Wonder what female sports icons Annika Sorenstam and Mia Hamm have been up to of late? Both have been working tirelessly with their respective foundations. And, both will make an appearance in WaterSound, Florida next month for a celebrity golf match to raise funding and awareness for their foundations’ causes.
Annika and Mia will square-off at Origins Golf Club on Friday, February 19, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. to kick-off the “ANNIKA Experience at WaterSound,” a two-day celebration of active lifestyles and wellness education to benefit the ANNIKA Foundation and local charities.
Annika, a member of both the World Golf and LPGA Halls of Fame and widely regarded as the greatest female golfer of all-time, and Mia, elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1997 and a three-time Olympic medalist and two-time World Cup champion, will play a 10-hole match on Origins’ par-3 configuration (course description below). They will be joined by a team of 20 local junior golfers – 10 boys and 10 girls – who will each play a hole with the star pairing.
“I am excited to join Annika at Origins and compete with her to kick-off the ANNIKA Experience at WaterSound,” says Mia. “The ANNIKA Foundation is a major catalyst for educating children of all ages about the benefits of an active, healthy lifestyle, and the ANNIKA Experience will showcase this.”
“Mia is one of the greatest female athletes of our generation and an inspiration to so many people world-wide,” says Annika. “I am a big fan of hers and we are honored to have her take part in the ANNIKA Experience at WaterSound and I look forward to our match at Origins.”
Prior to the match, at 8:30 a.m. Annika will conduct a golf clinic for the junior golfers and the general public at Origins. Mia will assist her at various points throughout the session, including demonstrating tips and shots. Following the golf match, Annika will headline a “Meet Annika and Mia” luncheon at The Village Commons at WaterSound from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. where they will both discuss their respective philanthropic work.
Proceeds from the ANNIKA Experience at WaterSound will benefit local charities and the ANNIKA Foundation, the golf legend’s charitable arm that teaches children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition and offers aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams. Mia will raise funds and awareness for bone marrow transplant patients and their families in honor of her brother Garrett, who passed away from complications of a bone marrow disease.
Other planned events for Saturday include a children’s fitness clinic, a charity golf tournament at the Tom Fazio-designed Camp Creek Golf Club, where all teams will play a hole with Annika, and a food and wine reception following golf at Fish Out of Water, the award-winning, fine-dining restaurant at WaterColor Inn, one of the region’s premier coastal, boutique inns.
Accommodation packages will be available at WaterColor Inn and Resort and WaterSound Beach including admission to all ticketed events. For the full schedule of events and sponsorship opportunities contact Monark Events at 850.728.9476, 616.890.6497 or via email at info@monarkevents.com.
Featured Golf Courses
Have clubs will travel types in Music City have long known that the Emerald Coast is golf destination with few peers in the Southeast. Featured as part of the Annika Experience at WaterSound are two courses Nasvhille duffers can play via the WaterColor Inn and Resort, www.watercolorresort.com. Moreover, beginning later this year, Southwest will offer direct flights from Nashville to the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport.
Camp Creek, along with St. Joe-owned Shark’s Tooth and The Origins Course, form the exclusive “golf collection” of the WaterColor Inn and Resort. From the back green tees, the course plays to a championship caliber yardage of 7,159 and a formidable slope rating of 152. Camp Creek’s five-tee configuration, which also includes gold (senior) and red (women’s) tees, accommodates players of all skill and experience levels. For more information, visit www.campcreekgolfclub.com.
The Origins Golf Club is a six-hole regulation course that through the use of alternate tee boxes and greens, also plays as a nine-hole executive course and a 10-hole par 3 layout. Its mission is to make golf more fun, accessible and attractive to families, beginners and experienced players. Designed by Love Golf Design, founded by PGA Tour player Davis Love III, the course is consistent with the Scottish origins of the game, in which six, nine and 12-hole courses were commonplace. More information about Origins can be found at www.originsgolfclub.com.