Let’s be open and honest: in one way or another, everyone in the country is feeling the pinch of the sour and economy nowadays. Politicians, pollsters and pundits of all persuasions are talking about the falling value of the American dollar, skyrocketing airfares, the Real Estate Bubble Burst, and the higher unemployment figures. Even though we hear and feel these things ad nauseum, they are all indisputable facts. What’s missing in all the discussions about recession, higher prices of food, and $4 per gallon gasoline, however, is the fact that Productivity in the U.S. is at an all-time high. More is being produced by less people in America. But I think this scenario comes at a price, and that hefty payment is the fact that most Americans are working longer hours and more days per week than they may have 10 to 20 years ago. What’s one to do about this temporary challenge? One obvious personal solution is to find the very best deals available by shopping around and spending your money wisely, especially when it comes to a round of golf, golf getaways or golf vacations. The April 19th fun golf tournament sponsored by Golf Today Magazine at the Lake Don Pedro Golf & Country Club was a perfect “best deal day” during which not a problem in the world was invited or welcome. It was a day that everyone became a winner. It was a day that $99 covered everything, including prizes that topped $250 per player! Most important, it was a day that the “new” Lake Don Pedro Golf & Country Club introduced itself officially to golfers throughout California by co-hosting a golf tournament with Golf Today Magazine. The invitation read: $99 per player, and for that one received a full buffet breakfast, a great box luncheon, and a hot appetizers offering. Executive Chef Brian Krediet is building on his already fine reputation here, and his culinary fares are not to be missed especially at dinnertime when the Meatloaf dinner is an absolute standout. All this food complimented the round of golf at the recently renovated 18-Hole Championship Golf Course whose beauty and enjoyable challenges play second fiddle to very few of the one-thousand courses in California. The fairways are designed wide enough to compensate for whatever winds may appear on the scene to keep temperatures more moderate. The 9th Hole, in my book, played from the gold tees, is an absolute winner, reminding me of the water/rock challenges pdesigned by the late architect Ted Robinson on his courses. Located less than one hour from Modesto, CA, Lake Don Pedro Golf & Country Club lies east on Highway 132 amidst beautiful rolling hills and ranch lands. My ride from Southern California invited me to take Highway 99 north to Hwy. 59 which put me in a serenely calm and sparsely populated world apart the hustle n’ bustle of the maddening crowds found dotted throughout the most populated state in the country. Five minutes off rickety Hwy. 99, I glanced on the right-hand side of the road and saw a herd of buffalo grazing in the still greenish-colored grasses. My momentary thought that I had driven too far eastward and reached Yellowstone Park by mistake and sleep-at-the-wheel was dashed when I then saw, one-half a mile away, Alpaca grazing in their turf. Then seconds further, I saw dozens of burros eating whatever they eat. Nope, I was driving on one of those picture postcard perfectly maintained roads that we see featured on TV travel getaway programs which focus on unknown destinations at which one must stay and play golf. After 20 more minutes of the most relaxing country-road driving I’ve done for quite awhile, I reached the much heralded Lake Don Pedro G&CC which, thanks to an investment of more than $11 million, reflects nothing but new from first-sight. New is one thing, however, but luxury is another, and Lake Don Pedro certainly reflects this higher standard throughout its 17,000 sq. ft. clubhouse with its gourmet restaurant and modern and well-stocked pro shop. Holding all together is the service provided by its staff that provides genuine sincerity in making sure that one’s stay is memorable and will be the first of many to come. I stayed overnight in one of the 18 Golf Villas that are available for rent or sale and, had it not been for work schedules, I would have gladly extended my stay in these villas for several more days. Why so? The Golf Villas are ultra modern, super private, with copious space, featuring high ceilings, most comfortable furniture and beds, with amenities one would think are only provided by Four Seasons. Like the large new thin HD TV screens on the walls, providing all the channels to fit any fancy, plus movie selections galore, with remote-control at will. The Villas are designed for one to 12 people, with completely private bedrooms and baths so that two or three couples could share the lodging and rounds of golf. The Villas will also more than spoil foursomes and eightsomes, say, looking for a great-getaway in comfort and luxury. Lake Don Pedro also features a swimming pool, health & fitness center, its formal restaurant, and banquet and dining facilities which are perfectly suited for weddings, anniversary, parties, and corporate celebrations. The price is right for everything at Lake Don Pedro G&CC, and I mean from the golf to the dinners to the Villas (rent or buy) to the memberships. Price for Green Fees with a cart during the week is $35, making it a “best-buy,” for sure! On Fridays, a cart and a round is only $45, while on weekends the price is $55. Senior rates are as low as $25, as are twilight rates. Junior Rates are as low as $10. As I said at the start of this article, a golfer should shop around for the best buys, and these are among the best. For Memberships, which include unlimited golf and all privileges (with no assessments), the cost is $3,000 for single, $4,000 for a couple, and $5,000 for a family. Monthly dues are $250. Again, with no assessments. Rent for the luxurious Golf Villas run from $199 per one night stay to $795 for eight days, seven nights, again an non-debatable “best buy”. Lake Don Pedro is celebrating its Grand Opening this coming Memorial Day Weekend, with four days of great golf, delicious food, live music, and plenty of chances to win rounds of golf, gift certificates and a grand prize of a luxurious Golf Villa stay ‘n play. Find out more about introducing yourself to this “new” and exciting golf and country club, minutes away from Yosemite, by visiting www.lakedonpedrogolf.com You won’t go wrong for a day, nor for a weekend, and definitely not for a lifetime as a member of the club or a permanent resident of this golf community and way of life.

I am afflicted with what one calls "Printer´s Blood" because for 46 years I have worked in the publishing field with my newspapers and magazines. One of the symptoms of this "disease" is that I feel compelled tor read two or three newspapers each day, and if I don´t, it´s like going to bed without a small treat like butter cookies, or whatnot. As I read these newspapers, I´m amazed at the great number of stories which focus on polls. It´s either a Harris Poll telling us how Hispanics feel about illegal immigrants, or about how young Caucasians feel about the War in Iraq. Then there are the polls which reveal such startling news that our own Congress gets only a 11 percent approval rating, or that 70 percent of New Yorkers are against their Governor´s idea to issue driving licenses to illegal immigrants. Yesterday´s front page had two more polls, one of them indicating what age youngsters start having sex. (13 is the answer!). Give me a subject, any subject, and I´ll find a poll done by Harris or Zogby. One thing that is lacking, however, are polls strictly for golfers. Like, how do golfers feel about Senator Obama? About Hilary? About McCain? About the Iranian Nuclear threat? About national security? How what to do about the housing slump and the foreclosures of up to 3 million homes in the next two years? Well, it´s because politics and golf don´t mix. They don´t mix well on the course when strangers meet on the first tee, and it certainly doesn´t fit for any professional golfer to publicly state his or her thoughts on politics lest they violate an endorsement contract with Nike or some of the big boys. So, not one to fall in line since I did so for four years in the Marine Corps back in early 60s, I´ll stray from the norm and the expected and start my own poll among golfers. Right here and now. • How do you feel about the politics of the day? • Do you think our borders are secure enough? • Who do you think you´ll vote for? • Who is the presidential candidate you would NEVER vote for? • Is the U.S. doing the right thing in the Middle East? • What about the price of gas? Golfers have opinions, too!

The tournament schedule for Golf Today-sponsored tournaments in 2008 is almost completed, with a couple more courses and two more resorts and casinos sitting on the side-line, trying to figure out for themselves the details. Sometimes when a giant of a corporation which owns a casino or resort is SO BIG, it moves soooooooo slowly, because no one can make a decision (they don´t really want to make a decision because if they make a mistake, their heads could be on the chopping block) so they pass on the information and details to yet a higher level of authority which, in turn, passes the same information onto another higher plane of responsibility. I work for myself and my family and my staff, and I don´t account to no one except the IRS once per year in April and the State Franchise Board in July. Other than that, I make my own decisions, mostly on the spot. After 46 years of publishing, I´ve earned the right to say yea or nea immediately after a proposal is made to me. I don´t have to consult with a partner, my wife, a board of directors, or a supervisor. Besides, as an older codger, I´m running out of time to have too much patience. That´s why my patience with corporations which own or manage golf businesses is very low. No one seems to want to make a decision! For the tournaments for 2008, I´ll publish the line-up of all the tournaments to be held in Carson City area, in Reno, and in the Bay Area, plus one Indian-owned casino/golf course complex. Readers of Golf Today Magazine will have a choice this coming year, and can plan to be part of Golf Today´s fun golf outings which feature more prizes per player than any other golf tournament in the West. Golf Today Magazine is most generous at these golf outings because it, as a golf publication, has been blessed for the past 21 years. We pass on our fortunes, perks, and products for the good of all, including the manufacturer of the product, the recipient of the driver, say, and for the good of the resort co-hosting the golf outing. Golf Today itself also benefits. So look for the December Edition of Golf Today Magazine for the dates of the scheduled golf outings to be sponsored by Golf Today Magazine so you can mark your new 2008 calendars and include one or two of these weekends or mid-week events on your busy schedule. See you in 2008!

I´ve been on the road for two consecutive recent weekends, and one of the things I am in tune with is the weather. First thing I do at my computer very early in the morning is look at the Underground Weather site bookmarked on the Internet and look at not only the day´s predictions but those for the next five days. Why so? --Because I can better plan my trips and what clothes to take and wear. See, I reside in the beautiful Southern Sierra mountains in Bear Valley Springs, and often travel down to sea level and sometimes up, again, to 7,000´ elevation in the Northern Sierras as in Tahoe, Carson City and Reno. Okay, now you know it: I´m a confessed and hardened weather nerd or weather freak, describe it as you wish. I just want to be ready for what´s around the corner and overhead, no matter where I drive. That´s why, in my book, Sun Mountain can do no wrong. Every time I wear Sun Mountain apparel, it looks good, it features new designs, it’s comfortable, and it functions –such as the Rainflex I wore to Las Vegas during a recent weekend. Early that morning before leaving on the trip on Friday, the Internet weather report predicted 30% chance of showers and thundershowers for the weekend from Tehachapi to points east such as Las Vegas. Now we all know that all of us, even though we’re uneducated formally in Meteorology, could make just as reliable predictions for the weather as some of these performers on TV weather channels and as accurate or inaccurate weather predictions as those which come over the Internet. With this in mind (30% chance of RAIN also means 70% chance of NO RAIN. So, what does one wear during the 3-day trip? Sun Mountain Rainflex was my choice because one way or the other, I would be prepared: if it didn’t rain (70% chance), I had the sharp-looking black Rainflex jacket to don off the course, and I only had to unzip the front and use it as fall apparel with temperatures in the mid-fifties in the evening. If it did rain (30% chance) during my round of golf, I had the same jacket to wear, only having to zip up the front and be fully protected. This new Rainflex had all my bases covered, on the course, off the course, along the strip, in the casinos, and at fine restaurants. Like I say, Sun Mountain apparel can do no wrong. RainFlex garments are made via a knitting process, thereby allowing maximum stretch where it is needed, like on a golf course. You get 100% stretch across the shoulder, and 30% stretch from top to bottom, and 100% stretch in four directions of bias. When you wear woven nylon garments, you have almost zero stretch, which is a big setback when you’re playing golf unless you wear a garment three sizes larger than you should and thus look like you’re wearing apparel made by Omar the Tentmaker. To me, breathability of a garment is key, since I don’t want to carry around sweat for 18 holes underneath my golf apparel. I want my clothes to breath, which Rainflex does quite admirably, with its vapor transmission rate being seven times that of minimum requirements to be called breathable. Combined with this wicking/breathing attribute is the 100% waterproofing factor: you want your sweat to vanish through the open doors of the microfibres out into thin air, but you don’t want raindrops to get inside your garment on the course lest you end up after the round at the clubhouse like a soaked sponge. Rainflex’s waterproof is twice the minimum waterproof standard, and guaranteed to be waterproof for two years from the date of purchase. This perfect waterproof edge that Rainflex features include zippers that are perfectly waterproof. In addition, all seams are also sealed with flexible tape. Talk about a 21st Century Look! I know that a Space Suit being used by astronauts on the Space Station provide the same protection from the elements, but what about comfort? Here’s where Rainflex again takes center stage. It’s as comfortable as any fleece outerwear you will wear during the upcoming wintry months. And, to boot, Rainflex is totally windproof. The softness of the pliable Rainflex keeps it quiet as you move, unlike woven materials which are noisy with every move. What I especially liked about the Sun Mountain jacket off the course is when I visited the Wynn Hotel/Casino and walked around the shopping area, stopping at one point into one of the most unique ice cream parlors I’ve even seen…..with 40’ tall waterfalls of chocolate and ice creams that truly were creamy and rich in taste. Inevitably in my excitement, a drop of fudge chocolate pecan ice cream dropped onto my jacket and, miracle of miracles!, all I did was wipe the drop off with my napkin. No stain. No wet spot. Rainflex repels all stains, in fact. Rainflex is the result of more than 20 years of R&D at Sun Mountain, and has become the most versatile, comfortable, breathable, versatile, stretchable, and waterproof garment for golfers on the course and off the course. There is a variety of Rainflex apparel for both men and women. You won’t go wrong with Sun Mountain’s Rainflex apparel. www.sunmountain.com

We´ve all read the economic predictions for 2008, and they aren´t in any way, shape or form what you would call optimistic. In fact, most economists and financial pundits are forecasting a recession, gas prices at more than $4 a gallon, home prices continuing to drop while credit is short for doing things, and that includes spending. In the case of the Golf Industry, it means people won´t have the discretionary income to dole out $400 for a new driver as they have in the past. People won´t want to spend $4.50 per gallon to drive from Southern California to Oregon to play four or five fine golf courses. People won´t want to pay exorbitant fees to play golf even in their own areas, as they may have paid years ago. The competition always gets better, sometimes bitter and bloodier,when recessions and other financial woes hit. One thing for sure, however, is that recessions come and go. So does inflation. During these economic storms, only those businesses that recognize what´s happening and only those that adjust their businesses will survive and become stronger. Prices drop on products, discount sales are norm, and mergers are announced weekly. And then we all will have to cope with the political battles being fought for the presidency, with charges laden with doom and gloom by some candidates, while other candidates white-wash their past records and statements, and the country has a nine-month-long weeding-out catharsis which will end, hopefully, at the election next November, and not before the Supreme Court. Yes, tougher times are coming next year, but we all know the axim: the tough get tougher and....... sometimes rougher. Knowing all this, Golf Today Magazine has aligned itself with special clients who will, together, offer golf opportunities that will dazzle golfers, and I´m talking about more golf tournaments at greater value than ever before, and at new and various locations to make it feasible for golfers to attend our 3-day special golf outings. Golf Today will offer 10 golf tournaments in 2008, up 300 percent from this year. Golf Today will also attend more golf shows than ever before, because now, with its new web site, Golf Today offers golf businesses the opportunity to sell countrywide and worldwide, as well as in the West as it has for the past 21 years. We at Golf Today Magazine recognize what the future year holds, but there is no need to panic. Work is key, followed by good business decisions, accompanied by a well-heeled and experienced and loyal staff that is second to none in the golf industry. As I say, there is no need to panic over 2008.

FREE CLASSIFIED ADS IN DIGITAL GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE! Sell your old golf clubs. Sell your new golf bag (you received two for birthday!). Sell your the framed golf picture you got with Sam Snead shaking your hand. Sell whatever you want when it comes to new or used golf equipment, golf memorabilia, golf apparel, golf whatever. Got a Gift Certificate for four to play at Pebble Beach? Got certificates to play free rounds at Bajamar Country Club´s Course? Pay for only first time ($99) and Golf Today will run your classified ad FREE until it sells before a year passes! 50 words maximum. This is for individual golfers, not commercial. No golf stores. No pro shops. No golf businesses. This is golfer to golfer.

BIG DADDY DRIVER As I slowly walked past Booth #542 at the PGA Show in Las Vegas, I saw one of the biggest drivers in the world and the proverbial ‘thought balloon’ above my head read “how can anyone miss with one of these monster sized clubheads?” And then reality hit as though I was playing a bit part on one of those TV shows…… this is not for real, it’s out of this world, it’s meant to get a laugh. It made me laugh. I’m talking about the Big Daddy Driver which looks like, feels like, and is sized like one of newer drivers which have a bigger sweet spot than a Famous Andy’s cookie. This driver is certain to be one of the more humorous items one call bring onto the course. No doubt, because the driver is actually a Weed Whacker Golf Club. For those city folk who don’t know what a weed whacker is, let me explain: it’s a weed and/or about 6’ tall handheld grass cutter, usually brought out of one garage in the Spring when the grasses around one’s property start looking like the Elysian Fields shown at the end of Gladiator. These grasses, starting to dry up as the days get longer and hotter, cause major headaches for fire departments because they cause major fire hazards. Thus, sometimes it takes days to cut all the grasses within 200 or 300’ of one’s home. I have three weed whackers, all worn out and resting this winter for their stage presence next Spring. The Big Daddy Driver, however, is hot as an item for unadulterated hilarity, accompanied by tons of laughs. It features a shaft length of 42”, head width of 7”, head height of 6”, and weighs 1.35 lbs. To boot, it fits into any standard golf bag. You can’t easily tell it from most other drivers except for it being larger. Big Daddy Driver is powered by six AA batteries, with its electric motor powerful enough to cut through the rough around your ball. All you do is flip open the sole of the clubface and place the bottom of the club over that rough you want to cut. Holding the club just like you hit it, you press two buttons on the shaft and, presto! you got yourself a clean shaven turf off which to hit your golf ball! If ever a product should offer a money-back guarantee for laughs, this Big Daddy Driver is it. (No one will return it because it’s a certainty to enliven the ennui that sometimes pervades a slow round of golf.) To see an actual “You Tube” demo and for more info on this most humorous golf club, perfect as a gift for yourself or for a golfer in your life, visit www.bigdaddydriver.com This driver may well produce more laughs than your regular driver in your bag. And, at a cost of only $44.95, it will become THE conversation piece of your round. I guarantee it!

20 years ago, they said it couldn´t be done. "They" were my peers, and "it" was selling the Front Cover of Golf Today Magazine. That´s not journalism, some said. I asked who in the room had a J-Degree, to which no one responded. I raised my hand. Who was accepted into one of the most prestigious Masters Programs for Journalists? No one responded. I raised my hand again. Golf Today was the first, and continues to this day to be sold out on its Front Covers for the next seven months. Then, 29 months ago, Golf Today Magazine again took a bold step forward and was the very first regional golf magazine out of more than 130 in the U.S. to place its entire Print Edition onto its web site via PDFs. Shortly thereafter, other pubs and mags started to do the same. Now, once again, Golf Today is the first to offer what I consider one of the most exciting promotional programs possible, and that is a $1 per page 4-Color Ad on Golf Today´s web site. The ad (or story and ad combined on the page) can be changed daily, monthly or whenever it benefits the advertiser who just has to email a full page PDF to Golf Today with a special password. The $1 per Full Page 4-Color is per day for clients already in the Print Edition in at least 1/4th page promotion. In essence, an advertiser with 1/4th page ad in the Print Edition can have 356 full page 4-color ads in the Digital Edition of Golf Today. After 46 years of owning my own publicatons, all successful, I believe the future of publishing consists of two primary elements: a strong Print Edition, and a comprehensive "living" Digital Edition. Each are just important as the other, and one can´t rest on the laurels of the other. They are as interconnected as one´s left arm to one´s right arm. Those publishers and their supporters who throw their all into fancy highfullutin 4-color high gloss publications without content or without distribution are doomed to failure, as are so many instant web sites that call themselves "magazines" because of the label itself they put atop their site´s description. You must have content in each, you must have interaction between each, you must have a "living" web site which is changing hourly, by the minutes, indeed, if the publisher is to retain or grow in readership. Golf Today Magazine has a new web site as of last month, and daily we inject it with new tweaks and further new programs. It will take another six months before we hit our 100,000 true visitors and 10 million hits per month, but it will come our way as it has already started to. In the last month, Golf Today´s web site has tripled its true visitors. And you ain´t seen nothing yet..... Bob Koczor Publisher/Editor

Forrest Gump had it right about life being like a box of chocolates….you never know exactly what you’re going to get. I say the same thing applies to golf shows, at least the 200 or more that I’ve attended during the past 21 years as owner of Golf Today Magazine. You never ever know exactly what you’re going to get at a golf show. At the “Super Golf Show in Las Vegas” at the end of September, there was more action and excitement on the head of a pin than that which took place during this three-day show. Even though it rained during the night (yes, in Las Vegas!), and even though there was no charge for parking at the Cox Pavilion, Thomas & Mack Center, and even though there was no major golf event on TV that weekend, the show still ended up as one of the worse of the worse. As I walked the length of Golf Today booths, looking for attendees at the show, I couldn’t help but remember the classic sci-fi movie of the 1950’s “The Day the World Stood Still!” I felt like this “Super Golf Show” was a remake of that movie. Hope springs eternal, however, and as faith would have it, the Pleasanton Golf Show two weeks later turned out to be the very best golf consumer show at which I’ve ever worked! Thanks goes in part to the weather, of course, because it rained on Friday and parts of Saturday, keeping golfers off the courses. Mostly, however, the applause should be for Varsity Communications, the Seattle, Washington-based firm led by Dick Stephens and his partner, David. Varsity and its fine staff produced and managed success for all at this golf show: the visitors to the show were more than satisfied at all the “freebies” and sale items they brought home, and the vendors were more than delighted at all the business they conducted, yes, even at some of the best bargain prices one could hope for as a buyer. From finish to end, the Pleasanton Golf Show was not only successful, it was fun, with plenty for all to do, whether it was taking part in contests, receiving free rounds of golf, or just chatting with the vendors who, by the nature of their profession, know a bit more than the average golfer walking around the aisles and kicking the proverbial tires at the golf show. Varsity Communications, not known to skimp when it comes to investing heavily in its projects (remember…..”do it right or not at all”), had plenty of local advertising in and around the Pleasanton area in print and broadcast and other media marketing. They didn’t bite the proverbial temptation to save money on advertising, and they were rewarded justly so. My hats off to Varsity for its Pleasanton Golf Show, and my hopes are that they can duplicate this golf consumer show in San Mateo next March. We’ll see you there, too!

It´s sort of like going to the Dentist....you don´t exactly know how to place your first blog, and you don´t know the pain or discomfort that one can endue in such circumstances. In this case, led by the able direction of Cesar Montes, it was a cream puff. I got this new blog off and running and, readers, stay tuned for real hardcore news about what´s going on in the Golf Industry. You know, like behind the scene kind of stuff that never makes it to the pages of any newspapers and magazines. My readers are also invited to blog in on what I have to say and what I may not say. For now, this is it, but I´ll probably return in a couple hours oncle I get my "work" done. My real work done.

Golf Today Magazine, now in its 21st year, does a lot more than publish one of the finest regional golf publications in the country. We actively attend golf shows, including the PGA Shows, and the major golf consumer shows in the West. Then we host gof tournaments, almost all sold out. Then we take our readers on golf trips. And so on. This coming weekend, we have almost a full house at the Gold Dust West (formerly the Pinon Plaza) at which there will be two delicious dinners two nights, Friday and Saturday. Then we play a round of golf at Sunridge Golf Course, followed the next morning with a round at the West Course Eagle Valley Inn. I´m bringing up more than $15,000 worth of prizes for these golfers, some of whom have attended all nine events during the past nine years. Sure, there´s also entertainment, drinks and gambling to enjoy, as well. And the comraderie of fine people who enjoy life as it should be enjoyed. I know the attornies for Las Vegas will respond in kind to this, but.......what happens in Carson City stays in Carson City. My guests, almost 150 of them, enjoy, enjoy and enjoy....and that may mean playing the slots for an hour and getting their minds off everything else in the world. And that may mean they have a drink on the house, because they don´t have to fret about driving after returning from a round of golf. Or, they don´t fret about playing from a tee box which is one closer than they must play because of peer pressure back at their club or local course. Golf is to be enjoyed, and getting an occasion birdie is part of it. If you don´t get a birdie once a round, move up and enjoy, enjoy and enjoy! The ride for me is almost seven hours long, up Hwy. 395, one of the most beautiful venues in the world. I pass Mt. Whitney which I climbed for 10 years with my friends. Of course I was 45 pounds lighter when I did, and I still had the mentality of a jarhead which I was for four years. Fact is, I still have that mentality, that´s why Golf Today Magazine does as much as it can, without flinching. And that´s what life should be about. Enjoymet without flinching.