This Week at TravelGolf.com: Dec. 28, 2004

Frequent Las Vegas visitors have long known of Sin City's little secret: It's not quite as cold in the desert during the winter months as you may have been led to believe. It can feel outright balmy for anyone used to a Northern climate. Sometimes it's even warmer than Florida the last week before Christmas.

That was the case this year as Las Vegas enjoyed a good 10-day string of mid-60 degree days as the Florida Panhandle dipped below freezing. Of course, this doesn't occur every year. But as senior writer Chris Baldwin illustrates, the disparity underscores the relatively unknown bonanza that Vegas golfing in December and January can bring. In fact, tee times were wide open at Tom Weiskopf's The Falls and Jack Nicklaus' Reflection Bay last week.

Blogger Kiel Christianson would love to fill one of those tee times. Unfortunately, he's suffering the winter blues in the northern part of the country. "Perhaps the winter weather will drag on, and as it does, my longing for the game will come back," he writes. As always, your comments are welcome on any topic, including your favorite winter golf destination. Happy new year!

'Self-absorbed'
golfers turning off viewers

Professional golf in the U.S. is second only to the NFL in total TV viewership. Still, there are signs of trouble: the number of rounds played by all golfers over the last three full years has dropped, according to the National Golf Foundation. In this month's "Inside Media" column, Tim McDonald wonders if "boring" and "self-absorbed" pro golfers are contributing to the overall problem.

Full story | Ranking the golf magazines

Sucky golfers create
suckier golf company

Two Minnesota duffers have created a brand of golf merchandise that brings self-deprecating whimsy to a sport that has humbled even mighty pros. Unlike marketers whose balls, shirts and hats try to associate the buyer with a golf hero, a legendary course or top-flight performance, the new BogeyPro brand pokes fun at those who take the game oh-so-seriously.

Full story | Feature: Confessions of a cart girl

Inside the delicate art of club building

Looking for a basic, thumbnail sketch from beginning to end of how Pinemeadow Golf manufactures a custom golf club? This step-by-step article takes you through the entire process from the shaft cutting room to the final quality control station and all points in between.

Full story | What putter will work for me?