In the June issue of Golf Digest I answered Sam Stassi's Travel Trouble about getting the right rental car when taking a golf trip in Ireland.  Here are a few more questions and answers:

From Mike in Springdale, Ariz.:

In your magazine's story on South Alabama, "The Real Deal," the writer mentioned golfers using up their multi-round vouchers. We're going to that area in June, and I was wondering if the vouchers were a good deal, and where I might be able to purchase them?

I kicked the question to the writer of the story, Golf Digest Senior Editor Pete Finch. Finch got the answer from Mike McArthur, who runs the Gulf Shores Golf Desk.

McArthur's answer:

"Our area has a good population of long-stay winter guests (i.e. snowbirds), who spend January, February and early March with us. Over the years, the golf courses have developed multi-play passes for their use. While anyone can buy them, they're intended for the snowbirds, as they all expire at the end of February.

For your reader, summer is families on beach vacations. Most of our golf courses offer tiered rates throughout the day, and groups with juniors will find family golf and junior programs available at each facility.

If the group already has its lodging set, we can bundle multiple rounds over several days and build a golf-only package. This pre-paid golf itinerary will save them a bit over the walk-up rate and keep them organized. Please refer them (and any further inquiries) to golfgulfshores.com or call (888) 815-1902 for additional help with stay-n-play or a golf-only package to Alabama's Gulf Coast."

From Barbara in Sebastopol, Calif.:

How would I go about finding a good tour operator for golf in Ireland?  Are they ranked or rated anywhere?

I asked Blair Leburn, who used to work at PerryGolf.  He's now a hired gun on our sales team who has traveled the world playing this crazy game. Leburn signs his e-mails "Weeman," which I'm guessing is in reference to his height, but he hits the ball on a string about 299 yards off the tee. I'd say 300, but I don't want the Weeman to get a Bighead. Here's what Leburn suggests:

"The top-five tour operators for golf in Ireland are as follows. Each one listed below has been around for more than 10 years. Their longevity in the business is proof of dependability." 

(In no particular order):

-Irish Links
-Jerry Quinlan Celtic Tours
-SWING
-PerryGolf
-Golf International

From John Michael in San Jose, Calif.:

In the "Endless Summer" article in the June issue, it states that the Bend, Ore., airport is "20 miles away" from Bandon Dunes. Bend is in fact about 250 miles away from Bandon Dunes, on the east side of the Cascades. The airport in North Bend is just above Coos Bay and about 20 miles away. BIG DIFFERENCE, travel guy!  With gas @ $4/gallon, I don't need your driving directions.

Good catch, John Michael. And you're right; you DON'T want my driving directions. I can get lost trying to find my refrigerator. I appreciate you calling this fact to our attention--the exact names of the airports, and not the gas prices. That fact cuts into my Manhattan social budget every 350 to 400 miles.

Golf Digest's Chief of Research, Sue Ellen Powell, offers an official response:

"I looked up the airport location in North Bend and how far it was away from the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. It's 24.61 miles. We say, 'The Bend airport is 20 miles away.' We needed to say, 'The North Bend airport is 20 miles away.'

"There is a Bend Municipal Airport that is 265 miles away, but this airport is not even listed on MapQuest.  The resort lists the North Bend airport on their website."

Keep all good catches and Travel Troubles coming. If these gas prices keep going up, I'll be answering them from my trips on a train.

--Matty G.

The only tree at Chambers Bay is in the news. We care about Chambers Bay because it's the new municipal course in University Place, Wash., 15 miles from Tacoma, that will host the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open.

We care about the tree because it's a landmark at Chambers Bay. When Robert Trent Jones Jr. and his team built Chambers Bay they moved a lot of sand and knocked down an old rock quarry, but they kept certain things that they felt added to the character and charm of the property. They kept the Douglas fir on the 15th hole. As you look out across the property the tree is the only thing on the landscape between the course and the Puget Sound. Bald eagles broke off the top of the tree and use it as a perch overlooking their fruitful hunting grounds. Much like the 67-foot cypress tree right of the 18th green of Pebble Beach, if it were no longer there, it would be a significant loss.

I was at Chambers Bay few weeks ago doing research for my Away Game in the July issue of Golf Digest. Last week a senseless vandal took an ax to the Douglas fir. I contacted a public-relations rep for Chambers Bay to find out the status of the tree. As this country wrestles with the subject of health care, Chambers Bay is taking tree care to the next level.

Kristin Schaner, of KemperSports, provided this update on the Chambers Bay fir tree (based on a conversation that Pierce County's Tony Tipton had with KemperSports superintendent David Wienecke this afternoon):

Over the weekend, metal bracing was added to the tree to structurally stabilize the wound area. In addition, excess soil was removed from around the tree to help uncover the tree roots in preparation for a 2- to 3-inch application of compost around the base of the tree. The compost will help ensure the tree receives a consistent amount of moisture and nutrients while it is recovering from the damage. Supplemental watering will also commence with the existing irrigation system until a specific water system can be set up for the tree. 

The wound itself is being allowed to go through its self-healing process, which entails letting the tree sap naturally cover the wound to prevent moisture and disease from entering the wound. After a period of 2 to 3 weeks, a high-strength epoxy resin will be placed in the wound between the tree braces and the tree itself to fill the void.

Additional discussions on the care of the tree, after the immediate repairs are finished, will focus on the appropriate amount of water and nutrients that should be provided to the tree. We are also examining how much specific tree testing will be necessary to monitor the health of the tree during recovery.

--Matty G

My worst day on the job might involve bad weather, a delayed or missed flight, a bad rental car or caddie, fried airport food, a chatty neighbor on a long flight or, the worst case scenario in my opinion--lost luggage. 

Over four weeks ago I was on my way to reporting an upcoming Away Game in Washington and my golf bag never arrived (they lost it!). My clothes arrived, which is a good thing, but the contents of my golf travel bag, in addition to what is my toolbox (my clubs), was two pairs of golf shoes, a pair of sneakers and my best rain gear (it rains a lot in Washington). I should mention the sentimental stuff like a Turnberry ball-marker, a Carnoustie head-cover for my driver and my collection of good gloves that all fit like, well, a glove.

American Airlines said the bag was in Los Angeles (they found it!), and they were handing it over to Alaska Airlines because American's DC-80s were grounded for inspection, and Alaska could get it to me in Tacoma the following day.

In the meantime, in order to play the scheduled 36 holes, I bought golf shoes that tore chunks of skin out of the back of my heels (I'm still applying Neosporin and Band-Aids), rain-gear I didn't need even though the forecast called for rain, a glove that didn't yet fit like a glove, and used a decent rental set at a future U.S. Open site. When I returned to my hotel, my clubs had not yet been delivered.  Which was a shocker. I called to get an update. Both American Airlines, and now Alaska Airlines, were not sure where the bag was. (They lost it again!).

I could go on-and-on about my frustration, the different sets of clubs I've used the last four weeks to play world class golf courses, the amount of time I've spent filling out paperwork or being on hold waiting for a human to respond to my latest, "Hello…my name is Matt Ginella, I lost my bag ___ weeks ago and I was checking on the status of the search." But let me try to cut to the chase:  My bag is still lost. 

My "case" has been turned over to American Airlines Central Baggage in Texas. They're using a "Worldwide Tracer" to scan all airline entries of lost luggage. So far they "do not have a match to my bag description."

Never mind my travel bag has my name stitched on the side in big blue letters, or my business card is in the clear plastic pouch, I'm thinking my golf bag, thanks to American and Alaska Airlines, might be somewhere in Alaska, or even worse, no longer in America. Right now the only thing between me, some sort of "compensation" and building a new set from scratch, is time and this "Worldwide Tracer."

After 10 to 12 weeks of filing the lost luggage paperwork, which they have you do after your bag is missing for five days, I'm told I will get a letter from the claims department letting me know how much THEY value MY bag of stuff. Of course I tried to make each item in that bag sound as valuable as it actually is to me, and my golf game. 

After all this is THE bag.  The one I've been assembling for years. My Club Glove was personalized, my Adidas golf bag was brand new, my driver is the one that does the best job of keeping my worst shots on the map, my irons were custom fit by Taylor Made in Carlsbad, my wedges would be my money-clubs if it wasn't for my favorite putter that I've left and come back to three times in the last seven years. Full disclosure; I could use an update on the two rescue clubs, but I have a shoe-fetish, and all three pair of shoes were the Top Gun of their kind in my closet.

Pardon the rant, but this is a subject near and dear to my heart and can't be too far from the big beating muscle in the center of the chest of all golfers. According to me, I think the total value of the bag by the time I got through with the list of contents was $3,400. 

Is it all worth that much? I don't know. I would argue this; the value of a golf travel bag with the things I've described above and for the reasons I've mentioned is actually: Priceless.

Will this Worldwide Tracer come back from six down with seven to play and win this match? I don't know that either. I'm guessing I get a check for three figures and some sort of formal apology the second week of July.

Oh, the travel troubles we weave when at first we try to take a golf trip. 

My colleague and another angry golfer (and frustrated traveler), John Hawkins, called me the other day.  He flies Delta as often as I fly American. He told me he was divorcing Delta and wanted to know how I liked American. I offered him American and all of my miles for Delta and all of his miles.

American Airlines can trace this--I think we both might turn to Jet Blue.

--Matty G

PS--I wrote about lost luggage in the section of Travel Trouble in the April issue. At the point of staring longingly at an empty conveyor belt in Seattle and realizing my bag was lost, I tried to play by the rules. I'll let you know how much American Airlines compensates me for the rental sets per day and how much money I receive, assuming I'm forever stuck with lost sticks.

My first memory of baseball was T-Ball.

Kids from all over Sonoma County, Calif. gathered at a big grass field on makeshift diamonds where we learned how to hit a ball as it sat defenseless on the end of a rubber tube. We also learned how to run the bases and where to go with a grounder if we were able to smother a bounding ball in our stiff mitts.

The best T-Ball rule/tradition involved the position of the pitcher. The kid occupying the "mound" had to execute a phantom motion of bringing the heat before the batter could take a swing. If you had a view from a tall tree the whole scene would've looked like a group of kids trying to catch a pig dipped in Vaseline. It was anything but baseball. I remember parents yelling a lot as soon as the ball was put in play: "Get it! Get it! Throw it! Throw it! Hold it! Hold it! Tag him! Tag him! Go! Go! Stop! Stop!"

My dad was an understated little league parent. He was usually in a business suit and a tie and he never yelled much. He had moved Heaven-and-earth and jumped the early bus out of San Francisco to try and catch the last few innings of almost every game. My dad preached one message no matter the sport I played--have fun out there or go home. It didn't matter if I was on a winning team or a losing team. It didn't matter the quality of coach I had or if the umpires calling the game could determine a ball from a strike. I knew if I wasn't out there on the field with a smile on my face and cheering for my teammates, my career would be cut short. I appreciate that now, and I hope I'm like my dad with my kids some day--making sure they focus on sportsmanship and the concept of being on a team as opposed to innings played, batting average or a win-loss record. Don't get me wrong, he hates to lose and so do I, but it does take a man to grasp the concept of being a good teammate as well as being gracious in defeat.

Spring has sprung, which is why I'm writing about baseball. I have supported the San Diego Padres all of my life, so I've been a fan of a team who knows a lot about defeat.

My favorite player is Tony Gwynn. "Mr. Padre" played all 20 of his seasons in the San Diego sun and was a 15-time All-Star. He finished his career with eight batting titles and has a lifetime batting average of .338. He only hit below .300 once, and that was his rookie year--he hit .289. Gwynn was a hitting machine who was also a gentleman on and off the field and certainly gracious in defeat. In July of 2007 Gwynn was a first-ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Last fall, my parents, who are now both in their 70s, came to New York for a visit. Over the years of living in Manhattan we've done lots of Broadway, museums, steak dinners and the Circle Line Tour. We've seen Lady Liberty and Ellis Island, and we've been down to pay our respects at Ground Zero. We had never been to Cooperstown to see the Baseball Hall of Fame. The fact that Gwynn was in, peaked my interest. We loaded up the car with a little luggage, golf bags and Johnny O, a best friend from college also living in Manhattan. My buddy Paul is a Yankee fan living in Boston. He met us at the Otesaga Resort Hotel, the rather glamorous and proper option for lodging in Cooperstown, which has been there since 1909.

Cooperstown is 200 miles northwest of New York City. The conversation and the colors of the leaves on the trees made for a quick trip. The last few miles, along Otsego Lake, made me want to buy a small boat and fish for a living. Drive around Cooperstown in the fall and you have the sense you've been plopped into a painting.

Bucket lists are specific to an individual, but there are a few things all sons should try to do with their dad if they have the chance: Watch and talk golf at the Masters (check); listen to stories about the Alley Oop (the name given to the pass thrown by quarterback Y.A. Tittle to his receiver R.C. Owens when they played for the 49ers in the '50s, (check); and tour the Baseball Hall of Fame (check).

We only needed about four hours at the Hall of Fame. It's not as big as I thought it would be. We posed for pictures, listened to and watched various videos, debated odd stats and facts about players from different generations. I left impressed with Ty Cobb. He wasn't nearly the gentleman that Gwynn is, but that crabby man Cobb could hit. He's first in career batting average (.366).  He's second in career hits (4,189), runs (2,246), and triples (295). He's fourth in doubles (724) and stolen bases (892). In 1911 he had a decent year; Cobb had 591 at-bats, he hit .420 and had 83 stolen bases. 

The Hall of Fame isn't the only game in town. On Sunday morning my mom made friends at a tiny church while the four boys played a round of golf at Leatherstocking Golf Course. 

It was a rather religious foursome. We had a Matthew, a Paul and not one, but two people by the name of John Francis. The weather was also a bit Biblical. It was cold, wet and windy. As a result we had the course to ourselves. We loved the golf course, the views of the hotel and lake were memorable, and don't try to cut off too much when you tee off at the par-5, 18th hole or you won't make it over the water. 

The match was Johnny O and Paul versus my dad and me. Team Ginella lost the front nine and we were in trouble on the back nine until Papa John rattled in a 25-foot net birdie putt on the 17th hole and I shook in a 20-foot eagle putt at the 18th. The good guys ended up owing $5 each, but we laughed a lot, played as a team and we were gracious in defeat. 

Pops, thanks for leaving work early to make it to my games all of those years, the lessons learned about sportsmanship and for the recent trip to Cooperstown. 

Now get back out here so we can get our five bucks back.

--Matty G.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE:

-Peak season in Cooperstown is Memorial Day through July 31st and Sept. 1st through Oct. 12th.

-A standard room rate at Otesaga Resort Hotel for two people during peak season is $509 a night, which sounds high, but it includes gratuity, breakfast and a huge dinner in the main dining room. (800-348-6222).

-There is a dress code in the main dining room of the hotel. The food is first-rate, just be sure to bring slacks and a sport coat.

-A round of golf at Leatherstocking Golf Course is $85 if you're a guest of the hotel, $95 for non-guests. Twilight (after 3:00) is $60 if you're a guest, $70 for non-guests.

-A tour of the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum is $16.50 for adults, seniors: $11, kids 7-12: $6, and kids under the age of seven get in free. The museum is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. The general hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except Memorial Day through Labor Day, when they're open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (888-HALL-OF-FAME).

CAPTIONS (from top to bottom): The Otesaga Resort Hotel; Leatherstocking Golf Course; the Baseball Hall of Fame; Tony Gwynn's plaque; Papa John, Mom, me, Paul and Johnny O.