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

I don't have anything against Frisbee golf, but I certainly don't want disc golfers playing beside me when I'm lining up a 12-foot putt. According to the Wall Street Journal, however, disc golf is moving to the mainstream: "Hoping to boost revenue and fill empty tee times, golf courses from Florida to California are opening their fairways to a different kind of golfer -- those who play not with clubs and balls, but flying discs."

For the most part, disc golf is being added only at par-threes and municipal courses, but that's still too much for me. If regular courses want to attract more players, start by lowering green fees. Having disc golfers play on the same course - at the same time - with regular patrons is clearly not the answer. Course officials will tell you how disc golfers play to the side of the fairways, with targets several yards from the greens. I don't care. For what most courses are charging these days, I expect a round free of distractions. If you must add disc golfers to the mix, do it after we've gone home.

With that mini-rant complete, it's time to take one final look back at the Ryder Cup, including National Golf Editor Tim McDonald's recommendations for the next U.S. team. As always, your comments are welcome on any topic, including your feelings on disc golf. Have a great week.

Former 'Big Break' star
finds voice on new website

Charles Calhoun, who appeared on The Golf Channel's original "The Big Break" reality show, has launched a Web site to espouse his philosophies on golf and to keep people informed of what he says is "the true nature of golf." Calhoun, a former Marietta, Ohio, resident now living in Orlando, also uses the site to chronicle his continued effort to play professionally.

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Paiute's Wolf will set you howling

Take famed golf course designer Pete Dye, give him a blank canvas in the desert near Las Vegas and what do you get? The Wolf course is one of three at the Las Vegas Paiute Resort all designed by Dye. But it is the Wolf, the newest, which brings out the darkest side of Dye, probably the most controversial golf course architect of his time. National Golf Editor Tim McDonald says the course is so treacherous it's almost mystical.

Full story | Visit TravelGolf Vegas

Kids and golf column
draws sympathy and outrage

TravelGolf.com Staff Writer Michael Patrick Shiels' recent recollection of how he and his 7-year-old son were treated by operators at two Detroit golf courses has generated a wide variety of passionate responses from our readers. Some who sympathize with stories of their own, and others who denounce him as cheap and unreasonable.

Full story | Media commentary