Taking golf trips and vacations is always a favorite pastime for golfers, but Maggie Bowgren, a Women’s Southern Nevada Golf Association member, goes next level with her adventures surrounding the grand ole game. In July, Bowgren will experience her 16th Nancy Lopez Adventures trip when she visits Turning Stone Resort In New York with the LPGA Tour legend. –By Brian Hurlburt
“Nancy Lopez Adventures” are a series of trips organized by the Hall of Famer and provide the opportunity for golfers like Bowgren to learn from one of the most recognized female golfer of all-time and the Nancy Lopez Golf Adventures instruction team. The events also educate golfers about how to balance playing golf at their personal best while enjoying every moment of the game.
The overriding philosophy is “Play Happy.”
“She teaches us about the mental part of the game and how to play happy and be happy,” Bowgren says. “She does everything with a positive attitude. Her whole philosophy about everything is ‘Play Happy’ and be happy because her father taught her that. She talks a lot about her father because he was a main inspiration to her and told her, ‘If you get angry at the game or yourself, you don’t play well, just let it go. Play happy and move on.’”
Sage wisdom indeed. Her father’s mentality helped Lopez win 48 times on the LPGA Tour, become the player of the year four times, and earn induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1987. She also created the Nancy Lopez Golf clothing and apparel brand and has made a positive impact on thousands along the way.
Bowgren clearly remembers her first day of an Adventure, when Lopez gave each person in the group six Hershey Kisses. Lopez then instructed the golfers that a person in the foursome will take a Kiss when and if a negative phrase was uttered during the round. The next day, Lopez said that if a golfer even thought negatively, that player would have to find someone in the group to give a Kiss. The next day, Lopez demanded that each player say something positive prior to hitting a shot or forfeit yet another a Kiss.
“I couldn’t believe what a difference that made when you had to do these things. I would catch myself being negative and sometimes didn’t even realize it,” Bowgren says. “It changed my golf mindset forever.”
During the Lopez Adventures, Bowgren and the others learn golf and philosophy from Lopez or her highly-skilled top 50 instructors Teresa Zamboni and Sue Powers.
“They each take turns with us, so that everybody gets individual attention,” Bowgren says. “I have never gotten so much individual personal attention to develop a positive mental attitude as well as my golf skills.”
Arguably the most unique part of the Adventure is spending time in personal situations with one of the best to ever play the game.
“Getting to know Nancy is wonderful. She is such a down-to-earth person and so nice,” Bowgren says. “When we go to Keystone, Colo., she makes dinner for us at her home. The group is limited to 20 people and we have a ball. So many memories”
When arriving for the first Lopez Experience, each “Adventurer” receives a passport with 18 tasks to complete to earn VIP status. Bowgren has two tasks left: the first one is to choose happiness. The final one is to create a final chapter.
Upon completion, Bowgren will get to play 18 holes with Lopez, just the two of them. Most assuredly, Lopez and Bowgren will be teeing it up and “Playing Happy” before we know it.
Visit /www.nancylopezgolfadventures.com/ for additional information.
