This Week at TravelGolf.com: Oct. 17, 2006

A newbie to Scotland gets a first taste of haggis, now ready to tackle the links

There's nothing like the first 24 hours in a new country. I love the confusion, the discovery, the humiliation, excitement, etc.

A few notables during my first day in Edinburgh in Scotland ...

One thing U.S. roadways need to adopt immediately from the UK and Europe is the yellow light before it turns green, thus warning drivers if they don't get ready, expect to be run over by the double-decker bus. I feel like Mario Andretti when I lift my foot off the break, coast for three meters, then, the second the "G" in my eye's Roy-G-Biv is triggered, floor it, narrowly missing fleeing pedestrians.

"Fear is key to our fat children" was the headline in today's Metro, a free daily in Edinburgh - in a bold font so large you would think Angelina Jolie was adopting another Third World baby. You would never, ever read this report in a U.S. newspaper, much less above the fold. A local doctor says the reason Scottish kids are getting fatter is because parents are so scared of paedophiles that they keep them locked inside all day and make them play video games. An interesting theory.

(I think Americans should get a tax break if they read one foreign publication each week. They really aren't afraid to say anything, and frankly they're far more entertaining and actually cover their country andothers, not the ethnocentric, politically correct drivel often found in our local and national media. We would all be more enlightened, and maybe we could relate to our neighbors a little more.)

Haggis is good...what is it? Upon the orders of my boss, I tried some haggis at dinner tonight. Before coming to Scotland all I knew about haggis came from Mike Myers on SNL or in So I Married an Axe Murderer. It was good. I'll have it again. What is it?

Scottish pubs really are that friendly: I hadn't taken my second sip of my first beer downtown when a fellow came up to me and said: "How do you get a fat chick in bed?" Answer: "Piece o' cake." We spent the next hour practicing the art of harmless macho bar banter, with a blind guitarist singing folk songs in the background for nothing more than free beer. Next up is walking the Royal Mile, then I'm off to Turnberry.

Cheers.

As always, TravelGolf.com welcomes your comments.

Give thanks to Biloxi: Its golf
courses are back in business

Biloxi, Miss., didn't get as much sympathetic media attention during Hurricane Katrina as New Orleans did, but it was actually hit harder. The Mississippi coastal landscape was ravaged, casinos were tossed up on dry land, golf courses were deluged. Nature did its worst but a year-plus later the biggest problem facing Biloxi is the perception that it hasn't yet rebounded. Many people believe the city is still crippled but Biloxi - and its many golf courses - bounced back extraordinarily fast.

Also: Grand Bear Golf Course a grand walk near Biloxi

Swamp things: A look at Myrtle
Beach's top marsh golf courses

Every year thousands of golfers descend on Myrtle Beach and rush to the renowned waterfront golf courses that are easy on the eyes but demanding on golf-ball rations. It would make more sense for these duffers to stick to the easier inland courses. But no, the marsh courses are what the out of towners come to play. If that's what you're after, bring an extra dozen balls and check out these great Grand Strand waterfront courses, Brandon Tucker writes.

Also: What do the Myrtle Beach course closures mean for golfers?

Author Anthony Pioppi on 'To the
Nines,' RonMon on hybrids, and
Tempe, AZ rocks for buddy trips

Podcast host Dave Berner talks to author Anthony Pioppi about his new book on great nine holers. About to add a hybrid to your bag? Understanding how they're meant to be hit is as important as finding the right club. And Tempe, Arizona, the 'rowdy-little brother' of Scottsdale, is a great place for a buddies' golf weekend, according to West Coast Bureau Chief Chris Baldwin.

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