Archives for: February 2009
True Scottish feel at Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale
Saturday February 28, 2009 | 01:13:43 pm 222 words, 2004 views
Beyond the expected luxury accommodations that you would expect at a Westin property, there’s a lot more to the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa here in Scottsdale, Ariz., than Heavenly Beds and massage treatments.
First, as the name would imply, it pays homage to the Scottish immigrants that made their way here over the last hundred years or so. It starts with 27 holes of golf – a Scottish tradition in its own right, I hear – and transitions to a bagpiper every evening at sundown.
We also had the privilege of taking part in a Scotch tasting right ...
Golf put in perspective at Sheraton Wild Horse Pass
Thursday February 26, 2009 | 10:10:01 am 244 words, 2091 views
Golf can take on a different meaning at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz., given the reverence the people who live and work at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa have for the land here.
Early on, we got an appreciation for the history of the Pima and Maricopa people who have been here for generations from Ginger Sunbird Martin. Martin, the cultural concierge here at Wild Horse Pass, took us on a tour of the place. She pointed out that her people have been here at the Gila Indian River Community for 2,300 years, and that when it ...
Spring training and golf in Arizona
Wednesday February 25, 2009 | 10:31:06 am 121 words, 1992 views
What a great day it is. It’s the first day of exhibition games for major league baseball teams, and Tiger Woods is back in action.
Later this week, I’ll be taking in an Indians-Athletics exhibition game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. But first, there’s golf.
Today it’s the long anticipated return of Woods after his eight-month layoff rehabilitating from knee surgery. If you didn’t know who Brendan Jones was before this week, you probably do now. Do you think the Australian will get any credit if he defeats Woods in the first round of the Accenture Match Play being played down the ...
Even after a long layoff, Tiger is the early heavy favorite at Augusta
Sunday February 22, 2009 | 10:51:12 am 182 words, 2175 views
How good will Tiger Woods when he comes back this year? Pretty good, if you believe the Las Vegas oddsmakers.
Out more than eight months following knee surgery last year, Woods’ odds of winning this year’s Master’s Tournament are listed at 2-1. The next closest is Phil Mickelson at 10-1. This, all, of course, before anyone has seen him play at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championships at the new The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain in Marana, Ariz.
The 2009 Masters, which begins April 9, will be the first major for Woods since his dramatic 18-hole playoff win over Rocco Mediate last ...
Tiger Woods at Accenture: The most anticipated return in golf history?
Thursday February 19, 2009 | 10:15:08 pm 259 words, 2285 views
Not since Ben Hogan came back from his near-fatal car accident a half century ago has so much been made of the return of one player to the game. And even then, as remarkable as Hogan’s comeback was, golf was a minor sport by today’s standards, and Hogan did not enjoy (or relish, for that matter) Woods’ worldwide popularity.
So as we learned today through Woods’ Web site that the world’s No. 1 will be coming back to defend his title at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championships, we can only speculate what the TV ratings will be like.
Don’t you know that ...
Playing golf with the pro in Punta Mita
Wednesday February 18, 2009 | 10:08:35 pm 337 words, 2479 views
Just a few holes into playing the new Bahia Course at Punta Mita, Nayarit, Mexico, the director of golf set me straight.
“What did you have yesterday?” Phil Ferrari asked after I just double bogeyed the difficult par-3 fifth hole.
“Eighty-five,” I replied, referring to the previous round on the Nicklaus-designed Pacifico Course at Punta Mita.
“Not your score. I don’t care about that,” he said. “What did you have for lunch?”
That’s when you suddenly realize – once again – that the only person who truly cares about your golf score is you. Yet, we often approach the game as if when we ...
Picture perfect at Punta Mita's resorts and golf courses
Tuesday February 17, 2009 | 08:17:46 pm 187 words, 2417 views
There are a few places on earth that can almost leave you speechless. Punta Mita, Nayarit, Mexico, is one of them.
First there are the two Jack Nicklaus golf courses here. Nicklaus has apparently referred to the Four Seasons Pacifico Course (and the new Bahia Course, for that matter) as the “Pebble Beach” of Mexico. The PB comparison is probably made far too often, but in this case, with all the stunning ocean views surrounding greens and tees here, it’s not an exaggeration.
Secondly, the new St. Regis Punta Mita right next to the courses is everything it’s cracked up to be. ...
More observations about golf and life on the Pacific Coast of Mexico
Monday February 16, 2009 | 12:03:28 am 204 words, 2416 views
Here are three more impressions I’m taking away from my golf trip to the Riviera Nayarit:
Dining outside in the cool breeze near the Pacific Ocean is the ultimate eating experience. Nothing like the crash of the waves as you sip on a Corona and chow down on some seafood enchiladas, as was the case at Mayapan Restaurant, one of nine eateries here at Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta.
It seems that most of the Americans and Canadians who vacation down here regularly don’t even attempt to speak Spanish to the locals. Many of them have been coming here for years. Some ...
A perfect day of golf and spa at El Tigre in Mexico
Saturday February 14, 2009 | 07:00:08 pm 264 words, 2528 views
We don’t get to do this all the time, but one of the best parts of this job is living the life of the rich and pampered on occasion. Such was my fate today.
After a round on the terrifically conditioned and fun El Tigre Golf Club at Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta, I spent a couple of hours in the El Tigre spa, which is right next to the golf shop. Nothing like an 80-minute sport massage to get out the kinks following a round of golf.
I don’t know what was more enjoyable – the golf or the massage. ...
Checking out Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, preparing to play golf
Friday February 13, 2009 | 11:27:49 pm 281 words, 2548 views
Before I checked into the Paradise Village Resort in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, my host, Richard Zarkin of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, treated me to lunch and a little sightseeing this afternoon. What a great day.
Here are some of my observations:
I already love the food here. Seafood and more seafood. I’ve always liked raw fish – sushi, smoked salmon, etc… Now I can add shrimp and scallops chile agua ("cooked” in chili water) to the list. The barbecued lobster, shrimp and Mahi Mahi we had today at Tino’s La Laguna were top a notch as well.
We visited Sayulita ...
Arizona's resorts are as good as its golf
Tuesday February 10, 2009 | 08:50:56 pm 137 words, 2511 views
I knew all along the golf was pretty good in Arizona, but had no idea of the quantity of great hotels and resorts. As it turns out Arizona landed 15 properties on the Travel+Leisure magazine’s list of the 500 best around the world.
The top resort in Arizona, according to T+L’s readers? That would be the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix. To see the other 14 on the list, check out the story I wrote on GolfArizona.com.
By the way, only two states landed more on the list. California has a whopping 48 and Florida, 28. The highest ranked U.S. ...
Finding golf and treasure in the South Padre Island area
Sunday February 8, 2009 | 09:43:36 pm 184 words, 2487 views
On a mission to sample great barbecue, Mexican and seafood on this golf trip to the South Padre Island (Texas) area, we hit the jackpot last night with Cap’n Roy’s (1313 Padre Blvd.) on the island before today’s round at South Padre Golf Club.
The owner, Cap’n Roy,was a fisherman of 35 years who’s played a little golf in his time and recites his own poetry. He has a few home-spun recipes, plus he hired authentic Vera Cruz chefs to prepare some of the tastiest dishes you’ll find anywhere. And I mean anywhere, regardless of price.
What drew us to the ...
Playing golf and eating Mexican food on the South Texas coast
Saturday February 7, 2009 | 10:08:13 am 183 words, 2387 views
On the surface, 6,400-yard El Angel, one of two courses at Rancho Viejo (Texas) Resort & Country Club, wouldn’t seem that tough, except Mother Nature threw in a 25 mph sustained wind with gusts up to 40 mph.
That means every draw was a hook, every fade a slice, and holes playing into the wind seemed to play 100 yards longer. It also helped us work up a pretty good appetite and for the second night on this trip, we hit paydirt.
Figuring nearby Brownsville would have pretty good Mexican food, we found Elva’s (1775 Central Blvd.), a place known for ...
Great Texas barbecue on the way to South Texas golf
Friday February 6, 2009 | 10:41:16 am 210 words, 2438 views
I can cross another one off the list of great barbecue joints after stopping at Joe Cotton’s in Robstown last night on my way to play golf in South Texas.
Joe Cotton’s Barbecue, which is located off of State Highway 77 about 16 miles outside of Corpus Christi, has served presidents, actors and plain old folks like me for more than 60 years. And the red-tailed coat-wearing waiters there don’t bring it to you on plates.
No sir. You can order any three of four meats – brisket, pork, pork ribs or sausage (no bird) – and they bring that out on ...
Waiting for Tiger Woods and the 'next Tiger Woods'
Wednesday February 4, 2009 | 10:36:38 pm 322 words, 2578 views
As Tiger Woods gears up for his much-anticipated return, the “next Tiger Woods” is apparently coming to America for a little competition.
Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who just became the sixth teenager to win a European Golf tour event by winning the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, has already accepted a sponsor’s exemption to play in the United States (the Shell Houston Open) as he prepares to play in the Masters.
The 19-year-old is now 16th in the world rankings, making him the youngest player to reach the world’s top 20.
What’s amazing is some are saying that McIlroy is ahead of where Woods ...
A good reason to bring your cell phone to the golf course
Tuesday February 3, 2009 | 10:37:40 pm 304 words, 2392 views
This falls under the category of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
The folks who brought you the easy-to-understand, illustrated “Golf Rules Quick Reference” now have an electronic version that you can load on your iPhone. It’s not like we’re ever going to win the battle against cell phones on the course anyway, so we might as well take advantage of them.
Is it just the guys I play golf with, or do most recreational players have a fairly poor understanding of the Rules of Golf? I’m not just talking about the obscure stuff, but also the basic rules ...
FBR was the golf undercard to a great Super Bowl
Monday February 2, 2009 | 02:22:34 am 313 words, 2278 views
All Kenny Perry had to do was par the final hole at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course, and I wouldn’t have missed the beginning of the Super Bowl. Of course, he bogeyed 18, then finally defeated Charley Hoffman on the third playoff hole to win the FBR Open.
I can only wonder how many fans were still tuned in when Perry drained a 22-footer for birdie to claim the crown. By then, the Steelers already had a touchdown overturned by review and had to settle for a 3-0 lead. When Perry’s putt dropped, there was 9:45 left in ...
The Accidental Golfer
The Accidental Golfer (AKA Mike Bailey) has spent more than 15 years writing about the game that has brought him unbridled joy and temporary bouts of insanity. Now on staff at WorldGolf.com, Bailey is a former senior editor for PGA Magazine, senior writer for Golfweek's SuperNEWS and Turfnet magazines and past president of the Texas Golf Writers Association. He has covered every facet of golf, including the PGA and LPGA Tours, equipment and course architecture, as well as the bane of his golfing existence: instruction. The last has led to at least 30 different golf swings, which all feel different but appear to his playing companions to be the same.
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