"You might want to lay up here", I was told by an old hand as we were on the course.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that. I didn't come to The Bear to play safe" I replied.  
Based on my results, I should have listened. 
Based on the challenge, I'm glad I didn't.

On June 7, 1985, a very special venue was opened at Grand Traverse Resort to golfers living in, or traveling to, Traverse City, Michigan. That was the day The Bear opened. And like the course architect, Mr. Jack Nicklaus himself, the course has aged very, very well.

Taking the back roads through County Limerick with my tour guide, and navigating all of the twists and turns like a local, I was taken aback by the simple beauty of the Irish countryside. But today wasn't supposed to be about the scenery. It was all about golf. But as it turns out, it was about the scenery as well!

A trip to Bagan has been on our list of "must dos" ever since we first heard about Myanmar. The incredible archaeological and spiritual sites are unparalleled and the plains of Bagan are home to the largest concentration of religious buildings in the world. Over 2200 temples and pagodas remain from over 10,000 that were built starting in the 11th century, when Bagan was a thriving kingdom.  Built on fault lines, the surviving structures - some up to 1,000 years old - remain as an impressive testament to faith and community.

There are a couple of things I must be doing wrong. Waking up at 5am and stepping outside into a 105 degree pressure cooker is not normally high on my agenda of pleasant summer activities. But this is no ordinary morning – I have a 6:00 am tee off time at the Furnace Creek Resort in Death Valley.

This course was rated as one of the 50 most difficult to play in the United States by Golf Digest, and it’s not hard to see why. By the time my round finishes on this clear July morning, the sun will be baking the 18th green with temperatures passing the 120 degree mark. Combined with the heavy, still air of the valley at 214 feet below sea level, this course certainly tests the resolve of any golfer who attempts it – and that’s the very reason why I have come to play. To play the world’s lowest elevation golf course, to dodge coyotes who are chasing road runners, and to sweat out a round that should be on everyone’s golf bucket list!