NatalieGulbis - Yardbarker Blogs

Corning Classic

Thu, 21 May 2009 16:11:16 -0500

Good morning from Corning, New York! This week’s event is the Corning Classic. It has been a landmark event for the LPGA for 31 years. This is the last year of the event which is very sad. I have always loved playing here in Corning for several reasons. One of the reasons is because the golf course is a classic, with dog legs left and right. There are reachable par 5’s, drivable par 4’s and longer more traditional holes. The greens are small and fast. If you are striking the ball well and managing the course, you can shoot really low. If you struggle off the tee, it’s going to be a long day!

What truly makes this event a favorite of mine and so special is the support from the fans and the community. Corning and the small towns surrounding it are incredibly supportive of the LPGA. Regardless of where you go, whether it’s a local shop or restaurant, you are welcomed with open arms and excitement from the town. The galleries are large here which also makes the event very exciting.

I have stayed in the same private housing for the past 7 years. John, the owner of the home, is not only a great host for the week of Corning, but has also become a close family friend. He comes to support me at several other LPGA events and even celebrated my dad’s 60th birthday with our family and close friends in Puerto Rico. John and I have our routines this week. We usually have breakfast together which consists of me making pancakes or smoothies. In the evenings, I grab Outback To-Go every night and we watch Yankees games, Idol, or this week, the NBA Playoffs.

It’s a special week on my tournament schedule. I am really looking forward to competing this week in the last Corning Classic. It will be a celebration and a goodbye to a golf tournament so close to LPGA fans and players.

Golf is Good for You and for Me

Tue, 12 May 2009 16:13:51 -0500

You know what I love most about golf? It doesn’t discriminate against sex, age, or economic status. A grandfather can play with his grandson, a wife with her husband, father with daughter, even a pro with an amateur like I did Tuesday morning in the Pro Am at the Sybase Classic presented by ShopRite.

May 13th is the second annual National Golf Day and this is something worth celebrating, perpetuating and remembering.

Somebody recently asked me what my life would be like without golf. I didn’t even have to think about it. Life for me would seem pretty empty. Without golf I wouldn’t have traveled around the world. I’ve played in Niagara Falls and St. Andrews, Scotland where golf was born. I’ve looked in awe at Mt Fuji from a golf course, and this week enjoyed it at the New Jersey shore. Without golf I wouldn’t have the same dear friends, built the same relationships, or competed against the best in the world. I wouldn’t have been able to contribute in the same way to Special Olympics, or benefited from the many wonderful sponsors who have believed in and supported me over the years.

And I clearly wouldn’t have been on The Celebrity Apprentice!

What does golf do for you? A round of golf can burn 800 calories even if you take a cart. Each tournament brings millions of dollars to a community. The golf industry generates 2million jobs in the United States and raises $3.5billion- not million but billion dollars for charity each year- more than all the other spectator sports combined. If you love golf like I do, please consider signing this petition sponsored by The PGA of America and recognizing the contributions the sport of golf makes economically, environmentally, and socially (link to petition). Golf contributes and I only hope I can give something back to the sport that I love.

Celebrity Apprentice: FIRED!

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:28:13 -0500

This week's task was to host a charity auction for the Ivanka Trump jewelry line. The event consisted of a runway show where models showed off the jewelry during a live auction. The team to raise the most money would be declared winner.

Unfortunately, we did not raise the most money, and we lost. Mr. Trump and Ivanka thought that one of the main reasons we lost was because the selected jewelry was not visible enough from the runway. And because I was in charge of picking the jewelry, I was the one to go. I found that choosing the jewelry was extremely difficult because all of Ivanka's jewelry designs are stunning.

Our strategy was to put all of our money behind the least expensive piece of jewelry to make the greatest profit. We knew we would have to raise at least $100k in just one day in order to have a chance against Annie Duke. I must say that Annie is an amazing fundraiser! That said, the jewelry was insignificant because we were putting all of our money on one item.

Another fun moment was my attempt to get a rival poker player of Annie's to fundraise for me, rather than for Annie. It was all in good fun. I almost had it pulled off with Phil Hellmuth, until Annie caught word. She was infuriated!! She was yelling in the room next to us and I knew she was would be coming my way shortly. Her reaction was exactly what I had hoped, and she was extremely upset.

While in the board room that night, I was sure that Clint Black would be fired. I thought he should have been fired last week, and I thought that this week was possibly his time. I also thought it might be Joan, because she was the project manager, and we did lose the task by $150k. In the end, even though I was the second leading fundraiser on our team, I ended up being fired. I did, however, feel that it was the nicest way I could have been fired.

As I mentioned in the episode, it is really challenging for me to fundraise. I had great support from sponsors and friends throughout the show. My favorite part of this episode was seeing how much money 8 people could raise in a single auction. It was pretty incredible that overall, there was more than $350k raised in one night! Amazing! One of the things I love most about this show is that with each task, everyone worked to raise money for charity.

So don't stop watching the show. There are only a few episodes left and there's a good chance I

My first go as Project Manager

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:10:17 -0500

After a wild episode last week and watching 2 contestants get fired, although they didn't fail on the task, who knew what was in store for this week's episode!

This week's task was to come up with a point-of-sale display and marketing campaign for Life Lock. Life Lock is a company that deals with identity theft, one of the nation's fastest growing crimes. We had less than a day to create an in-store display, prepare a presentation and present our campaign to the Life Lock executives. I stepped up to be project manager of team KOTU. Unfortunately we were not able to change the name!

I was excited to be the project manager in hopes of keeping my team away from the boardroom and securing a win. I was also looking forward to having the opportunity to win money for my charity, The Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I felt that my biggest challenge would be to repair the relationship between Clint and Joan. We were off and running and the team was getting along beautifully. I decided to separate the group because I was still nervous about the volatile relationship of Clint and Joan. I sent Herschel and Clint to create the display, while Joan and I worked on the presentation, imaging for display, and the take aways.

This was a really challenging task because we had to make an intangible service (the service of Life Lock's protection) into a tangible display that people could then buy off the shelf. I was really excited about our product, idea, and give aways. With very few set backs, we presented a great presentation to the Life Lock executives. We were judged on brand, messaging, originality and presentation. I know from my partnership with RSM McGladrey how important these things are, so I felt up to the challenge. Of course, we didn't know the results until we went to the boardroom.

We won! Phew! I was thrilled to win $20,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I was also excited that the team was working well together again!

It was sad to watch Brian McKnight get fired. I really enjoyed getting to know him throughout the show and am a huge fan of his music.

The end of the show brought a twist that no one expected! Exhausted at 11pm, we were pulled back into the boardroom for the next task. We knew we were going to have to pull an all-nighter, as if we weren't tired enough. Here we go again!

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Celebrity Apprentice: Week Six

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:10:15 -0500

What a wild episode!!! The task was to create a 60 second video for All detergent. The episode started with Donald Trump switching up the teams. I was moved from Team Athena, where we enjoyed much success, to Team KOTU (the boys' team), which stands for Kings of the Universe. What a ridiculous name! Although I wasn't thrilled to be moved to a new team, we had work to do.

Our project manager was Clint Black. I really enjoyed my time with Clint. He would break out his acoustic guitar and play old rock-and-roll hits, or whatever we requested (he's also an avid golfer, by the way, which meant he and I had a lot in common). As a project manager, however, he was a nightmare. He shot, starred, edited and produced the "Untitled" video that our team presented to the All executives. It was a mess! I was surprised that the All executives disliked Team Athena's video, which I thought was very funny, especially Jesse James. In the end, both teams wound up losing, and one member from each team was set to be fired. I have learned from my experience with Team McGladrey, that with the right team, anything is possible. For this particular task, however, we apparently didn't have the "right team."

Tboz was up first for the firing squad. She was fired due to volunteering. Team KOTU was next, and Clint Black decided to bring Khloe and me back to the board room. I was really mad that he didn’t choose to bring Joan back, as those two were at each other the entire task. Clint even said at one point that he thought he was going home, and that he was tired of fighting with Joan. Well, it turned out that Clint didn't get fired, although in my opinion, he was clearly at fault and deserved to go. In the end, Donald spared him and fired Khloe. I thought that wasn't the best decision, because he fired her for something she had done that didn't relate at all to her performance on the show. Clint Black was project manager for the task, therefore, he should have been held accountable for the team's performance. I know it's reality TV, which can be unpredictable and unfair, but Khloe wasn't the reason Team KOTU lost the task.

You can now be sure that in the episodes going forward, there are no rules, and anything can happen!

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Celebrity Apprentice: Week Four

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:27:41 -0500

After winning 3 weeks in a row, Team Athena experienced our first loss. It was also the first time there was tension between members of our team. The task was to create a sales presentation for the new line of video phones for ACN. It was the hardest task so far, as we had a short amount of time, and our team was really out of sync. Although our team had a lot of great ideas, there was also a good amount of chaos during the creative process.

Before Melissa Rivers stepped in to produce, I thought we had a slim chance at pulling this one off. She helped organize the production of the vignettes our group decided on. The next obstacle we faced was figuring out a way to get Joan Rivers in to NY in time for the presentation. Thanks to my sponsor, Sentient, I was able to get a plane to Joan within hours. She hopped on the plane after her appearance at 11pm and made it in to NY at 4am. After the rehearsal with Joan, things were looking up. I helped Joan practice for an hour before the presentation. She is absolutely hilarious! It was incredible to be able to hear Brian McKnight singing during rehearsals. What a voice!

Although I thought our presentation went well, it was not enough to win the task. I was incredibly disappointed we lost and realized first hand just how intense the board room truly is! I felt bad having to tell Donald Trump that Claudia needed to be fired, but she was our project manager and if the task fails, the project manager is to blame. I was sad to see Claudia go. She had a great sense of humor and was always willing to work. The fighting between her and Melissa was incredible.

I was beyond shocked when Dennis yelled at Clint. In the end, the guys put on a great performance during their presentation. I was moved that Team KOTU visited West Point for their presentation.

There is more excitement to come in the episode next week. Make sure to tune in!

Celebrity Apprentice: Week Three

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:15:35 -0500

Yeah! Very excited for three wins in a row for Team Athena. We are working together very well. The task this week was to sell wedding dresses and the team that raised the most money through sales would win. The task was about much more than just selling a wedding dress. We faced a strict deadline to design a space where we would sell the dresses, create marketing materials to create a buzz, and raise funds by making calls and following through with donors. We had 8 hours to sell on day one, and 4 hours on day two. It was intense, but so fun!

The very first thing we did was to take a look at our strengths, and to honestly evaluate how we thought we could each be an asset for this task. We checked our egos at the door, and shared where we felt we could make the greatest impact. For example, Annie Duke had a huge list of donors ready to pitch in financially. Joan and Melissa Rivers had contacts in the wedding industry that offered to help advertise. Melissa also called on the help of her friend, Preston Bailey (the guru of weddings), who helped create our beautiful store. Khloe Kardashian and Claudia Jordan provided great access to the media, and worked with the local radio stations, created blogs and delivered flyers. T-Boz, Brande Roderick and I also helped with the fundraising efforts by reaching out to our various contacts. I had a great contact in Judith Ripka who so kindly supplied jewelry for the girls to try on with their dresses. She also gave each member of our team beautiful pieces to wear for the task and a pair of gold and diamond earnings after we won! Bobbi Brown generously sent one of her make up artists to do makeup for the brides-to-be while they shopped.

As a team, we raised over $100,000. It was absolutely incredible. I was so proud of our team and very thankful for all of my friends and partners who helped us raise funds. As a member of Team McGladrey, I have learned a lot about teamwork that I was able to apply during this assignment. With our focus on teamwork, and initially sharing where we thought we could help, we were able to secure another victory!

After watching the show, it was very clear that Team KOTU had a lot of tension. I was shocked to see Dennis Rodman not show on day two. I really wanted to see him in a wedding dress again!!

Make sure to catch the full version of this episode online, or on NBC this Saturday. Tune in Sunday to watch what happens next!

With Joan Rivers

Celebrity Apprentice: Week Two

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:37:19 -0500

Another challenge, another victory! Once again, the women were able to prevail over 'EEE' and the men. Sunday's challenge was for each group to create a comic book character for Zappos.com, a great online apparel, accessory, and shoe store.

Our plan was to use a comic hero that would emphasize Zappos' focus on customer service. I have learned just how important customer service is to any business through my relationship with my sponsor, RSM McGladrey, which is one of the most client-focused companies I know. After coming up with our plan, we had to present our comic hero and ideas before the CEO of Zappos and Mr. Trump. Joan Rivers chose me to model the outfit for the presentation. While the costume was perfect for what we were going for, it certainly wasn't something I would wear on, or off the golf course. And while I was a bit apprehensive about presenting, I thought of my duty to my team and how I couldn't let everyone down. Being on a team, I felt a different pressure than I typically do out on the course because my teammates were depending on me. I feel that with the right team, anything is possible, and we proved that last night. Everyone contributed in their own way to pull off the win.

Make sure to tune in next week for more surprises!

Celebrity Apprentice!

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:38:27 -0500

Hey Yardbarkers! Glad to be here in the Yard. I'm writing blog posts over at LPGA.com about Celebrity Apprentice, so I'll be posting those here as well.

For those of you who tuned in, I hope everyone enjoyed the first episode of Celebrity Apprentice. It was wild! If you were able to watch, you know that the girls' team, 'Athena', won, while the men's team ended up in the boardroom.

Although we were able to finish with a victory over the men, things didn't always go as smoothly as we had hoped! When the cupcakes I had mixed ended up sinking, we thought it would be disastrous. Instead of giving up, however, our team decided that we would add chocolate ganache to the sunken cupcakes. This ended up being a great decision, as the cupcakes ultimately went on to win the taste test by the owners of Crumb's Bake Shop!

It was definitely a treat to be able to watch the boardroom scene from the comfort of our team room, while celebrating the victory over the men's team.

You will be able to see this and much more of the on camera action, although some of my favorite moments actually occurred when we had finished shooting. It was during this time that I was able to get to know the other celebrities away from their on camera personalities.

If you missed the show, make sure to check out NBC.com. The episodes air on Sundays at 9pm EST.

Melissa Rivers and Natalie

Natalie and Claudia Jordan