This Week at WorldGolf.com: Nov. 29, 2006

How one man learned to love the game of golf

Like most of you, I can look back at my youth and recollect stories that at the time seemed banal, yet give me great delight in retrospect. Like there was the time I watched my little friend Ann chase after Rab, her dog. Rab had her hat, you see. I always wondered if Ann ever caught Rab.

Wait a minute, that wasn't me, that was a story from the McGuffey Reader. Never mind.

One thing that is real, however, is my introduction to golf and how I owe one golf course in particular a debt of gratitude. And, very likely, a debt of several thousand dollars in unpaid green fees.

The course in question is called Los Angeles Royal Vista Golf Course, in Walnut, Calif. I don't understand the "Los Angeles" part of the name much, as the course is about 50 miles east of L.A. Of course, when I lived down the street from the course, it was called "Pomona National Golf Course," which was odd because it's about 30 miles east of Pomona.

Nonetheless, that's where I learned to play golf. A short walk from my house would have me on the course and it's there that I first put club to ball. I was about 12 or 13 at the time and the course was always ready for a couple kids to hop on without anyone seeing.

Me and a couple friends hopped on that course more times than you can imagine. During summer vacations it was nearly a daily event. We didn't escape their notice, mind you. In fact, one summer, they made green fees $1 for nine holes for kids. Looking back, I'm pretty sure they did that for insurance reasons and so they could keep us from popping up on hole No. 10, or wherever we saw the coast to be clear.

It was - and likely remains - a good course, however. It's a 27-hole run where Eric Meeks trained alongside twin brother Aaron on his run-up to winning the 1988 U.S. Men's Amateur. And hopefully it's a course that will forgive me for avoiding so many green fees while I used it to learn how to play golf.

As always, WorldGolf.com welcomes your comments.

Las Vegas takes you from the
concourse to golf course in minutes

For the traveling golfer, Las Vegas might just be the best place in the country to have a layover. McCarran International Airport is only about a mile from the Strip and a few more minutes from downtown. This puts it nearly in the heart of one of the country's great golf destinations. Whether you've got a full day to play 18 at Tom Fazio's Shadow Creek or only a few hours to spare, there are plenty of options within minutes of McCarran.

Also: WorldGolf.com knows Las Vegas golf

Myrtle Beach gives golfers the chance
to play the holes of their dreams

Myrtle Beach has more than 100 golf courses, so it's pretty difficult to pick a golfer's dream nine Grand Strand golf holes. But all that variety also means plenty of choice. Compromise was unnecessary on any of the selections, and in compiling this list we were pretty choosey. Whether or not you ultimately agree with our choices, we believe the following list is filled with some of the best Myrtle Beach has to offer in terms of scenery, difficulty, and, in some cases, just sheer novelty.

Also: The best Myrtle Beach golf courses shine in autumn

Podcast: Be like Tiger
Woods and learn to focus

With the assistance of his father, Tiger Woods learned a special kind of focus. On this edition of their podcast, Barry and Stacy Solomon discuss clarity of mind which can help all golfers free themselves from other distractions so they can concentrate on the task of hitting that ball squarely off the tee.

Sweet Spots podcast: Common myths of Scotland golf