Swing into Summer with Meet Lurleen on the Green

(photo above provided by Lurleen)

[This is the latest installment of “Cobb Cuisine, Culture and Community” by Brian Benefield. Photo above by Brian Benefield] 

I haven’t played golf in over twenty years. I took lessons as a kid and still remembered the basics: keep your head down, don’t swing out of your shoes and try not to send the ball flying way off course. But golf isn’t like riding a bike. It’s more like pulling out an old unicycle and hoping your muscles remember what to do.​

Fortunately, I found myself in good hands.  A while back, my wife Cecilie and I met Lurleen Smith at our favorite watering hole, Johnnie Maccracken’s. Within minutes, we were captivated by her infectious energy and effervescent personality. Lurleen possesses the rare ability to make complete strangers feel like old friends.​

Born in Scotland, the spiritual homeland of golf, Lurleen’s love affair with the sport began early. As the daughter of an Air Force father, she spent much of her childhood bouncing between military bases and overseas assignments. Her stories of growing up in Germany, France, and Spain sound less like childhood memories and more like scenes from an adventure novel.​

After a successful career in fashion design with major brands including Spanx and Chico’s, and armed with an Auburn University education, Lurleen decided to combine her love of golf with her passion for bringing people together.​

The result is ‘Meet Lurleen on the Green’, a social golf experience designed specifically for ordinary folks who might find traditional golf culture intimidating. These gatherings use golf as the excuse, but community, laughter, and good food are the bonus extras of the show.​

We recently attended her largest event yet, with more than twenty participants.  Armed with sunscreen and what I hoped passed for proper golf attire, we arrived at Marietta City Golf Club ready for whatever the day had in store. Name tags were distributed, introductions were made, and after a quick welcome from Lurleen, we marched off to meet the golf professionals waiting on the putting green.  The events are strictly designed by her, with the City Club being just  the backdrop, and other courses and venues are teeing off in the near future.  ​

The PGA instructors immediately put everyone at ease. Nobody expected us to be future Masters champions. Half of the group practiced putting while the rest headed to the driving range.  Right away, my wife showed she was much better at golf than I was. After being completely outplayed by Cecilie, something amazing happened. Somehow, I made two holes-in-one during a putting drill. For a brief moment, I felt like Rory McIlroy.

Lurleen soon arrived bearing cold water like a benevolent desert traveler rescuing weary companions.  As temperatures climbed, our group switched to the driving range, where one of four PGA professionals shared wisdom that felt applicable to life itself.​

“Slow down,” he said.  Most beginners tense up and try to overpower the golf ball. The result is usually a spectacular miss or a ball rocketing wildly into parts unknown. His favorite line was, “The club is the athlete, not the person.”  Oddly enough, it worked.​

When I finally relaxed and let the club do the work, I hit one of those rare shots that just felt perfect. The ball flew smoothly through the air, and for a moment, I understood why people love this challenging game.​ The program is designed to take participants through multiple skill levels, build confidence and ultimately lead to on-course instruction and play.

Then came lunch.  Every Meet Lurleen on the Green event features a theme, and this month’s inspiration was the Spanish coast.  The meal began with a refreshing salad featuring Honeycrisp apples, goat cheese, red onions, and champagne vinaigrette. Next came smoked paprika shrimp, Mediterranean spiced roasted Spanish pork loin that practically melted on the fork, and a colorful vegetable paella worthy of a seaside café in Barcelona.​

As if that weren’t enough, white sangria packed with fresh fruit and sparkling orange spritz cocktails completed the feast.  Lurleen also supports fellow local businesses, and the afternoon included a raffle featuring a custom gift basket from Silla del Toro on Marietta Square.  A few hours later, nobody seemed eager to leave.​

What started as a golf lesson had turned into something much more memorable, a gathering of friends, food lovers, aspiring golfers, and curious newcomers sharing stories under the Georgia sun. Our longtime friends Janice and Anders Lofgren joined us for the event. Having attended a previous gathering, they arrived looking like they had just stepped out of a golf lifestyle catalog, complete with stylish outfits and their own clubs. Their transformation from casual participants to enthusiastic golfers speaks volumes about what Lurleen has created.​

I came expecting a golf tutorial.  Instead, I found a welcoming community, a fantastic meal, a few surprisingly decent golf shots, and a renewed appreciation for a sport I hadn’t touched in over two decades.  Lurleen has created what I consider a perfectly straight shot, right down the fairway. 

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