It's getting closer - the start of the Kodak Challenge on the PGA TOUR.  The Advisory Board met and discussed each tournament and selected the hole to fit the bill.  Like hole #18 at Pebble Beach, hole #14 at Torrey Pines at the Buick Invitational, and hole #16 at FBR, where not only is it beautiful, but during the tournament, crowds are huge and make every moment more exciting as they chant and cheer.


 
Hole #16 at FBR Open

Visit Kodakchallenge.com to see each hole, hear the Advisory Board's debate, and read about Kodak moments that have happened on the most dramatic holes in golf.


With the announcement of the holes, we want to let fans get in on the action.  From now through December 16th, anyone who submits a golf-related photo to Golf Picture of the Week on kodakchallenge.com, will also be entered into a sweepstakes to win a KODAK EASYSHARE W1020 Wireless Digital Frame! One winner per week will be randomly selected from those who have submitted a photo - you can submit as many photos as you like and though this will increase your chances to be selected as Golf Picture of the Week, your email will only count once in the sweepstakes to win the digital frame.

Read the Rules & Regulations and Submit your photo today!

Finally, being married to a golf nut (I say that with the utmost respect), is actually proving useful.  I am part of the team bringing the Kodak Challenge to life.  The Kodak Challenge is a new competition for the PGA TOUR that we (finally) announced last month at the Buick Open.  It was top secret for quite a while - not an easy task when our execs want to talk about one of the most exciting things happening at Kodak (you know who you are Mr. H).

All those years of watching the Golf Channel helped me to know my David Duvals from my Brandt Snedeckers (not to mention noticing that Adam Scott is, well, easy on the eyes) and to find myself saying - "OMG, I AM MEETING DAVID FEHERTY!"  (who, BTW, is hilarious and you should watch the video from his Advisory Board interview).

I met David and the other members of our Advisory Board (David, Lance Barrow, Reese  Jones, Jules Alexander, and Andy Pazder) at the Buick Open.  Lance is coordinating producer for CBS Sports and one of the nicest people you will ever meet.  He allowed us to come in to the production trailer as they were on air - WOW! I used to think I was smart - until I saw all these amazing people in action.  It's truly a sight to behold as they listen to many people at once and watch over 100 monitors to pull together the broadcast that, at home, looks just seamless.  I have a whole new appreciation for what I see on TV now!

But aside from rubbing elbows with the folks from CBS sports and the Golf Channel (yes, I met Nick Faldo and Kelly Tilgman!!), I worked to help launch the Kodak Challenge website and the Facebook page, so people can become fans, keep up with the latest info, and post comments and pictures.

Did I mention post pictures?  With the website, we launched the Kodak Golf Picture of the Week - which allows people to upload pictures to be selected and displayed on KodakChallenge.com and on the Facebook page.  We've received some beautiful photos (though sometimes, the story is just as, if not more, compelling than the photo).

So learn more about the Kodak Challenge, become a fan on Facebook and tell us your thoughts, and definitely submit your golf-related photos to Golf Picture of the Week - they don't have to be award winning pictures of Harbortown - a Kodak Moment can be a great picture or a great story - so send us your 2 year old's first attempt at a swing, or a close up of your favorite club your Dad gave you when you were a teenager - to be featured on the website.  We might be a transformed company, but we still love the mushy stuff too!

 

The Kodak Challenge is fortunate to have a distinguished collection of golf experts on the Kodak Challenge Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will help pick the holes that will be included in the competition. Pictured here are Tom Wade, CMO of the PGA TOUR on the left end and in the center is Kodak's Jeff Hayzlett, joined by the Advisory Board members (left to right) Jules Alexander, David Feherty, Lance Barrow, Rees Jones and Andy Pazder.

The Board member certainly do not lack thing to talk about when they are together. Here is Jules Alexander (left) chatting with Rees Jones and David Feherty.

One of the fun things about having these highly regarded members of the golf industry on the Advisory Board is that we get to spend time with them.

Jules Alexander is an amazing golf photographer who began his career after working with legendary golfer Ben Hogan. Jules talked to me about the way he captured some of his best shots and how he used Kodak film. A Kodak TMax ad featured one of Jules pictures in the eighties.

We met Lance Barrow, the CBS Sports golf Coordinating Producer for lunch. Lance was the epitome of a warm welcome and had us cracking up all through the meal. Modest and genuine, we couldn't ask for a better friend at the tournament.

He even invited us into the CBS trailer where all the TV magic happens. I posed at the controls and tried very hard not to touch anything. If a camera cut from a golfer to a hot dog stand that would have been my fault.

We also went to dinner with Lance and Rees Jones. Rees has possibly the most coveted job as a renowned golf course architect. At dinner Rees told us how his father, as a young man living in Rochester, was a caddy for George Eastman. How cool is that!? Apparently George was a very good tipper.

David Feherty is so good at asking questions, we turned the tables and asked him a few of our own. Check out this video of him answering five questions.

After only a few days of being around these Board members, I know more about golf than I ever thought I would.