Aug. 8, 2010
Katie and I were looking forward to leaving hot and humid Springfield and spending the week close to the Jersey Shore in Atlantic City. Once we arrived in Atlantic City we headed to the hotel, which happened to be the host hotel for the LPGA ShopRite Classic. It was nice to wake up in the morning and look out the window to see the golf course across the street.
I was pumped for this week’s golf course because the Seaview Resort golf course was designed by my favorite course designer, Donald Ross. It was a flat course with some of the toughest greens I’ve seen in a long time. I wished that I could’ve been playing instead of watching golf for the second week in a row especially since it was a Donald Ross-designed course! But, it was still fun watching one of my best friends living her life-long dream on the LPGA Tour.
While in Atlantic City, I soon realized that it was the East Coast version of Las Vegas. Katie and I had the privilege of being invited to dinner with her Pro-Am playing partners for dinner at the Borgata Hotel. We had no idea what we were in for. We went to dinner at The Homestead Steakhouse and had the meal of our lives. It was literally the best steak I’ve ever had and I think the company had a lot to do with it. By the time dinner was over and the bill was set on our table, Katie and I estimated that the bill for the five of us was around $800!
One of the highlights throughout the week was during breakfast in the players’ dining hall. Katie and I were eating at our own table and this guy asked if he could join us. Turns out, that guy was LPGA Commissioner, Michael Whan. I enjoyed talking to him and I learned a lot about the LPGA in just 15 short minutes.
As the week came to an end, it was time for Katie and I to go our separate ways. Katie was flying north to Rochester, New York for the LPGA Championship and I was going south to North Carolina to spend my last free week with Gianna Cavuoto, UNM Lobo women’s soccer player, and her host family. Gianna had been in North Carolina since May playing soccer for the W-league team in Charlotte. We did a lot in just one week!
Gianna and I went to a theme park which sits on both North Carolina and South Carolina so we were in two states at one time! It was my second time to the theme park and it was still lots of fun because there was a new ride called “The Intimidator” which was a giant roller coaster! It was the first ride we went on and it definitely made us lose our stomachs for awhile!
While in Charlotte, I got to meet all of Gianna’s teammates that played for the Charlotte Lady Eagles and watch them practice throughout the week. I also was fortunate to see them play a home game and win 5-0 in front of hundreds of screaming fans. I think I watched more soccer in one week than I had ever watched in my life before that because every day before her soccer practice, we’d be watching a World Cup game. I enjoyed it though, probably needed something else in my life other than golf!
Before I knew it, the month-long journey had come to an end and it was time for me to come back to Albuquerque. And there was a lot to be done once I got back home. The whole month of June was one of the best months of my life thus far and I was able to visit five states in those four weeks. I met a lot of great people and made lots of unforgettable memories with close friends. Hopefully next year I can blog again, only next time I’ll be sharing with you My life playing golf on Tour. Until then, I have school to finish and golf to practice! Thanks for following me this summer! Go Lobos