Newport, R.I. is the land of super-sized, high tech yachts and hulking 19th-century Vanderbilt mansions. And right now, Michelle Wie mania.

The country club East Coast vacation spot seems like a strange place to go gaga over a 15-year-old female golfer. But with the Women's U.S. Open coming to town in June 2006, Wie's expected arrival is drawing plenty of talk.

The funny thing is that all the Women's U.S. Open signs around town -- and everything but the baby strollers in Newport have been plastered with U.S. Open signs -- feature the old schoolers rather than Wie or Paula Creamer. Wie's missing because she's technically still an amateur and Creamer's missing because she was not endlessly overhyped before she started this dominant rookie campaign.

Still even with no pictures of Wie, it's all Wie.

You have to admire the Wie phenomenon. It's an unprecedented marketing monster. Paula Creamer is still better than Michelle Wie now and will always be better than Michelle Wie.

But you have to hand it to the Wie phenomenon. It might be a bunch of hot air at the moment, but it's surely brought the kind of attention women's golf has rarely had before.

Who knew Newport R.I. could look like Jennifer Mario's version of heaven on earth?

For the full story on Wie mania in Newport, stay tuned to TravelGolf.com. For a column on why incredibly historic, but elitist Newport Country Club might not be the proper symbolic site for a U.S. Open, check out this link. For the story of my asking Paula Creamer for a swing tip, go here. For a 3'o'clock dinner crowd's view of Michelle Wie mania, check out this column.

For more Michelle Wie pandering ... well, I'm sure Jennifer Mario will be posting a new blog soon.

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