Fans of the TravelGolf.com This Week podcast heard me talking a few weeks back about a whole slate of improvements at ScotlandGolf.com, the top source on the web for info about golf in Scotland. We just rolled out another improvement there: reader course rankings. You can rank and review your favorite golf courses in Scotland by simply finding them in the ScotlandGolf.com course guide at www.scotlandgolf.com/scotlandgolfcourses. On each course listing, you’ll find a possible five stars and a link that says “Submit your rating.” You can also scroll down each listing to the “Reader Ratings / Reviews” section to see what other ... full post »

It seems the LPGA has made official something we knew when we asked golf instructor Beverly Fergusson early last year to blog for TravelGolf.com: She’s among the very best teachers in the U.S. The LPGA just released its first-ever list of The 50 Best Teachers and naturally Beverly made the cut. Members of each of the five LPGA Teaching and Club Professional sections did the voting and Beverly was named among the Western Section’s best. Click here to see what teachers in your area made the list. You can read Beverly’s golf blog here. And to contact her for lessons, click here. full post »

As Bill Wolfrum blogged at WorldGolf.com, a team of scientists studied Tiger Woods’ sweat when creating the formula for the new “Gatorade Tiger … a new line of Gatorade Thirst Quencher formulated for Tiger Woods in great-tasting flavors he selected.” With their Tiger study done, you have to assume these guys are out looking for work. Budweiser ought to bring ‘em on board to study John Daly’s sweat. Us golfers know beer and golf go together like Greg Norman and Chris Evert. In fact, forget studying his sweat, I say just bottle it. With Big John’s fan appeal (and ability to produce ... full post »

New readers might have noticed that our Beverly Fergusson is calling out Chris Baldwin for his claims back in May that golf pros are afraid to teach the driver. Folks who have been following these blogs for awhile, though, will surely remember the last time Baldwin borrowed a pair and tried to take on the golf instruction community, even going so far as to write that golf instructors are the modern-day equivalent of snake-oil salesmen or chiropractors (which, of course, made the PGA set apoplectic. At the time, I considered docking Chris’ pay (didn’t, though, I did bench him for three ... full post »

My man over at The Deep Rough got his “hands on some Nike Sumo Irons, fit with the Diamana for Nike stiff flex graphite shafts.” He posts his thoughts along with his photos. Nice looking sticks. PS: Got a golf or sports blog I should be reading? Let me know. full post »

The Canadian organizers of the President’s Cup are creating a spectacle and playing “into the hands of that most disturbing of human characteristics; Nationalism!” The Principal’s Nose writes in his golf blog. “These team games are meant to foster good relations but instead are often hi-jacked by those competing or watching as an opportunity to teach someone a lesson. Has it become so ugly that representing your country or continent or part of the world is more important than what the founders of our great game envisaged?” PS: Got a golf or sports blog I should be reading? Let me know. full post »

Nosing around golf course web sites and promotional materials these days, I’m starting to wonder just how hard it is to become a ‘renowned golf architect.’ A google search just netted me 9,210 pages with that exact phrase. full post »

If you people don’t stop equating steroid use - which should be outlawed in professional golf - with steroid abuse (which is dumb as hell, illegal - and should be outlawed in pro golf), I’m going to rip off someone’s head and chuck it in the Barry Burn! Taking steroids is seen by the governing bodies of most sports as an unfair advantage. Keep in mind that “taking steroids” does NOT have to mean gaining huge amounts of unsightly muscle. ‘Roids were developed for legit medical purposes, people! In summer months, I shoot a steroid spray into my nose to combat ... full post »

This was e-mailed in by a Pat R. from Boston…… “The golf sabbatical would do more for the industry, and possibly for the corporation than any other phenomenon on earth to enable men to ponder the big pictures of their lives, and to enjoy the freedom of not being over-regimented by families, by employers, and by society. “Stealing time to go and play golf is probably the most common corporate pilferage, and at present, even afflicts government industry. For a game that has so captured the hearts of many, precious few hours are able to be devoted to this magnificent but time ... full post »

I just had a quick look at ZachJohnson.com to see what the Masters winner is up to this Monday morning after. The message there from his web geeks says it all: Zach Johnson Site - Under Construction What Terrible Timing to be Under Construction !! full post »

Bogey Lounge writes about how balmy winter days have become the norm in the Northeast and other areas that are usually snow covered by now. “The only bad thing about this is that clowns like me who normally play all winter in 6 layers of clothes are finding hard to get weekend tee-times because all of a sudden everyone is a winter golfer,” BL writes. “Half the dudes out there this weekend (expected high 60’s) would have normally by now put their clubs into hibernation, instead they are beating me to the good tee-times. “Oh well, it’s good for golf or at ... full post »

Those of you with XM satellite radio, check out station 146 Wednesdays at 11 a.m. EST. Peter Kessler is hosting a golf show from The PGA Learning Center in Florida that will have PGA Professionals offering their instructions tips. Kessler’s guests on the first show: * Mike Malaska, of Mesa, Ariz., worldwide director of instruction for Nicklaus Golf Academies, talks about what the golfer should be thinking about when driving the ball. * Jim McLean, the owner of Jim McLean Golf Schools at Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, Fla., touches on methods and systems of teaching golf. * Bill Eschenbrenner, of El ... full post »

Golf Tips, Secrets, & News offers up a video clip of Canadian golf great Moe Norman that shows the developer of “Natural Golf” in all of his glory. “You will notice that Moe DOES NOT hold the club in the palm of EITHER hand as some people would try to lead us to believe and after knowing Moe for over 30 years I can honestly say that in ALL of that time I NEVER once saw him ‘palm’ the grip,” Chuck Evans writes. Over the years, greats from Sam Snead to Tiger Woods have cited the late Moe Norman as having had ... full post »

Mike at Travelling Golfer offers up a couple tips for hungry golfers heading to Phoenix: The first is to eat at Pizzeria Bianco. “There’s almost always a line if you’re the least bit late for dinner,” he writes. “Why? The mozzarella is homemade and the sweet onions are wood-roasted to bring ‘em to full flavor.” Mike then suggests hitting Las Sendas Golf Club, “one of the most challenging desert golf courses I’ve ever played.” (Check out Tim McDonald’s Dec. 2004 review of Las Sendas Golf Club.) Back to Travelling Golfer…Mike writes: “The last time I was there it was part of a 6 day, ... full post »

In this blog recounting how golf columnist Rick Arnett finally got his chance to smack LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens, I predicted Bivens would be looking for another job by Christmas. Technically, I can’t be proven wrong - she may in fact be looking for a new job. ‘Course I did sort of infer that she’d be FORCED to look for a new job. And there I was wrong. Sorry, Bivs. Meanwhile, blogger Geoff Shackelford put together a compilation of funny quotes from Bivens in 2006. PS: Got a golf or sports blog I should be reading? Let me know. full post »