- FedExCup Points: 50,000
- Purse: $7.0 million
- Winning Share: $1,260,000
- Yards: 7,415
PGATOUR.com Site Producer
Ready for Boston? Steve Stricker is. Although he probably won't be having as much fun as you.
If you were in New York for The Barclays, then it wasn't much of a trek to the next event. Round 2 of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, the Deutsche Bank Championship, takes place at the TPC Boston, in Norton, Mass.
Like the Westchester Country Club, host of The Barclays, the course is located in a hot area - just a short drive from both the Massachusetts and Rhode Island state capitals. You won't want for something to do between rounds.
WHERE TO SNOOZE
While close-to-the-course lodging was pretty easy to come by in New York, you'll have to look harder in Norton. Because of the town's proximity to Boston and Providence, area hotels lack a little in luxury. I'm not talking lock-the-door-behind-you motels, but you won't find a four-star spa outside the city. So your best bet -- for both activity and respite -- is Boston.
Lavish living: A tough decision. With so many hot hotels in which to spoil yourself, you might just forget the reason you're going to Boston. While you'd be safe flipping a coin to make your pick (or several coins), consider the Langham Hotel Boston.
These four-star digs (where breakfast in the resident restaurant looks like a wedding reception) overlook the gardens of Post Office Square in the heart of downtown Boston and lie just around the corner from some of the city's coolest bars and bistros. The course is only 45 minutes away.
Prepare to pay: On average, a stay at the Langham Hotel will set you back between $320 and $450 a night. I wasn't kidding when I said "lavish." If big numbers frighten you off the course as well as on, check out the Colonnade Hotel, the Hyatt Harborside Hotel and the Onyx Hotel, all of which start at less than $300 per night.
Take it down a notch: Once you head out of the city, you'll find fewer hotels, but those you can find don't cost as much. Located only 20 minutes from TPC Boston and around 30 minutes from the capitals, the Courtyard by Marriott Raynham provides an affordable option with a three-star rating. Plus, Marriott beds swallow you whole.
Prepare to pay: The Courtyard Marriott Raynham will cost you less in cash as well as gas. Rates fluctuate between about $120 and $140 a night. Breakfast's not included, but for a hotel meal, the price won't shock you.
Boston's best value: If you spent all your hotel money last week in Westchester (or shopping in the city) and need to give your wallet some breathing room, check out the Extended Stay America Boston-Norton. About as close to the course as you can get, this place is less than 15 minutes away from the TPC. If you haven't slept at an Extended Stay before, you get a sweet deal. All rooms come with a kitchenette, so you can cook for yourself should you start to feel domestic.
But come on. You're on vacation.
Prepare to pay: Forget about that kitchenette and head out for a fancy dinner because the Extended Stay America Boston-Norton will only cost you between $85 and $115 a night. Oh, and you get free movie channels too in case you get, uh, bored.
Pick which free movie you just have to see and then head out the door. This part of the country will keep you too busy to sleep anyway. So what's the itinerary for the week? Sports.
You're up here for the playoffs. The first-ever playoffs. So why not sport it up for the weekend? There's no denying that Massachusetts has the monopoly on professional teams in the United States, which is why you're in luck this week.
| Football Thursday |
THURSDAY
Football season is almost upon us, and while we wait somewhat impatiently for those crisp fall mornings spent tailgating in team colors, who's to say we can't enjoy the preseason? The New England Patriots play the New York Giants at 7:30 p.m. in their last game before the '07-'08 season begins. Whether you like to watch Tom Brady because he has a pretty face or because he throws the ball like it has a deadly disease, a trip to Gillette Stadium wouldn't dampen your stay.
The three-time Super Bowl champs look set to dominate the NFL again this year, so you may as well get in while the tickets won't cost you an organ. (Who am I kidding? I'd be happy to give Tom Brady an organ.) But don't get me wrong, I'm not pulling for the Pats. Go Panthers!
Before you head to the game, get in the mood at the Funway Café. You probably don't have your tailgating gear with you unless you planned to grill steaks and drink beers in the clubhouse parking lot (please don't), so a sports bar will have to do. The Funway Café has all the bar-food staples -- chicken wings, potato skins and mozzarella sticks -- but you can also fill your tourist quota with some New England clam chowdah. The bar/restaurant also comes equipped with a game room and pool hall and often has live music in case you can't bring yourself to see how good the Patriots will be this year.
FRIDAY
Maybe watching Tom Brady and his army of padded superstars makes you want to cry, but no one has a problem with the Red Sox. Except maybe Yankee fans.
Football season lies teasingly around the corner, but baseball will come to a close all too soon. The Red Sox have had a stellar year so far, and while they'll be in New York early this week bat-tling it out with their bitter rivals, they return to Massachusetts Friday to play the Baltimore Orioles. So buy you some peanuts and cracker jack and head out to one of the oldest ball parks in the country. Fenway Park on a Friday night will fire up even the most adamant proponent of the "baseball is boring" theory. And who wouldn't have fun telling people they're going to watch the Sox in their best Peter Griffin accent?
| Fenway Friday |
The game starts at 7:05 p.m., so if Fenway Franks don't whet your appetite, make a stop at the Baseball Tavern before you settle into the stadium. You can chow down on chicken tenders and onion rings if you want to, or you can mix it up with zucchini chips and a New England whole clam roll -- whatever you think washes down well with a pre-game beverage.
The Baseball Tavern also offers a rooftop deck overlooking the diamond, so if you can't get tickets, you can probably enjoy the game from the roof or watch it on one of the high-definition, big-screen TVs. And if you like the atmosphere before the game, be sure to check it out after the last pitch has been thrown, too.
SATURDAY
OK, so you might be all golf, foot, and baseballed out by now. A night out on the town should cure you of that. You have to be ready to cheer on the champion Sunday.
It's no secret that Boston's a hot spot on the East coast. If you think hotels are hard to choose from, try narrowing down a place to eat. The bayside city practically bursts with fine cuisine from the trendy Financial District to the chic Back Bay area. You certainly won't go hungry.
| A Night on the Town |
This restaurant recommendation comes from my fabulous uncles, who are quite the globe trotters. (They live across the pond in case you're thinking a trip to Boston is hardly trekking the globe.) Bouchée Urban Brasserie serves up New England-caliber seafood and Texas-caliber steak in the middle of downtown Boston. The restaurant also boasts an outdoor terrace in the event that watching sports has become tiresome and watching people seems a fun, temporary alternative.
After you eat, head over to Faneuil Hall Marketplace to do some more watching. During the warmer months, the marketplace offers the "Summer Nights Marketplace Lights & Laser Show," and the best part about it is that it's free. Think the dance of the Bellagio fountains in Vegas but in the sky and in one of Boston's oldest social gathering spots.
Freebie entertainment can often make your night, but don't head home just yet. The competition doesn't have to stay on the course. Pull up a chair at Jake Ivory's Piano Bar and watch one of the city's coolest dueling piano shows. The talented folks at this watering hole will have you tapping your toes to the beat of their battle. If you've never checked out a piano duel, don't miss this one.
SUNDAY
Whether it's Steve Stricker who adds another 9,000 points to his FedExCup bank Sunday or someone else, we'll be halfway into the playoffs, and that's surely a reason to celebrate. Before you make your plans for the BMW Championship in Lemont, Ill., be sure to stop by the other capital city in these parts -- Providence, R.I.
| Cigars in Providence |
Neath's New American Bistro, downtown on the river, combines French and Asian cuisine for an elegant taste. After you've sampled the food, settle into the swanky cigar bar for a celebratory stogie. The bar's décor, reminiscent of a humidor with rich woods and soft edges, contrasts with the cool currents of the river view and night-time city lights. Have yourself a Montecristo for the winner and roll on the BMW Championship.
STICKING AROUND?
| Go Coastal |
If you have some extra time on your hands before or after the tournament, New England has a lot to offer. Partial to the coast? You can't miss Martha's Vineyard while you're here. The Vineyard comprises six towns and awaits just a seven-mile ferry trip out from the mainland. Massachusetts' most famous shoreline has some of the most beautiful beaches in America.
From harbors and marinas to lighthouses and outdoor movies, a few days on the island will surely ease that golf-swing-induced back pain. The Vineyard proves popular on the antique trail as well, and if you missed all that spa action that was available in New York last week, you can get pampered here.
Oh, and they have golf, too, if you're into that kind of thing.
