Hannah Leiner says she’d love to play Olympic Club and Cypress Point. So would Gabi Powel. Very soon if they have their way.
Hannah who? Gabi who?
They’re household names if you’re in tune with today’s hottest golf media personalities and social media consiglieres.
Adding to their burgeoning stardom is, well, starring roles in Golf Nation’s new series, “Three Courses.” Episode 1 premiered in mid-July and ensuing episodes rolled out weekly on www.golfnation.com and its Android app.
Presented by Club Wyndham, season 1, episode 1 takes us to Phoenix where close friends, blonde Gabi and brunette Hannah, both 24 and happy as the happies clams, do what golfers love to do – play, eat and drink. The venues: 18 holes at Club Wyndham Legacy Golf Resort, chow at The Larder + The Delta, and adult beverages at Pigtails Downtown.
“Golf is an experience as much off the course as on the course,” says Hannah as Gabi nods in complete agreement. “Combining the mental strength to perform with the golf-lifestyle the rest of your waking hours represents a great life.”
The next two “Three Courses” episodes feature sights and sounds of golf destinations San Diego and Atlanta. Not your normal Myrtle Beach or Scottsdale, but perfect for buddy and, in the case of Gabi and Hannah, girl’s trips.
The former Florida International University golf stars hit it off at first meet-up. That fellowship glows in “Three Courses” as the duo roots for one another. Notwithstanding, audiences easily surmise Gabi sort of wants Hannah to lip out … and, naturally, vice versa. The competitive fire is there, but, in the end, camaraderie wins every time.
Gabi wields her driver with a swing speed of, proverbially, the speed of light, her greatest bomb stretching 367 yards. While Hannah can’t top that, she claims “I never missed a fairway and never will.”
The “Three Sisters” travelogue captures what these golf-obsessed millennials (as do elder generations) want out of the sport and lifestyle – be the best version of yourself on the course, smile throughout rounds and create lasting memories. The blend of serious and not-so-serious is what golf offers above almost every sport.
Hannah appeared on “Holey Moley” on ABC-TV alongside Steph Curry while Gabi is brazenly focused on growing her already enormous social following.
“We loved filming 12- and 13-hour days with the awesome Golf Nation crew,” says Gabi. Her counterpart retorts: “I only wish there were behind-the-scenes cameras during our road trip from southern California to Phoenix – we laughed so hard … golf brings out the best in people.”
The golf getaway is only one entertaining topic covered by the golf-lifestyle entertainment network. Other original, popular Golf Nation shows include “Ambush with David Feherty” and his hidden-camera hijinks; “Golf Unseen” that, this season, journeys in South Africa; “Tee Shots” where celebrity guests chat, sip and take swings with famous mixologist Bill Binder; and “Watch Buy Play” highlighting the planet’s hottest golf products.
To top it off, Golf Nation President and former PGA of America President Suzy Whaley hosts the comedic “Don’t I Know You?” modeled after the “Newlywed Game.”
Golf Nation debuted in December 2022 and is en fuego. Its patented technology allows viewers to engage with and instantly learn about and purchase products and other offerings featured in shows by clicking on a “buy bar” while never leaving the streaming experience.
Like Club Wyndham, brands exclusively in and others adjacent to golf sponsoring shows and selling products in video.
Boasting a marketing degree, Gabi notes: “Video commerce is genius. Golf is indeed fun and games, but it’s a thriving business, as well.
In upcoming months, shows will be available on the Golf Nation iOS app, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku and connected (smart) TVs. The company plans to soon announce a landmark partnership whereby Golf Nation will be pre-loaded on more than 100 million devices globally.