This article was originally published by In Business Las Vegas, the leading business newspaper in Las Vegas.

April 16, 2008-- "Sex is like money, golf and beer - even when it's bad, it's good," Jimmy Williams.

Anytime the word billion is thrown around, you obviously know you’re talking about something substantial. It’s a strong word, and when it comes to money, a billion is where the big dogs walk. And now, after the release of study funded by the World Golf Foundation’s Golf 20/20 initiative and implemented by the Stanford Research Institute, golf as an entity is a really big dog. The study reveals that as an entire business, the direct and indirect impact of golf on the US economy was $195 billion in 2005. Now that’s a lot of Titleists.

April 2, 2008--Las Vegas and Las Vegas golf courses have a long and prestigious national history that includes Tiger Woods winning his first PGA Tour event here, the PGA Tour's inaugural Tournament of Champions being held at the old Desert Inn Golf Club, LPGA Tour major championships being played at what is today Las Vegas National Golf Club, the 1998 UNLV golf team winning the NCAA title, and about a couple dozen touring professionals having Las Vegas ties. At the local level, the Southern Nevada Golf Hall of Fame is where the local history--including that 1998 UNLV team--is celebrated and remembered. And currently the organizing committee is seeking nominations of worthy players, ambassadors, benefactors, teams, professionals and others for induction in 2008. High profile current members include Butch Harmon, Jim Colbert, Chris Riley and Robert Gamez (pictured), among others. Downloadable forms and guidelines are available on the home pages of both snga.org and wsnga.org. The deadline is June 1, 2008. For more ...

March 17, 2008--Earlier this month Ted Robinson, a legendary golf course architect and former president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, passed away after a 10-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 84 years old. His lengthy career lasted five decades and he left his indelible design mark with three Las Vegas golf courses, the resort Rhodes Ranch Golf Club and Tuscany Golf Club, and the private Canyon Gate Country Club. And one Las Vegas golf pro, Daryl Driscoll, will never forget the man who made a lasting impact on him. "He was genuinely a great person, and a great guy to work with," says Driscoll, who worked with Robinson on the construction of Rhodes Ranch. For more ...

March 10, 2008--It's customary for winning Ryder Cup teams to let the champagne flow following a triumph, but just moments after UNLV golfer Seung-Su Han (pictured) ensured a Rebel victory in their home golf tournament with a scintillating third shot on the par 5, 18th hole at Las Vegas golf course Southern Highlands, the Rebels celebrated in a more fun and casual style: Choco-Tacos and Klondike Krunch ice cream for everyone! The bars were quickly gobbled up by fans, family and players (losing teams, too), symbolizing how the Rebels munched on one of the most talented and deep tournament fields in all of college golf. The Southern Highlands Collegiate Golf Championship--dubbed the Masters of College Golf because of the always stellar field--featured seven of the top 10 teams and nearly half of the best players. But it was UNLV, playing head-to-head against #1 Georgia and #4 Charlotte down the stretch, that walked away with a two-stroke win over Charlotte, giving the Rebels their third home win in four years and seventh in the last 14 home tournaments. For more ...

March 6, 2008--The newly appointed director of instruction at Las Vegas golf course The Legacy Golf Club, was inducted into Colorado’s Golf Hall of Fame on Thursday February 21, 2008. Bob Byman (pictured (L) with Jack Nicklaus), who dominated Colorado golf in the early 1970s in similar fashion to Hale Irwin’s domination in the 1960s, will join his fellow former Boulder phenom in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. Byman had a brief but phenomenal run as a player while living in Boulder. He not only won three-straight state stroke play amateur titles (1971, '72 and '73), but he did it as a 16, 17, and 18-year-old. Byman also captured the state high school title in 1973, leading Fairview High School to the team championship as well. Legacy Golf Club is an OB Sports property as are other Las Vegas golf courses Angel Park Golf Club and Aliante Golf Club. For more ...

March 5, 2008--According to Golfweek Magazine collegiate golf guru Lance Ringler, this week's "Masters of College Golf" could be the scene of a showdown of last year's NCAA Champion--USC's Jamie Lovemark--and this year's baddest player on the block, true freshman Ricky Fowler (pictured) from Oklahoma State. Both are scheduled to tee it up March 7-9 at UNLV's home track, the private Las Vegas golf course Southern Highlands for the Southern Highlands Collegiate. On paper, Fowler is ranked number one by Golfweek, while Lovemark is ranked sixth, but is considered by most to be one of the best, if not THE best, player in the college game. Ringler says that much like last year, Lovemark, a sophomore, is off to a slow start but he came on very strong and won the NCAA title, the Pac 10 title and finished second in the NCAA West Regional. He has yet to win this season, but Fowler won the Fighting Illini Invitational and leads OSU in scoring through February at 69.89. Overall, 14 of the top 30 players and seven of the top 10 teams are in Las Vegas this week. UNLV has won the event six times in the last 13 years. For more ...

February 27, 2008--TPC Las Vegas, formerly TPC at The Canyons, is a PGA Tour golf experience, and one of two Las Vegas golf courses to carry the TPC (Tournament Players Club) banner, joining the private TPC Summerlin as host courses for the PGA Tour golf event in Las Vegas. Joe Massanova, the former marketing executive for the Las Vegas resort golf course operated by the PGA Tour, has now moved into the role of Director of National Group Sales for the TPC network of golf courses, while Brad Church, a longtime PGA of America professional in Las Vegas, has taken over the marketing operations of TPC Las Vegas. Massanova will oversee the group sales effort at all 18 of the TPC properties across the country, including private clubs. For more ...

January 25, 2008 (UPDATED JAN. 20, 2008)--The UNLV Mens golf team will take back to the golf course to open up the spring season by playing in the prestigious PING-Arizona Intercollegiate tournament in Tucson. The event was held Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 28-29, at Arizona National Golf Club (par 71, 6,900 yards).  The Rebels were the defending champion of the tournament. Junior Seung-Su Han (pictured), who made it to the finals of the PGA Tour Q-School, was one of the Rebels teeing it up. He finished 20th while the Rebels completed their fourth-straight top five finish as they ended up in second place behind Tennessee. Click here for LIVE SCORING during the event. For more ...
 

January 15, 2008--Several of the best Las Vegas golf courses are hosting the 10th Annual Transatlantic Team Challenge, an international golf event that pits 24-player teams from Las Vegas (representing the USA) and the UK, against each other in a team competition. Bragging rights are on the line, but also the event helps promote Las Vegas as a golf destination to the UK through the marketing powers of News of the World, said to be the largest circulated newspaper in the world. The four Las Vegas golf courses to be played Jan. 15-18 are Canyon Gate Country Club, Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (pictured), Desert Pines Golf Club and Bali Hai Golf Club. For more ...