This Week at WorldGolf.com: Nov. 02, 2005

Still say you'll play the Old
Course or nothing at all? Balderdash!

You've heard it ad nauseum, the Mecca of golf is the Old Course at St. Andrews. Many golfers save their pennies for years to make a pilgrimage to play the venerable links. Others just win 18 majors over a storied career and then take a curtain call there at age 65. Well, I haven't yet had the pleasure - to play the Old Course, I mean (nor to win 18 majors, come to think of it). But I just returned from my first golf trip to Scotland and I can say this: There's more to Scotland than St. Andrews. So much more.

Flying into Edinburgh and driving up the east coast past Aberdeen to play Murcar Golf Club and Cruden Bay Golf Club and then on up near Inverness to play Royal Dornach and Nairn Dunbar, I kept hearing over and over again how too many golf travelers come to Scotland and pay an arm and a leg to play the Old Course and some of the others on the British Open rotation and, in the process, drive past undiscovered gem after undiscovered gem. I have to think for the cost of a weeklong trip that includes rounds at Carnoustie, Royal Troon, Muirfield and the like, you could stay at least twice as long in Scotland, playing lesser known links courses that are nonetheless challenging, as picturesque as you'd imagine and drenched in golf lore. What's more, more time in Scotland gives you more time to soak up the atmosphere, to explore the inland countryside, drive along the coasts, hit the whiskey trail, all while meeting some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet.

The point is, if your portfolio allows you to fly to Scotland and hobnob with members at the Old Course, Carnoustie, etc. - well, if you can afford that ticket, go for the ride! But if you don't have the money for that sort of junket, a trip to the Motherland is still doable. And trust, me, if you're a golfer, you owe it to yourself.

Over the coming weeks, look for more Scotland golf and travel coverage here on WorldGolf.com.

As always, WorldGolf.com welcomes your comments.

Mack Daddy Caddy's 'cultural
bridge' a work in progress

Hip-hop is known for its urban roots, the thumping bass of rap music and a lifestyle that can be part mysterious, part irrelevance. Golf is not known for these things. Now, two young promoters are trying to change that with the creation of Mack Daddy Caddy. Former Senior PGA tour caddie Luke Kohl and partner Mike Yohay are working to combine golf with hip-hop music and attitude in a way no one has tried before.

Full story | Also: Hundreds of exlusive Beer Cart Girl photos

Baja Country Club offers golfers
a promising future, quirky present

Baja Country Club in Mexico is very much in a state of transition. Players still come, and they are a mix of Ensenada residents, a handful of folks from Tijuana, and an adventurous batch of Southern California road trippers. However, with real estate prices on the rise, Baja is starting a plan to build new houses near the course and add several amenities. Most importantly, though, they're aggressively bringing the golf course back to life.

Full story | Your full-service guide to golf South of the Border

Making the most of your
practice time wherever you may be

Nearly every duffer out there laments on their lack of time to adequately practice. But time needn't be your enemy when it comes to practice. PGA instructor and author Kellie Stenzel gives some valuable tips on how to make the most of your time while practicing. From the "magic 10 minutes" to keeping focus on what you need to work on, Stenzel gives advice that could take strokes of your game before you know it.

Full story | Also: Tips on how to become the ageless golfer