December, January and February are often the few months of the year LPGA Tour players have the time to trade in their golf clubs and try their hand at a little something new. Numerous LPGA players checked in with LPGA.com throughout the off season to share their stories.


Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, the reining Kraft Nabisco Championship champion, gave birth to her daughter Phildine Pearl Lebouc on February 9. Phildine, who is the first child for Patricia and her husband Antoine, entered the world at 6 pounds, 14 ounces.


Mhairi McKay surprised LPGA.com with her latest Scottish adventure. Apparently Patricia is not the only one who has been busy in the birthing department.

"During my time back in Scotland, I went to my friend's farm (Straid farm) in a little place called Lendelfoot on the west coast of Scotland, not far from Turnberry, and delivered two prize Suffolk lambs! I feel like quite the vet now! Ok maybe I'll stick to golf! My friends Sarah Drummond and her daughter Clare, who own the Suffolk flock, instructed me through the whole lambing process. Let me tell you I had to wear a very long glove, a "silkie" as they are called! Believe me, Sarah and Clare didn't give me any time to feel squeamish about it and I'm proud to say I delivered two healthy ewes!!! They are now happily bounding away on the Scottish hills!"

Leta Lindley and her husband Matt are expecting their first son in March 2004. While Leta has been keeping busy this off-season preparing for the baby's arrival, she also found time to volunteer in a third-grade classroom at a local elementary school in West Palm Beach, Fla., two to three times a week. See photos of the LPGA's latest expecting mother>>


Wendy Ward and her husband Nate have been busy working on their 300-acre cattle ranch in Washington state. Wendy wrote to LPGA.com to tell us all about her off-season life.

"We have 40 bred cows expecting from February to May. We go out in the truck every morning and feed them hay and put out straw for them to bed down in. That makes it easier for everyone when they calve. They get watered twice a day too.

The dogs love to go with us. Tanner, our 4 year old yellow lab, sits in the cab and watches Nate throw out the hay while I drive real slow, trying not to throw him off!! I've been known to pop the clutch out a little too quick every now and then.

We have a new puppy who is an eight-week old border collie/australian shepard mix named Tucker. He will be an excellent herder to help Nate move cows from pasture to pasture.

Right now we have calves arriving every day so it is pretty exciting!"


Angela Buzminski and Dianna D'Alessio hit the slopes in Vail, Colorado, in January. Angela pictured (first) skiing down a morning run on fresh snow on Northstar 1. Dianna pictured (second) skiing down Chopstix in China Bowl.

Hee Won Han was married on December 23, 2003 in Seoul, Korea, at the Intercontinental Hotel. She married a professsional baseball player named Hyuk Son from Korea. There was plenty of world-class talent at the ceremony including Se Ri Pak, Grace Park, Mi Hyun Kim and Beth Bauer.

A.J. Eathorne took a running start to the off-season. Eathorne began her diligent training in October for the PF Changs Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon in Phoenix, AZ, in January. Eathorne had so much fun she wrote in to share her entire experience.

"I had always wanted to do something of like a marathon but never really committed to it or decided what exactly I would do. I had heard about the 1/2 Marathon through local media and I thought 'why not?' Of course, I love to run but I had never before run such a distance, 13.1 miles! So, I had to put forth a good effort to train for it or else there was no hope of finishing! I asked a few friends to join me and none of them had any desire to do that! They all thought I was nuts, but it was just something on my list of things to do in my lifetime that I thought I better get it done!" Read more>>


 

Juli Hilton traveled to Hawaii for a little rest and relaxation with her family prior to beginning her rookie year on Tour. Pictured here with her husband and caddie Shaun. You can follow Juli progress this season in her rookie diary.

Kristi Albers and her husband Fred took their son Austin to Disney World for the first time. They were fortunate to meet up with some very famous characters from the hit Disney film, "Toy Story."

Nanci Bowen has been running too. She ran a half marathon on Thanksgiving Day in Jacksonville, Fla., and is continuing her training to run the Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville in March. She also visited Sun Valley, Idaho, where she went snow shoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.

In her spare time, Nanci is working hard at starting a new business venture called Tee Time Entertainment, an entertainment golf company that provides executive clients the rare opportunity to interact directly with LPGA touring professionals.

Jane Crafter checked in to tell us about some interesting work she has been doing this off season. Here is what she said.

"I have been doing some part-time work at a local florist over the off season. I started just before Thanksgiving, and continued three days a week until Christmas week when I then worked every day. After Christmas I took a break but decided not to go back home to Australia to play this year. I then went back to the florist and have been working a couple days a week. WOW!! What a hectic time Valentine's week and the week before was!

I enjoyed the flower shop very much but the holidays are extremely busy and somewhat stressful. I learned a lot about small businesses and customer service. I answered the phone and took orders, served the walk in customers, sent orders over the wire via the computer to other areas, and even designed some arrangements!! They said I had a good eye and am now a golfer/flower designer!!! Call me slash!! ;-)

Because I love flowers (especially orchids) so much, it was a perfect way for me to stay busy and earn some off-season money. I certainly learned the value of a dollar--the value of $8.00 an hour to be exact.

In addition, I have done lots of projects around my home and garden too. It has been nice to not play golf for a while and go for lunches and brunches occasionally with friends too. Anyway, .it is over now, and I am going back to concentrating on my real job--golfer/ TV commentator. Pay is better too! So that's my off season exploits."

Shani Waugh reported in from Bunbury, Western Australia where she has been in the process of looking at drawings for a house she is building in her hometown. She has also been spending time at the beach surfing and boogie boarding.