Executive Chef, Sous Chef Join Culinary Team at Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort

Four-Diamond Western Maryland Resort Also Appoints Controller

(CUMBERLAND, Md.) – Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort – home to the state’s only Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course – today announces Chef Alfonso Obregon has been appointed Executive Chef. Obregon brings more than 20 years of professional cooking and kitchen management experience to the AAA Four-Diamond resort.

“Chef Al brings a wealth of experience and culinary creativity to our team at Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort,” says General Manager Tim Grambley. “Our guests have long been treated to the area’s finest dining and are going to be thrilled with Chef Al’s creations.”

A culinary artist, Obregon will oversee the offerings in the resort’s luxurious Lakeside Restaurant, where panoramic views of Lake Habeeb and Evitts Mountain greet diners. Rocky Gap also features Signatures Bar & Grill for more casual fare.

A native of the Southwest, Obregon joins the resort from Stillwater (Okla.) Country Club where he also held the position of Executive Chef. While he’ll continue to offer Mid-Atlantic staples, guests can expect to experience many dishes with Obregon’s southwestern flare, such as chili rellano, chile verde and seafood enchiladas.

Sous Chef Tyler Dinteman also joins the culinary team at Rocky Gap. A graduate of the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Dinteman is very familiar with the resort as he served as the kitchen supervisor for four years prior to taking a position at Grand Concourse – an upscale restaurant located in the historic Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Station.

Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort also announces the hiring of Shirley Upole as Controller. With more than 30 years of experience in the hotel and resort industry, Upole is proficient in many areas of management, from accounting and human resources to reservations and guest services.

Rocky Gap’s award-winning golf course – given 4 Stars by Golf Digest – is a design masterpiece that features two unique playing experiences. The par-72 track features a front nine that weaves its way along the mountainside and boasts dramatic elevation changes, while the back nine features expansive, gently rolling fairways and scenic vistas with breathtaking views of the wooded splendor.

Through November, guests can play the award-winning resort course for only $25 per round with the purchase of a $119 double occupancy room. In addition to championship golf, Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort also offers value-laden packages ranging from treatments at the Garden Spa to holidays, romance and family. For more information on those packages and the resort, visit www.rockygapresort.com or call 800-724-0828.

Conveniently located within two hours of Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Washington D.C., the all-inclusive resort sits at the gateway to Rocky Gap State Park and is nestled at the base of Evitts Mountain, on the pristine shores of Lake Habeeb.

About Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort

Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort is a 215-room resort located on 243-acre Lake Habeeb in the lush forested mountains of Western Maryland. Amenities include the Rocky Gap Garden Spa which features the renowned line of Eminence spa products, miles of marked hiking trails highlighting Mother Nature's glory, a 7,000-yard Jack Nicklaus Signature Design course with five sets of tee boxes to match the skill level of any golfer, and an on-property adventure outfitter for horseback riding, hiking and biking, whitewater rafting and corporate team building.

About Crestline Hotels & Resorts

Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is one of the nation's largest independent hospitality management companies. Founded in 2000, the Company presently manages 70 hotels, resorts and conference and convention centers with nearly 14,900 rooms in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Crestline Hotels & Resorts manages properties independently and under such well regarded brands as Marriott, Hilton, Westin, Renaissance, Sheraton, Crowne Plaza and Wyndham. Additional information about the hotel management company is available at the company's web site: www.crestlinehotels.com.

Secrets of the Great Golf Course Architects

American Golfer recently had an opportunity to sit down with Michael Patrick Shiels' "Secrets of the Great Golf Course Architects" and loved the hours "lost" within the pages.

Shiels takes the readers from A to Z (actually A to Y) and looks into some of today's finest designers. From Paul Albanese to Brian Yoder and just about everyone in between, "Secrets of the Great Golf Course Architects" gives readers an inside look into this glorious world.

Albanese, who recently unveiled Sweetgrass Golf Club at the Island Resort & Casino in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, spoke to Shiels about restoring a couple bunkers at Christiana Creek Country Club in Elkhart, Ind. He and his construction manager actually brought in a team of horses to do the work as it was done generations ago - adding to his appreciation of Golden Age architects.

Yoder, who was on his way to becoming a golf course superintendent with a turfgrass degree from The Ohio State University, switched course and headed toward his career in golf course design. He related a must-read story of an encounter he had while working on a Mexican design on El Magote. I won't spoil the story, but I'll say it deals with nature calling.

Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Arthur Hills, Dr. Michael Hurdzan, and many well-known and undiscovered architects are featured in the book that boasts entertaining, easy-to-read articles and beautiful images of some of the best courses you'll ever see.

Shiels nailed this book and has shined a much-needed light on some of the industry's top golf course designers.

"Secrets of the Great Golf Course Architects" is available on Amazon.com for an incredible price. Buy it and enjoy every turn of the page!

Q-Link Caps 2008 PGA Tour Season with Strong Showing at Children's Miracle Network Classic

25 Golfers, Three Top-10 Finishers Choose Enhanced Performance Product Line

(LARKSPUR, California) - Clarus Transphase Scientific, Inc. - developer and manufacturer of Q-Link - confirms its SRT-3 products were worn by 25 golfers at the PGA Tour's Children's Miracle Network Classic, including three top-10 finishers.

More than 20 percent of the field in the year-ending PGA Tour event chose to wear Q-Link's new bracelets and pendants. These players benefited from the restored natural balance SRT-3 provides, which facilitates the peak mental and physical performance needed to improve scoring.

"Tournament after tournament, the world's best golfers rely on the scientifically proven benefits of SRT-3 technology," says Richard Gray, Clarus President and CEO. "The response to our new offerings has been tremendous and we've built tremendous momentum heading into next season."

Q-Link bracelets and world-famous pendants have been proven through rigorous independent scientific testing to help golfers of all ages and abilities improve performance via increased focus, stamina and awareness (http://www.qlinkgolf.com/Scripts/research.asp).

The necessary and often coveted accessory of many top PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour players, Q-Link products are openly credited with playing a key role in more than 120 Tour wins -- including a British Open, U.S. Women's Open, U.S. Senior Open and Women's British Open.

Featuring unique resonating crystalline wafers with enhanced materials, the pendants and bracelets can be worn as a system, providing athletes in virtually every sport with the ultimate on- and off-course benefits available from SRT.

In addition to promoting faster recovery from bad shots, reducing first tee jitters and even the yips, the new line of Q-Link products are known to promote better overall sleep and alleviate symptoms of jet lag common among today's international Tour players, business and leisure travelers. The company's bracelets and pendants are also shown to decrease the negative effects of electromagnetic fields generated by devices such as mobile phones, computers and fluorescent lighting.

For more information, please visit www.qlinkgolf.com or call 800.246.2765.

About Clarus Transphase Scientific, Inc.

An innovative technology company founded by Robert O. Williams, Robert Richards and Patricia Parlee, Clarus has for 30 years been devoted to improving and optimizing products, raw materials and living systems that support and sustain life through its fundamental breakthroughs in the field of energy resonance.

For the past decade, the company's Q-Link line of pendants and bracelets has given players a competitive edge by strengthening mind/body coordination. Its core technology, SRT-3, was developed through more than 25 years of research and development, including work by leading scientists and doctors at Stanford, University of California Irvine, Imperial College London and the University of Vienna.

Q-Link's global distribution includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dubai, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Nigeria, Norway, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, The Netherlands and Turkey.

Widely available at clubs, spas, doctor's offices and resorts throughout North America, Q-Link products are also sold at major retailers such as Dick's Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, Golf Town, Golf USA, Golfsmith, Roger Dunn and The Golfer's Warehouse, as well as online at www.qlinkgolf.com.

Editor's Note: American Golfer proudly wears Q-Link and stands by the product.

GolfWorld Magazine Readers Love Kaua‘i Golf Courses

Four Voted to the Nation’s Top 50 in their Category

(KAUA‘I, Hawaii) – Readers of GolfWorld magazine have placed their votes and the results are in – multiple golf courses on Kaua‘i have been elected as best in the country in the publication’s inaugural “2009 Readers’ Choice Awards.”

To generate these lists GolfWorld processed more than 21,000 individual golf course ratings and 252,000 criteria evaluations.

In the “Top 50 Resort Courses” category Poipu Bay Golf Course, adjacent to the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa, was voted No. 16. While ranked 16th nationwide, Poipu Bay was No. 2 in the state of Hawaii, and is the former longtime home to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf (1994-2006).

Kaua‘i Lagoons Golf Club was rated No. 19. It is affiliated with the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort & Beach Club. The back nine of the Jack Nicklaus-designed Kiele Course at Kaua‘i Lagoons is receiving extensive upgrades, including the addition of one new ocean hole which will, in addition to existing holes, create a mile-long stretch of oceanfront golf. The planned ocean nine reopening is mid-2009.

Princeville Resort, with 45 holes of golf on Kaua‘i’s north shore, was rated No. 22 nationally by GolfWorld’s discerning readers. The 27-hole Makai course (18 holes of which are currently being renovated) and the 18-hole Prince – all designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. – comprise Princeville’s renowned golf amenities.

Located in Lihue, Puakea Golf Course garnered the distinction of being voted No. 34 among the “Top 50 Public Courses” by GolfWorld readers. Designed by Robin Nelson, the course is adjacent to the lush site where Steven Spielberg filmed “Jurassic Park.” Puakea was voted the seventh best course in Hawaii by Golfweek magazine earlier this year.

Along with Kiahuna Golf Club, an outstanding Robert Trent Jones Jr. course design with Seashore Paspalum greens that many consider the best in Hawaii, Princeville (Prince and Makai courses), Poipu Bay, Kauai Lagoons and Puakea comprise the Garden Isle’s golf destination cooperative “Kaua‘i: Discover Golf’s Ultimate Island Green.”

“We hope people will be inspired by this honor from GolfWorld readers to visit Kaua‘i and enjoy our golf courses, resorts, beaches, scenery, weather and other attractions,” says Sue Kanoho, Executive Director of the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau.

For more information about the Garden Isle, visit www.kauaidiscovery.com/activities/golfing/ or call 800-262-1400.

GolfWorld Readers Vote Longaberger Golf Club One of Country’s Best

Esteemed Arthur Hills Design Scores Top 10 Honors, Distinction for its
Customer Service, Practice Facilities, Pro Shop and Other Amenities

(NASHPORT, Ohio) – The Longaberger Golf Club today announces its award-winning course has garnered distinction in GolfWorld magazine’s inaugural “Readers’ Choice Rankings” in the category “Top 50 Public Courses.”

GolfWorld’s discerning readers voted the Arthur Hills design No. 4 overall nationally – ahead of highly regarded Chambers Bay (future site of the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open) and Bethpage State Park Golf Courses (home to multiple U.S. Open Championships).

Longaberger also ranked No. 1 in Customer Service and No. 3 for its Extensive Practice Facilities, and earned Top 10 status in these other categories: Quality of Course, Course Condition, Reputation/Prestige, Speed of Play, Locker Room, Pro Shop, and Food and Dining.

GolfWorld reviewed more than 21,000 individual golf course ratings and 252,000 criteria evaluations. While the quality of the golf is weighed heavily, the publication included several other variables that account for the facility's overall experience.

Longaberger Golf Club, which opened in 1999 and has collected national and international acclaim, ranks No. 57 in the United States (out of roughly 13,500 public-access courses) in GOLF Magazine’s 2008 “Top 100 Courses You Can Play” list, while Golfweek Magazine rated the course No. 1 in Ohio in its recent 2008 state-by-state rankings.

Unfolding over the rolling hills of central Ohio and blessed with panoramic sightlines, Longaberger Golf Club boasts immaculate playing conditions and five sets of tees – making the 7,243-yard layout shrink to accommodate any level of player. Further catering to the golfers’ experience is a 25-acre natural grass driving range and practice facility with target greens and a chipping, pitching and bunker area.

For more information about Longaberger Golf Club, or to reserve a tee time, visit http://www.longabergergolfclub.com/ or call 740.763.1100.

About The Longaberger Company
The Longaberger Company is America’s premier maker of handcrafted baskets and offers a variety of other home and lifestyle products, including pottery, wrought iron and fabric accessories. There are approximately 45,000 independent Home Consultants in all 50 states who sell Longaberger products directly to customers. For more information about Longaberger, visit http://www.longaberger.com/.

Pinehurst Resort Releases Winter Travel Deals

(VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C.) - If you're looking for winter travel rates packed with value, Pinehurst has released its annual Evergreen offers just in time. Take a look at hot dates and rates through February 2009, for a little southern comfort:

FOR GOLFERS Pinehurst's popular $252 on No. 2 is back for a limited time beginning November 30, 2008. Mild temperatures make for a great round on the famed Pinehurst No. 2 golf course, site of the 2014 U.S. Open, plus overnight accommodations and breakfast starting at $252 per person (based on double occupancy).

Select dates are available for this value offering - at less than half its normal high-season rates - from Nov. 30 through Feb. 26, 2009.

FOR SPA GOERS Starting at $229 per person, the Evergreen Escape Spa Package is great for a Girls' Getaway to wash away winter blues. The package includes one of the resort's select 50-minute spa treatments, overnight accommodations, a full-day's access to the spa tranquility areas, buffet breakfast and dinner in any of the resort's restaurants.

Holiday shopping in the Village of Pinehurst is only a walk away (Bring a golfer and switch the treatment for a round of resort golf for the same price). We suggest you add on the Pumpkin Seed Scrub for a full day of pampering - it's 25% off the entire month of November as the Spa Treatment of the Month. (December's is the Holly Berry Back and Foot Treatment).

Evergreen Escape is available Nov. 9 to Feb. 26, 2009.

FOR THE FAMILY Thanksgiving is Pinehurst's busiest holiday for families - and with good reason. Rates start at only $149 per person and includes accommodations, breakfast and dinner, and kids 17 and under stay and eat free. Pinehurst's new Executive Chef Thierry Debailleul has created an all-American overflowing dinner buffet that includes such favorites as roasted pumpkin and squash bisque, pure maple-glazed sweet potatoes, southern corn bread and toasted pecan stuffing and unlimited turkey.

The resort kicks off the weekend with a Holiday Pops concert by the North Carolina Symphony on Wednesday night with the resort decorated for the season. It continues with an array of activities for families - from pottery painting to storytelling, flag football o n the Front Lawn, croquet to cookie time and s'mores and stories.

Don't forget the Holiday Tree Lighting Party in the Village of Pinehurst Dec. 5. Hayrides, visits with Santa, live music from area choirs and the Sandhills Assembly singers, and hot cider and cookies are all part of this Dickensian gathering every year.

For more information on these or any other holiday offers, holiday recipes or to make a reservation, see www.pinehurst.com or call 800-487-4653.

Poppy Hills Launches Newly Renovated Web Site

(PEBBLE BEACH) - Poppy Hills has launched a newly renovated Web site, www.poppyhillsgolf.com Tuesday night. The enhanced site boasts a clean, fresh look with a modern design making it even easier to make an online starting time.

Other features include a comprehensive virtual tour with audio commentary, updated pro shop and instruction news, a section on weddings and a photo gallery from the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Other standard features, such as weather, directions, contact information and a link to the course's parent Northern California Golf Association website (www.ncga.org), are also clearly displayed.

Poppy Hills is a challenging course that weaves through the Del Monte Forest. The venue plays host to many prominent tournaments including the PGA Tour's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in early February.

The Robert Trent Jones Jr. design opened in 1986 and is the home course for the NCGA. It was the first course in the United States to be owned and operated by an amateur golf association. The par-72 layout measures 6,857 yards from the black tees with a rating of 74.3/144.

In the October 17 issue of GolfWorld, the magazine announced its first "Readers' Choice Awards." Poppy Hills was selected 41st on the list of the top 50 public courses. A 2007 Zagat Survey ranked Poppy Hills the 12th "Most Popular Course" in the U.S., and the layout was named "National Course of the Year" in 2006 by the National Golf Course Owners Association. The golf shop was named as one of the "Top 100 Golf Shops" in 2008 by Golf World Business magazine.

Poppy Hills also includes a picturesque grass driving range, practice putting, chipping, bunker facilities and a video swing analysis system. The course welcomes public play and it is recommended for visitors to join the NCGA to receive nearly a 75-percent discount off the $200 public green fee.