Twelve hours in, most people would have snapped. But for Natalie Gulbis, the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shoot wasn't just another modeling gig. It was an endurance test.
By the time the sun started dipping, she had been standing nearly motionless in a New York studio for over half a day. She wasn't wearing clothes. She was wearing art. Specifically, a hyper-realistic green-and-white polka dot "bikini" that was actually just layers of pigment applied by the legendary Joanne Gair.
You’ve likely seen the photos. They’ve been cycled through every "hottest athletes" listicle for over a decade. But the story behind the body paint Natalie Gulbis wore—and why she agreed to do it when her golf career was at a crossroads—is a lot more interesting than the final glossy images suggest.
Honestly, the "bikini" was a nod to her day job. The green was meant to look like the fairway, and those white dots? Golf balls. It sounds kinda cheesy when you say it out loud, doesn't it? But on camera, the illusion was so tight that you’d swear she was wearing actual spandex.
The 13-Hour Chair: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
Most people think "body paint" is a quick spray-on job. It's not. Gulbis later admitted she thought the whole process would take maybe two or three hours. She was off by about ten.
Artist Joanne Gair is a perfectionist. We’re talking about the woman who painted Demi Moore’s "suit" for Vanity Fair. For the Gulbis shoot, the team included photographer Kayt Jones and a small army of assistants. They played club music to keep the energy up, but Gulbis was vibrating with nerves the whole time.
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"You're up there, and they're playing music and everyone is having fun... They might forget that you're naked, but you don't forget that you're naked." — Natalie Gulbis to Golf.com.
Think about that for a second. You’re one of the most recognizable faces in the LPGA. You’re standing in a room full of strangers. You're "wearing" pink ribbons and a string bikini that's basically wet dust. Gulbis mentioned that she felt totally exposed until she looked in the mirror. Once the paint was on, the brain did this weird trick where it registered the color as clothing.
It was a grueling 13-hour application. Every time she breathed or moved, the artist had to touch up the "fabric" lines. By the time they actually started shooting, she was exhausted but riding a weird adrenaline high.
Why the Body Paint Natalie Gulbis Photoshoot Sparked a Civil War in Golf
In 2012, the LPGA was struggling for airtime. They had incredible talent, but the "marketing" was, frankly, a mess. When the body paint Natalie Gulbis images dropped, the golf world split right down the middle.
On one side, you had the traditionalists. They hated it. They argued that Gulbis was "devaluing" the sport. Critics like Gary on Pro Golf Insider at the time complained that if she spent as much time on the putting green as she did in the makeup chair, she’d have more wins. It was a harsh take, especially considering Gulbis had already been a top-10 machine and a million-dollar earner by 2005.
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On the other side, you had the pragmatists. They saw a woman taking control of her brand.
- Visibility: The shoot put the LPGA on covers that didn't usually care about golf.
- Empowerment: Gulbis wasn't the only one; she was joined by soccer star Alex Morgan and swimmer Natalie Coughlin.
- Charity: People often forget that she used the buzz to raise money. She auctioned off the chance to caddy for her to benefit the Palisades Episcopal School.
The "Kournikova of Golf" label followed her everywhere. It’s a bit unfair, though. While Anna Kournikova famously never won a singles title, Gulbis actually had a win at the 2007 Evian Masters. She wasn't just a "pin-up girl"—she was a legitimate athlete who happened to know how to move the needle.
The Technical Artistry of Joanne Gair
We need to talk about the paint itself because it’s a feat of engineering. This isn't the stuff you buy at a craft store.
The artists use specialized pigments that have to withstand heat, sweat, and movement. If the paint cracks, the illusion is ruined. Gair’s technique involves layering different shades to create depth. To make the "golf balls" on Natalie’s suit look round, she had to use shadowing and highlights, just like a 3D painting.
The pink ribbons were the hardest part. They had to look like they were tied in knots, with "shadows" painted onto her skin to make them look like they were floating above it.
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When the shoot was finally over, do you know how she got it off? One shower. That’s it. Thirteen hours of work literally washed down the drain in ten minutes.
Life After the Paint: 2026 Perspective
Looking back from 2026, the body paint Natalie Gulbis moment feels like the precursor to the "influencer-athlete" era we live in now. She did what Paige Spiranac and others have perfected—merging "lifestyle" appeal with professional sports.
Gulbis eventually transitioned away from full-time tour life, dealing with chronic back issues that required multiple surgeries. But her net worth stayed healthy, hovering around $4 million, thanks largely to the brand she built during those SI years. She paved the way for female golfers to be more than just their scorecards.
Whether you think the shoot was "art" or just "marketing," you can't deny it worked. It’s still one of the most searched moments in LPGA history.
What You Can Learn from the Gulbis Strategy
If you're looking at this from a brand or career perspective, there are a few "expert" takeaways here that apply even today:
- Own the Narrative: Gulbis knew people were talking about her looks anyway. She decided to be the one to profit from it rather than letting the tabloids do it for her.
- Endurance Wins: Whether it's a 13-hour body paint session or a 4-day tournament, the ability to stay focused when you're physically drained is what separates the pros.
- Leverage the Peak: She used her highest-visibility moments to fund her charities (Boys and Girls Club) and set up her post-golf career.
If you're curious about the evolution of athlete marketing, look into how the LPGA changed its "dress code" and marketing guidelines in the years following 2012. It was a direct response to the "Gulbis Effect."
Next Steps for You: You might want to check out the 2012 Sports Illustrated archival footage on YouTube to see the actual "application" process. It’s a fascinating look at how Joanne Gair works. Also, compare the media coverage of the Gulbis shoot to how athletes like Nelly Korda are marketed today—the shift in tone is pretty dramatic.