Guest bloggers from The First Tee

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Three guest bloggers who participate in The First Tee program will be filing blogs on Wednesday and Thursday from The Barclays.

THURSDAY'S BLOGS
By Lisa Agoglia

It's when you hit that perfect shot, feeling that sense of achievement -- that's what keeps you coming back to the game. It's when you hear the ball roll into the cup or when your heart stops after you have scored that low round. It's the feeling of success; this is what makes people keep coming back to the game. It's the challenge or the game; your ability to remain focused and to hold yourself together. It's the game of golf.

Today was the start of the first of four events in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. It was another jaunty day as a First Tee Course Reporter. I was able to observe and admire the pros as they played their first rounds. As I was walking along the path, I looked around and noticed the shots hit from all different angles with different lies and different locations. I realized that the pros don't hit every shot perfectly. In fact, a lot of the shots were not in the fairway. It's the way they knuckle down in every attempt to recover for their mistakes. It's the amount of time they practice, their level of focus and determination that make them different from the average golfer.

I had the opportunity to meet with Anthony Kim today, who has been on the TOUR for three years. Earlier this month, Anthony became the co-chairman of The First Tee's Young Ambassador Council. This made it all the more exciting for me to meet with him. From the small amount of time we spent together, he seemed very down-to-earth. Although he didn't play too well today, he was not uptight and he was very open and honest with us. He was joking around about his game, acknowledging the fact that he did not play to his ability. With his recent involvement with The First Tee, he seemed to be very interested with our part in the program. It was different from a normal interview; he seemed to be more interested in our lives and our golf careers. He was just your average Anthony.

This was such an amazing experience for me to have been a First Tee Course Reporter at The Barclays. I got to meet pro golfers, heads of corporations and watch these professionals compete in one of four tournaments in the FedExCup. "Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect," said Arnold Palmer. "It is at the same time rewarding and maddening - and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented." Golf can be an extremely grueling game, yet we all still come out here for the challenge.

By Philip Spano

Another great day here at Liberty National Golf Course. Today, we met with the masterminds behind SHOTLink, an interesting tool that uses lasers and satellites to exactly measure the distance a golf ball has traveled. SHOTLink is the mechanism behind all scoring on the PGA TOUR. It also can measure the distance the golf ball is from the hole. It is truly amazing to see how accurate this machine is. We also met with the PGA TOUR's meteorologist, Wade Stettner. He was very friendly and very informative. He showed us his computer maps which show the movement of weather patterns and told us that today would be an excellent day for golf. He was right, today was an absolutely beautiful day. I wish I could have brought my clubs and played on this course with the pros.

We also had the great opportunity of meeting and talking to Anthony Kim, a two-time PGA TOUR winner and an amazing person. At first I was a little intimidated by him. How often do you get the opportunity to talk to a professional and world-famous golfer? Anthony is a huge supporter of the First Tee program. In fact, he is co-chairman of a program dedicated to having professional golfers meet and connect with First Tee participants. I felt this program was an excellent way of giving back. Anthony was extremely friendly to us and asked about our involvement with the First Tee and told us to practice and keep up the good work. He was very funny and great to talk with. I was very glad to have had the opportunity of talking with him and hope that someday I will be able to give back like he has.

Well, this was my last day here at Liberty National Golf Course. I have only been here for two days now but feel like I have developed a special attachment to this course. I feel this special bond because now I know there is an amazing and wonderful golf course nestled within feet of the heart of New York City. It is a spectacular layout and the amazing Manhattan skyline truly makes this location a must-see venue. I will miss its hilly fairways and beautiful backdrop of New York City, but mostly the truly amazing people that I have met. I want to thank The First Tee program for providing me with the many great and amazing experiences it has given me, as well as the PGA TOUR for allowing me and my fellow Course Reporters to partake in such a truly incredible experience. I hope that other members of The First Tee will have the same great experiences that I have and I hope to remain as part of The First Tee by volunteering and helping them in any way I can in the future to come.

I would also like to thank Marc Raiken for giving us the grand tour of this golf course and for organizing and maintaining our schedule. I would like to thank Helen Ross, all the people who volunteered and helped in the making of the Military Appreciation Day, TaylorMade, Chris Noss, Anthony Kim, The Barclays and everyone else whom I have not mentioned. This truly was an amazing opportunity and I hope that someday I will be able to do it again.

By Domonique Wilcher

When I arrived this morning for the first round of The Barclays there was a different aura surrounding the golf course. Yes, it was drizzling, cloudy and breezy, but that wasn't the difference. No, today it was game time. The pressure was on for all of the competitors. While some rose to the occasion, others fell below their own expectations; nevertheless, it is just the beginning and anything can happen.

Today I learned more about SHOTLink technology and talked to the meteorologist for the PGA TOUR. Did you know that SHOTLink is the reason we can follow our favorite pros through out the day? SHOTLink is able to record a player's score and post it within seconds. With SHOTLink people anywhere in the world can know the status of the tournament in a matter of seconds. Being in the SHOTLink truck was interesting, I was able to see first-hand how every player's shot is tracked, and it was VERY high-tech. After learning about SHOTLink we headed to the weather station where we talked to Wade Stettner, who is in charge of watching the weather patterns for the PGA TOUR. He has traveled to many TOUR stops and has been involved with it for almost ten years. He showed use how he can set up a work station in a different city every week, yet still be as precise as ever with this calculations. He is currently tracking the weather patterns in conjunction with the tropical storm heading toward the Tri-State area. Who would ever imagine Jersey would possibly be in danger of a hurricane? Weather is a crazy thing! For saving fans and media members like myself from the rain we are truly grateful to Wade.

As if my day could not get any better I was able to watch a lot of great golf, I saw both the highs and lows of many players and even got to speak with Anthony Kim. I have to admit meeting a pro is pretty awesome; being able to shake his hand and introduce myself is something I will always relish. Talking to Anthony in person is a lot different than seeing him on TV. He was about average height and pretty funny, too. While talking with Anthony he was very interested in not only us but also The First Tee program. I later found out that Anthony is a proud supporter of The First Tee program. At the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational he was announced as the co-chair of The First Tee's newest program, called the Young Ambassadors Council. Anthony Kim's work with The First Tee is a great way to not only encourage youth interest in golf, but to also get more professionals involved on both the LPGA Tour and the PGA TOUR.

Being a First Tee Course Reporter was an amazing experience that words cannot do justice to. I met some incredible people who worked behind the scenes, learned many things about the game and found out just what makes the PGA TOUR as successful as it is today. Liberty National is absolutely amazing and a gorgeous course that I hope to play in the near future. I will never forget this opportunity and I'm truly grateful for being chosen. I want to thank everyone who made this opportunity possible and Marc Raiken for being such a good guide throughout these last two days. I am signing off for the last time and I hope you enjoyed living vicariously through me this week. Enjoy the rest of The Barclays!

WEDNESDAY'S BLOGS
By Lisa Agoglia

Today, I wasn't the average spectator in the crowd; I didn't just walk around watching The Barclays, the first event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Today I had the opportunity to be a First Tee Course Reporter at The Barclays at Liberty National Golf Course. As I paraded around the course with my media pass, I got to meet representatives and heads of different corporations, sit in on press conferences and spend the day unlike an average person would.

"The whole idea is that the end of the day, you shake your hand and go out for a beer later. But between the ropes, we're going at it," said Tiger Woods. This is the attitude people should have when playing this game. You go out there and compete, and no matter how it ends, you end the round shaking your competitor's hand. Not only does Tiger Woods impress me on the course, but he displays such a great attitude off the course as well. Just seeing him in the press conference -- answering questions, looking at the press dead in the eyes -- I can see how much he respects the game and his fans. He doesn't showboat, displaying such great sportsmanship and admiration for the other professionals out there. This guy really is a great role model to all golfers.

Even though golf may not be the most active and strenuous sport, you still have to be shape. I had the opportunity to meet with Stewart Cink's and Zach Johnson's trainer, Chris Noss. The trainer explained how he tailors each pro's workout. Noss prepares his trainees before each event with a little weight lifting, cardio workouts and really stretching them out. Throughout the season, he likes to have the pros carry out a lot of cardio exercises, really improving their stamina. During the offseason, he likes them to really work on building muscle and tries to get them into the best of shape. He tailors each pro's workout by really examining them, seeing what they need to work on and speaking with their swing coach. In addition to Cink and Johnson, Noss is currently working with Stephen Ames, J.J. Henry, Sean O'Hair and J.L. Lewis.

Being a First Tee Course Reporter allowed us access to some of the things behind the scenes. We had the opportunity to meet representatives from TaylorMade and went in the trailer, where the clubs are made on the spot. It's amazing to know that it's possible build a driver in less than five minutes and a full set of irons in 30! These representatives really explained to us how easy it is to put together a full set of clubs. The Barclays also had a military appreciation day on Wednesday, and active duty and retired members of all five branches and the National Guard are invited to attend The Barclays free of charge all week. This is a great program that the PGA TOUR is holding, really showing and giving something back to what these great patriots have done for us and our country.

This was such an eventful day, a real experience that I will never forget. Without my involvement in the First Tee program, I would never have been able to be up-close with Tiger Woods, or meet Tim Finchem, the Commissioner of the PGA TOUR. Today I wasn't just an ordinary spectator; I got to experience a day in the life of the working media.

By Philip Spano

After driving for a surprisingly short ride, expecting heavy traffic but happily disappointed, I arrived at The Barclays at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, N.J. Here I was warmly welcomed by a magnificent site, the Statue of Liberty and a view of the New York City skyline that I, as a native New Yorker, have never seen before. The amazing golf course with its sloped greens and truly spectacular backdrop made for an excellent sight and a truly scenic golf course.

After arriving, I went right to work, meeting many very interesting and amazing people. First I had the privilege of talking to Helen Ross, the Chief of Correspondents for PGATOUR.COM. With 13 years of writing for the PGA TOUR under her belt, she had a lot of advice for writing well. She was very passionate not only about writing concerning golf, but also for the game of golf itself. Her gusto and energy while talking to me and my fellow Course Reporters truly made me see that she loved what she does and she was very good at it, too. I'm glad to have met someone so dedicated and interested in what she does.

After that we stopped by the Patriots' Outpost, the Birdies for the Brave Military Outreach chalet. The Barclays was hosting a Military Appreciation Day today. Here I met a lot of very nice and friendly people who had all heard of the First Tee Program and were excited and happy to see me since I am here representing them. While I was there I saw some people playing Rock Band, a game designed for people to come together and play different instruments to form a rock band. I asked why this game was set up at a golf course during a professional golf tournament. I was told that it was put there for a Pro vs. G.I. Joe battle. Some of the pro golfers would play the game here, while some soldiers overseas got to play against them. I thought this was a very nice way of showing our gratitude and providing entertainment for those people fighting and protecting us overseas.

Then, we met up with representatives from TaylorMade. These very friendly guys explained to us the process that professional golfers go through to get their clubs custom fit. They also told us that it takes about five minutes for them to make a TaylorMade driver, the No. 1 driver in golf! They also said that it takes about 30 minutes for them to make an entire set of TaylorMade irons. I found this really unbelievable and very impressive. After that we went and visited Chris Noss, a fitness trainer who works with Stewart Cink and Zack Johnson, to name just a few. Chris told us that he trains these professional golfers with a lot of stretching and cardio exercises, as well as some strength building. He seemed very knowledgeable and was very glad to give us some of his time even though there were a couple professional golfers there working out.

Finally after all that we sat in on press conferences by Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Both amazing golfers seemed very normal and down to earth for people who probably can't walk down the street without people asking them for their autographs. They were very friendly and nice and answered all the news reporter's questions.

Overall today was an exciting and amazing day. I am glad I was asked to be a part of this Course Reporting again since I enjoyed doing it last year at Doral and know that I will be enjoying it here at Liberty National.

By Domonique Wilcher

If you could play golf any where in the U.S., where would you want to go? Many might say by a beach with a view of the sunset, or within a mountain range with a great landscaping. Could you picture playing on the Hudson River with an outstanding view of the Statue of Liberty and the skyline of Manhattan? At Liberty National, you're able to experience the beauty of the New York/ New Jersey metropolitan area and so much more.

Today at Liberty National was pretty cool, I was able to go behind the scenes of The Barclays and meet some interesting people who gave me good insight on what's going on in the PGA TOUR. At the start of my day, I met with Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM's Chief of Correspondents who has been involved with the PGA TOUR for 13 years. She has traveled around the world and written many different articles about golf news and events. Did you know the PGA TOUR staff and some professionals have gotten involved with Twitter and Facebook? Well, it's true. Now you can follow some of your favorite pros anytime, by becoming friends with them on Facebook or following their Twitter updates. The PGA TOUR is taking steps to try and involve and interest youth about the game of golf.

During the day we also visited the TaylorMade truck, which was awesome. We were able to see the equipment they use to fix or fit a driver for a player. We even found out it only takes five minutes to make a driver. Visiting the TaylorMade truck was cool but that was just the beginning. We were able to talk to Chris Noss, a personal trainer for many pros on TOUR. Entering the trailer was very intimidating -- we saw running equipment, cardio machines and professionals warming up for the first tee.

By far my favorite stop of the day was when we visited the Military Outreach tent, where they were celebrating Military Appreciation Day. The tent was filled with members from the Red Cross and people signing banners to support our troops. One way some of the pros helped encourage our troops was playing against a soldier in Afghanistan. This display was called Pro vs. G.I. Joe. While we were also in the tent we saw many people playing Hero and the Tiger Woods PGA TOUR video game. A joy that helps not only boosts the spirit of the pros but the soldiers as well.

This day was full of amazing interviews and meeting interesting people, I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.