A fixture for more than three decades at the famed Olympic Club in San Francisco, Pat Finlen has found a new home in the foothills near Sacramento. Finlen, the longtime Olympic Club and golf profession leader, has assumed the role of general manager at Winchester Country Club in Meadow Vista, Calif. Finlen, 60, will utilize […]
Travel/Golf/Auto reviews
2019 Volkswagen Golf lacks performance
We’re not sure what Volkswagen was thinking, but smaller is not better when it comes to an engine. Yet that’s exactly what the Volkswagen brain trust decided to do with the 2019 Golf. The new VW compact hatchback has a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine with a mere 147 horsepower, a reduction of 23 hp from last […]
2019 Ford Edge gets facelift
When first introduced in 2007, the Ford Edge was indeed on the cutting edge. It was a competent midsize crossover sport utility vehicle that became one of the industry’s trailblazers as SUVs veered away from being truck-based to delivering a sedan-like ride. The Edge became one of the initial crossover leaders and a dozen years […]
New 2020 Kia Telluride a hit
There’s virtually no chance of the new Kia Telluride suffering the same fate as the Kia Borrego. Kia was a little late to the party with the truck-like Borrego, a hefty midsize sport utility vehicle that was unveiled late in 2008. Due to a sagging economy, American car buyers were rarely buying larger SUVs, preferring […]
2019 Volvo XC90 sophisticated SUV
The 2019 Volvo XC90 is a sophisticated luxury crossover sport utility vehicle. It’s a very attractive vehicle with a bold, yet classy look that would make any owner proud to have the XC90 parked in the driveway for the neighbors to admire. For technological geeks, there’s plenty to explore. And it starts with merely turning […]
2019 Lexus LS 500 still stylish sedan
Last year, Lexus bid farewell to the popular LS 460 and unveiled the all-new LS 500, an elegant full-size luxury sedan. We sampled the gas-powered LS 500 a year ago and this year we spent a week with the 2019 Lexus LS 500 hybrid. The latest version of the LS has a rather bold exterior […]
Lexus UX 250h sporty new SUV
From this vantage point, the opinion has always been that Toyota and its luxury brand – Lexus – has always excelled in the sport utility vehicle category. The first SUV sampled here many years ago was the Toyota Landcruiser. Impressed with its overall makeup and a few other subsequent SUV samplings from the Japanese automaker, […]
Kia Soul continues as top seller
Among the innovative boxy vehicles that were introduced around a decade ago, only one survivor remains – the Kia Soul. We bid farewell to the Honda Element, Nissan Cube and Scion xB, but the Soul has not only survived, it has thrived. Often identified for its “toaster-shaped” look, the Soul has been a huge success. […]
Redesign adds AWD to 2019 Mazda3
Mazda engineers are known for pushing the envelope in the search for something more innovative and interesting than its competitors. With that in mind, the Japanese automaker has equipped the popular 2019 Mazda3 with a novel new feature – all-wheel drive (AWD). With the exception of the front-wheel drive base sedan, every other Mazda3 trim […]
Mother’s Day at Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe
Mother’s Day is a special time to spend with family. And a Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe getaway can make the day even more special. With Mother’s Day right around the corner, there is the opportunity to treat mom to a luxurious weekend getaway at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. It remains the first and only AAA Five Diamond resort in […]