Baby Names Inspired by Golf!

Isn't this a cute onesie? You can buy it! The link is at the end of my post. 

Around our house these days, all we can talk about is baby names. For our second baby due end of year, we decided to start completely from scratch and not reuse any names from the list our first son's name came from. In our early brainstorming phase we really have been reaching far and wide, and anything, no matter how bizarre, is up for discussion. 

That's led me to making this list of golf names perfect for the baby born to golf-obsessed parents! 

Ace - The golf term for a hole-in-one, it would be a great middle name for a first born. 

Augusta - One of America's most beautiful and famous courses is Augusta National, the site of The Masters, one of golf's Majors. It would make a very pretty, classic name for a little girl as well! 

Albatross - The golf term for a double-eagle, the nick names could be Ross or Albie. It's also the name of a sea-faring bird found near oceans, so there's that. 

Andrew - St. Andrews, Scotland is the birthplace of golf, and the location for a sort of pilgrimage every golfer wants to take at some point in their life. But there's no need to really explain this name too much to the other parents you'll meet on the playground, as Andrew is a perfectly normal, distinguished name -- a bonus just in case the kiddo grows up and doesn't like golf (heaven forbid).

Annika - a sweet name which hits on the popular Scandinavian name trend which also happens to honor the legendary Annika Sorenstam (seriously, my golf idol).

Birdie - In golf, a birdie is one under par, and in life I think Birdie would be adorable for a little girl. I imagine a Lady Bird Johnson born to sporty, millennial parents. 

Links - The oldest style of golf courses are links style, which are all over England and Scotland. I think Links makes a cool middle name, too, for the parent looking for something a little special.

Major - the four Majors in golf are the Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship. While a bit boisterous, it might make a neat middle name. 

Palmer - The golf legend Arnold Palmer has a long list of accomplishments. And don't forget the refreshing tea and lemonade combo named after him! If you're looking to honor one of golf's GOATs, I personally prefer his last name, Palmer, over his first.

Ryder - The Ryder Cup, a match play competition between America and Europe, is one of the most exciting golf events. As a name, Ryder also has a cool edge that will stand out, while still looking good on a work resume as an adult.

Torrey - Show your love for West Coast golf by naming your kid after Torrey Pines, one of the most beautiful municipal courses in America. I think it's cute for either a boy or girl! 

And that's my list of my favorite names inspired by golf. I'm sneaking as many of them into our name conversations as possible. Would you ever name your kid after something in golf? 

About the onesie in my graphic: I found it on ETSY! Browsing ETSY stores for baby items is one of my favorite time killers. This seller is LittleFroggySurfShop, and you can buy it here.

My thoughts on a not-yet-finished Olympics

What are your thoughts on golf's return to the Olympics this year after 112 years? Mine are mixed. I very much want this to be something that works, but so far the whole thing just feels.... underwhelming. Here are my admittedly premature, and completely unsolicited, thoughts as I watch round two of the women's event (which in my opinion has been better than the men's, if I'm being honest).

Annika is awesome. Dear television, please use Annika Sorenstam more often for your Golf broadcasts. And have her do men's events too, she has actual experience on both tours. I just love her perspective, and she doesn't say anything stupid. For some reason the Olympic broadcast has been so much more boring than normal golf broadcasts, but Annika is helping me stay interested.

Ryder Reminder. Commercials for the Ryder Cup are all the evidence we need that Olympic Golf needs to be a team event, not just an individual event. There would be so much more drama and excitement! 

2020 Sights. I think the whole event will have a better sense of spectator excitement in Japan, which has a much bigger golf fan base. And I hope they pick an existing course with some tradition to its name. Hopefully when the IOC reviews golf in 2017 they'll leave it in so we can test this hypothesis!

The least important critique. I hate to feel this shallow, because this is totally the least important thing about any sport, BUT: the team uniforms of all countries have been a complete disappointment. This  is the Olympics! Where is the exuberance, the style, the pride and pageantry? Why is everyone dressed like they are on a zero budget high school golf team? If the sport is going to have the least exciting broadcast of any event, at the very least the fashion can be a little more flashy. The only highlights are the subtle "Svergie" vertical block print on team Sweden's uniforms (that you can barely see on TV, which is unfortunate) and Great Britain's attempt at a large graphic, which at least took a stab at being fun. Doesn't hurt that the golfer wearing it took gold in the men's event.

Great Britain golf uniform, worn by gold medalist Justin Rose. I may not be crazy about it, but at least they tried to have some pizazz. Photo: Telegraph.co.uk

I'm rooting for Stacy Lewis to keep first, but things shook up so much that the final rounds will be exciting!

What are your thoughts? Who are you rooting for?