I’ve recently been hammering Pebble Beach for a $500 green fee and I’ve been getting pounded for being critical of the Ocean Course's degree of difficulty. (Sorry, I’m sticking to both barrels.) And then I stumbled upon an example of an owner of one of the best resorts in the world listening to the Little people.

A couple of New Hampshirites, Arthur Little and his wife, Jann Leeming, went to Bandon Dunes a few years ago to play golf. They enjoyed their stay but they had some suggestions for Bandon brass, so they wrote a letter to the owner, Mike Keiser. The title of the message: “Your golf course is way too long.”

Little says he heard back from Keiser, “Almost immediately.”

The end result is something some might consider radical-Old Mac is adding a set of forward tees that will play from roughly 4,400 yards. To others, such as Arthur and Jann, it makes sense.

The first two paragraphs of Arthur and Jann's letter to Mike Keiser, postmarked in the spring of 2007, got right to their point:

Because golf has been stagnant since 2001, the golf industry, as a matter of economic necessity, talks endlessly about “growing the game.” However, it will never be successful in reinvigorating the game until it stops making ignorant decisions about golf course design and starts building or retrofitting golf courses that really fit the customers it needs to attract or retain.

Courses as traditionally and currently designed are much too long, too difficult and take too long to play. Golf course owners and designers are fixated on lengthening courses to “fit” the very best players and get on “Best Courses” lists. As a result, they are not providing an enjoyable experience for average, beginning and aging golfers. These are the people that the industry must attract and retain in order to be successful financially. The golf industry must realize that the competition for the leisure time of these players is much greater than ever before and that it must meet their needs.

Little and Leeming, who are in their mid-60s, love to play golf, love to walk but don’t hit the ball very far, had the attention of one of golf’s last great visionaries and someone who could endorse their ground swell of change. “I was skeptical but respectful at first,” says Keiser. “Then I came to realize they speak for some larger number of us, getting older, getting weaker, and they made their case, which I’m fulfilling at Old Macdonald, for a 4,400-yard golf course.”

Keiser is opening Old Macdonald in June, a fourth course at Bandon Dunes, which is widely considered the best golf resort in the country. Located on the Southwest Coast of Oregon, Bandon Dunes already has three courses in the top 14 on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Public, multiple restaurants, watering holes and five lodging options, all within three minutes of each other. And Old Macdonald might be the most popular attraction of the bunch because the style of golf, like that of the Old Course at St. Andrews, will be fun and fast with big greens and it will be almost impossible to lose a ball.

Up to now, the knock on playing golf at Bandon is that it’s too hard to get to, and by being walking-only with the potential of tough playing conditions (it’s on the coast so wind is usually a factor) it’s also considered too hard for the average or aging golfer. And maybe this is why Keiser had such a sensitive ear to Little and Leeming and their play to make a difference.

After repeated e-mail exchanges between Keiser and this pro-active couple, spanning more than four years, they spoke on the phone for the first time last week. Keiser told Little that he asked Jim Urbina, who along with Tom Doak designed Old Macdonald, to go back to Oregon last December and add the additional set of tees. Regardless of the condensed field of play, the par will still be listed as 71. The shortest par 3 (No. 2) will play from roughly 82 yards. The longest par 5 (No. 6) will play from roughly 410 yards.

“Every one of the teeing grounds that are for the Littles are in the fairways and are not distinguishable from anywhere else on the golf course,” says Urbina. “At Old Macdonald I blended them in the fairway so when the Littles walk up there, they’ll see a little disk, they’ll plop their tee in the ground and they’ll whack away.”

Keiser said he was willing to print a separate scorecard and that he’d call the forward tees the “Friendly Tees.” Little says he hated that name—too condescending—and they didn’t want their own scorecard. As of last week Keiser says he’s going with the “Royal Blue” tees and they will be included on the main scorecard at Old Macdonald, which is an homage to Charles Blair Macdonald, one of the original architects of golf courses in the United States. The tees at Old Mac will range from 4,400 yards to 7,200 yards. Keiser approached his staff about adding a forward set of tees at the other three courses at his resort, but they’ve elected to see the results of the Old Mac experiment first.

Little and Leeming have a good sense of the test. They were golf course owners in Maine for 10 seasons (1996-’05). They didn’t have the room to add more sets of tees beyond 6,300 yards, so instead they added tees in the other direction, making the shortest route 4,169 yards. The concept has a track record of success. They included some data in their original letter to Keiser:

Our experience at Province Lake Golf in Parsonsfield, Maine was remarkable. In 1996, we bought a course out of bankruptcy. It was in terrible shape, located far from population centers and we needed to do something innovative to make it economically viable. We took a radical approach and built a tee system that differed from any we’d encountered.

--We increased rounds from 8,000 to 18,000
--Women represented over a third of our play
--Junior play increased from 1.5% to 7.5%
--Our seniors moved up a set of tees and increased their play
--Speed of play increased by 15-30 minutes a round even on busy days
--We tripled our tournament and outing business
--We received recognition by Golf For Women magazine as the No. 1 course for women in New England and No. 39 in the U.S. and by Golf Inc. magazine for our family and junior programs
--Most importantly, over time, we improved our annual financial results by $200,000

So there you have it—a match made in Bandon. Give credit to Keiser for his vision, but also for a willingness to listen.

Here's an audio clip of Mike Keiser telling me how the concept of the forward tees came across his desk. He refers to the tees in this clip as the "Purple Tees," but as of last week, they're the "Royal Blue Tees."



My Away Game about Old Macdonald will appear in the May issue of Golf Digest, which comes out the first week in April.

Golf World published an issue this week with a dedicated section on the status of golf course architecture in the Unites States. Be sure to read the article by Chris Millard.

--Matty G.

(Photograph of Old Macdonald's 14th green by Stephen Szurlej.)

What is affordable? That's a sliding scale, obviously. But based on what I've seen and where I've been in the past two years, these places give good lodging, service, golf and great value.

No. 5--Legends Golf & Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC. There are three good courses on site and Legends is affiliated with two more, including the Heritage Club, which is one of the best on The Grand Strand. The Legends features a massive driving range and a buddies trip fits nicely with the villas (they sleep at least four). Best deal: March 18-June 9, get three nights, three rounds of golf, a buffet breakfast, cart fees, range balls and they throw in a drink ticket for $477 per person. (That’s a total, not per night.) Look for the May issue of Golf Digest featuring a complete breakdown of golf, lodging and a lot more about all Myrtle Beach has to offer the avid golfer.

No. 4--Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City, MI. Ranked No. 48 on Golf Digest’s list of the Top 75 Golf Resorts in North America, Grand Traverse Resort (pictured above) features three courses, one by Jack Nicklaus and one by Gary Player, and a Jim McLean Golf School. If I had to pick one course, the Nicklaus is my favorite. Best Deal (based on double occupancy): From April 16--June 3 they offer the “Championship Golf Package-Weekend,” which is two nights, two rounds of golf, two breakfasts, range balls and a replay rate of $35. Here’s a link to my story about Northern Michigan.

No. 3--Madden’s on Gull Lake in Brainerd, MN. I love this place, not only because of the Classic course, but I had a townhouse right on the lake and listening to the accents of the natives never gets old. Look up Walleye Dan when you’re in town, he helped me catch a largemouth bass. Best deal (based on double occupancy): “Play It All Golf Package” from April 19-June 26 is one night, two rounds on any of Madden’s three and a half courses for $215 per person. Here’s a link to my story about Minnesota.

No. 2--Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, TX. I Ambushed there a few months ago and I couldn’t believe the deal those guys were getting. The resort is so nice it hardly looks or feels “affordable.” There are two Fazio courses that get a lot of publicity, but they also have a Crenshaw and a Palmer, which aren’t bad either. And be sure to take advantage of the shuttle service to downtown Austin for a slab of beef and some live music. Best deal (based on double occupancy): “Guys Golf Getaway” is $351 per person on weekends for the month of April and the first two weeks of June (prices go down for the month of May). The package includes lodging, breakfast, unlimited golf on any of the four courses, cart fee, range balls and day of arrival golf at twilight rate ($84-$135 on weekends, prices vary depending on the course). Here’s a link to my Ambush in Austin.

No. 1--Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa in Birmingham, AL. It’s arguably the best resort (pictured above) and the best course on the Robert Trent Jones Trail, which is saying a lot. Ross Bridge hosts a PGA Champions Tour event in May. Just down the street you have two and a half courses at Oxmoor Valley. Best deal (based on double occupancy): Through May 10, get three nights of lodging, two rounds at Ross Bridge and two rounds at Oxmoor Valley for $672 per person, price includes carts, range balls and sales tax. Here’s a link to the Away Game about my trip to Birmingham.

--Matty G.

My top 5 golf hotels in the country (of the places where I’ve stayed):

No. 5--Inn at Spanish Bay. I wouldn’t be caught dead on the Links at Spanish Bay, but I wouldn’t mind drawing my last breath at the hotel. It’s so quiet and comfortable, it feels as though you’ve taken a monkish retreat. Best deal (based on double occupancy): Through March 31, you get two nights, two rounds of golf (Pebble and Spanish Bay), $400 in resort credit for $1,237.50 per person.

No. 4--Sanctuary at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. It’s a castle-like structure (pictured above) right on the water, with Shakespearian balconies, a courtyard, rocking chairs on the back porch and six-star service, second only to the service at the Lodge at Sea Island. Best deal, (based on double occupancy): Through March 31, get a room and a round of golf at the Ocean Course for $280 per person.

No. 3--A four-man cottage at Bandon Dunes. It’s your base camp for post-round(s) recap, surrounded by three of the top 14 public courses in the country. What you sacrifice in service and pampering, you gain in setting, serenity and camaraderie. You get a living room, your own corner bedroom with a king-sized bed, private bathroom and flatscreen TV (as if you’ll have enough energy to make it through more than three minutes of SportsCenter). Best deal (based on a group of four in a cottage): Through March 31, get a night of lodging, two rounds of golf in the same day and a caddie each round (gratuity included), for $665 per person. The same deal, for the month of April, goes up to $810 per person.

No. 2--Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst. This old hotel, recently renovated, is the bull’s-eye on the dartboard that is one of the best golf destinations in the world. Catch the buffet breakfast and you’ll be so full you can afford to miss lunch (and maybe dinner). There are two places I indulge in biscuits and gravy--the Carolina and the Sanctuary. Best deal (based on double occupancy): “Acura Package,” stay a minimum of two nights, three days, get two dinners, two breakfasts, three rounds of golf on any of the eight courses except No. 2. You also get one $300 gift card per room (can be redeemed to offset the $175 premium you’d pay to play No. 2), and get 25 percent off at the spa for $970 per person.

No. 1--Lodge at Sea Island. The storied resort (pictured above) is in the news a lot for all of the wrong real estate reasons. But it will host a Fall Series event on the PGA Tour Oct. 7-10. I have never read a bad review of a weekend at the Lodge, the service is what every great hotel strives to achieve. Play golf at Seaside, then get a steak and martini at Colt & Alison. Best deal (based on double occupancy): Through the end of June, the “Premium Package” gets you a night at the Lodge, lunch and unlimited golf at the Seaside or Plantation courses for $465 per person per night.

What's the most you'd spend for a night of lodging and a decent round of golf?

A) Money is never a factor.
B) For a good hotel and a top 100 course, I'd pay $500 or a little more.
C) I can't go any higher than $400 for a bed and a round of great golf.
D) Are you nuts? I'd never go any higher than $200.
E) I collect cans, clip coupons and I keep lodging and golf to $100 a night. You do know we're in a recession, right?

Tomorrow I’ll post my top 5 (more affordable, but still good) golf hotels in the country.

--Matty G.

I was in Kiawah last week playing in the Friendship Cup, some say "golf's fifth major." I've now played the Ocean Course twice. Both times it was in February, and both times the 30 miles-per-hour, bone-cold wind blew me back into January. I've said it before, and I'll say it again--I don't like the golf course.

I walked in with confidence in my golf game, left looking into bowling lessons. My partner and I, also about an eight handicap, finished with a net best-ball score of 84. (We finished middle of the pack.) Not only is it too hard for a chop like me, but it’s also expensive (now through May 31, it’s $338 for walk ups, which includes a cart or a caddie, but not gratuity).

I also don't love the layout. Specifically holes two through four make no sense, not that early in the round. The second hole is a par 5 that goes out, left and then right--going for it in 2, even with the longest of drives, is a round-wrecking proposition. Fact is, you have to have the accuracy of a tour player to hit the green in 4.

The third hole, par 4, with an elevated slab of short grass commonly referred to as a green, is like trying to land a ball on the top of a backyard trampoline. Your approach shot plays downwind and unless you have brand new square grooves on your gap wedge, your ball is rolling into a penal collection area. If it was later in round, playing into the wind, I might say I like it.

The fourth hole frustrates me. A 400-yard par 4, listed as the hardest hole on the course, and due to a swampy thing running through the middle of the fairway, you can’t hit driver off the tee. I don’t know about you, but if I’m trying to slay the biggest dragon in the land, I’d like to at least be wielding my biggest sword.

So you’re 6 over through four holes, and it’s time to turn into the wind. Having fun yet? Better get used to it--you play into the prevailing wind until the 14th hole. In the conditions I enjoyed, you’d have an easier time trying to paddle a canoe up a raging river of acid. By the 10th hole I believe I grumbled, “I can’t even pretend to have fun anymore.” Standing in the middle of the 13th fairway with 150 yards into a green, flanked by bunkers and a wind blowing directly into the greenside body of water, I pulled 5-wood and tried to hit a modified stinger along the ground. I still rinsed it and made a 7.

In fairness, I’ve only played the Ocean Course in bad weather. So I polled the office for some more opinions. Senior Editor for Golf World Bill Fields said, “I haven’t played it, but I’ve seen the pros play it--that’s enough for me.”

Senior Editor of Golf Digest Craig Bestrom said, "It's a pleasant walk with some gorgeous views. It's a lot easier to walk than say, Bethpage, that's for sure."

Senior Writer at Digest Guy Yocom made a good point. He said, “The course is a lot harder than TPC Sawgrass, but it’s the best match play course in the country, the best Ryder Cup venue ever. Water, sand, wind and it’s so exposed--the very things that make it a nightmare for us--are the things we like to see the pros deal with.”

Here's a link to a recent review of the Ocean Course by the Editor of Golf World, Geoff Russell. He writes: "With all due respect to TPC Sawgrass, Whistling Straits and Harbour Town, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is probably Pete Dye's best and most famous design."

As much as I respect him, I’ll continue to curse Pete Dye, and I'll say the best part about the Ocean Course is the clubhouse. After a few minutes by the fire, heating your hiney, try the Bloody Mary and the blue-cheese bacon burger for lunch.

Without a doubt, the highlight of my trip was my stay at the five-star Sanctuary, one of my top 5 golf hotels in the country. This is a layout that makes sense to me. The service is spectacular and by being a resort guest, you get a discount on the dilemma that is the Ocean Course (now through the end of the March, stay and play $280 per night, per person, based on double occupancy. April through the end of May, the same deal is $359 per person per night).

For more on the Sanctuary, the rest of my top 5 golf hotels in the country and their best stay-and-play packages for the next few months, check back tomorrow.

--Matty G.

After a brief conversation with Carmen Berra about what a great city New York is and how cold it can be in New Jersey in the winter, she put her husband of 61 years on the phone. "Here he is," she said. And then I was talking golf with Yogi Berra.

I've always said that I hate the Yankees. I might hate the Yankees right now more than I love the Padres. Which is understandable--the Padres suck and the Yankees are coming off another championship. But I've always respected their role in the game, their old stadium and some of the great players who have worn a Yankees' jersey. As much as I hate the current team, I have nothing but respect for Derek Jeter and especially Mariano Rivera. As for Yogi Berra, I don't even think of him as a Yankee, I think of him as one of baseball's greatest winners (13 championships--10 as a player, three as a coach or manager). He's like Bill Russell, Jack Nicklaus, Kelly Slater or Mia Hamm, they've all won a lot more than their competition. (I'll leave Tiger off the list because he's on a time out.)

Anyway, here's a link to my complete conversation with Yogi Berra, a sweet man who has been a great ambassador for golf after he was, and still is, a great ambassador for baseball.

And here's a link to a few of my favorite answers in his voice:

 --Matty G.

(Photograph by Getty Images.)

From Rob Shim of Dublin, Ohio: Hi Matt, Thanks for your help on "Out of the Inbox: Jacksonville." We've recently completed our trip to the Jacksonville area. The courses we played, in order: Amelia Long Point, Ponte Vedra Inn Ocean, Amelia National, Pete Dye's Valley Course, and the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass (pictured above). All of the courses were phenomenal. We got to meet Bill Hughes, GM of TPC Sawgrass, who came out and greeted us at the 17th at Valley. This was day after Tiger's announcement so we were doubly impressed that he had time to come out and greet fellow Ohioans. This alone made the experience of a lifetime (along with seeing Tiger's announcement from across the street). The only downside was that grasses were brown from cold weather. I will write again for advice on our next destination when that is determined.

Rob, What was your favorite course? What was the best value for your money? How much did you pay to play each course? And how did you do on 16-18 at the Stadium?

--Matty G.

Do you have a question you'd like answered on this blog or in the magazine? Send it to: www.golfdigest.com/contact/mattyg

I'm tweeting from Kiawah this week/weekend. Follow me at: http://twitter.com/WheresMattyG

From Tim Thompson of Sunnyvale, Calif.: "Matt, I just read your report on Santa Barbara. [Here's the link.] Actually, if you were staying in Buellton, and you headed west on Highway 246, you'd be going down the road to La Purisima, No. 33 on Golf Digest's list of America's 50 Toughest Courses. We did that last summer on our annual buddies trip, but we avoided Sandpiper because of the price. We heard it was a nice course with million-dollar views, but if the course weren't on the ocean, it would be very average. We did play Rancho San Marcos [pictured above]. We thought it was a very good layout, but the course was dead--I guess they have water issues in the summer, and not to say anything about that to us beforehand, and still charge us $90 for an afternoon twilight, a lot of guys in our group were less than pleased. I know you can't rip courses, but to be honest, the Central Coast Golf Trail, just up Highway 101, has much better courses. For our trip, the best course of the weekend was Monarch Dunes, about 40-miles north in Nipomo."


Thank you, Tim. I appreciate the feedback and the additional info about the Central Coast Golf Trail. On the issue of my critiques: Generally, if I find a course where there's nothing good to say about it, then yes, you're right, I don't "rip it." Instead, I don't write anything about it, and it generally falls prey to the laws of supply and demand. I believe that in Golf Digest, people would rather read about where to play instead of where not to play. And I'd like to think I'm in the business of celebrating the courses or the resorts who are doing "it" right. I make a point of ignoring the ones who have a flawed business model, horrible service or just don't get "it." And even then, in the cases of the new Pete Dye Course in French Lick, Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits or the walk-up price at Pinehurst No. 2, I continue to say those places are overpriced. And I say the Ocean Course at Kiawah is too hard (and too expensive) for the average golfer.

As for Sandpiper, I actually said something similar to what you've heard:

Given the location, pristine condition and holes running along the water, Sandpiper understandably gets a lot of the area's golf buzz, but that comes at a price--$175 on weekends. William F. Bell, who was brought in to build Torrey Pines after his father died, also designed Sandpiper, and there is a resemblance.

Sandpiper has some memorable holes, but it has too many generic ones to consider it a great course. Four out of the six holes that have ocean views were my favorites: the fifth, sixth, 11th and 13th. The starter told me about one guy who recently played the par-3 11th (pictured above), with its elevated tee shot to an oceanside green, and announced, "I now know where I want them to spread my ashes." A worthy spot, but a somber thought on a perfect October afternoon.

Tim, I'm sorry Rancho San Marcos wasn't in great shape when you were there. I was there in October and had no complaints, other than it's narrow in spots and I lost a lot of balls. I called Rancho San Marcos for a response to your note. I spoke to Kyle Oliver, first assistant pro, who has been there for six years. Oliver says they haven't had water issues since 2004. "That's weird," said Oliver. "The course was in great shape last summer. In fact, Greenskeeper.org has awarded us Best Playing Conditions in Santa Barbara County in 2008 and in 2009. I wish those guys would've come to us if they had a complaint."

Anyway, thank you, Tim--for the tip about the Central Coast Golf Trail. The next time I'm in the area, which I love, I'll check it out.

In the summer of 2008 I wrote one of the only Away Game's about a property located outside of the U.S. I wrote about Mayakoba, near Cancun, Mexico (pictured above). I've remained domestic-centric with stories in the travel section of Digest for one obvious reason -- a sensitivity to the effects of the economy. My next story outside the U.S. will be about Wales, as a walk up to the Ryder Cup.

Contrary to the belief that the only thing happening in golf this week is that Tiger touched his chest in an attempt to touch our hearts (or that Sergio enjoys match play), Mayakoba is also hosting a PGA Tour event. Last I checked Joe Durant was leading by two (12-under) and John Daly is in the mix (minus 6).

The course at that resort, with two lodging options, is designed by Greg Norman. Other than Doonbeg, El Camaleon is probably my second favorite Norman course that I've played. I liked Doonbeg after The Shark was brought back to make the course more playable. (The first version was slightly ridiculous.) I also hear the course he did on Lanai is worth the trip. The last time I was there, I only had time to play the Nicklaus course.

Anyway, here's a link to the Away Game about Mayakoba. I still have dreams about being back to the Rosewood, boating to my room, getting a massage at the spa surrounded by cenotes and eating delicious fish tacos on a private beach (pictured above). A dream is about all I can hope for. Those are free. The Rosewood is another resort out of my price range. If it's in your price range, I highly recommend it.

Most of the tour players are staying at the Fairmont, which is more affordable, and more conducive to the needs of young families.

Here's a link to the Away Game about my trip to Mayakoba.

--Matty G.

A few months ago I wrote an Away Game about the scenery, golf and lodging on the North Shore of Kauai. (Here's a link to that story). No, the "scenery" was not in reference to Taylor the surf instructor, although the girl is almost as visually stunning as the Na Pali Coast (see below). In the article I said the Makai course was undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation and that it would reopen "in early 2010."

Well, I'm pleased to report that the 18-hole championship course is open (pictured above). And for a guy trapped in the frigid cold and buried in the snow of the Northeast, looking at that picture (pick one), it makes me want to catch a cab to JFK. (At the very least -- hit a heated stall at Randall's Island driving range, tucked under the not-so scenic Triborough Bridge.)

Designed (in 1971) and renovated by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the Makai will charge $200 as a standard rate (which is now as much as the neighboring Prince Course, ranked No. 67 on Golf Digest's list of America's 100 Greatest.) Pay $400 and play three rounds at the Makai within seven days. Stay at least five nights (rates start at $610 per night) and get unlimited golf for two (includes free rental sets).

The other nine holes at the Makai, the Woods course (no relation to Tiger), is scheduled to open April, 1.

The St. Regis Princeville Resort opened in October. Here's a link to their website.

Happy Friday from Taylor the surf instructor. (And she's not just a pretty face.) Here's a link to more about her ability to teach and her aspirations to be a chef.

FYI -- Taylor's favorite course: "The Makai."

(Then it's mine too.)

--Matty G.


(Photographs provided by Makai Golf Course and Walter Iooss Jr.)

A few weeks ago I interviewed Mia Hamm, one of the greatest athletes of all time. I asked her about her passion for golf, her travel habits, if her husband, Nomar Garciaparra, has a funky pre-shot routine in golf (like he does in baseball), and I asked her about her upcoming charity golf match with Annika Sorenstam. The complete Q&A won't come out until the first week of May, but because the match with Annika is Friday, Feb. 19, at the Origins Golf Club in WaterSound, Fla., I thought I'd release a portion of our conversation today, as an audio file (see below).

"Mia is one of the greatest female athletes of our generation and an inspiration to so many people worldwide," says Sorenstam. "I am a big fan of hers, and we are honored to have her take part in the ANNIKA Experience at WaterSound."

The match will be 10 holes, in a par-3 configuration. Mia and Annika will have a different junior golfer as a partner on each hole. The event will benefit local charities and the ANNIKA Foundation, which  "teaches children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition and offers aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams."

Here's a portion of my interview with Hamm, who says she has a low score of 76 and used to break 80 frequently, but that was before she gave birth to twins.

(Poor Mia, she thought she was playing with Annika, not against her):

Even George Will would agree, Hamm's record as a collegiate soccer player at North Carolina has to be one of the best sports stats ever--she was 94-1 and won four national championships. Hamm still remembers the loss. "We played UConn at UConn," she says. "I think the score was 3-2."

--Matty G.

(Photographs by Getty Images.)