http://susanbairley.com Great Golf and Travel Writing Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:18:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Golf fitness Coach Larry Jacobs says, if you eat healthy, you can up your overall health proportionately, a 0 + 1 = 1 equation.   If you add exercise to an otherwise sedentary lifestyle, and don’t change your eating, you’ll have a similar effect, 1 + 0 = 1.  But if you eat healthy and start a regular exercise regimen, Jacobs of www.thingolfer.com , says you’ll have a multiplier effect.  “Suddenly you have 1 + 1 ... ]]> http://susanbairley.com/golf/golf/personalities/176/1-1-4-when-you-combine-healthy-eating-and-exercise-says-golf-fitness-coach First of all, who wouldn’t like a restaurant that introduces itself like this? ‘Since I was 5 years old, I’ve been in a restaurant kitchen. It is my life. Cooking is my passion. My love is my wife, Elizabeth. Her passion is service.’ That’s how Tom Wahlstrom introduces the online world to his wonderful restaurant, Elizabeth’s Chophouse, in Marquette Michigan.  On its website, he and his wife, Elizabeth, go on to say, ‘This restaurant is a culmination of our ... ]]> http://susanbairley.com/golf/golf/offcourse/162/elizabeths-chophouse-haute-cuisine-in-michigans-up Wanna’ trade a banana for a powerful draw?  If so, here’s the book to help you do it. Brian Crowell ‘s Slice-Free Golf  (Donelson SDA, Inc., 2011), is dedicated to helping golfers replace annoying, right-side-spinning slices with swings that produce just enough  draw to deliver extra distance and accuracy.  And he says those who follow his three steps will achieve fast results – guaranteed.  Well, yes, considering each ‘step’ is a series of checkpoints on good golf ... ]]> http://susanbairley.com/golf/golf/instruction/151/trade-in-a-banana-with-brian-crowells-slice-free-golf-book It doesn't take much to melt this military mom's heart. I know well the personal sacrifices that military families make everyday as their loved ones stand bravely in harm's way to defend our freedom. Thus, Pinnacle's 'Folds of Honor' scholarship initiative and its presentation to its first recipient, the family of New Bedford, Mass., Marine SPC Scott Christopher Burris announced today (Nov. 30) gained my immediate applause, attention and admiration. The scholarship will aid SPC Burris’ wife, Suzanne, as ... ]]> http://susanbairley.com/golf/golf/equipment/137/pinnacles-folds-of-honor-a-great-initiative We somehow landed in historic downtown Southern Pines, North Carolina, on a Sunday afternoon.  Not the fun-filled First Friday we were urged to attend, but the quiet, mostly closed Sunday afternoon after. Nonetheless the streetscape of lights-out shops was still charming on this beautiful sunny day, and the city park, just a block down from the main business area was lovely.  Bustling with a pick-up basketball game, kids on play equipment amid the soft sand playground, ... ]]> http://susanbairley.com/golf/golf/129/the-bell-tree-tavern-a-nice-southern-pines-find Did you ever enjoy eating something so much that you almost wish you didn’t know about it? That’s how I feel about Enstrom’s almond toffee.   This Colorado-based confectioner makes THE BEST milk chocolate almond toffee I ever had.  The problem is stopping at just one piece, and wishing you had more when the box is empty. As described on its company website, Enstrom Candies was started three generations ago by Chet Enstrom, who made batches of almond ... ]]> http://susanbairley.com/golf/golf/121/enstroms-for-the-best-almond-toffee-ever Once upon a time people in and around Harris, Michigan, would get into their cars and drive to Harris to play bingo…in their cars…without leaving their cars. It may sound like a ‘Yooper’ fairy tale, but drive-in bingo was the genesis of what is today Island Resort and Casino in Harris, Michigan, 13 miles west of Escanaba in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Island Resort and Casino is just what its name implies, an island of big city gaming, ... ]]> http://susanbairley.com/golf/golf/110/island-resort-an-casino-an-island-of-gaming-amid-michigan-wilderness   Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a lot of wilderness with a bit of civilization.  And when you add great golf  to the U.P.’s other features, like its clean air and crystal clear waters, three Great Lakes coasts, dramatic rock outcroppings, aromatic pines, a bit of 'Yooper' culture and a lot of ‘welcome,’ you know you've found a real golf getaway. The Island Resort and Casino in Harris, Michigan, is a bit of drive from the Detroit area, but easily ... ]]> http://susanbairley.com/golf/golf/33/michigans-upper-peninsula-for-a-real-golf-getaway Flavorful, tender and (almost) all around good. That’s how I’d describe our late night dinner at Red Smoke Barbecue in Detroit's Greektown. With its stylishly trendy décor, this barbecue restaurant surprises with its old-style slow cooking to create some wonderful pulled pork and beef brisket, plus tasty sides.   Tender and full of flavor, I enjoyed both meats as part of the Classic Combo, which for $16.99, gives you a choice of two meats (beef brisket, pulled pork, ... ]]> http://susanbairley.com/golf/food-sleep/restaurants/55/red-smoke-barbecue-2