Michael Jordan was in his element, chewing on a cigar and hanging out with his celebrity pals on the stunning Shadow Creek golf course for the 11th Annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI). I was parked next the tee box on the 18th hole to get some photos as MJ and his entourage pulled up in their carts with music in the background. Everyone at the tournament was having a great time, but Jordan was top dog as usual.

I was in my element as well, enjoying a blowout weekend at the Aria Resort & Casino and hanging out on a beautiful day in the desert as I nursed a hangover from the previous night’s debauchery. As you can see from the slideshow above I had a great view as celebrities from Brandi Chastain, Aaron Rodgers, John Smoltz, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Roger Clemens blasted drives from the 18th tee. A good time was being had by all and the celebs happily mingled with the fans near the tee box.

Brandi Chastain and John Smoltz were in the lead following Saturday’s first round of the celeb-only scramble after shooting a six-under par 66. Hall of Fame broadcaster Ahmad Rashad, and teammate and former baseball all-star Roger Clemens, were two strokes back at 4-under. Clemons hit a monster drive on 18. The two-person, 36-hole celebrity-only scramble continues today with winners to be announced at 3 p.m. The winning celebs each will take home $20,000 for their designated charities. It would have been fun to bet a celebrity tournament link this at a site like bwin.

Michael Jordan chews his cigar with the 18th hole of Shadow Creek in the background

The course at Shadow Creek was simply stunning, and it has to be on your list if you’re a golfer heading to Las Vegas. It’s amazing to pull up to this oasis in the middle of the Nevada desert. With the mountains in the background as you can see from the photo above, the beauty of this course ranks up there with some of the best I’ve seen.

Check back later this week for more details from my stay at Aria, where the restaurants, nightlife and amenities give you everything you’ll need for a Vegas getaway with your gal or your friends.

We’ll use any excuse to hit Las Vegas, but covering the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI) definitely qualifies as a trip we’re excited about. This 11th annual charity golf tournament will feature stars like NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers along with Ken Griffey, Jr., Wayne Gretzky, Roger Clemens, Brian Baumgartner, Brett Hull, Maury Povich and Chris Chelios. I’ll be reporting through the weekend here on the blog and you can also follow us on Twitter for photos and updates. I’ll also be staying at the incredible Aria Resort & Casino so this is shaping up to be a great weekend!

It’s also for a number of great causes, as this is a charity golf tournament. Proceeds from the charitable tournament will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, UC San Diego Nevada Cancer Institute, James R. Jordan Foundation, Opportunity Village and Cats Care, the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats’ charity arm. Since its inception in 2001, MJCI has raised more than $6 million for charity.

The tournament is being held at the incredible Shadow Creek golf course, which is opening to the public for only the second time with this tournament. I’m looking forward to getting some great photos.

Tickets may be purchased at any MGM Resorts International box office outlet or online through the links above:

Daily General Admission Pass $30/Thursday-Sunday
Weekly General Admission Pass $100/Thursday-Sunday
Daily VIP Pass $150/Thursday-Sunday
Weekly VIP Pass $500/Thursday-Sunday

VIP spectators will enjoy access to an unparalleled view of the course from the M life VIP tent, an openair venue featuring a “VIP Party Deck” overlooking the par-5, 18th hole, catering and a full-service bar. Discounted tickets are available for military service members with valid identification, and Senior Citizens 65 years of age or older with valid ID; both groups will receive 25 percent off a daily or weekly general admission ticket. Additionally, the tournament has created a special “Bring the Kids for Free” general admission ticket offer, which provides access to Shadow Creek for youth 16 years of age and younger when accompanied by a general admission ticketed adult (up to two children per paid adult).

With the golf tournament with MJ and then the Final Four semi-finals on Saturday night, this should shape us as quite a weekend. I also get to enjoy all the amenities at the Aria and will also see the Cirque du Soleil Viva ELVIS show which should be incredible. I saw the Love show featuring music from The Beatles last year so I’m definitely looking forward to this Elvis show!

The holidays are over, and many people are now thinking about their winter or spring vacations. Unfortunately, for many people around the country, some of the more popular winter sports haven’t been available. With the warm weather in many parts of the country, skiing and snowboarding hasn’t been a very good option, unless you could fly to spots that have had consistent cold weather.

For golf, however, there hasn’t been a problem. For many avid golfers up north, now is the time of year where they are dreaming of golf breaks and plan to escape and spend some time at a beautiful golf resort. Places like Arizona and Florida are great options for many, while others dream of golf in the Algarve and other great European destinations.

Whether you prefer the traditional golf courses in the United Kingdom, the newer pro courses in the United States or Algarve golf options, you’ll end up with a great vacation if you plan ahead.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is getting into shape before you take your trip. A long golf trip can really take a toll, and if you’ve slipped a little after the holidays, you might want to consider some workouts before you go. Hit the treadmill to get your endurance going, and work on your strength and flexibility so you can hit those long drives and collect on bets with your friends.

Sub70 sent us some samples from their golf line which embraces these new style trends as the “classic golf shirt goes modern.” Check out their site and you’ll see a wide variety of European-fit polos in a full range of styles and colors. We checked out the Zane/White golf shirt pictured here and loved the styling. Some of the shirts are trendier than others but the modern styles definitely stand out as something new and fresh. The all-polyester shirts are very comfortable, but they are definitely tighter and the sizes run smaller than expected. They are ideal for a leaner and more athletic build, so it’s not for guys who consistently choose beer and the buffet line over the gym.

The shirts make a great gift for golf enthusiasts who have a sense of style. If you’re an avid golfer and want to break free from the more traditional look, these shirts are for you as well.

I knew I was in for a treat when I traveled to Pebble Beach this past weekend with Infiniti. Any trip to the beautiful Bay Area that included a visit to the iconic Pebble Beach golf course would be memorable. But visiting during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance provided a completely unique experience. The Concours ranks as the most prestigious classic car show in the world. I was stunned by the number of beautiful cars that were on display. It’s a car enthusiast’s dream event, but anyone who appreciates great cars would have an unforgettable experience.

Infiniti took the opportunity around this event to introduce two impressive concept vehicles, including the JX Concept crossover which made its debut at an elegant evening event and the Etherea concept which was introduced for the first time in North America. The Etherea was introduced on Saturday morning on the 18th green at Pebble Beach, which would be the location for the Concours on Sunday (see photo below).

The Concours is the signature event for car enthusiasts, so all weekend we saw a virtual parade of amazing vehicles. Everywhere you turned you could spot old and new Ferraris, Bugattis, Rolls Royces, Aston Martins, Lambos and more, along with classic American cars as well. In the days leading up to Sunday, tons of vehicles we on display. One of my favorites was this 1968 Dodge Charger R/T:

On Saturday I also traveled out to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which is a series of races of classic cars. The car collectors who brought their cars here were not interested in displaying their cars in museums. They want to drive and race them, and it was quite a sight to see these races. Some of the races included a Jaguar Invitation class consisting of E-Type Jaguars from the 1950s and 60s, Pre-1940 race cars and also a race of the legendary Ferrari GTOs from the 60s. I had access to the paddock area so I could check out the cars that were racing that day and see them as they were pulling out onto the track:

Here’s a Ferrari GTO pulling out from the paddock area for its race:

The highlight of the weekend was the Concours at Pebble Beach on Sunday. Tradition calls for the vehicles to be driven onto the 18th hole at Pebble Beach on Sunday morning, so we were there with the press and guests bright and early on Sunday as each car was driven onto the course one-by-one so that the onlookers could appreciate each vehicle. Many of the proud owners dressed in clothes that matched the era of the vehicle. Throughout the morning stunning cars from every era rolled up surrounded by admiring onlookers:

The cars were then parked and organized along the 18th hole overlooking the beautiful coastline.

There were hundreds of them and they were organized in various categories. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari GTO (pictured above in the header), so there were many of them lined up in the grass:

You can check out our slideshow for more photos, and we’ll be updating with more posts here and on Dashboard News.

This event is the Mecca of classic cars, and you could spend the entire day walking along one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world while checking out cars you’ve only seen in old photos. It’s a great event to put on your bucket list!

Welcome to a new feature where we examine the best golf courses the world has to offer, and daydream about playing them before we die. First up, naturally, is the course that is frequently rated the #1 golf course in the world and the host of the Masters, the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Here are some quick hits on the club and the course.

Open for play: 1934
Membership: The club has around 300 members at all times, and they are selected by invitation only. Dues are said to be around $10,000 per year, as the club makes the majority of its money from hosting the Masters, but despite those relatively affordable dues, you’re not getting an invitation to join unless you’re rich, famous, or politically connected, and you’re not playing the course unless you know one of those 300 people.
Total Length: 7,435 yards, or roughly a mile longer than the course you play on the weekends
Yes, it’s true: There are no women members, though they finally accepted a black member in 1990.

When you watch those helicopter shots of each hole on TV, Augusta doesn’t look like a terribly hazardous course, but thanks to an abundance of trees, undulated greens and tee boxes that are a good 30 yards farther back than they were six years ago, there is scant room for error. Take a look at the green for the seventh hole, Pampas: it’s protected by five (!) bunkers, so if you don’t stick the green, you’re throwing a beach party. Then there is White Dogwood, hole #11, where you need to hit the ball at least 265 yards just to make it to the fairway. The course’s toughest hole, though is the tenth, Camelia. (All holes are named for the trees or plants that line each particular hole.) The back half of the hole slopes downhill though the green is slightly elevated, with a bunker to the right and a monstrous, storm cloud-shaped bunker in the middle of the fairway just before the green. No one wins the Masters on the 10th hole, but lots of people have lost it here.

The hole we’re most eager to play, though, has to be Rosebud, the par-3 16th hole where, in 2005, Tiger Woods made the most spectacular shot we’ve ever seen.

How on earth did he do that? As Verne Lundquist said, never in our lives have we seen such a thing, but here’s hoping that someone makes us take that statement back this weekend.

Many casino players and many Girls of Playboy Golf spent the night at the luxurious resort. The next day, they lounged at the pool and expansive sundeck and noshed on some great food.

With Father’s Day coming up next weekend, we’re going to be featuring some cool products for dads, and we’ll be putting a bunch of them together in a full guide that will be published later this week.

We’re kicking things off with this cool trunk organizer from Samsonite. It’s a great gift for any guy who loves to golf, and it will help him organize that messy trunk.

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 a great gift, and you may want to pick one up for yourself as well.

Bullz-Eye is heading to Palm Springs next weekend for the “Ultimate Fantasy Weekend” that will be hosted by the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and presented by PlayerXT. It’s two days of bikini contests, the National Bikini Pillow Fighting Championships, a golf tournament and more that will be attended by 30 models, 4 Playmates and a handful of NFL stars. We expect to get some great photos and model shoots from the event so we’ll keep you posted!

The Ultimate Fantasy Weekend festivities at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino kick off on Friday, May 21st at 7:00p.m. at the Fantasy Springs pool deck. The bikini pageant and competition gets underway just after 7:00p.m., followed by the National Bikini Pillow Fighting Championships. For this, two bikini-clad models stand on floating rafts facing each other in the Fantasy Springs pool. Armed with oversized pillows, the women try to knock the other off her raft. The winners of the bikini contest and the Pillow Fighting Championships are crowned Saturday evening at 7:30p.m. during the awards party. Thirty models who have graced the pages of national magazines, as well as four Playmates (Shallan Meiers, Stacy Fuson, Stephanie Heinrich and Tyran Richard), will be on hand for the weekend’s events. NFL players Shaun Phillips, Stephen Cooper and Larry English from the San Diego Chargers, and newly acquired Denver Bronco Akin Ayodele add to the Ultimate Fantasy Weekend’s star power.

We were happy to be invited by our friends at PlayerXT to attend the event, and we expect to get some great photos and model shoots from the event so we’ll keep you posted! We’ll also put together a full review of the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, from the luxury accommodations to the casino and the golf course.

Spring is definitely in the air, as March Madness has just produced another Duke championship, and the Red Sox and Yankees kicked off the baseball season on Opening Day. It’s even warm now in C-Town after the nasty snowstorm from last week.

Now we have The Masters this week, with Tiger Woods trying to get back his mojo on the most famous golf course in the world. We now know that he previously had an incredible advantage, as he was able to use his babe posse to ensure he never let any sexual frustration or pent up sexual energy impede his game. Can he still perform at peak levels without this constant release? It has to be more difficult now that he isn’t getting any. Not only that, the whole world knows about it and will be reminding him of it for years to come. This week we’ll see just how good he really is.

While watching Tiger and the other golf pros this weekend, you’re bound to get the itch to get back out there yourself. Most of you avid golfers are way ahead of us on this. With that in mind, think about ways you can take your game to the next level this year.

Naturally, much of your focus will be on your swing and whether you can improve your game by upgrading your gear, but spend some time thinking about your own fitness and how that might impact your game. Sure, this isn’t basketball, and you can still do well in this game with your usual beer intake and your growing pot belly, but improving your general fitness, your strength and your flexibility can give you an edge.

Our Fitness Editor, Mike Furci, has two articles in the archives that you should check out as you approach the new golf season. His first article covers the importance of strength training for golfers, particularly exercises that strengthen your lower back. Here’s what Mike said in 2000, well before Tiger sculpted his body and took his game to the next level.

Many golfers I talk with think that injuries like low back pain and shoulder problems are just a part of the game. What if I told you that a strength and conditioning program can cure most of these ailments, and can dramatically improve the risk of experiencing future problems? In addition, a proper program can dramatically improve your game. Many pros, including Nancy Lopez will tell you that their strength and conditioning programs helped their game, and it also saved their careers.

Many top professionals are seeing the benefits of getting into, and staying in top physical condition. Professional golfers are finally looking at themselves for what they are…athletes. That’s right, golfers are athletes. To be successful in what many consider to be a game of frustration and skill, one need’s strength, endurance, balance, coordination, finesse, and timing. These aspects of the game cannot be found in a pro shop. Most people focus on the latest ball or most expensive club to be competitive. They do not look toward their bodies for the answer. These same people with the finest equipment money can buy, can’t walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air.

Mike followed up that article with another that took a closer look at ways you can prevent golf injuries.

So, if you’re happy with your scores, keep guzzling that beer and inhaling those hot dogs. But, if you want to improve your game, and also look a little better in your new golf clothes, forget about the expensive golf clubs and get your ass in shape!