February 01, 2016
By Kevin Kleps
Natalie Gulbis, one of the most popular personalities in women’s golf, is replacing Carling Nolan as the co-host for “18 Holes with Jimmy Hanlin.” The show was originally named “Tee it Up,” but was rebranded in 2014, when Fox Sports Ohio expanded the show’s reachby airing the program on 10 of its regional sports networks.
When the first “18 Holes with Jimmy Hanlin and Natalie Gulbis” debuts in May, the show will be available on the majority of Fox’s 18 regional networks, an industry source said. Hanlin’s website says “18 Holes” in 2015 was available in more than 70 million homes across the U.S.
In a news release, Fox Sports said Nolan left the show to “pursue other opportunities.” Hanlin said his former co-host, who has Type 1 diabetes, is working full-time for JDRF, a global organization that raises money for Type 1 diabetes research.
The 33-year-old Gulbis won the California Women’s Amateur Championship at age 14 in 1997, and played in her first LPGA tournament that year. She has one LPGA victory and 37 top-10 finishes in her 15-year career, which has been hampered of late by injuries.
Gulbis, who had hip surgery late in 2014, played in 14 events last year, and Hanlin said she’s cutting down on her tournament schedule as she begins to focus more on the next stage of her career.
“She’s one of the most recognizable golf professionals, man or woman, in the country,” Hanlin said.
Hanlin — who also hosts “Swing Clinic,” “Golf Zone” and “Links to the Game” on Fox Sports Ohio and SportsTime Ohio — said the “18 Holes” format will “stay basically the same.”
The 30-minute program showcases 12 golf courses per year, with many of the programs shot at some of the country’s nicest resorts.
Hanlin and his partner show how they play different shots on the course, and they hope the program “gets people excited about the game of golf.”
Gulbis, according to Hanlin, saw “18 Holes” as the “perfect avenue to do that.”
The show begins shooting in a couple weeks at Wolf Creek Golf Club in Mesquite, Nev. The second stop on the Hanlin and Gulbis tour will be Aviara Golf Club & Resort, a San Diego-area course that hosts an LPGA event each year.
One show detail that hasn’t been decided: Where will Hanlin line up his tees?
“Carling has beat me already. I might have to negotiate with Natalie,” he said with a laugh. “I would play tees all the way in the back with Carling. She would typically play the white tees (often called the men’s tees or “regular” tees) or the senior tees. I might have to negotiate with Natalie to move my tee up.”
In a Fox Sports news release, Gulbis said she’s “excited to play courses around the country with Jimmy and share my perspective of the game with viewers.”
Hanlin said the extended reach of “18 Holes” has resulted in something with which he isn’t accustomed — getting recognized outside Northeast Ohio.
“Ohio is a really strong brand for us,” said the owner of three golf courses, including Little Mountain Country Club and StoneWater Golf Club, in the state. “When I go to an Indians game, people recognize me. But that is happening outside of Ohio now.”
Hanlin said when he was playing at Trump National Golf Club outside of Los Angeles for a 2015 “18 Holes” show, a group of golfers got his attention.
“Guys were yelling, ‘Hey, 18 Holes is fun,’ ” he said.
