Thursday, May 28, 2009

Seema Sadekar: A Little Flash On The Links

Duramed FUTURES Tour member Seema Sadekar of Toronto is the first to admit that she doesn't want to look like any other player on Tour. That would explain her over-the-top gold-colored golf bag with silver glittery side panels edged by rhinestones. Or even the bling-bling glittery matching headcovers that make her sparkle like the celestial heavens.

"I think that golf needs to be a little more fun and I've always liked to be loud and flashy," said Sadekar, a second-year professional who played college golf at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

Sadekar says she wanted to bring a little "diamonds and gold" to her golf bag and got some help in designing her tour bag from big sister Nisha Sadekar, a former Tour member. Big sister Nisha runs her "Play Golf Designs" business in Las Vegas, which lines up professional women golfers for corporate client golf outings in Vegas.

And when little sister Seema shows up either on the Duramed FUTURES Tour or for rounds of corporate golf in Vegas, she no doubt, leaves an impression wherever she goes.

"I like to be different," she said. "And this bag is so me."

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Golf-Babes: In Defense of Play Golf Designs

The article is a screed against the notion that female athletes (and the leagues they belong to) might use their looks to gain attention and new fans. Not exactly an original subject; that debate has been going on for decades.

Let me just state before continuing that I am aware of the irony in a site called Golf Babes offering a defense against charges of exploitation of female athletes. But my positive content and the steady stream of always positive feedback I get from women touring professional golfers leaves my conscience clear.

I'm also aware of the irony of a writer composing a none-too-original piece criticizing the marketing of female athletes deciding he'll "sex it up" with a gratuitous and insulting comparison of some of those athletes to "escorts." Well played, Mr. Gregory. Out of one side of his mouth he gets to tell the world of his moral rectitude and respect for women; out of the other side he gets to call some of those women whores. Jackass.

If Mr. Gregory really wants to show off his credentials as a defender of women against exploitation in the sports world, perhaps he should write something about Time's sister publication Sports Illustrated. Word on the street is that once a year SI - owned by Time, Inc. - publishes an issue full of nothing but scantily clad, barely clad, sometimes semi-nude women ... for no discernible reason other than corporate greed. And they use these images to the hilt with major yearround play on the magazine's Web site, plus lots of video, DVDs and even TV specials.

Hey, it's not like male athletes aren't out there selling a look. Sports marketing is all about selling a look. How many fashion spreads in GQ have athletes done over the years? How many football and basketball players have posed for posters?

There's a big difference, though, between male athletes and women athletes when it comes to marketing, and that is the huge deficit that exists between the money and attention available to each.There's just not much money (relatively speaking) availabe in women's athletics in the United States. The entire purse of a Duramed Futures Tour tournament is often smaller than the winner's share only at a Nationwide Tour event.

If Mr. Gregory can click his heels, crinkle his nose, blink his eyes, snap his fingers and make these disparities disappear, well, what's he waiting for? If his delicate sensibilities are offended by a female athlete posing for a simple glamour shot (or posing in a bikini for his corporate cohort's annual flesh-fest), maybe he should start campaigning for more sponsorship opportunities for those athletes rather than attacking their entrepreneurialism.

Mr. Gregory looks at a few glamour shots on the Play Golf Designs Web site and imagines escort services. Who's doing the stereotyping? Who is betraying an inability to recognize women for something other than their looks?

The touring professionals who work with Play Golf Designs are independent contractors. They are businesswomen responsible for their own financial success or failure. They don't have an annual salary or paid healthcare and vacation time like employees of Time. They don't have the big-dollar opportunities available in men's golf; in fact, many of them play on developmental tours where the check for finishing 15th might not even cover the hotel bill for the week.

And Mr. Gregory attacks them over a few glamour shots. He must walk through life cringing at the site of skirts above the knee, averting his eyes if - gasp! - a little cleavage enters his field of vision. Grow up.

I've had the good fortune to be acquainted with Play Golf Designs founder Nisha Sadekar, and several other of the Play Golf Designs golfers, for several years. All the women who work for Play Golf Designs are professional in every sense of the word. They are fierce competitors. The are all intelligent (Yale and Stanford are among the schools present on their resumes) and extremely hard workers.

"I personally have hosted several PGD golf outings, and I can assure you that Nisha Sadekar runs her events with class and only the utmost professionalism," says Kim Kouwabunpat, one of the PGD professionals. "We are professional athletes who compete at the highest level and all of us take our professional image very seriously. If you were to profile the 22 athletes on the PGD roster you would find that they consist of former top collegiate golfers from leading Division I universities such as Stanford, Duke, UCLA, and the University of Texas; former NCAA champions, current LPGA touring professionals, and top developmental tour players. I highly doubt that any one of these professional golfers, whom are very highly respected amongst their peers and colleagues, would ever join or even be associated with an organization that could be construed as an 'escort service'."

Nisha herself is a whipsmart businesswoman who has built from scratch a very successful company in a short amount of time.And yes, her company is marketed in a fun, flirty way. There are many such companies out there, companies that match up professional golfers with corporate outings - Mr. Gregory may not be aware of it, but every player in golf, up to and including Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer, hires himself or herself out for corporate events. These management companies also match their clients with club events, with clinics, with other "appearance fee" opportunities. It's one way the bigshots in the game pad their bank accounts; it's one way the up-and-comers try to make ends meet. (Mr. Gregory manages to throw "bachelor parties" into his article, while failing to mention all the charity events that PGD professionals attend. Again, who has the dirty mind here?)

Play Golf Design's "hook," so to speak, is that its roster of professionals is comprised entirely of women. And if all of those women happen to be smart, funny, and attractive? In what industry, in what line of work, would that not be played up in the company marketing plan?"Why isn't it OK to dress fashionably and be proud of our femininity without being criticized?" asks Kouwabunpat. "A polished, well-rounded look is marketable and a marketable image is good business."If you read the Time.com article you're given the impression that something dirty is going on at the Play Golf Designs Web site. But anyone who then clicks over to the PGD Web site will be left wondering, "What in the world was that guy talking about?"

Glamour shots. The horror.

Please view direct Link: http://golf-babes.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-defense-of-play-golf-designs.html

Kim Kouwabunpat: In response to Time.com

"I’m appalled by the ignorance displayed in the recent article written on Time.com about Play Golf Designs Inc. It’s clear that Sean Gregory has failed to do his due diligence in researching what PGD is truly about. The claims he makes of PGD being an “escort service” are offensive, unfair, and completely inaccurate. I personally have hosted several PGD golf outings, and I can assure you that Nisha Sadekar runs her events with class and only the utmost professionalism. We are professional athletes who compete at the highest level and all of us take our professional image very seriously. If you were to profile the 22 athletes on the PGD roster you would find that they consist of former top collegiate golfers from leading Division 1 universities such as Stanford, Duke, UCLA, and University of Texas, former NCAA champions, current LPGA touring professionals, and top developmental tour players. I highly doubt that any one of these professional golfers, whom are very highly respected amongst their peers and colleagues, would ever join or even be associated with an organization that could be construed as an “escort service.”

Why isn’t it ok to dress fashionably and be proud of our femininity without being criticized? A polished, well-rounded look is marketable and a marketable image is good business.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but Gregory probably did not realize that in writing this controversial article, he is jeopardizing the business, careers, and livelihoods of Play Golf Designs and the 22 Professional Golfers on its roster. Since joining PGD in 2006, my career has benefited greatly from the positive exposure and PR provided by Sadekar and PGD. Gregory’s misguided comments are essentially tearing down what we all have worked hard to build within our careers. As a responsible journalist Gregory needs to make sure he knows what he’s talking about before making such ridiculous comments that could negatively impact so many dedicated individuals.

I’ve been an avid competitive golfer since the age of 10. Just by the amazing nature of the game, golf has taught me so many important life values such as hard work, perseverance, determination, etiquette, and most of all, integrity. I see the game as a wonderful educational tool to teach any young person what it means to have class and teach them the same tools golf has taught me throughout my life. I hold onto my morals and values with conviction and would only be associated with outstanding organizations like Play Golf Designs.

I’m proud to be fully involved with Play Golf Designs and support Sadekar in her courageous movement towards a Nouvea World of Women’s Golf. We need people like her to break down barriers and to challenge stagnant stereotypes. I don’t see women’s golf progressing in the right direction at the moment. In the end, we will all be thanking Sadekar and Play Golf Designs for bringing women’s golf to the next level and letting the world see how amazing, beautiful, and strong women can be.
Kim Kouwabunpat
Stanford University
‘04 Ladies Asian Golf Tour
‘07 Duramed Futures Tour
‘05-‘07 CN Canadian Women's Tour '06-'07
Play Golf Designs, Inc.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Time.com & Ignorance

I am grateful to the editors of Time.com for choosing to write an article about Play Golf Designs, a well respected golf business with tremendous potential. However, I was hurt, offended and outraged by the way our firm was characterized.

First, The Headline – “Lady Golfers for Rent: Escort Service for Duffers? - Was stunningly offensive and an absolute mischaracterization of Play Golf Designs. Our professionals are some of the World’s best Professional Golfers and are hired to participate in golf outings throughout the world, just as male pro golfers are. They are hard-working and talented, just as male pros, and PGD and our professionals deserve the same respect and acknowledgement for their ability. In regards to the fact that our professionals happen to be attractive, as well as talented athletes, does not give Time.com, or anyone, the right to call our business an “escort service,” which has a clear connotation that is unequivocally wrong.

Also, I was misquoted several times in the article, and those statements were used to make it look as if I was insulting the LPGA. The LPGA is the highest platform in women's golf, a platform to which many of our professionals aspire.

Lorena Ochoa is the world's number one female professional and deserves notoriety for achieving great success. When discussing Lorena with the reporter, we spoke about fashion only. My quote, "Who cares!” was made in reference to her attire, not to Lorena or her skills. The fact that it was used by the reporter to insinuate otherwise is unethical. Lorena is a role model, an amazing player and of course a noteworthy icon in women's golf.

The Professionals at Play Golf Designs are also outstanding role models and have helped to expand the interest in women's golf. We are a strong and upstanding business that generates interest and awareness in golf. Although I am pained and disappointed in how Time.com characterized us, I firmly believe our fans, clients, vendors and potential customers truly know who we are, and what we stand for: Great golf, great outings and creative and fashionable fun. I am a professional business owner and we deserve more respect than time.com displayed in us.

Play Golf Designs is not ashamed to showcase its professionals as beautiful women. In fact, our strategy honors women and follows a tradition of beautiful female athletes being unafraid to be beautiful. From Jan Stephenson to Natalie Gulbis, and many others, the LPGA itself has long benefitted from the popularity of its top athletes who also happen to be beautiful. In tennis, Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova, as well as Venus and Serena Williams have been lauded for their beauty, as well as their skill. They've even appeared in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue, as was race driver Danica Patrick. If one of these athletes is hired for an outing or exhibition, would Time.com dare call them "escorts?" I doubt it.

Sincerely,

Nisha Sadekar, President - Play Golf Designs Inc.

Time Article Link: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1900046,00.html