No one ever accused the Michelle Wie-Can-Walk-On-Water (but not win a golf tournament) Nincompoops of holding a firm grip on reality, but message board poster Jim Nugent is delivering us to a new level of lunacy. Where’s that 15-year-old high school kid poster who’s convinced he’s destined to date Michelle Wie one day when you need him? If you want to throw your money around at least come up with a bet that actually ties in to the point: Paula Creamer better than Michelle Wie now, will always be better than Wie. This will be measured by the number of tournaments ... full post »

Reflection Bay, the previously untouchable Jack Nicklaus signature design at Lake Las Vegas, took a few lumps last year. Golfers still left satisfied this summer, but not quite as wowed as the reputation would suggest. One bold golf writer even dared to offer that the newage Vegas legend might not be worth the $200 plus greens fees, risking condemnation (hint, he writes a mean blog). But now, it appears the Bay is primed to bounce back better than ever. Reflection Bay just completed a great overseed and people in the Vegas golf industry believe it may be as pristine now as ... full post »

It’s been 20 years since Jay Morrish completed his vision at Boulders Resort and still the two Boulder courses are drawing some of the hottest word of mouth in the Phoenix-Scottsdale resort corridor. In an area where courses come and go out of fashion as quickly as some people change jean brands, this is no small feat. Yet Arizona golf packagers report that Boulders is getting more buzz than ever this season as golfers come back or discover it’s desert wows for the first time. Boulders Resort has figured out what TravelGolf.com’s National Golf Editor Tim McDonald has been searching for forever: ... full post »

The worst kept secret in golf - that Michelle Wie’s first tournament as a pro will be the Samsung World Championship starting Oct 13 - is long past rumor stage. Golf World is reporting that Wie could officially announce her new pro status as early as next week (think you’ll see a few swooshes at that press conference?) Once all the Ts are crossed on those mega hype-built endorsement contracts and Michelle Wie goes from closet pro to official one, things get interesting. For while it was long fanciful to argue that Wie was a 15-year-old amateur above criticism (LeBron James ... full post »

People love to compare Jason Gore to John Daly because they’re both fat, eccentric guys who know how to tell a good everyman story. The Gore as the new John Daly campaign is likely to only pick up steam now that Gore’s won a PGA Tour event (the 84 Lumber Classic on Sunday). But it’s a whole lot of baloney (which come to think of it, might be a big component of both the Daly and Gore diet). Gore is not close to as talented as Daly. It’s hard to imagine him ever winning a major. Gore is also not close to ... full post »

The Democrats have William J. Clinton. TravelGolf.com readers have William K. Wolfrum. Wolfrum, if you haven’t noticed, is our new blogger with the picture that looks much more fake than Rebel Blogger’s. Like anyone has that much hair in real life! Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed William K.’s blog on taking the politics out of golf. Because I love it when writers do the exact opposite of what they tell the readers to do. Wolfrum threw this line into his “non-politics blog": The U.S. currently has a president that’s down a World Trade Center and New Orleans in just about five years. Like ... full post »

Back when Beth Daniel was the most dominant player on the LPGA Tour, when Annika Sorenstam was still young and throwing parking lot tantrums, I covered a tour stop in the Lansing, Michigan area for a few years. The LPGA events were actually a huge deal in Lansing, which despite being the state capital had no pro sports (this was pre minor league Lugnuts). In one of these tournaments, Beth Daniel ran away with it to such an extent that she was the only story. Which caused my editors great consternation because everyone knew in those days that Daniel was impossible ... full post »

Paula Creamer pushed the U.S. to Solheim Cup victory, beating European “star” Laura Davies so soundly in Sundays singles that Davies must have been contemplating retirement on the spot. It all showed why it’s no stretch to declare that Paula Creamer is better than Michelle Wie now, will always be better than Michelle Wie. And this isn’t just a knock on the no-win Wie. It’s acceptance of how good Paula Creamer is and how vastly underhyped she’s been. Yahoo Sports’ lead story on the Solheim Cup noted that American golf may have a new star now in Paula Creamer. Apparently, the folks ... full post »

I love it when National Golf Editor Tim McDonald emerges from his Florida swamp (where he’s probably watching NASCAR and the clocks are apparently permanently set in 1945 time) to comment on a newfangled modern issue. Like women’s sports. Giving the men credit for the Solheim Cup interest is absurd. People aren’t fascinated by the Solheim Cup because Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson treat the Ryder Cup Matches like a trip to the dentist. Let’s face it, no one still cares who wins the Solheim Cup. It’s … well, the Solheim Cup. This isn’t about the athletic competition. It’s about the ... full post »

Apparently, some of you redneck NASCAR fans took offense at being called rednecks. (Might want to tell Jeff Foxworthy, he’s made a fortune off getting you folks to buy tapes of his lame redneck humor.) Yet curiously enough none of you NASCAR devotees had any problem with my terming the whole racing thing as athletic an endeavor as cutting your grass with a riding mower. No need to get your Confederate flags in a bunch however. I’m always ready to take on a challenge and see if I might be wrong. Except when it comes to chiropractors, Michelle Wie holding any ... full post »

I have no doubt golfers are athletes. This is confirmed for me every time my complete lack of athletic ability comes out in my swing. But there are plenty of others who disagree, who look at golfers as barely above race car drivers on the athletic scale. Vijay Singh did not exactly help the fight against that with his ping pong injury. Remember, this is Vijay. Arguably the most workaholic of all of today’s golfers. And he cannot survive a game of ping pong without pulling something? That’s pretty sad. And funny. Who do you know who’s gotten hurt playing ping pong? OK, Johnny ... full post »

The all too predictable outcry of the Michelle Wie delusional to Old Man McDonald’s blog on her Solheim Cup status seems to have missed one important point. You Wie Warriors are really slipping. You’re letting your leader down. Don’t you realize what happened. McDonald insulted Jennifer Mario’s hair! How can you stand for that? You crazies really need to read these blogs a little closer. More than 24 hours later, I’m the one who has to step in and defend Mario, the Michelle Wie bower. I kept waiting and waiting for someone to step in. Cheryl? Allan? Wei? Papa Wie! No, no, no, ... full post »