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.

I've been answering this question a lot lately. "How was the Masters?"

It was fantastic. For the first time since 1997 I watched it from my sofa at home. I missed being there, missed my colleagues and missed the Sunday roars from Amen Corner but from all that I've read, a lot of people missed those roars, silenced by a long tough golf course and a stiff Sunday breeze.

I've also been answering this question. "Will you be in San Diego for the Open?"

No. As the travel editor I'm no longer needed to help cover the tour. We have a small army of writers, editors and photographers who take care of the major coverage for Golf Digest, Golf World and golfdigest.com. My jurisdiction is now strictly travel.

I'm in the San Diego area three to four times a year. I've written about my oldest brother, Sean, and his family in Hawaii. My brother Mark and his family live in Valley Center, about 40 miles from downtown San Diego. Mark's best friend lives in La Jolla and my best friend going back to high school lives 10 minutes from the San Diego airport. Not only do I love the city, the baseball team, the weather and the golf but it's also home to a network of family and friends.

I'm a northern California guy by birth and I can't imagine anyone has had a better 13-year run in New York City (excluding Howard Stern, Mayor Bloomberg, Derek Jeter and Broadway) but if I were to live anywhere else other than Manhattan my first choice would be San Diego.

My brother Mark, much like my dad and my brother Sean, has always had a handicap anywhere from 16 to 26. My brother plays golf like he lives life--there's no such thing as a three-quarter swing. He has Tiger-like intensity and a deep, dark hatred of losing. That only adds to the younger brother joy of a victory. My brother's friend Doug Holmes has been roughly a 7-handicap for the last five years, and he's a member of San Diego Country Club. (In a recent Q&A, Padres pitcher Greg Maddux named San Diego C.C., home of Billy Casper, as his favorite course in San Diego). Last week my friend Todd Curran just broke 80 for the second time in his life but when we play what we call the "Grudge Match," Mark and Doug against Todd and me, Doug and I play even and Mark and Todd play even. We play a high-low nassau, two points per hole. The team that's down always has the option to press. The payouts have been as little as a dollar per man from the two losers, to as high as $250. The older we get, the less it's about the money and the more it's about bragging rights. Strange how that works because Mark and Doug are 10 years older than Todd and I and I think when we lost $250 each, we were probably worth a combined $490. That would've been a better time to have the bets be more about bragging rights.

The Grudge Match goes back more than 12 years and has been played more than 30 times. It's been at both good and bad golf courses. There have been chip-ins, chip-offs, and at times the conversation can be downright chippy. There have been broken clubs, clubs thrown into large bodies of water, and clubs that would rather the Grudge Match take place at an alternate venue. There have been silent treatments, handshakes and hugs at the end of these boys-will-be-boys battles. Regardless of the aggravation or outcome, in the end there's always anticipation for the next time.

Very rarely has a Grudge Match ever taken place anywhere but San Diego.

Golf Digest will feature a travel story about San Diego, Torrey Pines and good golf in the area in the upcoming June issue but here's an appetizer and some local perspective.

First an edited version of an e-mail I received recently. If you're still looking for lodging and a ticket for the Open (no I don't have any) this will serve as help with the lodging. I have not been there but I hear it's nice and it sounds like it's just down the street from Torrey Pines.

Estancia La Jolla Offers Guests Accessible and Accommodating Golf Services

LA JOLLA, California (April 2, 2008) – Selected by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the "Hottest New Hotels in the World" upon its opening in 2005 and as one of the "World's Best Places to Stay" in 2006, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa is renowned as a coastal sensory retreat where tradition, environment and design blend to renew and inspire in the setting reminiscent of a sprawling early California ranch estate. Just a "chip shot" away from Torrey Pines Golf Course, host of the 2008 US Open, and a short stroll from the majestic coves, those seeking natural beauty and renowned golf have discovered the perfect location. The property features 210 cleverly aesthetic rooms (including 11 suites), three restaurants, including Bodega wine bar, an 8,000 sq. ft. spa with an adjacent fitness facility, an inviting pool deck with private cabanas, and 25,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. 

Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa has partnered with San Diego Golf to launch a convenient new way for visitors to book golf reservations in "real-time".  The first of its kind in San Diego, the sensory retreat is offering guests the ability to reserve tee-times for their favorite sport at eleven top courses in San Diego County, online either from home or from their guestroom. 

Guests using this new electronic golf tool will not only have the capability to book tee times at various San Diego County courses, they will also have access to course information, pictures and recommendations. For more information please contact Estancia La Jolla at (858) 550-1000 or visit www.estancialajolla.com.

I called Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa. I was told they still have a limited supply of rooms available for June 11th-14th with a four-night minimum. "It will be a busy time but we do help guests with golf reservations," said Deborah Graham, a concierge at the hotel.

I suggest going to the page of their website that details the service they use to help a golfer get a tee time, San Diego Golf Reservations.  They list 11 courses.

http://content.sdgr.com/estancialajolla/

I called my friend Todd and will pass on his comments about each of the 11 courses connected to Estancia and San Diego Golf Reservations. Todd's played 20 rounds this year. He’s one of the most athletic and positive people I've ever met. His wife and two daughters support his golf game and a few buddies trips every year. He has lived in San Diego for almost 20 years and he has played about 20 rounds since January 1st. He's forever in search of a great deal (back in high school he used to cobble together lunch by way of our leftovers instead of buying his own). Here are the 11 courses and his comments about each:

Arrowood: "Its new. There are some great holes. It tends to be windy but I'd say it’s a good young course."

Carlton Oaks: "One of my favorites. It's top 10 toughest in the area from the black tees. It's a well-kept secret. I highly recommend it."

CrossCreek: "It's in Temecula, which is over an hour from Torrey Pines. It's a good course with very few houses around if you’re willing to make the trip."

Eagle Crest: "Not a great course but a very good value."

Eastlake: "A notch above Eagle Crest. It has a lot of houses on the course but it's also a good value."

Maderas: "I've never played it but I hear it may not be worth the money unless you play twilight."

Riverwalk: "It's centrally located. It has three nines. Play Mission and Presidio and skip Friars if you're only playing 18."

Salt Creek: "It's a links course in the South County. The greens have matured and it offers good views. I'd play it more if it weren’t so far away. It’s about 40 minutes from Torrey Pines but people should look into the new toll road to try and get there faster."

Steele Canyon: "It's in my top 5 in San Diego, especially when considering the price. It has great vistas. It also has three nines. Play Canyon and Ranch, skip Meadow. My favorite of the 11 they've listed."

Twin Oaks: "I played it once. It's narrow. It wasn't memorable."

The Vineyard: "The front nine is pedestrian and crowded. Some holes are awkward but the back nine is gorgeous. It's a great value."

I asked Todd to name his favorite public course other than Torrey Pines and not on the list above.

Coronado Golf Club: "It's 20 to 25 minutes from Torrey Pines. It's across the Coronado Bridge (no toll). It's $25 to walk and a $13 twilight rate. There are great views, especially at 16 and 17. It's fantastic. I also use services to help me get a tee time. I suggest golfnow.com and savesomegreen.com. They can get you a tee time for a ridiculous price."

I'm a fan of Coronado, the San Diego C.C. and the Grudge Match.

See you in San Diego, just not the week of the Open.

--Matty G.

Captions (from top to bottom): My brothers Mark (left) and Sean at my parents' 50th wedding anniversary last year in San Diego; three shots of Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa; An aerial of Coronado Golf Course.

Dear Matty G,

I'm the travel editor for the number one golf publication in the world. I throw my bags in a cab two to three times a month and fly on planes to find an assortment of golf stories. I take nothing for granted and I know how good my life is, however, I'm coming to you because you might be the only one who can feel my "pain".

I have the usual complaints: People on planes who don't cover their mouth when they cough, take their shoes off exposing the confined space to a dump funk, or the ones who don't understand the arm rest needs to be shared, not commandeered as though you've claimed that territory on behalf of your native country.

I've played some unbelievable courses and met some great people, some of whom you can read about in my blog, but life on the road has its potholes. Some of the lowlights:

-I've showed up at an empty course in Arizona late in the afternoon with a credit card and 11 anxious golfers in tow and been told by a grumpy old pro that we'd have to wait awhile before they could get us out, as if we were an inconvenience.

-I've been rained on, waited an hour at the turn to wait out a rain delay and had a flight canceled due to heavy rain when I was in Miami.

-I've tried to check into a hotel late at night only to find that they were closed.

-I've been rushing to catch a flight and I returned my rental car to five Avis agents in Birmingham, Alabama. There wasn't another breathing soul within a mile of the parking garage, and I was told I wouldn't get my receipt until I put the GPS system back into the bag it came from.

-Alabama was also where I was issued two speeding tickets in three days. One coming after I landed (85 in a 65) and one on my way out of town (90 in a 70). You can understand the urgency to get home. I passed a giant billboard just off the freeway that featured a demon with a pitchfork and it read, "GO TO CHURCH OR THE DEVIL WILL GET YOU." An Alabama ultimatum.

-I broke two toes coming out of a shower in Destin, Florida and then slipped on the wet bathroom floor while hopping on one leg reeling in pain. Lying there on my back in my birthday suit, I assessed the damage. My toes hurt and so did my ego but did I do something more severe such as injure my back or my neck? Nope. But what if I had and I couldn't get to a phone? What if I had been knocked unconscious? This was the same hotel that closed at night and the same one that hadn’t come to clean the room in two days. I might still be there.

-The worst of my travel troubles came last week.  In the process of scouting a future U.S. Open course for an upcoming Away Game in Golf Digest, American Airlines lost my golf travel bag. That was where I had my clubs of course, as well as my rain gear and two pairs of golf shoes. I played 90 holes in 3 days on four different courses with four different rental sets. I fell asleep one night on hold with the people who track bags. The phone was by my ear looping elevator music. My trip is over and American Airlines still doesn't know where my bag is. I picked a bad week to be calling to complain. You know you're headed for travel troubles when the airline you're flying is the lead story on CNN. It was the week they grounded over 1,000 flights for safety inspection. Somehow a loyal Platinum member putting with a Bulls Eye, using regular flex shafts and getting blisters the size of silver dollars on the back of his feet from the new shoes he had to buy was not high on their list of things they cared about.

So that's me yelling into my pillow. Thanks for being a bag of feathers.

Matt Ginella--New York, NY.

Dear Man In The Mirror,

Every year, when the fair came to Sonoma County and I'd tag along to the horse races with my Uncle Tony, he'd tell me, "You can win a race but you can't beat the races."  His point of course, bet all 12 races and you'll go home a loser.  Or, in this case, travel three times a month and you're bound to have travel troubles.

Some lessons learned:

-Grumpy pros are like a Starbucks in Manhattan. There's a lot of them. We paid the man and had a fun round at a great golf course regardless of his negativity.

-A rain delay in Miami is like a Starbucks in Manhattan. There's a lot of them. And if you wait them out you're often rewarded by blue sky and the big yellow ball shining down on the rest of your round.

-Let the hotel know in advance you'll be a late check-in. This is when you'll find out if and when they close the check-in counter and when you'll have to shine your rental car headlights on the lock-box around back so you can retrieve the key to your room.

-Even if Avis tells you they won't give you a receipt if you don't put the GPS back in the bag, they will.  They just won't hand it to you at the car, they'll email it to you right about the time you're getting to your gate.

-There's a reason why there's no more tour players using the Bulls Eye but it's possible you'll hit the ball better with regular flex shafts. It forces you to swing easy.

-If you're packing two pairs of golf shoes and rain gear put one pair of shoes and the rain jacket in your luggage and the other pair of shoes and the rain pants in the golf bag. This way, if you get one bag, you're still up the creek but you'll have one paddle.

-Here's another Alabama ultimatum I'm now very familiar with. Drive slow or the cops will get you.

-Flying the same airline every time may result in redeemable frequent flier miles, an occasional upgrade and you can board the plane with people in business class but it doesn't mean they find and deliver your golf bag. After 5 days it's been turned over to something called central baggage located in Dallas, Texas. It's a warehouse the size of an airplane hangar. I'm told they scan in any information they can find in the bag to increase the chances of matching the description you provide. I'm also told golf bags almost always get back to their owner. I figure odds are good for me. My name is stitched into the travel bag and my business card is in the clear business card holder.

-And lastly, if you catch some little pigs on the corner of the bathroom wall, don't start hopping in pain until you get to the carpet.

--Matty G.

Captions (from top to bottom): A Miami rain delay; A picture of a flag I snapped while a badged man with a tall stiff hat ran my information for the second time in three days.

I've been answering readers' questions every month in the section we call Travel Trouble. I've also been answering individual readers via e-mail. Here are some of the exchanges I've had during the past few weeks.

Peter Haugen from Osterville, Mass.: On page 104 of Golf Digest's April issue, I got such a kick out of your description of Harbour Town I had to write. I played there a couple of years ago off-peak, paid over $300 and saw no signs of a forecaddie, gift packet or range balls. To add insult to injury I received no warning about a line of deadly thunderstorms that came in at the end of the round. I asked about this the next day and was told, "Oh sure, we have a siren for this sort of thing, but we leave at 6 p.m. every day, no matter what." On a lighter note, I agree that the Plantation Course is TO DIE FOR! Now I just have to play Pebble Beach before I go to that great putting green in the sky.

MG: Before you make your way to that great course in the sky (I heard they just punched those greens--postpone that trip for as long as possible), you may want to give Harbour Town a mulligan.

I spoke to Ben in the pro shop. Harbour Town (pictured) started its caddie program on March 5th, 2007. Your green fee gets you a forecaddie per foursome--gratuity is up to you. At the same time they started the caddie program, they also started providing range balls and gift packets--felt bags filled with tees, ball markers and a divot tool. You get a personalized bag tag at the end of your round. 

On the subject of deadly thunderstorms, Harbour Town has an electronic notification system. The shop closes at 6:30 p.m., but the bag-drop staff stays until the last golfer has left the course and they’re instructed to inform anyone on the course about weather warnings.

Michael Montisano from Dallas: When traveling with your clubs overseas, which travel bag is the best for protecting your clubs?

MG: I have two travel bags I like a lot. I have an Adidas bag that matches my luggage. It's slick and usually holds as much as I want to pack. The Club Glove holds more shoes and more dirty clothes on the way home.

I went to Mr. Style, Marty Hackel, for additional tips on keeping our sticks safe. Marty told me he used to buy a wooden hockey stick and cut it down to be a few inches taller than his driver. He'd stick it in his bag and that would protect his clubs. He'd also wrap his golf towel or his rain suit around the heads of his clubs for additional padding.

The modern hockey stick method is what's officially called the Club Glove Stiff Arm (pictured). It's adjustable and is $25 worth of invaluable assurance that you'll start and end your trip with 14 clubs.

I wish I could recommend a hard-shell travel bag, but I can't. They’re difficult to fit into rental cars, hard to store under your bed in small Manhattan apartments and also seem to announce to the rest of the golfing world that your handicap is north of 30. It’s a bad look and I’ve never met a real good golfer who uses one.

Chad Urban from Indianapolis: I'm going on vacation to the Dominican Republic and want to have my clubs shipped to the course I'm playing so I don't have to mess with them throughout my travel. Who do you recommend using?

MG: Whenever I ship anything I go FedEx. I've never liked the UPS "Brown" ad campaign, and I like the system FedEx uses to track packages. However, sending a golf bag to the Dominican Republic may not be a good call. FedEx International Services doesn’t ship to all cities in the Dominican Republic. I called and asked how much it costs to ship a bag from New York to Santo Domingo, a city where FedEx delivers. You'll need an International Air Waybill, and when you declare a value, keep it under $2,500 or you'll need to file a shippers export declaration. "Uncle Sam gets involved with anything over $2,500," according to a FedEx operator. The priority two-day charge, picking up on a Monday and delivering on a Wednesday, is $746. The Economy charge, picking up on a Monday and delivering the following Monday, would be $537.

Rob Reggio from Seattle: I seem to be having difficulty finding a father and son training vacation. I've been searching the Internet trying to find a place I can take my 15-year old son in June, July and August for 3 to 5 days of training and golf. Somewhere in Southern California--we're novice golfers. Any suggestions?

MG: I spoke to some of our instruction editors. Here's their advice:

1) Jim Flick's in Carlsbad.
2) Aviara Golf Academy/Kip Puterbaugh.
3) Jim McLean has a school at LaQuinta and PGA West.

--Matty G.