I was lucky enough to catch a round yesterday with one of my trusty golf cronies. The weather was clear but a bit chilly. In other words... perfect golf weather! And as usual, I was running late for the 1:51 tee time my friend had arranged.

As I was rushing into the lavish clubhouse at one of our favorite local public links locations, I couldn't help wondering if it was a wise decision to spend the fifty or sixty bucks on this casual mid-week round. I probably should've stayed in my office and finished a few of the several unfinished projects I had so willingly left on my desk. Ah... such is the hypnotic magic of the game.

I stood impatiently at the counter with credit card in hand waiting for confirmation of the drive-out cost of the round. $30. I looked up and said "that's for eighteen holes, right?" The response came back, "Yep, with a cart."

I finished the transaction and joined my buddy who had been waiting on the practice green for quite some time. I mentioned the fee to him and he echoed my own surprise. "Unbelievable!" he said. "I remember paying $40 for nine holes just a couple months ago."

So here's the premium local public course that charges the $75 plus dollar weekend round dumping their price point thru the floor in order to get a few weekday golfers out on the course. How will they manage the mortgage of that tricked-up two year old clubhouse? How indeed?

And as we drove to the first tee there we're no other golfers in site. Yikes! Will these guys still be around next month? Please tell me this is one course's dilema. Or are the fees in your neighborhood falling into the dumper too?

The long anticipated return of the great Tiger Woods came and went without much fanfare in my house. I made a point to watch some of Thursday's match and about a half hour on Friday ...and that's a bunch of TV golf for me these days.

I guess I just needed to see if he would be somehow different, better or stronger than before. When I rationalize through this thinking I understand how his return to competition would be sort of soft and gentle. Recovery from knee surgery should be slow, careful and methodical ...right?

But this is Tiger Woods we're talking about and I have to remind myself not to be carried off by his incredibly powerful, media focused alter-superego! You know... the superstar golfer that the media has made him into in order to rake in zillions of bucks in TV revenues and such. See William Wolfram's article  "...no other golfers matter again" at WorldGolf.com.

For me it was a bit of an anti-climax. And, I will freely admit, I've enjoyed watching some lesser known golf titans whacking away at each other. Don't be confused, I'm not anti-Tiger. He is, without question, the absolute best golfer on the planet. But I can't help thinking that beneath his Super Golfer veneer, he 's just a regular guy. What do you think?

I was talking to a lifelong golfing buddy recently and he admitted that his long-term addiction to premium golf shirts was still in full force. They're perfect for work, parties, church and anywhere that business casual attire is deemed appropriate.

He even admitted that the deepest reaches of his closet still harbor a few shirts from those wicked golf crony trips we did in the mid 90s. Even his wife has attempted to nudge those ancients out. He contends that when you buy the finest, they last forever! So true... but what about style? Is golf style so stoic that there's no room for freshness?

Enter Loudmouth Golf. With a slogan that reads "Loudmouth puts the fun back in golf", they're sure to get some attention. And if it's attention you want, I recommend you test drive a pair of their pants. My preference leans toward the Disco Balls myself, but several of those not-so-subtle patterns caught my eye. It gives a whole new perspective to the old adage, Go big or go home. Maybe Go LOUD or go home is a bit more fitting in this case.

What a great way to infuse a fresh look into your weekend golf apparel collection. Perhaps my diehard buddy could pair up a few of those oldies-but-goodies with a pair of Loudmouth A-Tisket-A-Tasket Argyles. I'm fairly sure his vintage golf shirt will go unnoticed.

I've got a cobalt blue Adidas ClimaLite shirt that might work with a pair of these babies. I just can't decide which way to go. I could use a suggestion from you!

I enjoy Golf Digest's Golf Guru column. He's brief, interesting and to the point. I was particularly taken by his quickie column in January's issue called the guru's advice for hard times. He pointed out a recently published report listing five tips for well-being in these turbulent times. And upon first glance most of the tips were, well, not really much about golf. Ah, but the guru can connect life and golf like no other.

1. Connect with family, friends, colleagues and neighbors. What better way than during a round of golf?
2. Excercise. It makes you feel good. A five mile walk plus lots of calisthenic golf swings will chase away the blues.
3. Take notice. Catch site of the beautiful. Savor the moment. Ponder those gorgeous trees, the dramatic sky, the wonder of it all.
4. Keep learning. Try something new. Discover swing theories, tips or new shots from books, magazines or your local pro. Then try them. Practice. Preserve.
5. Give. Do something nice for a friend or a stranger. Thank the pro, the starter, the ranger. Look for your opponent's ball. Concede putts. Donate a prize or volunteer for a junior program. Be generous with tips and smiles

So it's official, says the guru ...golf makes you happy. And true happiness is completely recession-proof!

Once again I'm reminded just how the game parallels life itself. I had to read over the list a few extra times. I found them all so true about life, and golf. So now it's your turn. How is the great game going to help you navigate your troubled waters?

I just couldn't wait! A loyal reader asked if I would review their new golf nutrition bar. At first I thought I'd better wait until we get a bit closer to the season. I figured that would be the best way to give it the proper on-course test drive. Upon further reflection, however, I decided that my new friends at Sun Valley Bar would probably like the review sooner rather than later.

So with sample bars in hand I decided to grip, rip and chomp! And in order to get some additional perspective, I opted to include a local confidant and loyal reader of golfnoise to join me in the test. Relatively speaking, she's a newbie golfer but she's all into the nutritional bar scene. She has a seventeen year old son and is in a constant search for quality snack foods. And being a southern California transplant, she's test driven them all! She's compared ingredients, nutrition value and cost for just about every snack bar out there.

For my own purpose and I suspect most of the casual golf snackers out there, I'm interested in evaluating flavor, so I called off the nutritional watch dog and decided we would pick which ones to recommend based on the single most important criteria... TASTE! Not that nutrition should be ignored but we figured you would make your own comparisons on Sun Valley's nutrition page.

With flavors in hand, we set out. Our first choice was Cranberry Almond.  Because these are the uber-trendiest ingredients that seem to inhabit every snack food on the market. We followed with Goji Lemon, all the while wondering what Goji is. I guess we're just simple people here at golfnoise. We moved on to Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. This one made me a little nervous as my son is allergic to peanuts and any snack whose ingredients even hint at peanuts is not allowed near the noisemaker household. And finally, the flavor we assumed would be the hands-down leader ...Chocolate Chocolate Chip. We figured with a name that doubles up on the word "chocolate," you just can't miss!

And the winner is... Well, as it turns out, we weren't so quick to pick the best of the lot. And that's good news. Without one stand out taste leader we decided there were pros and cons to each. I can imagine stowing a variety of bars into my bag so I can follow whatever taste-mood I'm having that day. Suffice to say, they all had a uniquely different taste and with the health benefits associated with their whole food ingredients we concluded you would do well with any or all of them in your bag.

So the golfnoise crew gives the Par Bar a definite thumbs-up! And as it turns out, the Par Bar ranks up there with the best of the best of the all natural, whole food snacks out there. So the next time that cute little cart-missy pulls up to my foursome, I'll pass on the beer and chips choice and reach into my snack pouch for the Chocolate Chocolate Chip... or the Cranberry Almond... or perhaps the Goji Lemon. Hmmm. I still can't quite decide. Maybe you could pick up a selection and get back to me with your favorite. The Sun Valley folks would sure appreciate that!

Now that we've got the fatso holiday put to bed it's time to get on with the gifting part of the season. But what would be the perfect gift for that special person in your life? Take my precious daughter for instance. Isn't she cute? Last year she received a brand new set of golf clubs for Christmas and I'm not sure we made it more than three times to the driving range. And we didn't set one foot on a real golf course! What a shame.

So how's a proud father supposed to share the great teachings of life without getting out to the course to bang the little white one around... or maybe a little pink one in her case. There's an idea. How about some shiney fresh golf balls. Well the Pro Vs may be a bit too advanced for an eight year old. But just perfect for me... Santa, if your listening. Perhaps a sophisticated stand bag. Everyone needs one of these great golf bags, right? Yea... but her new set came with the cutest little girlly bag. And it hasn't seen much use.

I'm thinking it's all about me spending some quality time and effort with her on the course.  And who cares if she doesn't show the prowess potential of Michelle Wie. She's all mine... and I can't think of a better way to spend a few hours.

Tell us about that special someone on your list. And don't forget to shop golfnoise! 

Now that we're on the doorstep of the holiday season, I thought it might be a good time to spread a little gratitude.

I was recently invited to play a casual round at Norwood Hills Country Club. Now I've played many of the local private country clubs, but Norwood holds a special place in my heart as I was a member for a dozen years before my children came along. The circumstances of leaving my membership were not as much about a lack of cash, but a lack of available time. With the arrival of bright and shiney new twins in mid 2000 I just wasn't able to find enough time to play.

My good friend Spivey, who remains a Norwood member in good standing, recently issued a spontaneous invitation one sunny afternoon. I just couldn't resist. The course layout is amazing... with greens like greased lightning. I wasn't able to post much of a score but the afternoon was a delightful reminder of days gone by.

With busy days rushing past so quickly, we sometimes miss the small opportunities to enjoy the moment. That afternoon we settled back into the familiar rhythm that we owned nearly a decade ago. It was a rare treat and I am grateful for his generousity. I won't soon forget it.

Take a moment this weekend to think, remember and thank those who've made your season fun and exciting. Then fire up your favorite golf tale and tell us all about it!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Now that we're nearing end-of-season playability I feel I must comment on just how lucky I am to have readers that pay attention. There were a caring handfull of faithful followers who lived through my unfortunate golf club heist earlier this year. I recieved many well wishes and even a few trinkets that made that period of retooling much less painful.

But there was one who stepped well above the rest when they offered me a premium golf bag for nada expenditure on my part. How generous is that? They sent me a Burton Hybrid CSX bag. It's got a ton of nifty features including 14 individual full length dividers, an outside putter pod and clip, 8 pockets, a cool rapid access pocket and an easy-grab beverage pocket. It's a fantastic bag!

So what have we learned from this kind gesture of generosity? Well, after my first full season with this bag I now know that Burton manufactures excellent golf products as well as cool snow sports equipment.  I've also learned that the people at ForeFront Golf are serious golfers and their extensive web site is definitely worth a look. Did I mention that the bag came packed with a bunch of nifty golf resort ball markers, ditti bags in different sizes and materials, and some ultra cool head covers. It was a little like an early Christmas gift!

Now all you golf fanatics should grab your holiday gift lists and head on over to ForeFront Golf. They've got all sorts of spiffy golf goodies just waiting for you and your trusty credit cards! Get on with the giving. It feels good.

New eyes and new clubs... Change is good! I am now about a month into fresh eyes and fresh clubs. Since my LASIK procedure I've experienced lots of good and some not so good. It's great to loose the everyday eye wear but as with all new things, it's taken some getting used to.

The tee balls are easier to loose sight of but I'm determined to improve my shot accuracy. When you're in the fairway they're always easier to find! Judging distance is a bit trickier but adjusting from playing in bifocals should ultimately be a walk in the park.

And then there's the new Titleists. When you retool the sticks from top to bottom you've got to give yourself enough time and space to re-find your playing equilibrium. It's an essential part of the retooling process. And as with every major shift in experience... time will provide the perspective you need to sharpen your skill set well beyond it's original place.

Patience is truly a virtue. Do I have enough?

I made yet another life changing decision last week. I had LASIK. And at this moment, I'm at five days without glasses. I must tell you... It's AWESOME! Everything seems simpler, cleaner and sharper now. I realize I'm a newbie but this first week sans spectacles been a lot of fun.

Now comes the real test. Will I have the visual acuity from the tee box that I had with glasses? It's all unknown at present but I'm chomping at the bit to give it a whirl. I suppose the safest test would be a jumbo bucket at the range, but the range just doesn't thrill like the on-course tee ball. 

So I'm looking for a round this week. I wonder if I could squeeze a couple extra strokes from my regular foursome. Hmmm. Sounds like a plan. 

There is no doubt that Tiger makes the golf world go round but my boy Rocco Mediate deserves a special pat on the back for his lone accomplishment. That is, his stellar U.S. Open performance was enough to take him to the top of the mountain and have a good look at the winners circle. As a matter of fact, he not only glimpsed the winners circle but forced a broken Tiger through an extra knee-jerking nineteen holes on Monday to capture it.

So let's give credit where credit is due and pay the appropriate homage to the forty-five year old crowd pleasing performance that nearly toppled the king of the game. Everybody knows that Tiger, on any given Sunday could and probably would blow Rocco off the links. But this time the old guard stood fast and forced the much admired top-dog to play to the bitter end and beyond to earn the trophy he wanted so bad!

Don't you love it when the game gives us what appears to be a completely upside down circumstance. Rocco was the one defying gravity this time, and that gives some street-cred to the guys who aren't super-young and super-fit!  

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