Steve Campbell of the Houston Chronicle put forth a ridiculous premise in trying to explain why Phil Mickelson choked against Tiger Woods Sunday at Doral. Campbell said Mickelson "underestimated" Woods, and that was the reason he lost. Incredible. Mick… more »

Jim Koppenhaver of Pellucid is a guy who's been tracking golf over the years. He's a bit of a rebel in that he differs drastically with the estalished guys like the PGA, Golf 20/20, etc.; he paints a much more pessimistic than the happy-talk business sui… more »

NBC didn't miss a single chance of cramming in as many commercials as it could during the final holes Sunday at Doral. They broke away every 30 seconds, it seemed, and showed us Mickelson and Woods walking to the 18th via tape. That should have been li… more »

It was painful watching Phil Mickelson succumb to nerves in Sunday's last round at Doral. Tiger Woods showed signs of choking, too, but Mickelso blew two chances to move past him, and when Woods had his shot, he made the putt. It was almost like Mickelso… more »

The Society of American Travel Writers has told us in the past it stands behind it members, but it must not be keeping a close watch. Every time I read stories by members, I find incredible exaggerations, outright lies or -- at the least - misrepresenta… more »

A freelancer of ours caused quite a stir a while back when he called Pinehurst No. 2 overrated. After playing it recently, I agree with him -- with a qualification. All of No. 2's difficulty lies in its greens, which resemble a stainless steel bowl turne… more »

This time I agree with the cranky old Rebel Blogger -- somewhat. Most golf trails are bogus, nothing more than a few courses getting together with a Chamber of Commerce, throwing some marketing money together, and calling themselves a "trail." But at le… more »

Kiawah is a beautiful island, but it seems like they've walled it off to the common folk. You can enjoy Kiawah only if you're in the six-figure income bracket. The natural setting is unbelievable -- wind-swept dunes, pristine marhses and all that -- but… more »

Anybody over, say 38 years of age, should forget Myrtle Beach as a golf destination, and head to Pinehurst. Myrtle Beach is a mess, with nothing but withering traffic and fried food joints, and only a handful of good courses. Pinehurst is about nothing… more »

The PGA Tour makes some stupid rules, being an organization just to the right of the Gestapo, but it's making a tournament winner "unofficial" after only 36 holes is the smart thing to do. I'm not sure what the stats are, but I'd say 36-hole leaders go o… more »

All those South Africa golf veterans who told me I was in for a treat were right: South Africa is indeed a special treat for golfers. Forgetting the golf for a moment, it is an intriguing place to visit: great roads, big cities, wild game roaming some pa… more »

I'm embarking on a trip to the Dark Continent tomorrow, where I will mainly write about golf in South Africa. All I know about South Africa are the names Ernie Els, Nelson Mandela and JM Coetzee, one of my favorite writers. All I know about the golf is… more »

I don't know about you, but I'm really tuned in to the Sony Open for Paul Casey's 2005 debut on the PGA Tour. Casey, of course, is the Brit who called Americans "stupid" and "annoying" after the Ryder Cup. As if beating the U.S. wasn't enough. I don't u… more »

Vijay Singh being named European Tour player of the year is a joke. The guy played four times in Europe and barely broke the top 10 in any of his appearances. Yet Miguel Angel Jimenez won four times. Talk about jumping on the bandwagon. Jimenez is also… more »

I hate this time of the year. It's when all the golf courses send out hundreds of press releases crowing about their inclusion in whatever magazine ranking they happened to make. "Best places to play for less than $500. "Best places to play while wearing… more »