MEMBERABILIA: GOLF FITNESS

What is a ‘Fitter’ and how can it prepare you for the upcoming golf season?

WORK IT OUT
Could someone tell me the manufacturer of the exercise equipment that Donna Andrews is using ["Spa Treatment for Golf"] in your September/October 2003 issue?
Melissa Rowley
President, The StarFire Group
Chicago
Member, Dayton Racquet Club
Dayton, Ohio

Editor’s note: We posed your question to Steve Phillips, assistant director of The Spa at Pinehurst and golf fitness specialist for the North Carolina resort’s Golf Advantage School. He says the machine is called a "Fitter" (for more information, visit www.fitter1.com) and that it is used for developing lateral stability for golf. The Fitter also can be used for a variety of exercises, depending on the abilities of the user. Fitter machines originally were developed for the Canadian Olympic Ski Team. So if you are a skier, the machine is great for balance and reducing the risk of knee injuries as well. Steve says that if you are a person who is able to perform stability exercises on a stability ball easily, then you would benefit from a fitter. However, if ball exercises are difficult for you, he suggests that you wait until you master these before getting a Fitter. Good luck with your workouts!


MARGARITA TALES
As an original member of The University of Texas Club [in Austin, Texas] and a Distinguished Alumni of that university, I need to let the author of your margarita article ["Viva Margarita," September/October 2003] know that my husband and I and another couple (the men were both students at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas) were in a popular nightclub in Mexico City in early summer of 1948, listening to the music of Luis Arcaraz Torras and drinking margaritas, which were called tequila daisies — our very first. It was an unforgettable occasion because the drinks laid one of the fellows out. The little drinks were served in tiny martini glasses but were potent.
Jean Andrews, Ph.D.
Member, The University of Texas Club
Austin, Texas

Editor’s note: Thanks for the memory. As Anthony Dias Blue noted in his article: "Tequila fanatics have spent about as much time tracking down the true origin of the margarita as UFO enthusiasts have spent trying to find alien spacecraft at Roswell." But aren’t the stories fun?


KUDOS TO BARTON CREEK
My family and I enjoyed our stay at Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas, so much that I wanted to take a minute to compliment you and your staff.

I had never been to Barton Creek before this visit. I am a member with Signature Gold benefits of the Capital Club in Columbus, Ohio, and had read about Barton Creek in Private Clubs and decided to try it.

My wife and I and my son and his girlfriend spent six days at Barton Creek. We played golf, used the Spa and the workout facilities, and enjoyed the food. I felt that the resort more than delivered on its promise of a great vacation.

Thanks again to you and your fine staff for making our visit enjoyable and congratulations on running such a fine facility.
Rob Lucas
Member, Capital Club
Columbus, Ohio


WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK
• Nominate a hero. The dictionary says a hero or heroine is someone who is admired for his or her achievements and noble qualities. Heroes might impact an individual or the world. They might be famous or unsung. We’d like to recognize the heroism among Associate members in an upcoming issue of Private Clubs. Nominate a hero by sending his or her name, why you think this person is a hero, their club affiliation, and contact information.

• Planning a wedding? Do you want your upcoming wedding at a club or resort to be covered by Private Clubs?