Rory McIlroy, a Chandler-Slam and other hot 2011 U.S. Open golf topics

Surely the hottest buzz during the 2011 U.S. Open was in response to Rory McIlroy's tremendous golf game but there were other side stories that kept the media, and fans, humming. Here are a few memories from the 111th U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club.


1. A Chandler-Slam?  Rory McIlroy's stupendous comeback after a misstep at the Masters to become one of the youngest U.S. Open champions set the stage for a possible 2011 Chandler-Slam. Andrew "Chubby" Chandler's stable of top-notch golfers has given him a few major wins including last year's Open winner Louis Oosthuizen and 2011 Master's Champion Charl Schwartzel. Could Lee Westwood grab this year's "British Open" or will McIlroy's confidence carry him through the rest of the season?


2. The next Tiger Woods?  McIlroy will have to win quite a few more tournaments to be placed in the same league as Woods, but leave it to the media to make comparisons to get fans' juices flowing. In majors it's still Tiger Woods-14, Rory McIlroy-1.

McIlroy perfecting the Tiger Woods fist pump

3. If Tiger Woods makes a comeback, can he compete against a younger group of golfers?

Tiger Woods' physical (and mental) issues could prevent a comeback. His body is not recuperating as easily as when he was Rory's age. The youth, talent and mental strength of McIlroy may have the Tiger by his tail.


4. European Tour and Asian Tour globalize the U.S. Open. During the U.S. Open, there were questions as to whether or not an American would finish in the top-ten; if not, it would have been the first time since the early 1900's that an American could not rise to the occasion. During his reign, was Tiger Woods so overpowering as to leave a gap in the strength of the PGA Tour? European/Asian Tour players did not have the same distraction week after week.



5. Fashion sense (?) Bubba Watson's camoflage pants ; you either loved them or hated them but either way, fans had something to say about them. Come to think about it, pink pants were stylishly worn by Ryo Ishikawa but similar threads donned by Davis Love III didn't go over well, especially by a man who rides a custom chopper.


Finally, during the NBC opening sequence of the final round of the U.S. Open, a few words were noticeably left out of the Pledge of Allegiance. Although hosts apologized for the "under G-d" mis-hap, it was an unfortunate bloop (?) to make but still not as bad as Christina Aguillera's rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner."


Photo Credit: Washington Post, Huffington Post, Blog.Syracuse.com

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Dustin Johnson's Myrtle Beach as a world-class golf vacation destination

U.S. Open hopeful Dustin Johnson is actively promoting the golf mecca, kids are flocking to it (for the free golf?) and the beaches are so pure that the Grand Strand has been ranked as one of the best and least expensive vacation areas by U.S. News Media Group. Myrtle Beach is a rising star as a family fun destination.

Dustin Johnson at home in Myrtle Beach

 Earlier this season, 2010 fifty-four-hole U.S. Open leader and area  native Dustin Johnson signed on to promote the Myrtle Beach region as "America's number-one golf destination." Twenty-six year-old Johnson said,

"Myrtle Beach truly is one of the world’s top golf destinations, and has so much to offer in the way of beaches, restaurants, nightlife and even shopping. I can’t think of a better place for a golf vacation, and I’m proud to now be able to spread the word. Regardless of where I reside, Myrtle Beach will always feel like home."


In addition to Dustin Johnson's promotion of "The Golf Capital of the World", and in an effort to grow the game of golf and to make memories in a family-friendly environment, kids will be allowed to "play free" on almost half of the Myrtle Beach area golf courses.


The Myrtle Beach area Kids Play Free summer program is also meant to encourage a bit of friendly competition between fathers and sons, mothers and daughters and all who would like to compete in the 2011 Summer Family Golf Tournament.


The series, hosted every Wednesday at a different golf course from June 29th-August 10th is open to any duffer, whether or not you have a handicap. I fear however, that Myrtle Beach tee times may also be at a premium during this summer season!


Here is a sampling of a few well-known Myrtle Beach area golf courses participating in the "Kids Play Free" Program.

Wachesaw Plantation East

Wachesaw Plantation East is a Tom Fazio designed, low country Scottish links course listed in Golf Digest's "Places to Play" list and was also host to the LPGA Tour on four occasions. The eighteenth hole, it is said, is a well-known visual spectacle and should not be missed.







Sandpiper Bay Golf Club was the 2010 MBAGCOA Golf Course of the Year and is rated four stars by Golf Digest. It's on Sunset Beach, about twenty minutes from the heart of the action, newly renovated and you may just spot professional golfers like Curtis Strange hosting a free clinic this season!






Although Tidewater Golf Club is very challenging (especially in the rain), it is also nature at its best. A true risk-reward course, a golfer needs good course management to score. A Golf Digest "Top 100 You Can Play", Tidewater is definitely a world-class Myrtle Beach golf course but may be too strenuous for beginners.





With about one-hundred golf courses spread throughout the Myrtle Beach area, golf is definitely a main attraction. Visit the beach, add the NASCAR Speed Park experience, Broadway at the Beach and Zipline fifty-feet above water and you and the kids will keep busy your entire vacation!




Photo Credit: Golfweek, Tracy Wilcox
Photo Credit: Wachesaw Plantation East

Hotels, Golf and Non-Stop Atlantic City Casino Action

At least once or twice a year I travel three hours from New York to Atlantic City, New Jersey, in order to partake of boardwalk/beach action, great casinos and, of course, the nightlife. Rarely do I ever spend more than an overnight and, strangely enough, I have never played one round of golf in Atlantic City!

The Atlantic City Golf Course (operated by Hilton Hotels) is undeniably a place to play a round of golf; the terms "Birdie" and "Bogey" were coined there, but it is to understand casino strategy and pull the one-armed bandits that I usually find myself in New Jersey.

I am not a heavy gambler; as a matter of fact, I rarely move past the quarter machines to the dollar machines, but I still like the action of pulling the slot handle and usually sit mesmerized until the wheels have made their stop. It is usually my husband who will meander with me through the roulette and blackjack tables in order to find the dealer that "feels" right.

Also, the drinks are free in Atlantic City casinos...definitely a "plus"!

Being that I have stayed and played (even briefly) in almost every resort in Atlantic City (including off-boardwalk premises), here are a few hotel and casino reviews to make the most of your vacation.

Caesars brands include probably the largest conglomerate of hotel rooms and casino space in Atlantic City, perhaps with the Trump Organization weighing in a close second. On the boardwalk, four uniquely different interconnected resort hotel buildings are Caesars, Ballys, Wild West Casino and Claridge Hotel; a very brief five-step walk from the door of Caesars to the door of Trump Casino makes this a five-casino hotel connection (Trump Hotel and Casino should be investigated...it's as glitzy as some of "The Donald's" New York City hotels and I have won in the casino!)


Not only are the hotel buildings all an indoor walk to each other, Caesars has reopened a beautiful indoor mall shaped like a ship which has a wonderful water show every half hour on the hour. This means that, for people who want to explore but don't wish to wander the boardwalk, everything you could ever need or want is indoors; gambling, food and fun!


For those people who would prefer staying at a resort which is about a half-mile stroll to the center of the boardwalk, I suggest the Hilton Casino Resort, next to Tropicana hotel. The Hilton provides a lovely beach bar, elegant surroundings and, in my humble opinion, good odds. Also, right next door to Hilton is the Tropicana, a huge resort complex for when you feel you need more excitement and a change of scenery. The Tropicana also has so many dining options and is so large that you may lose your way!


On the opposite side of the boardwalk, and for fans of New Orleans, stop by the Showboat. House of Blues makes its Atlantic City home at the Showboat and it is also right next door to the once glamorous Resorts Hotel and Casino. I personally liked the Showboat Hotel more in the past, when there was a live band in the lobby and the musician who wandered around entertaining and teaching guests to play the spoons in the hallway but cutbacks, I guess, have made these entertaining treats unaffordable.

Showboat Hotel and Casino with House of Blues

I am content to visit Atlantic City at least once or twice per year although it is certainly not as bustling as the Las Vegas strip (it also isn't a five-hour flight away). I might eventually play golf in Atlantic City but for now, it's the long stretch of boardwalk and entertainment keeps me coming back for more.




photo credits
Atlantic-City-Casino.com

Golf and Adventure Getaway Jamaica -style

One segment of the girls' golf getaway package at Breezes Runaway Bay Resort is, naturally, to take a lesson and play a round (or more) at the SuperClubs Golf Club but once that is done, what are five adventurous ladies supposed to do? Why not interact with dolphins!

 Receiving a kiss from Skye the dolphin

The morning began with a lovely breakfast buffet including the freshest of fruit and some of the finest Jamaican coffee (with warmed milk) at the Beach Buffet. The girls gathered in the lobby and were escorted to Dolphin Cove at Treasure Reef, purported to be Jamaica's number one attraction, to get up-close and very personal with dolphins, sting-rays and even stand over shark-infested waters!

 Swimming with dolphins

We opted for the "Encounter Swim" program and had enough time before meeting the dolphin named "Skye" to first watch an entertaining shark show where the sharks were "tame" enough to allow their trainers to rub their undersides.

 Shark Show at Dolphin Cove

The girls even had the opportunity to hold a very heavy, slithery stingray then snorkel alongside of these mammals and other assorted fish. Stingrays are carnivorous yet non-aggressive shellfish although they do have poisonous barbs, only used in self-defense. We snorkeled alongside these and other fish. My first snorkel experience was very exciting and memorable.

 Holding a stingray, barb clipped

A tour of Ocho Rios was next on the agenda. I found myself slowly slipping into a state of happy "ya mon" and everything was beginning to look IRIE.


My first experience in Jamaica was in Ocho Rios: I fell down a manhole, legs dangling, while my husband looked around to see where I had disappeared! Many of the local shop ladies came to help, clean me up and "mother" me and from that time forward, I have always felt that there were no kinder, more helpful people than Jamaicans.

 Ocho Rios

Ocho Rios proudly displayed a bustling thoroughfare. Jamaica's main cruise ship destination of was named by the Spanish Las Chorreras, or The Bay of Waterfalls while the Arawak called Ocho Rios, Maguana.

The drive up Shaw Park Road led us to the newly opened Oceans on the Ridge Restaurant and Jerk Bar where views of the cruise ship port and mainland go on for miles while towering behind the bar stands Mick Jagger's vacation hideout.

Mick Jagger's supposed hideaway in Ocho Rios and a view from just below his estate of Ocho Rios

Continue along Shaw Park Estate and you will come upon Mahoe Falls Coyaba Gardens. Coyaba is the Arawak word for heaven and, with an assortment or rare and tropical plantings, a waterfall climb and George the Peacock outstretching his plumes for guests, this beautiful retreat will take your breath away.

Beautiful floral specimens and banana trees found at Coyaba Gardens

The day was filled with action, fun and and much relaxation, so much so that I knew that I had finally shifted into "vacation-mode".



<==We'll be enjoying Asian Fusian cuisine in front of a hibachi tonight at Munasan, one of Breezes Runaway Bay's two reservation-required restaurants.


==>Last night, we celebrated my birthday at the Resort's Italian Restaurant Martino's (complete with antipasti bar, delicious cheesecake and a heartwarming rendition of the Happy Birthday song.)



Tomorrow I head for home back aboard Air Jamaica but I won't be thinking of that tonight for we are celebrating reggae-style!


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Air Jamaica makes travel to Runaway Bay a Breeze

Although air travel was more than a bit turbulent on today's descent into Jamaica's Donald Sangster Airport, the "super-inclusive" hospitality offered by Caribbean Airlines made up for any discomfort.

Most airlines tack on fees for baggage and throw you a bag of peanuts but Air Jamaica offers fliers two bags of luggage checked-in for free, a treat if you want to bring your golf clubs with you to Breezes Runaway Bay.

I was also surprised to receive a hot, tasty sandwich with two snacks. The online web portal check-in, available within three to twenty-four hours of my Jamaica escape, offered a short wait on the "special" line.

Air Jamaica, which just merged with Caribbean Airlines, calls their attentiveness "lovebird service", I considered it refreshing!


Once the flight arrived safely in Jamaica, customs validated my passport and then it was a short walk to the Breezes Runaway Bay lounge located inside the airport terminal. Travelers were greeted and quickly checked-in then shuttled off to the lavish twenty-two acre resort for super-inclusive service.


My super-inclusive Jamaica vacation began with a delicious buffet lunch at the al fresco Beach Terrace restaurant. Stations offering a variety of food from grilled shrimp and pasta (my choice) to tacos (and tempting desserts like warm chocolate bread pudding) had me going back for seconds.

 Breezes Runaway Bay Jamaica

You would think that the soft-sand beach is the main attraction at Breezes Runaway Bay but it is the people who work here and greet you with "Welcome home" that are the stars of this Resort.

 Friendly service at Breezes Runaway Bay Beach Buffet

Tomorrow, my Jamaica golf vacation kicks off with a video golf lesson and a round to be played at SuperClubs Golf Club. The fact sheet on this par 72 eighteen-hole championship golf course says that a few of its strengths are large flat greens protected by grassy mounds and sand bunkers. Add wind gusts of up to thirty-five mph and you can see why the SuperClubs Golf Club has hosted the Ryder Cup match between the UK and the West Indies, among other professional events.

View from the fairway: SuperClubs Golf Club

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A Memorable Kodak Challenge at The Memorial

Although Steve Stricker trophied with a one-stroke win at The Memorial (and had a memorable hole-in-one this week), it was Zack Miller who captured Kodak Challenge Shot of the Day honors when he dropped his 136-yard approach to one inch of the cup on hole fourteen during final round action. Miller was one of thirteen pros to birdie the tricky 363-yard par-4 Kodak hole at Muirfield Village.

While Miller's near eagle led to the easiest Kodak birdie, Daniel Summerhays drained a twenty-one-footer for the final round's longest Kodak birdie putt.

About Kodak Challenge hole #14 at Muirfield Village GC

Kodak Challenge hole number fourteen is a tricky 363-yard par-4. The picturesque hole presents golfers with a downhill tee shot into a wide, tree-lined valley. About 245 yards from the championship tee, a creek emerges from the left woods to border the fairway. This carries on for some 40 yards before angling across it and then on down to flank the right side of the green. The green is long and narrow and heavily guarded left by several bunkers.

Earlier in the week, Charley Hoffman picked up a stroke in the opening round for sole possession of second place on the Kodak leaderboard at 10-under-par. Hoffman sits just one shot behind frontrunner Bill Lunde, who played No. 14 at par before withdrawing due to illness. J.B. Holmes and Matt Kuchar also gained ground at Muirfield Village with Kodak birdies to move within two shots of Lunde at 9-under.

Kodak Challenge hole fourteen played exactly at par during the final round of the Memorial Tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus. The firm and fast green yielded thirteen birdies, forty-nine pars, nine bogeys and two double bogeys.

The next Kodak Challenge hole is the 239-yard par-3 fourteenth at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee during the FedEx St. Jude Classic this week, June 9-12.

The FedEx St. Jude Classic will be the eighteenth of thirty tournaments to participate in the $1 million season-long Kodak Challenge competition.

photo credit: GolfObserver.com


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