This Week at TravelGolf.com: October 04, 2005

Tiger Woods has work to
do before he can be like Magic

As athletes, there are plenty of parallels between Tiger Woods and former NBA great Magic Johnson. Both burst on to the national consciousness as teenagers; both had an immediate impact on the professional sides of their sports; both have staggering IQ's for their sports and have done amazing things with a unique flair.

As a former athlete, however, Magic Johnson has set the bar to a height that only the truly dedicated will be able to match.

Recently, in the town of Eastover, S.C., Johnson was on hand for the opening of the Magic Johnson Community Empowerment Center. With 25 computers, the center will help train adults for jobs such as nursing and truck driving, and offer free golf and tennis lessons for children, as well as classes in math, science and character development.

After failed stints as a NBA coach and talk-show host, Johnson, who used his pull to get $250,000 in corporate donations to start the center, has become one of the nation's most prominent philanthropists, working primarily in urban areas.

Late last week, Johnson was in Baltimore, hailing the groundbreaking of a new $90-million residential and retail project by his development group, which focuses on under-served urban areas.

This is in by no way a demand for Tiger Woods to follow Magic's lead. Johnson's philanthropy is notable due to its rarity. But, like Woods is experiencing now, Johnson learned valuable lessons from the corporate benefactors of the sporting world. Now, he's using them to help an area he cares about.

Like Johnson, Woods is the darling of the corporate set. You get that way when you make people a lot of money. Like Johnson, Woods is a minority who enjoys massive cross-culture popularity. And while perhaps Woods grew up in a less urban environment than Johnson, both had a steely dedication to their sports that would eventually lead them to greatness.

As an athlete, Tiger Woods' path has seemed laid out in front of him for quite some time. He understands the history of golf and his place in it and he thrives on competition. His athletic prime should last much longer than Johnson's, who had his NBA career stunted with the onset of HIV.

But what will Tiger become when the last trophy has been won? Will his be another golfing legacy of courses designed for his name and ego, or will it be something on a larger scale?

I take nothing away from Woods' charitable works to date and I understand that his work to become known as the greatest golfer ever still has a ways to go. But when things start winding down and the chase for Nicklaus' records has been completed or left wanting, I hope Tiger puts Magic in his sites.

Magic Johnson set the bar ridiculously high for NBA point guards and is setting the bar high for what a superstar athlete can accomplish when his career is done. Tiger Woods has achieved Magic's fame, but when it's over, will he reach the same heights?

As always, TravelGolf.com welcomes your comments.

Monster to a muffin:
Bay Point golf course in Panama
City evolves behind the bulldozers

The golf course at Bay Point used to leave golfers shaking their head and unwilling to return due to its difficulty. The former Lagoon Legend course was considered one of the toughest in Florida, which didn't go to well with resort living. Co-designed by Gary Nicklaus, the new course at the Panama City resort is not as difficult as the former course, but is it interesting enough to keep golfers coming back for more?

Full story | GolfFlorida.com - Your key to golf and travel in the Sunshine State

Piedmont region of the Tar Heel
state has plenty to offer for golfers

While most of us won't have the same thrill Michael Campbell did when he won the U.S. open in North Carolina, there are plenty of people who feel just as strongly about golf in the Piedmont region of the Tar Heel state. From the splendor of the Duke University golf club and the 36-hole Bryan Park, to designs by Jack Nicklaus and Davis Love III, there's a lot of golf courses to like in the area.

Full story | Bryan Park offers finest greens in Greensboro, N.C.

The Rawls Course gives
Lubbock a West Texas golf gem

Texas Tech University found the right man when they chose Tom Doak to transform a cotton field into a championship golf course. With more 80 traps to punish errant shots, the Rawls Course is more Welsh than West Texan, but the challenging play and reasonable green fees have plenty of golfers willing to play, with some comparing it favorably to local country clubs. Still, the large fairways make it a good play also for high-handicappers.

Full story | Reader Reviewers cleaning up with Free Club Friday