LAX TO PHOENIX
My cousin AJ, his friend Chris and Chris' wife Val invited me to Arizona for the night, so we could play golf the next morning. The LAX-to-Phoenix flight is only an hour. This might have been my last time flying on an America West plane, though. They recently merged with USAirways. The new company will do away with the America West name, and be called USAirways. Only a small tribute sticker by the plane door will remain.

PHOENIX TO SCOTTSDALE
The drive to Scottsdale from PHX Sky Harbor Airport takes 30 minutes without traffic. I won't name names, but as you can see someone brought way too many bags (7!). I hadn't checked in with them, so I almost fainted at baggage claim when one bag after another came out. Just getting out of the building necessitated a porter; reaching the hotel required a super-stretch limo -- and we still barely fit. Thankfully there won't be any more extra bag charges. I talked to the guilty party, who took my advice. That person went away the following week, and took only one bag!

FAIRMONT SCOTTSDALE
We stayed at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, a AAA 5-diamond hotel and a member of the Leading Hotels of the World group. It's in an ideal location, set against the backdrop of Arizona's McDowell Mountains, and has a Spanish Colonial feel. This place is pretty plush and really huge. The 651 guest rooms including 2 Presidential suites, 72 villas and 119 casitas. It is perfect for either large corporate conferences, or vacationers who want to stay in one place and not leave the premises. The Princess has it all: 3 restaurants, 2 championship golf courses, tennis courts, pools, and one of the best spas in North America (according to Cond� Nast Traveler). The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, 7575 East Princess Dr., Scottsdale, AZ; tel.: 480-585-4848 (toll free 866 540-4495).

WHISPER ROCK
The greater Scottsdale area is home to over 125 golf courses, many of them rated among the top 100 courses in the world. We were invited by a friend (and member) to play on one of the nicest golf courses in America: Whisper Rock Golf Club. This private 18-hole course, designed by PGA Tour player Phil Mickelson, opened in 2001. There are only 400 members, and they include some pretty well known people. Here's an idea: Dan Quayle was playing in front of us, and Fred Couples was in the clubhouse when we had breakfast. As you can see from these pictures, golf in the Arizona dessert is almost magical. I love staring out at the mountains and cactus, with the bright big blue sky as a backdrop. For more information on Whisper Rock visit their website.