Vietnam from a travel vet's perspective, consumer golf shows = big business, and photographer Ray Alonso on his Bare Essence of Golf 2007 calendar

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Vietnam may seem like an unlikely golf destination, but the sport is catching on in a country with a booming economy and tourism industry. Podcast host Dave Berner talks to National Golf Editor Tim McDonald, who recently returned from a trip there, about the phenomenon.

“It’s kind of funny because golf was a sport that was once frowned upon” there, McDonald says. “But they’ve recognized that to get in more tourists, they’re going to have to have some more things to attract them, golf being one of them.”

Big business nationwide, consumer golf shows are starting to bring in even larger crowds as they pursue a larger market, according to TravelGolf.com blogger Ron Montesano.

“They are growing,” Montesano says. “There’s something for everybody, depending on whether you’re budget driven or name driven.”

Plus, photographer Ray Alonso, developer of The Bare Essence of Golf calendar, says the beauty of a golf course is only matched by a woman’s body.

Photographer Ray Alonso likens the mystique and beauty of golf to that of a woman’s body.

“There is some seduction, there’s something with golf and the landscape of a golf course and the whole majesty of golf that builds this seduction up,” says Alonso, whose calendar features tasteful nude pictures of women in golf settings. “And I can only compare it to the beauty of a woman’s body.”

This podcast is supported by Pioneer Golf and Florida Golf Travel.