The golf media has dutifully reported how Lorena Ochoa’s won various Female Athlete of the Year awards - Associated Press, the Kiwanis Club, Sports Institute of the Obvious, etc, etc … The stories all make it sound like this is some great accomplishment. Which is a bunch of bull and, if you really look at it, makes about as much sense as one of increasingly loony actor Will Smith’s poetic waxings on Hitler. Don’t get me wrong. Lorena Ochoa is the kind of player golf should be celebrating. She’s the anti-Wie, all substance and no hype. It’s refreshing to see her recognized ... full post »

Everyone knows that if you’re looking for a special holiday season restaurant meal in New York City, Tavern on the Green is the place. The food’s not great (especially for New York) but there’s no way to match the celebratory season atmosphere. It’s the kind of place that wows mother-in-laws with all its lights, crystals, dining room choices and specific seating where everyone’s lined up at the door under that red tunnel awning in their Christmas finest. It turns out there’s a restaurant in the Phoenix-Scottsdale resort corridor that is at least in Tavern on the Green’s neighborhood when it ... full post »

Yes, it’s true that Rory Sabbatini pulled off a withdrawal from one of Tiger Woods’ tournaments (how long before every PGA Tour event has Tiger in its name?) last weekend that was almost Team Wie-like in its gutless guile. Though in fairness to Sabbatini, he wasn’t in danger of being banned from the Tour for one year or on the verge of a historically humiliating score. He was just playing bad golf in a glorified Silly Season event, 28 shots back at the time he packed up his courtesy car and disappeared. Sabbatini left the Target World Challenge after the third ... full post »

Greg Norman is taking some criticism for his engagement to former tennis star Chris Evert. OK, some of its understandable. (Norman’s ex-wife - a former flight attendant - lashed out in an interview with the London Sunday Telegraph that only makes her look silly). But everyone else needs to get off The Chokers … er Sharks’ back. Especially older women. Only Donald Trump has his name on more products than Greg Norman. Wine, shirts, golf courses, steaks … you name it and there’s a good chance Norman is selling it with an all-out zeal. Even after reportedly giving away nearly half his ... full post »

Hotels are doing a lot of things these days to try and differentiate themselves. You haven’t lived (OK, died a slow death while still breathing) until you’ve heard a Westin hotel rep explain their new lobby scent program in detail (love the Westin beds, not so influenced by the lavender smells). Still, one of the great new trends in high-end hotels is the welcoming drink. You show up to check in and somebody’s handing you a complimentary specialty drink of the house. This idea is still in its infancy stages in the continental U.S. But in places like Hawaii and Cabo, it’s already ... full post »

With Oprah throwing her weight behind Barack Obama, Will Smith practically declaring he’s willing to endorse any one who will have him, and Sean Penn going … well, crazy Sean Penn, there’s only one thing missing from this presidential race. Tiger Woods. When is the best golfer in history, the top athlete on the planet really (with apologies to Roger Federer), going to stick even a little toe into world affairs. Tiger has been around long enough, dominated more than consistently enough, to be comfortable stepping into the fray. I don’t want to hear anything about Woods having to worry about his endorsements ... full post »

Tim Hurja of Hawaii Golf Central - a golf and hotel packaging service for the islands - tells me that unlike with other destinations he books, a majority of Hawaii vacationers who call him aren’t just looking for a golf trip. In Hawaii, golf is just one of the many activities they want to work in. Sometimes it’s a honeymoon vacation. Many times it’s two or three couples going to hang out, enjoy the sun, the beaches and the fairways - often in that order. When that’s the case, you want to save your golf for the rainy days. And Hawaii gets more ... full post »

One of the joys of that splurge golf trip is a blowout meal or three that you’ll remember almost as long as the courses. In Hawaii, it’s best not to spend too much time looking for those great meals. You’re better off concentrating on everything else that the islands have to offer - beautiful scenery, incredible beaches and more ocean golf courses than you’ve ever seen anywhere. The money you set aside for those all-out meals would be better spent on a surfboard - or snorkeling lessons. That’s because after all almost two weeks of exacting research, I’ve concluded that those great ... full post »

While planning my first Hawaii trip, I received tons of advice from people who’d been there before. Mention you’re going to Hawaii and you get more unsolicited opinions than Hillary in a Iowa coffee shop. Much of the counsel centered on whether to island hop or not. The opinions pretty much came out about 50/50 for and against. Well, now that I’m 10 days into the trip, I say you want to hop like Paris Hilton used to for Las Vegas nightclub cameras. Maui - which is the island most people who aren’t hopping spend their time - is nice. But limiting ... full post »