This Week at TravelGolf.com: September 27, 2005

Captain Jack plays team
for saps and it works for golf

Jack Nicklaus still possesses the magic.

No, not to hit incredibly inventive clutch golf shots. That's been a memory for longer than "The Cosby Show" has been off the scene. Nicklaus stuck around for so long as a player that Gordie Howe started wondering when he was ever really going to retire. George Foreman just concluded Nicklaus was waiting to come up with something as inventive as a hamburger grill and finally just gave up in frustration at St. Andrews.

The Nicklaus magic is still present in master salesman manipulation, though. The legend who deserves a bear's share of the credit for the celebrity golf architect phenomenon of "signature" holes was up to his old tricks in Northern Virginia this weekend.

Jack Nicklaus actually made a few people care about the Presidents Cup. And not just any few people. Actual American pro golfers. By making it seem like he was set to hobble into an old golf home and spend the rest of his days catching the early bird dinner special, Nicklaus tugged on the heartstrings of endorsement contract millionaires who weren't supposed to have heartstrings.

Did you see Tiger Woods running to hug Chris DiMarco on Sunday? Tiger hasn't rushed somewhere so fast since he bailed out on the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. Heck, did you see DiMarco drain that 15-foot birdie putt on 18? This is the same guy who even TravelGolf.com Managing Editor Mark Nessmith, our proud romantic-comedy-loving hanky man, once accused of choking on a pizza bone?

No, it's the same guy hoodwinked by Jack Nicklaus.

Captain Jack? Try Oprah Jack.

For even the queen of getting celebrities to act like they're really human (Tom Cruise's freakish couch jump aside), could not have played Tiger and Co. better than Nicklaus did. Nicklaus has no intention of giving up this coaching gig. He loves the spotlight way too much. But by making everyone on the U.S. team think this could be his last run as a coach, Nicklaus pulled some genuine emotion out the players.

"I don't know why in the world they want to care about winning one for an old man," Nicklaus said in the post victory press conference.

Well, maybe because you made them feel like they should, Jack!

And what is Nicklaus' reward for this no-harm con job? He'll be coaching in future international competitions to his heart's content. Tom Lehman might not want to get too comfortable in that Ryder Cup captain's chair.

This is still all about building onto an already Mount Olympus legacy for Jack Nicklaus, not flag waving. Nothing wrong with that. Just don't be manipulated into thinking otherwise.

As always, TravelGolf.com welcomes your comments.

Bryan Park offers 36 of the
finest greens in Greensboro, N.C.

A Greensboro girl brought Joseph Bryan to North Carolina, and Bryan's vision has brought some amazing golf to the state of North Carolina. A successful businessman with a philanthropic side, Bryan helped create a gorgeous land parcel near Greensboro's Lake Townsend that came to be known as Bryan Park. The 36 holes that exist there today are a permanent testament to his desire to bring a top-notch, public-access golf facility to his fellow citizens.

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Quail Lodge: A slice of California
countryside for Monterey golfers

The Monterey Peninsula is home to golf courses that can bring out your competitive side, but Quail Lodge gives you both a challenging play and a tranquil environment. With award-winning turf management, the course trails the Carmel River to give golfers a day of golf that will feel like a deep-tissue massage for the senses. And the resort's recent $25-million upgrade makes it a choice for those venturing inland from the beaches of Carmel.

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White Bluff on Lake Whitney: an all-
inclusive escape for Texas golfers

It may seem like out in the middle of nowhere, but White Bluff Resort is a trip worth taking. With two championship courses designed to make the most of the beauty of Lake Whitney, this is a part of Texas you shouldn't miss. And while the courses can be a bit tough, you can always frolic with the deer, raccoons and foxes if you get tired of marking down to many high scores.

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