Maryland is Seeing Blue

This past weekend while in Ocean City, I enjoyed one of the Eastern Shores delicacies; “The Blue Crab”. It can be enjoyed in many ways such as crab dip, imperial, soup, fritters, cakes, even salads but I enjoy it most in its original form, steamed with lots of Old Bay. It is messy and time-consuming but if you have never had this Maryland staple, it’s well worth trying. I wanted to share with you what I think is the best way to enjoy this meal:

First, pull off all of the legs and the claws. Then pull the tab back and this will help you pull of the top of the crab. Just to let you know, the male crab has a "tab" which looks like the 'Washington Monument' as opposed to a female crab which has a tab that looks like the US Capitol. At this point you are almost there. I usually take a knife and cut off the lungs or “devils fingers”, don’t eat them (I was always told they would make you sick)! Now you want to clean out anything that is in the cavity and if you want, there is something that looks like mustard inside. Try it if you haven’t but don’t worry if you don’t like it, not everyone does. Then break the crab in half and work on one side at a time. I have found if I break it in half again the meat comes out easier. While doing this, make sure you watch out for shells. Now comes the hard decision and there are many ways this is done. Some say that you just eat the meat plain as it comes out, others dip in melted butter or vinegar and then there are people like me who pick their crabmeat into a bowl and then sprinkle with vinegar and enjoy all at once!

So if you have not tried this Maryland treat when you travel to Ocean City make sure you stop at one of the many places that serve this tasty seafood. I like Hooper’s Crab House next to the Route 50 Bridge in West Ocean City. They have a great all you can eat with sweet corn!

The Stonegate Experience

In our quest to provide our customers with the best of golf and accommodations nationally, once and a while we come across a venue that even we as experts find ourselves saying, "WOW! This is special." Stonegate Golf Club is such a facility.
It's not just the magnificent 36 hole layout - it's the entire experience. There are quaint Carmel style shops as you first drive in. The multi-functional clubhouse with elegant furnishings is spectacular. Even though I am a non-member, two of the full-time members struck up a conversation to make me feel welcome. During my four hours of snooping around, not once did I see a thing out of place or anyone discontented. It is a picture perfect place to relax. On your next visit to Orlando, treat yourself to something both extraordinary and affordable and visit Stonegate Golf Club.

Golf Idol

If you're one of the 29.5 Bazillion viewers of American Idol weekly or The Grammy's annually or hundreds of other TV shows, musicals or concerts, this fine lookin' group below are the ones responsible for the sound/audio you hear on those productions.
Paul Sandweiss, 2nd from left in the rear and his group has been booking their golf trip with me to Palm Springs for a couple of years now and they're great guys to deal with. They haven't actually faxed signed, eraser smudgefree scorecards to me as of yet, despite my requests, but they have dropped thank you notes and have had always had a great time staying for a few days and enjoying the golf and sun in Palm Springs. So next time you watch American Idol, say thanks guys and good golfing!

Back Row L to R: Mikael Stewart, Paul Sandweiss, David Bellamy, Danny Harris and Scott Harmala. Front Row L to R: Andrew 'Fletch' Fletcher, Michael MacDonald and Mike Parker.

Cheeseburgers In Paradise!

After a day on the Links while in the Myrtle Beach area, head to Hamburger Joes - a locals & golfers favorite. Great burgers & wings with a great atmosphere to boot! You can't beat the $1.00 drafts all day long & they were voted best Burgers on the Beach 3 years in a Row! Kick back on the outside deck overlooking the Marsh in North Myrtle Beach Right accross from Barefoot Landing. I promise you won't leave hungry!!

Linda

Widen The Fairway

If you normally hit the ball from left to right off the tee try the following strategy to effectively double the size of the fairway. During your next round, tee off next to the right tee marker and aim at the left side of the fairway. By doing so, you will double the amount of fairway to hit into than if you had teed up in the middle of the tee markers and aimed straight down the middle of the fairway.

By Jeff Allen, PGA Assistant Golf Professional at Longbow Golf Club