This Week at TravelGolf.com: Sept. 4, 2008

Western Pennsylvania golf: Arnold Palmer beer, castles, boutique hotels

If a man wanted to, he could fly into the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pa. That man could then stop at an area convenience store, picking up a bottle of Arnold Palmer beer.

That man could then proceed to the Latrobe Country Club and if that man checked into one of the cottages at the guest house, he would find Arnold Palmer salt and pepper shakers and more Arnold Palmer photographs than he would have ever had a right to expect.

And if that man, for gosh sake, had a tee time the next day at the country club golf course, he would be buried under even more Arnold Palmer photographs: Arnold doing this, Arnold doing that, Arnold winning this, Arnold winning that. Arnold with wife Winnie, Arnold with everybody else.

Now, just for fun, say that same man got a little sick of Arnold Palmer and decided, oh, he wanted to see a castle. He could just get in his car and drive to Ellwood City and go to the Old Stonewall Golf Club. It wouldn't be hard to find. It has a big castle sitting out front, like we were all in Europe or some place.

He might notice the little snack at the turn was a castle. And if that man was observant, he would notice that even the maintenance building was a castle.

Or say that man decided Ellwood City was a little too small for him and he had a sudden hankering to stay in a AAA Five Diamond luxury boutique hotel and still play a little golf. He could drive up, up, up in the Laurel Highlands to the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. There, that man would find Falling Rock, the only such hotel between Philadelphia and Cleveland, and two superb golf courses.

That man, happy now, would have been in Western Pennsylvania all this time, where all these things, and more, exist.

As always, TravelGolf.com welcomes your comments.

San Diego's Fazio-revamped Grand Golf Club: Luxury excess meets inspiration

The Grand Golf Club at the Grand Del Mar Resort isn't going for over-the-top luxury, it's reaching for completely unexpected luxury. The vibe wouldn't work if the golf course didn't measure up to all these luxury touches, though. No matter how many courses you've played in the San Diego area, this is unlike any you've experienced here before.

Also: The golden age of San Diego golf

TravelGolf.com On Campus: Unwind on Gainesville's courses on Miami weekend

Each week this season, TravelGolf.com is highlighting a key college football matchup and looking at the golf options around the home team's campus. This Saturday the Florida Gators host the Miami Hurricanes in the notorious Swamp. Here's a look at the golf courses in Gainesville, including the university's private Mark Bostick course, Meadowbrook Golf Club on the outskirts of Gainesville, Plantation Oaks and the municipal Ironwood Golf Course.

Also: Florida golf vacation hot deals

McCain leads Obama in an official BadGolfer.com poll of golf-club throwers

Public polls have always played their part in elections, but this presidential election season has seen polling grow into its own cottage industry. BadGolfer.com recently took the polling to the golf courses of America and found that John McCain has a substantial lead over Barack Obama among an important demographic: golf-club throwers.

Also: Vijay Singh tops golf's most important rankings