The pros in the European golf travel industry have spoken, and this year the best spot for golf in Europe is Portugal’s other golf destination. The International Association for Golf Tour Operators, 1000 members strong, voted and awarded the prize to the Lisbon Golf Coast. The coastline, which encompasses Estoril, Sintra Golf Coast, Costa Azul Golfe and Golfoeste, features 22 golf courses - about a dozen less than the Algarve - and incredible weather year round. The historic capital city of Lisbon, Cintra and Atlantic coastline and other attractions give the area an added edge. “In the Algarve, you’ve got ...

A lot of grouchy writers are giving Michelle Wie a hard time right now because she’s exploiting her good looks (c’mon, a short, chubby teen wouldn’t be getting exemptions) and above average golf game in order to make money playing golf against men instead of sitting in Ms. Goober’s 5th period Algebra class in Hawaii. In the court of public opinion, her “quest” to beat the men has turned from “trail blazing” to “money grubbin’". But before we ship her off to the infamous isle of teenaged celebrity failures, let’s remember she’s just playing golf (and sounding really dorky at ...

Thanks to the fact enough of us sketchy Expats live in Prague, Thanksgiving will be alive and well. Several restaurants and pubs serving traditional (we’ll see about that) turkey dinners will also be showing NFL football on their TVs. And guess what’s scheduled at 6:30 (or 18:30 to these wacky Euros)? Yes, the Detroit Lions vs. Joey Ballgame (I’m absolutely hoping he WAXES the Lions) and the Miami Dolphins. Look, just because the Lions helped institute the Thanksgiving NFL game, it doesn’t mean we should be subject to their embarrassing franchise internationally every Turkey Day. I mean c’mon, we’re trying to EAT here! But ...

Even though the U.S.’s showing has been about as strong as twelve strings of al dente linguini in the last three Ryder Cups, delusional Americans, myself included, have clung to a defense that the competition “meant more” to the Europeans than the Yanks. “That’s team competition,” we muttered. “Man-to-man however, the PGA Tour and its American players are still the best in the world.” After Irishman Padraig Harrington did the impossible defeating Tiger Woods in a playoff Sunday, it’s time for us to end any lingering denial. European golfers are superior. Sunday was simply a prime example of how far the ...

One of football’s most anticipated match ups in years will be played with a heavy heart after former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler passed away in Detroit Friday afternoon. This is hitting a lot of people who grew up in Michigan, especially Ann Arbor, pretty hard. A product of the town myself, it’s hit me harder than I thought it would. I think I’m figuring out why. Bo influenced not only the college football players he coached, but an entire town of kids growing up playing any sport, whether it was hockey, soccer or golf, really. Bo’s intensity, his no-nonsense approach ...

Beautiful golf courses that fall victim to heavy surrounding real estate are nothing new in golf. Golf is a business, and if you can sell homes on fairways that will profit, so be it. That’s why we call it “Capitalism” and not “Pretty-golf-course-ism“. But that doesn’t mean us golf nuts think intrusive real estate ruins great, more natural courses believe it’s right. What bugs me the most about the Marriott Praia D’El Rey resort on the west coast of Portugal is all the glossy course pictures that show nothing but serene fairways and greens nestled against undisturbed coastline. Yet when ...

When I played Carnoustie a few weeks back, site of the 2007 Open Championship, scoring a seven on the 18th wasn’t too hard. It makes you sympathize with Jean Van de Velde’s meltdown (but it’s still funny and Carnoustie seems to find great pleasure in catching the Frenchman with his pants up). But southeast of Scotland there’s another championship course the pros play that is just as long, hard, and has an even worse 72nd hole score to back it up. It’s the 18th at Oitavos in Cascais, Portugal, host of the 2005 European Tour Portuguese Open. The choker this ...

I’ve learned two valuable tidbits of information over the past week while enjoying spirits with friends. One: if your French girlfriend or wife tells you she’s taking off to Senegal for the weekend, be very suspicious. Two: You can get free TV on your computer. “Free TV on the Internet!?!?” you ask? “Tell me more!!” Sure. “TVU” is a free download for your computer that allows you to watch a couple dozen TV channels from all over the world, including ESPN, Comedy Central, NBC, Telemundo and NASCAR Brazil. Is it legal? I think so, says something about “patent pending". ...

I never liked The Apprentice. Then again, office politics are about as relatable to me as keeping the materialistic ego of your supermodel girlfriend in check. It’s easy to knock Donald Trump. In fact, I do it all the time. It’s fun. I hold weekly “Isn’t Trump a doofus?” dinner parties. What do you expect with that cocky attitude and wavy hair you could surf on? But unlike many old school Scots and even TravelGolf.com’s Tim McDonald, I’m not knocking Trump’s development in Aberdeen just yet. (For the full column at GolfEurope.com click here). In a column last year, Blue-Collar ...

Anyone ever see that Seinfeld where George buys a car because he thinks the former owner was Hollywood actor Jon Voight? Well in a few years, golfers will be shelling out big cash to play what they think are courses finely crafted by golf’s Best Seller: Tiger Woods. Some poor saps even think these courses will be built in the image of Woods’ game himself. Get ready for more “playable for all abilities” resort golf with wide fairways and everything is shown in front of you with houses to the sides. Does anyone really think Woods himself is going ...

So rumor has it in America the Democrats are triumphing and Donald Rumsfeld is the first conservative casualty. What would I know? I’ve been at dinner the past week, where in Portugal, it lasts about as long as a round of golf – and is equally, if not more enjoyable. The term “gastronomy” is used here more often than I’ve heard it the rest of my lifetime. The reason for this is that food and the production of entertaining guests, especially dinner, is viewed as an art/science here. It’s taken very seriously. The amount of people in uniform around ...

All good things must come to an end. Which is why I will be golfing again tomorrow. Man I suck these days. What ever happened to the baby fade I had in high school? But sadly I am home from Scotland. What an experience. Scots told me “sorry about the weather” while I was there, but its funny how you can zone out the wind and the rain when you’re on a historic course in the home of golf. You find a “happy place", really. So it rained in Dornoch and Carnoustie and was windy as heck at the Duke’s ...