The face of Tiger Woods says it ass, as he misses his putt on the 12th hole during the final round of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament at Firestone Country Club in Akron. The entire weekend was a disaster for Tiger, and Plain Dealer columnists Bud Shaw sums it up.

Golf shirts from the Tiger Woods Collection retail for $100 in the Firestone Country Club pro shop. Hats are $28.50. Neither will help you play golf like Tiger Woods.

For the first time in memory, that’s not a disclaimer as much as a selling point.

To match the game Woods brought to the South Course this week at the Bridgestone Invitational, you’d have to miss fairways, flub chips, quit on shots and putt as if you spent the morning hooked to a caffeine IV drip.

The only way this tournament could more accurately embody the tumult of 2010 for Woods after Saturday’s third-round 75 would be if he were riding in a cart and that cart careened off the course into a fire hydrant.

Woods’ 5 over round was his worst at Firestone since his previous worst — 48 hours earlier. His 11 over after 54 holes is the highest relative to par since he turned pro in 1996.

“I drove it terrible, hit my irons terrible, didn’t putt well, and it added up,” Woods said before heading directly for the driving range.

For Woods to fix everything that ails him in one driving range session he’d have to stumble across Butch Harmon, Hank Haney and a hot tub time machine there.

We’re seeing a new Tiger who actually has to deal with his personal life outside the course. Maybe he needs a trip to Vegas . . . . .

As you probably expected, the recession is having an adverse impact on golf course memberships and country club memberships.

Recession-battered golf courses aren’t just coping with lighter crowds. Some are edging perilously close to bankruptcy. Courses from Florida to Arizona, where golfing was once a daily exercise, face major cutbacks or foreclosure.

Myrtle Beach, S.C., a once-booming 70-mile strip of beachfront property nicknamed “Golftown, USA,” has been hit especially hard: Where there were about 125 golf courses in 2006, there are now around 100.

“It’s just a shakeout of golf,” says Donald Wizeman, CEO of Myrtle Beach Golf Association, which produces a website for golfers traveling to Myrtle Beach. “The real estate market is so depressed here.”

Things are just as bleak in Arizona. Eight golf courses in the Phoenix area have gone through foreclosure or bankruptcy since commercial properties started facing serious financial problems in 2008, according to IonDataExpress.com, a real estate analysis firm. Many more are reducing their hours this summer, says Tom Stine, co-founder of market researcher Golf Datatech.

You should also expect to find incredible deals for golf travel and green fees on courses all around the country.

The professional golf scene today is mostly centered on stateside competition, but the game’s historic roots are overseas, and this week marks one of the game’s oldest and most prestigious competitions – the British Open.

The Canadian Press had a great interview with Arnold Palmer, one of the first American players to play on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

“I felt that if you were going to be a champion, you couldn’t be a champion without playing in the Open and hopefully winning the Open,” [Palmer] said. “So that was part of the whole program for what I was doing.”

Palmer won the Masters and U.S. Open in 1960. On his way to St. Andrews for his first British Open, a conversation with sports writer Bob Drum led Palmer to effectively create the modern version of the Grand Slam.

He finished one shot behind Kel Nagle. Palmer won his claret jugs at Royal Birkdale in 1961 and Royal Troon in 1962.

Even so, St. Andrews remains a big part of his life. Palmer was given an honorary degree at the St. Andrews University on Tuesday. The only disappointment was not getting to play in the “Champions Challenge” because of bad weather Wednesday.

The Bleacher Report also put together a nice preview of the field this year. As the article states, with 49 of the top 50 players on the field this week, it’s sure to be an exciting tournament. Will Tiger be able to regain the mental determination that led him to so many victories? Will Justin Rose and his perfect rhythm net another win this year?

If you’re interested in getting to the Open, or just getting to the Old Course some time soon, Wikitravel has a comprehensive guide to getting the most out of your St. Andrews experience.

Flying to London for work or play can be very exciting. It’s less exciting if you spend too much, so you’ll want to find a low-cost flight if you can. Even if you can comfortably spend the money on a higher-priced option there’s really no need to. It’s better to get a lower price and save the extra money you would’ve spent on a plane ticket to shop in London for souvenirs. When you want to get the cheapest flights to London, you’ll also want to get good flights. It’s not a wise choice to fly with an airline you’ve never heard of, and you might have specific days you won’t be able to fly on.

If your trip is for business, even a day’s change in scheduling to get a better rate might not be possible. If you’re traveling for pleasure, some adjustments may save you a lot of money. Book as early as you can to get a lower price. Many airlines will offer you a better rate when you book early, but you still may want to check with several of the airlines that fly to your destination in order to find the one that has the best rate for you.

Keep in mind that the price isn’t the only issue. If you have to fly to London at a time that would be very inconvenient for you, it may be better to choose a different flight, even if it costs a little bit more. Especially if you’re traveling for business and someone is meeting you at the airport, it wouldn’t be wise to arrive in London in the middle of the night. Getting in during the workday makes a lot more sense. Keep the time difference in mind when you’re looking to see what time your flight would leave.

Tiger Woods might be having trouble in his personal life, and it may be affecting him on the links, but he’s his old robotic self in the new Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 from Wii.

The game gets a great review from IGN, provided you have MotionPlus.

Last year’s Tiger Woods wasn’t just a great playing game of golf, it was a pretty awesome showcase for Nintendo’s Wii MotionPlus peripheral. The company was clearly so proud about what it accomplished, it even beat Nintendo to the punch as the first game on the market to support the motion device. Armed with all that Wii MotionPlus knowhow, the Wii Tiger Woods team set out to improve an already fantastic golfing experience with the yearly follow-up. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 might not be a massive step up from the previous incarnation, the game is a significant improvement and there’s a ton to enjoy even if you’ve plowed through last year’s 2010 edition.

It’s not the real deal, but it’s a fun way to pass the time at home.

Millions of people everyday are looking for employment. There are dozens of people applying for the same positions and this makes finding a job all the more difficult. Perhaps you have a top notch education and a stunning resume with the better references you can find, but all that won’t always guarantee you a job. Sometimes in the search for employment it’s about the smaller things. One of those smaller things is your personal appearance. In a field of top level candidates, or run of the mill people for a minimum wage job, how you dress can mean just as much as the application in your hand.

First things first. Everyone should have a good outfit for interviews and job hunting. There is no way around this. Making the choice to buy some designer clothes to wear for job hunting purposes makes sense. The fact that you came in dressed better than the other applicants can say to employers that you want the job more than they do.

If you are a guy, then making sure that your face is well kept and groomed properly matters. Five o’clock shadow may be a fun style but few guys can make it look elegant and professional. So take the time to have a clean and close shave the morning of an interview so that when you walk in your face looks ready for employment. If you have a beard make sure you are educated in how to groom it. If you do not know how then make sure that you go see a professional to have it groomed.

Ladies, it’s important that you apply the right amount of makeup. A good rule of thumb is to make sure the makeup isn’t noticeable. If you can do that and present the best looking version of yourself you may be looking at a new job.

Is your trunk a mess with all the golf gear, dirty shoes and golf clubs? You probably need to check out this cool trunk organizer from Samsonite. It’s an ideal solution if you golf often and you want to keep your stuff organized (or your wife is on you about it!).

The organizer is the ideal size for any trunk or back seat. With two levels, it fits nicely in the trunk but it doesn’t take too much space. The bottom level has room for three shoes, so you can fit more than golf shoes. The ventilated mesh front door makes it easy to see what’s in there and it makes it possible to air out the shoes while storing them.

The top level has a bunch of compartments to store all sorts of stuff, from phones, to sunglasses and cigars, along with golf gear like gloves and tees. It also has movable dividers so the user can customize it in the way that fits his needs. There’s plenty of room for stuff like shirts, shorts, jackets and more.

It’s also a great gift, so keep this one in mind as you’re shopping for Father’s Day!

The Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley, Idaho is looking to treat dads right for Father’s Day this year. The Club is offering a complimentary smoked barbeque meal to all “Dad Golfers” with the purchase of a greens fee.

The BBQ, which runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., will include bratwurst, smoked chicken breast, smoked beef brisket sandwich, and pulled BBQ pork sandwich. All items will be served with chips, side salad (potato, pasta, macaroni or coleslaw), a soft drink and a giant cookie.

Circling Raven was created amid a unique blend of wetlands, grasslands and woodlands. At 7,189 yards, the par 72 championship layout meanders through 620 acres, only 100 representing cultivated ground. Wildlife is abundant, including elk, deer, moose and an occasional black bear. In fact, the opening was delayed due to damage on two greens by migrating elk.

Golf Course
* Yardages: Gold, 7,189; Blue, 6,578; White, 6,108; Red, 5,389; Green, 4,708
* Total Acreage: 670 (including practice area, practice green and clubhouse)
* Amenities: The clubhouse is 6,500 square feet, including the Twisted Earth Grill and full service bar. Both locker rooms include showers and lockers. The practice facility covers 25 acres; separated into areas for wedges, sand play and all clubs in the bag. The Stensgar Pavilion adjacent to the course is a full service event venue, used for golf, business, wedding and other events.
* The casino resort hotel adjacent to the course includes 202 rooms, casino, restaurants, and other amenities.

The Coeur d’Alene Casino offers 1,800 machines for play in smoking and non-smoking areas, off-track betting for horse and dog races, high-stakes bingo, entertainment and many other amenities. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week every day of the year. The resort is regularly voted the most popular casino in the Inland Northwest.

We found this funny golf video when visiting The Bachelor Guy.

Whether you’re a beginner, or just a golfer who wants to improve his swing and get back to basics, this golf video from Jack Nicklaus is a must-see video. Here you’ll see one of the best and most simple lessons ever, from the greatest player the game of golf has ever known.

This video has one basic swing tip from the number one selling golf instructional video of all time – “Golf My Way” by Jack Nicklaus. The bottom line is that the swing, the hand placement and the ball placement should always be the same.

You don’t change your swing for the shot.