Tim McDonaldThis Week at TravelGolf.com: July 11, 2006

Woods, Wie and Watson all came up short
but it was still a grand weekend on tour

For a non-major weekend, last week had more than its share of excitement and controversy for golf fans. The event that was the lowest on the totem pole in terms of prestige provided the biggest spark, which seems to be the case these days whenever Michelle Wie is involved.

Brittany Lincicome won the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championships over Hall of Famer Juli Inkster after edging Lorena Ochoa in the semifinals. Wie, the young phenom with the multi-million dollar endorsement deal, lost her quarterfinal match and set the blogging world afire, even with her early exit.

"How can she play with the men when she can't even win against the women?" her critics ask. Well, she's only 16, give her time, say the legions of Wie Warriors. What about those bad breaks Wie says she suffered, which no one else seemed to notice? And what about the silent treatment she gave her playing partners, who complimented her on her good shots? Was it rudeness or just focus?

And so on.

It won't let up this weekend as Wie continues her quest – infuriating to her critics, inspiring to her fans – to play with the men. Wie will make her fifth attempt to make the cut at a PGA Tour tournament at the John Deere Classic, trying to be the first woman to do it since Babe Zaharias in 1945.

Speaking of the PGA Tour, Tiger Woods seems to have regained his fire. Woods, who has taken time off after the death of his father, missed the cut at last month's U.S. Open, but tied for second at the Western Open, two strokes behind first-time winner Trevor Immelman. Woods charged into contention with four birdies.

"It was nice to feel the juices coming down the stretch where I had a chance," Woods told reporters.

Then there was gruff Allen Doyle, whose swing bears comparison to that of Charles Barkley, beating legend Tom Watson at the U.S. Senior Open, becoming only the third – and the oldest – to win the tournament back-to-back.

As always, TravelGolf.com welcomes your comments.



Travel Golf Vegas - Las Vegas Best Desert Golf

Las Vegas Best Desert Golf Enjoy 3 rounds of golf at the Bear's Best Golf Club, Dragon Ridge CC, Rio Secco Golf Club starting from $749.

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Edinburgh CastleA spot of castle-hopping goes great
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So you're on the links in the home of golf but your wife is back at the hotel, bored to death and the kids are running wild. Have a little empathy, golfer. Scotland is full of things to do besides play 18. Why not combine a lot of golf with a few moats and turrets? It's easy to do in this ancient land.

Also: Cruden Bay Golf Club is Old Tom's Wild Ride



Scottsdale Golf Packages - Southern Arizona Trail

Torres Blancas Stay 3 nights at Tubac Golf Resort Golf at Tubac Golf Club, Canoa Ranch, Torres Blancas starting from $525

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PodcastToday's Niagara Falls, SMT's lifetime
warranty glove, author Ward Clayton
on his book about Augusta's caddies

Forget your father's Niagara Falls, these days this "mini Las Vegas" has great golf, casinos. At $60, SMT's Lifetime Warranty Golf Glove may be the last glove you ever buy. And: Author Ward Clayton on his latest book, "Men of the Bag: the Caddies of Augusta National."

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Cabo del Sol - Jack Nicklaus - ocean golf course - Los Cabos, Mexico - No. 18How to avoid becoming a
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So you're on a golf trip to some exotic location. On one hand, it's great that golf brought you to a land you would have never seen before. On the other, once golf gets to a land it quickly becomes like everything else you've ever seen before, Chris Baldwin writes in his latest On The Spot column. What came first, the Nicklaus course or the Costco?

Also: Cabo's more than your ordinary golf hot spot



CLIENT FEATUREMoray Old Lighthouse

Late deals at the Swallow Stotfield
Hotel in Lossiemouth, Scotland

This friendly and welcoming Swallow Stotfield Hotel was built in 1895 and has impressive views over the surrounding Moray Firth. The hotel is an ideal base for exploring the nearby beaches, harbours and local attractions such as Elgin Cathedral and Duffus Castle. And with the Moray Golf Course directly across the road, what better place could there be for a golfing break?

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