Tiger Woods’ mug is plastered on the top front corner of USA Today’s front page Friday with the headline “Woods looks rusty at Buick.” A few days later, he’s collecting another trophy and first-place check. This is why Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of all time. Phil Mickelson told TravelGolf.com how it’s “nice to work some rust off” after a Bob Hope Chrysler Classic season debut in which he never even challenged on Sunday. Tiger throws the cobwebs off his game by collecting his 47th career PGA Tour win. And it’s not like that’s unusual. Tiger always seems to win his first ... full post »

Another PGA Merchandise Show is winding down, which means many more hours have been spent extolling the need for you to get your golf clubs custom fitted to your swing. Why not just take diet advice from John Daly? If you’re a 4-foot-8 man or a 6-foot-6 woman, by all means get those clubs custom fitted. The rest of us are probably safe. The idea that the average mid to high handicapper hits the same club the same exact wrong way every time, instantly cured by getting that driver adjusted to their slice, is laughable. Old-time charlatans used snake oil. New ones rely on ... full post »

There’s a confession that needs to be made. It’s embarrassing, somewhat humiliating (OK, forget the somewhat), thoroughly against any code of coolness. It’s the kind of thing that a guy who wants to be thought of as … well, a GUY just doesn’t admit. Ever. Not under oath. Not under torture. Not under Carmen Electra’s spell. Still, it must be said. I love Justin Timberlake! There, happy? I just love the NYSNC, boy band, Mickey Mouse Club man with the high-pitched singing voice and twirling dance moves. Not in a squealing junior high girl with 155 Justin posters plastered on her bedroom walls way. ... full post »

After finishing his final round at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, David Duval found three reporters waiting to talk to him. A general assignment reporter from the Riverside Press-Enterprise, a PGA Tour radio guy who’s so pro player that Phil Mickelson makes sure to wish him Happy New’s Year, and myself. It wasn’t exactly a gauntlet gearing to grill him. So what does David Duval do? He marches for the parking lot faster than John Daly can run, makes us fire questions as we struggle to keep up (calling Phil Mickelson’s trainer!, calling Phil Mickelson’s trainer!) and attempts to lose us. This in ... full post »

Mike Weir might be the nicest guy on the PGA Tour. He is undoubtedly one of the blandest quotes. When Mike Weir questions something, you can be sure it’s a valid issue. That’s where the Classic Club - the brand new tournament-owned course for the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic - finds itself leading up to its Sunday final round showcase. “They got a great piece of land,'’ Weir said. “But it’s an interesting location.” So interesting that comedian George Lopez couldn’t help but turn it into a routine at his press conference. When Lopez was brought into the media center at the new ... full post »

The PGA Tour’s announcement this week that recently departed LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw had been hired as their new Executive Vice President seemed to lack some of the tour’s usual bluster. Maybe because TravelGolf.com reported last July that Votaw and commissioner Tim Finchem had worked out this deal. It’s crass for a publication to give itself too much credit for breaking news - that’s what we’re here for - but it is worth pointing out to reaffirm our commitment. If you read a news report on TravelGolf.com, you can be sure it’s true and based on rock solid reporting. This isn’t just ... full post »

Tim Hurja - a local teaching pro/golf packager who’s been my guide to Palm Springs golf - kept telling me to just wait until the wind kicks up to see how everything changes on the area’s golf courses. I kept waiting and waiting, through weeks of endless 70 degrees and sunny Palm Springs winter days. Yeah, the wind, right, it’s sure a killer. Now about that bridge in Brooklyn you’re selling … While the wind finally kicked up in the second round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and a semblance of score order was restored. The immortal Pat Perez ... full post »

After 45 years, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic ended its association with Indian Wells Country Club because the 6,400 yarder was deemed too easy for today’s pros. Two tournaments later, it is apparent the wrong course was kicked to the curb. The immortal Pat Perez’s 12-under 60 on Wednesday was just the latest mind-bending number posted on the Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West. This is the same course where David Duval shot that record 59. Three of the 20 rounds of 60 or lower recorded in tour history have come on this one course. And Indian Wells was declared to ... full post »

Phil Mickelson is still no Tiger. Who in history is? But he’s the second most intriguing player of this era. Which gives the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, which starts today, at least a dash of interest. Besides tuning in to see how bad Justin Timberlake’s swing is in the celebrity field, the attraction of the Bob Hope comes in Phil’s season debut. It’s always interesting to see what Mickelson comes back with after spending some extended time with the family (Has anyone had a more debated Halloween trick or treating with the kids?) Mickelson always seems to make some adjustment in his ... full post »

Peyton Manning’s taking a lot of heat right now for coming up small in another big game. Deservedly so. And it didn’t help that Manning tried to shift the blame with a weak, “I’m trying to be a good teammate here, but we had some protection problems.” Hint: If you feel the need to start a sentence with “I’m trying to be a good teammate” or “No offense intended, but", it’s probably better kept to yourself. Still, at least Colts fans can take solace that Manning’s shown himself to be more of an winner than a pure marketing machine creation. Like, oh ... full post »

The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic carries a reputation for being one of the easiest weeks on the PGA Tour. For good reason. This is the tourney, where David Duval shot his 59. The mistake comes in people assuming that a Palm Springs golf trip means nice and soft golf courses for them. Think again. The Coachella Valley can bring all the bite you want. And more. For a story on the Palm Springs’ area’s toughest courses, stay tuned to TravelGolf.com this week. Also look for stories on SilverRock - the new Arnold Palmer monster that would have been in the Bob Hope rotation ... full post »

Beth Daniel has grown into the voice of reason on the LPGA Tour. And the Hall of Famer with 32 career wins more than Michelle Wie rightly blasted another ridiculous comment from the Winless Wonder’s Pompous Camp. Wie’s coach David Leadbetter said on Wednesday that Wie is the only LPGA player he’s worked with that could handle wind. This the day before the Marketing Machine Marvel shot that nifty nine-over 79 in the Hawaii breeze (and Michelle Wie’s wondering why most LPGA players probably got a good laugh out of that Sony Open performance?) Daniel fired back at Coach “I’m Better than ... full post »

Even before Michelle Wie posted that nifty nine-over par at the Sony Open, you could almost hear some of her hype leaking away like the hot air it always was. This tournament never carried the same feel as her other recent marketing machine created “events". There was a little less attention, a little less interest. Oh, don’t get me wrong. There are still plenty of loony Wie Warriors out there, ready to talk about THE WIND, THE WIND, THE AGE, THE AGE, etc, etc… But more and more people in the general sporting public seem to be coming to their senses. And ... full post »

John Daly is getting the one divorce no one ever expected. He’s splitting with Hooters. Daly revealed the parting on FOX News this morning, explaining that “he still loved” Hooters, but his wife was not comfortable with the partnership. So there go the days of the big hitter who’s wasted more talent than any athlete since Mickey Mantle shilling for big breasts and chicken wings. What’s the world coming to? John Daly cannot stand by Hooters … This is the company that signed him despite that horrendous country CD he put out. No word on whether Daly will have to give up that ... full post »

Woke up in LA, stepped outside and thought I’d walked right into a mushroom cloud. The smog was that low lying, completely covering buildings. The fog in San Francisco is even thinner. Not to mention much more pleasant. Now, of course it’s not like this everyday. But it’s like it enough days. Who wants to golf in this stuff? You’re much better off taking a road trip to Palm Springs’ clear mountain days or San Diego’s ocean breezes. I’m all for checking out LA. If you want to try the restaurants (even though they’re not as good as New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco or ... full post »

The most interesting thing about all the well-deserved Mercedes Championships moaning - besides TravelGolf.com’s own Tim McDonald showing both his East Coast Bias and Senior Citizen Bias in one blog - is how it’s never mentioned that Vijay Singh is actually in the field. For good reason. Is there a less compelling “star” in all of pro sports than Vijay? All the focus is on who wasn’t in Hawaii, because the only way Singh can carry a tournament marquee is if he’s fighting with his caddy. If this is who we are left with when Tiger Woods has a rare off year (2004), ... full post »

Now that Vince Young’s run by USC in one of the most entertaining national championship games ever, it’s time for the real sports showcase to take center stage. You know, Fred Funk, David Toms and that guy who looks like that guy who cleans your pool in the hotly-anticipated, much-debated Mercedes Championships. Good thing Reggie Bush scampered off the stage and Matt Leinart ballroom danced away before this truly colossal sporting event, huh? Remember, when PGA Tour commissioner/NASCAR want-to-be Tim Finchem was talking about turning the tour’s season openers into major league baseball opening day-like events. The Tour essentially has the Devil ... full post »

A reader wrote in looking for a RV park around Scottsdale, with a spa and good golf access. Eagle View RV Resort, which is short drive from the hustle and bustle scene of Scottsdale Road, might be the best bet. Eagle View is right near We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, offering discount rates to those staying there. Another option, a little farther out is Pueblo El Mirage Golf & RV Resort. Located in the greater Phoenix area’s booming West Valley, El Mirage actually has a 6,600-yard Fuzzy Zoeller course on property. And TravelGolf.com’s senior citizen expert Tim McDonald’s favorite - shuffleboard. If you’re looking for ... full post »

Is there anything more annoying than the people who bought a house on the side of a golf course getting all indignant when someone bounces a Pro V1 off their wall? You chose a house off the fairway and you’re shocked, absolutely shocked, that it gets hit by golf balls? Let me guess. You’re the same couple who goes berserk if your shoes get splashed on an amusement park water ride or if there’s violence in a Quentin Tarantino movie. Look, no one forced you to buy a house on a golf course. Last time anyone checked, those golf side properties are not ... full post »