate my first few weeks on tour and get to work to prepare for the next two big events.  Take care everyone!

Natalie

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