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Personalities: Cristie Kerr At home with 2007 U.S. Womens Open champion Cristie Kerr
By Tom Cunneff Before Cristie Kerr won the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles in North Carolina in July, her biggest victory came in the Battle of the Bulge. Some pros overhaul their swings; Kerr overhauled her physique. Struggling early in her career, the 5-foot-3 Kerr had ballooned to 175 pounds by 1999. A self-described “four-eyed fatty,” Kerr hired a nutritionist and strength coach. She dropped 50 pounds and lost the glasses, completely transforming herself and her game. Part of her continued commitment to a healthier lifestyle is living at the Mirabel Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. “I grew up in south Florida, but it’s just too humid,” says Kerr, who turned 30 in October. “I like the desert landscape a lot better. I just feel healthier.” She and her husband, Erik Stevens, 42, moved into their 4,400-square-foot Territorial-style home in February 2006 after spending two years scouting various golf communities in Scottsdale. They bought the custom home when it was 80 percent complete, allowing them to add their own touches. “We wanted to have a great house and be at a great club and have everything with high quality,” Kerr says. “[Mirabel] was the answer for us.” Adds Stevens, who oversees Kerr’s business ventures: “We like the attention to detail and service of the staff, the quiet pace of life and the golf course.” Situated on 713 acres at an elevation of 3,000 feet, Mirabel provides beautiful views of Pinnacle Peak, rugged desert topography and a challenging Tom Fazio layout. With just 350 members, Kerr never has trouble getting a tee time when she’s home, playing four to six times a week, sometimes with fellow resident Notah Begay. During the summer, when she’s not playing in tournaments, Kerr and Stevens stay at their apartment in New York City and at her brother’s house in Westport, Connecticut. “We’re sort of vagabonds,” says Kerr, who employs a private service to look after the home when they’re away. When she is at Mirabel, Kerr maintains a workout regimen of cardio and weightlifting four times a week at the club’s fitness facility. She also likes to spend time working on the house; her decorating tastes—handwoven rugs, heavy wooden furniture and Western art—are in keeping with the home’s adobe style. Says Stevens: “We are constantly puttering and redecorating.” Their next project may be a guest house/exercise room—family and friends, including fellow pros Natalie Gulbis and Kelli Kuehne, are frequent visitors. “We entertain a lot during the off-season,” says Stevens, who likes the flow of the great room’s open floor plan for get-togethers. “We love to cook and have wine tastings.” But don’t expect them to build a special nook for her national championship trophy. It is proudly displayed in the clubhouse.

Personalities:
Cristie Kerr
At home with 2007 U.S. Womens Open champion Cristie Kerr

By Tom Cunneff

Before Cristie Kerr won the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles in North Carolina in July, her biggest victory came in the Battle of the Bulge. Some pros overhaul their swings; Kerr overhauled her physique. Struggling early in her career, the 5-foot-3 Kerr had ballooned to 175 pounds by 1999. A self-described “four-eyed fatty,” Kerr hired a nutritionist and strength coach. She dropped 50 pounds and lost the glasses, completely transforming herself and her game.

Part of her continued commitment to a healthier lifestyle is living at the Mirabel Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. “I grew up in south Florida, but it’s just too humid,” says Kerr, who turned 30 in October. “I like the desert landscape a lot better. I just feel healthier.”

She and her husband, Erik Stevens, 42, moved into their 4,400-square-foot Territorial-style home in February 2006 after spending two years scouting various golf communities in Scottsdale. They bought the custom home when it was 80 percent complete, allowing them to add their own touches.

“We wanted to have a great house and be at a great club and have everything with high quality,” Kerr says. “[Mirabel] was the answer for us.” Adds Stevens, who oversees Kerr’s business ventures: “We like the attention to detail and service of the staff, the quiet pace of life and the golf course.”

Situated on 713 acres at an elevation of 3,000 feet, Mirabel provides beautiful views of Pinnacle Peak, rugged desert topography and a challenging Tom Fazio layout. With just 350 members, Kerr never has trouble getting a tee time when she’s home, playing four to six times a week, sometimes with fellow resident Notah Begay.

During the summer, when she’s not playing in tournaments, Kerr and Stevens stay at their apartment in New York City and at her brother’s house in Westport, Connecticut. “We’re sort of vagabonds,” says Kerr, who employs a private service to look after the home when they’re away.

When she is at Mirabel, Kerr maintains a workout regimen of cardio and weightlifting four times a week at the club’s fitness facility. She also likes to spend time working on the house; her decorating tastes—handwoven rugs, heavy wooden furniture and Western art—are in keeping with the home’s adobe style. Says Stevens: “We are constantly puttering and redecorating.”

Their next project may be a guest house/exercise room—family and friends, including fellow pros Natalie Gulbis and Kelli Kuehne, are frequent visitors. “We entertain a lot during the off-season,” says Stevens, who likes the flow of the great room’s open floor plan for get-togethers. “We love to cook and have wine tastings.”

But don’t expect them to build a special nook for her national championship trophy. It is proudly displayed in the clubhouse.