Zurich Classic

What an exciting few days at the Zurich Classic this year! We are so lucky to be

invited by Zurich to this event where everything is included. We stay at the luxurious Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans just steps away from all the action of Bourbon Street, we ate at Mr. B’s Bistro on Royal street and had full access to all the golf at TPC Louisiana. We were also invited to play golf on Monday, which of course we accepted! We really were treated like VIP’s and felt very special all weekend.

The Roosevelt Hotel

Mr. B's Bistro

We arrived early Friday morning and after check in and a lovely breakfast buffet

with the famous beignets, we headed to the Zurich Open to watch the golf. Zurich has VIP tents in three spots; the 9th hole green, the 17th hole green(both par 3’s) and the 18th hole green. Each provided exciting approach shots.

Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy

We watched golfer duo’s like Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy, the Hojgaard brothers, and my new favorite Sahith Theegala and his partner Aaron Rai. This tournament is the only PGA sponsored tournament where the tour players play in pairs. It really makes this event so much more relaxed and fun to watch. The 18th hole tent was a beautiful place to watch the golfers, eat really good food, and chat with other potential golfer girlfriends. I really met so many lovely ladies who shared with me their love of golf. I felt like I made some great friends and hope they will stay in contact.

Karuna Theegala - Sahith Theegala's Dad

I also met Sahith Theegala’s dad at the 13th hole as we walked the golf course. What a great, positive, man! He was very generous with his time and we had a very nice conversation about his talented son. 

Harry Conick Jr.

Saturday morning we were treated to a conversation with Harry Conick Jr.. He’s a Grammy winning musician and a very talented singer, actor, and writer. He spoke to a large audience of Zurich employees and spouses and was very engaging and funny. The focus of this talk was motivation and procrastination. I have to say I learned a lot. Once again I felt so lucky to be there and have this opportunity.

We went to the golf course Friday, Saturday,

Sep Straka

and Sunday. Each day we were up close with so many golfers. I think that’s what makes this event so special. The crowds are manageable and the golfers are accessible. The golf course is walkable, people are friendly and hospitable, and the atmosphere is energizing. On Saturday we were treated to a half hour golf lesson with a PGA tour pro. It was awesome and so helpful. I worked on my follow through. We were also treated to all-you can eat grilled fresh oysters at the 18th VIP tent. I won’t eat them, but they got rave reviews from those who do, and the aroma of garlic and parmesan cheese filled the air around us.

Rory McIlroy Putting

Oysters in Garlic and Parm

Akshay Bhatia

Sahith Theegala

The highlights of the weekend were my dinner at Mr. B’s on Sunday night, the golf lesson on Saturday, and golfing at the golf course on Monday. Golfing on Monday was so special. They kept the pins in the same location as the pros had on Sunday, which was very difficult! The greens were super fast and overall the golf course was very challenging. They set us up with Pro V golf balls, rental clubs and lunch. But the real treat was playing the ninth hole par three with Sahith Theegala. He is one of the golf ambassadors for

17th Hole

Zurich and a really nice guy. By the way, I hit a lovely seven iron pin high which rolled left into the water. But overall I was not embarrassed, however SO nervous to hit with him watching!!

On a side note you really can’t go to New Orleans without having amazing food. Since all of our food was included with our Zurich event we didn’t need to venture out but decided to go to dinner by ourselves one night. With the advice from my sister, who loves the New Orleans cuisine, we chose Mr. B’s bistro, known

BBQ Shrimp at Mr. B's

for its BBQ shrimp and gumbo, (I got both). It was fabulous and I highly recommend going if you’re in town. You need a bib for the BBQ shrimp because you have to peel it yourself, so it’s messy. Well worth it though, take my advice! I would also highly recommend our hotel, The Roosevelt. Very old school with super high ceilings and fabulous architecture. Ask for a room with a view of the river. Don’t miss their famous spicy fried chicken either. It was delicious. 

Gumbo at Mr. B's

I choose to go to a couple different golf events every year and this one does not disappoint. With its manageable crowds and relaxed atmosphere it really is an event worth attending. Also if you have young children who love the game, bring them along. The golfers are very accessible and happy to sign autographs.

Shane Lowry