When demonstrators protested the men-only policy of Augusta National Golf Club during this year's Masters tournament, one counterprotester held a sign that read "Iron My Shirt!" This unpressed scholar apparently was implying (among other things) that women ought not to play a "man's game." Well, everyone knows that women do play great golf -- for huge money, all the time. And this week, the 20 best female golfers in the world will come to Houston for the Samsung World Championship, vying for $800,000 in total prize money. The lineup is a who's who of great golfers, including No. 1-ranked Annika Sorenstam, the first woman in 58 years to play in a men's Professional Golfers Association event; Se Ri Pak, the long-hitting Korean phenom; Hilary Lunke, the Ladies Professional Golfers Association's feel-good, out-of-nowhere story; Beth Daniel, winner of the first World Championship -- 23 years ago; and Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, a 2003 major champion playing five months pregnant, a claim that not even Tiger Woods can make. Yes, the only irons these women will be using are numbered on the club head. 9 a.m. Monday, October 6, through Friday, October 10. 10 a.m. Saturday, October 11. 8:30 a.m. Sunday, October 12. Tournament Players Course, Woodlands Resort, 2301 North Millbend Drive. For information, call 888-345-5742. $15 to $30.
-- Eric Norvell
THU 10/2
Social Mobility
Talk about keeping it moving: Lyn Brooks swam, biked and ran her way through the Ironman Triathlon World Championship 20 years in a row, earning herself a record for most consecutive finishes. "My 20 years of Ironman was not by design, except in those last few years," she says. "I was no longer a contender, but I still had a love for being out there." Now Brooks is coming to Houston to share her enthusiasm with a group that can use the encouragement: seniors experiencing limited physical activity. She'll offer tips on how to get moving. "Staying mobile increases your social contacts," she says. Brooks's tips should certainly liven up the next senior sock hop. 10 a.m. Thursday, October 2. Hearthstone Assisted Living, 2555 South Braeswood. 713-839-8265. Free. 1:30 p.m. The Forum at Memorial Woods, 777 North Post Oak Road. 713-956-0870. Free. -- Lisa Simon