On Our Mind Golf Blog

Tiger Woods is no doubt still relishing his victory at The Memorial, and it certainly looks as though he's hitting his stride as the U.S. Open nears, not to mention plenty of fairways (Tiger was 14 for 14 on Sunday). But according to the recently released Forbes Celebrity 100, Woods doesn't even beat out Beyonce Knowles, diva and singer famous for imploring men to "put a ring on it" if a woman is to their liking and urging ladies to upgrade their men if they're not up to par.

The magazine's annual power rankings, which are based on earnings and fame, feature movie stars, rockers, athletes, models, on-air personalities and even a few top chefs. Woods is No. 5 overall, but he does rank as the No. 1 man on the list, falling behind well-known and well-funded females like Angelina Jolie, Oprah, Madonna and Beyonce. 

Circumnavigating Lake Tahoe and traversing through the varied terrains of the High Sierra golf courses is what I imagine it would be like to be inside of  postcard. Whether you're on the valley floor looking up at nature's skyscrapers or on top of the world looking down upon the blue waters of America's most famous mountain lake, it's difficult to ignore the beauty of everything around you.

Here is a sampling of what I've seen over the past few days and a little bit about the places I've passed through. 

Aptly described as majestic, magnificent and truly remarkable, the unmistakeable Edgewood Tahoe golf course set along the shores of one of America's most photographed natural wonders is the toast of the Lake Tahoe-High Sierra golf scene.

Annually Edgewood hosts the American Century Championship, a golf tournament that has featured celebrities like Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Jerry Rice and John Elway over the years.  This year the event celebrates its 20th anniversary and the anticipation of Barkley debuting his re-tooled swing to the public is quite palpable around these parts. 

In 1990, Arnold Palmer flew into a tiny airstrip less than a mile down the road from one of his newest design projects, Dayton Valley Golf & Country Club, to help christen the new course by participating in grand opening ceremonies. Palmer's personal touch was felt then and now. In his design philosophy Mr. Palmer states “I believe in traditional, straight forward design that produces courses with lasting quality and that are exciting and enjoyable for all players," and that's certainly true at Dayton Valley.

His high-desert design has been challenging players for nearly two decades, with plenty of water hazards and deceptively difficult greens, plus significant mounding and undulation throughout the layout. 

This week I'll be golfing and blogging the High Sierra, which encompasses the Reno-Lake Tahoe region and surronding places such as Carson City, Nevada and Truckee, California.

As a golf destination, Reno-Tahoe doesn't deserve to be labeled as underrated, because those who have golfed here tend to offer a decidedly favorable opinion of the place.

But when compared to popular golf hot spots like Central Florida, the Carolinas, Phoenix/Scottsdale, etc...Reno-Tahoe just doesn't have the exposure or the quantity of courses. The High Sierra destination is more like an untapped golf resource with plenty of quality layouts concentrated within an hour's drive of one another. It's out there to be discovered and I hope to highlight some of the places to play, stay, eat and drink over the next few days. 

When I think about avoiding danger on the golf course, it's usually in reference to laying up short of a fairway bunker, keeping my ball away from the water or preventing golf stains from ruining new golf pants.

Steering clear of trouble took on a very different meaning Wednesday afternoon at Newman Golf Course, an 18-hole layout in Peroria, Illinois that is part of the city's Park District.

Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith's hubris has become a lightning rod for criticism launched by opposing teams and their fans, especially during this year's NBA playoffs and especially in Los Angeles.

His on-court displays of emotion, which one could easily confuse for taunting and unsportsmanlike behavior, have branded Smith an immature kid, and at worst have given some cause to label him as a thug...again.

It's easy to overlook the abilities of the golfers taking part in the Golf Channel's Big Break reality series. While an endless string of closest-to-the-pin challenges look fun, they don't really give the viewer a decent idea of what to expect from the competitors in a serious stroke-play event.

While the show is still a few weeks from completion, one of the remaining competitors is making a serious run at this year's U.S. Open.

Wiretaps, omniscient surveillance cameras like the mega-computer type that followed Shila Labeouf's every move in the horrible sci-fi flick Eagle Eye and email evesdropping are a few methods, fictional or very real, that our government uses to keep tabs on what we're up to.

Since the beginning of time, neighbors tired of the kids next door batting, hitting or throwing balls into their yards could've used similar high tech equipment to catch the culprits.

Putting aside anything economy-related for the purpose of this discussion, just how much is too much to pay for playing a single round of golf, even on a beautiful, seaside course that has hosted a major championship or two?

Pebble Beach Golf Links has set the standard for exorbinant greens fees, especially when you factor in a stay at the Pebble Beach Resort, which is the quickest way to gain access to a tee time at the course that has hosted four Men's U.S. Open Championships, one PGA Championship and is set to host yet another U.S. Open next year.