Air travel has long been the equivalent of getting stuffed into a sardine can at 30,000 feet. And now, it’s worse. Anyone who flies regularly knows of what this refers. For a while there after 9-11, the major airlines actually started treating their customers with a modicum of respect. They worried about losing loyal customers to fear. They weren’t so condescending at check in. They threw in an extra bag of peanuts here and there. Flight attendants even occasionally smiled. No one was making the regular flyer feel like royalty by any means. But you’d at least moved above pond scum. Not anymore. ... full post »

When I came across Maury Povich at a celebrity PGA event, he was wondering why a fan would plead for his autograph with so many big names around. One signature seeker screamed, “Maury, you’re why I’m here!” and Povich broke out laughing. “You’re here to see Maury Povich,” he smiled as he signed. “Right.” Now, a short time later, Povich finds himself thrust into that special huge celebrity classification: The Scandal Celebrity. People magazine wasn’t staking out Maury Povich when he was playing golf in Palm Springs. But they sure are now, showing up at his appearance in Washington D.C. Wednesday. Funny, ... full post »

Sometimes you need a haircut when you’re on a golf trip. If you’re a guy this usually means a quick stop into the first place that looks promising and fast. This is how I found myself in a Sports Clips in the Houston area. Sports Clips is a relatively new franchise that boasts about its sports fan haven environment. With the emphasis on boasts. You’re supposed to be able to show up and watch whatever sporting event you want while getting a clip. Hopefully from a semi cute woman. Hey, we’re guys. Who wants to be away from ESPN for a whole ... full post »

If you’re in Las Vegas on a golf trip, you want to have wheels. It’s not quite as important as holding the ability to forgo all sleep to get maximum night life enjoyment, but it’s close. Sin City is one of those places that tempts first-time visitors with the impression that a car is as superfluous as tops at a nude pool. Much like cars are in Manhattan. And they are … as long as you stay on one street, The Strip. But golfing is going to take you beyond that. Especially if you do golfing right. You want to be able ... full post »

Laurier Cafe & Wine is a Houston restaurant that carries a high opinion of itself. It has a faux hip, sparse atmosphere, the kind that’s supposed to be cool. It raves about its wine list. Its owners are a husband and wife team that are real foodies, so much so that he gave up a career as a telecommunications executive and decided to become a chef in his mid forties. The only problem is this earnest place is right across the street from a strip club. It’s a little hard to pull off the whole sophisticated dining thing when Candy and Summer ... full post »

You’d think Phil Mickelson would be satisfied with his sudden majors success. After the Masters, it’d be reasonable to assume he’d carry two drivers the rest of his life. Even into the iHOP at age 73. But no, not Mickelson. The man always wants to be cast as some golf genius rather than just an extremely talented player. So Mickelson’s outthinking himself again, declaring that second driver is out for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. “Especially now with the U.S. Open, there’s just no intention for me to use that driver there,” Mickelson told the Associated Press. “I anticipate more 3-woods off ... full post »

I knew Al Franken was no Rush Limbaugh in terms of moving the dial. But this is getting ridiculous … After seeing the reaction to both TravelGolf.com’s Limbaugh and Franken interviews, you could only assume that Rush is even more influential than he boasts of being while Al intrigues people about as much as their pool guy. Limbaugh catches Time magazine’s attention, brings tons of comments. Franken … well, there’s rumor that a paper from Lost Springs, Wyoming - population three - didn’t think anything Franken says is worth noting. Seriously. You can still be the first to comment on Tim McDonald’s excellent ... full post »

When I told a displaced Texan I was headed to Houston, he had one simple piece of advice. Go eat at Goode Company Barbecue. And then do it again. You’ll want to heed that Lone Star state wisdom. For Goode Company is the best barbecue I’ve ever tasted and I’ve done barbecue in a little renowned shack in Birmingham, Alabama. Still nothing close to Goode Company. Go once and you’ll find yourself drifting back during your Houston trip. Suddenly every other dinner choice will be, “Well, how about barbecue?” Forget that ribs obsession at Goode Company. They’re good here, but this is place ... full post »

Michelle Wie appeared on 60 Minutes Sunday night. They called it an interview. Which makes James Lipton’s gushing sit-down with runaway comedian Dave Chappelle on Inside the Actors Studio look like a Watergate grilling. My favorite exchange had to be when reporter Steve Kroft asked breathlessly “You think you look ugly?” And Wie responded, “Only in the morning.” The only thing missing was learning what kind of tree the Winless Wonder wanted to be. For once, I really don’t have a problem with Michelle Wie. She did her usual marketing machine song and dance, stayed within the character created for her with grace. But what ... full post »

If O.J. Simpson wore a green jacket and held a place in Hootie Johnson’s oh-so-tender heart, Jim Nantz would compliment him on the brilliant white Bronco “getaway.” If Michael Jackson wielded influence in Butler Cabin, Nantz would find time to praise his home amusement park. Is there anything worse than listening to CBS’ worshipping head spray bouquets machine gun style around Augusta National? Well, how about Nantz doing it while Johnson and the rest of those hip Augusta gentlemen systematically went about draining the drama out of what long stood as golf’s most exciting tournament? The debate over the lengthening and pine tree rearranging ... full post »

Want to play Amen Corner as Bobby Jones intended it to be played? You might just want to forget Augusta National and head to Houston. For out in Texas on a course near George Bush airport, there is a course with Amen Corner replica holes in the lengths they were before Hootie Johnson and his green jacketed buddies went on their wild expanding and pine tree rearranging spree. It’s Tour 18, which held the distinction of being the first all replica course in America when it opened 13 years ago. It has copies of Augusta’s No. 11, No. 12 and No. 13 ... full post »

How would you like to be one of the 26 golfers who posted a worse score than Tom Lehman in the first round of the Masters? Lehman gets shot at on tournament’s eve - apparently by some wacko taking random pops at cars on the Bobby Jones Expressway - and still manages to hold it together for a first round 76. Meanwhile, Charles Howell The Forgotten comes in with an 80. David Duval manages a nifty 84. (Maybe, a reporter asked Duval a question on the way from the parking lot and completely shot his focus. Or maybe he just stinks.) Lehman’s dodging ... full post »

Can you give an interesting opinion these days without being mocked? In the case of Rush Limbaugh apparently not. The Detroit Free Press became the latest to get on Limbaugh for his thoughts on Michelle Wie. Michigan’s largest newspaper led with, “When will Rush Limbaugh learn to stop talking sports?” Then, the Free Press detailed the BadGolfer.com Limbaugh interview that started it all and led to Time magazine. (To read the Free Press story, click here.) What’s next? Liberal bore Al Franken responds by going into full John Kerry waffle mode and not saying anything at all of substance on Wie and likely anything ... full post »

Michelle Wie held a great chance to really put the pressure on Lorena Ochoa, who let’s face it, has shown all the steely nerve of Jean Van de Velde in her career. All Wie had to do was make a putt. Instead on the 18th green at Mission Hills in greater Palm Springs, Wie pushed another birdie try just off line. It wasn’t an easy putt. It was one you have to make if you plan to win. Which, as everyone knows, isn’t in the Winless Wonder’s vocabulary. When Wie missed that putt and Ochoa converted a tough two putt from the fringe ... full post »