State of the week: Wyoming

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Where are we? The Equality State. Wyoming, known most for being one of three state's claims to Yellowstone National Park, is a true tribute to what was once the Wild Wild West. Most people keep a running list of states they have visited, but often, Wyoming isn't on it. And that's just plain crazy. Why visit this old frontier outpost? Read on...

Wyoming's natural landscape blows most states out of the water. (Special to PGATOUR.com)

Wyoming history: Wyoming joined the union in 1890, but its past goes back much further than that. The state's rich American Indian history is predated even further by evidence that suggests prehistoric occupation 12,000 years ago. But the Western wonder didn't earn its nickname of the Equality State by boasting about its history; it notched that name because of its progressiveness in women's rights. Wyoming's women were the first in the country to vote, take public office and serve jury duty.

Wyoming on the course: Wyoming, though mountainous and wild, has a plethora of golf courses -- both public and private -- to choose from. The Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club, opened in 1963, wins the popular vote for best golf course in Wyoming. A Robert Trent Jones II design, this par-72 course stretches out for 7,168 yards of tender-green loveliness. With the snow-capped Teton Range as a backdrop and the powder blue sky that comes at such an elevation, Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club looks to be worth every penny of the $15 million club renovation that it just completed. And in 2007, the club opened its brand new clubhouse complex -- a $7.5 million project.

Attached to Grand Teton National Park, the club's unique location makes it a perfect vacation spot for indulging in more than golf. And paradisiacal as it may be, the course lies just north of Wyoming's historical city of Jackson and less than a 10-minute drive to the airport.

Wyoming off the course: As if I could send you anywhere else -- Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone may be America's most famous national park, and it definitely has rights to title of the oldest. Established in 1872, the park hosts worldwide attractions such as Old Faithful -- the globally-renowned geyser -- and Yellowstone's Grand Canyon. Sprawled across three states (Idaho and Montana), the park could entertain you for weeks on end. Camping, fishing, hiking, wildlife watching (look out for those Grizzlies) and general gazing in awe will make you wonder why frontier folk ever felt the need to enclose themselves in towns and houses.

While Yellowstone will take your breath away in the winter (quite literally), the park often closes due to extreme weather and can become very dangerous, so plan accordingly and always pay attention to weather warnings and advisories -- especially now that the once wolf-free park has a thriving wolf population after reintroduction to Yellowstone in 1995.

Wyoming resort: When you open up the brochure on resorts, and the words "Four Seasons" glitter in front of your eyes, how can you help not wanting to look any further? Think five-star luxury wrapped in a ski-lodge skin. Think pristine slopes in the winter and alpine freshness in the summer. Think panoramic views of the Tetons on the outside and steaming pools of relaxation on the inside. Booking a room yet?

If the menu above didn't whet your appetite, the menu in the restaurant will. Westbank Grill, located on Jackson Hole Mountain and with a grand, stone fireplace as the focal point, offers classy American cuisine as only the West could serve up. Some samples? Seafood: Pan Roasted Jumbo Scallops, Shaved Fennel, Blood Orange and Frisée Salad, Potato Rösti, Lobster Tarragon Reduction. Meat: Dijon-Brushed Colorado Lamb Rack, Humboldt Fog Whipped Potatoes, Fava Bean Stew, Natural Reduction. Rice dish: Red Thai Chicken Curry, Coconut Rice, Fresh Fruit Salsa.

Is anyone else hungry right now?

Wyoming eats: Speaking of food; if you can drag yourself away from the resort or the park or the course or the countless other reasons to visit Wyoming, you have to try a local dish. Around these parts, elk and buffalo rule the plains (and the kitchen), and I'm not talking buffalo wings a la Jessica Simpson. This meat certainly doesn't have wings.

The Wild Sage Restaurant at the Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa offers a fine taste of Western meat in its "North American Elk Loin au Poivre." But if you're too scared to sample Wyoming cuisine, then rest assured, you can find beef tenderloin and seafood curry on the menu, too.

If you're a Food Network junkie, you might have heard of Wild Sage. And if not, you should know that it is one of only two restaurants in the state to earn a four-diamond rating from AAA.

Wyoming culture: While East coasters cling to their long (for American standards) past and priceless role in the molding of this country, the West is not without its own history lessons. Wyoming lay in the path of the Oregon Trail and saw thousands of frontier families pass by on their way to a new future during the mid 1800s. Just outside of Guernsey, Wyo., you can visit a forever-remembered spot on the trail where oxen-led wagon after wagon after wagon slowly ground rut marks into the soft sandstone that not only still exist but are unmistakable today. The tracks in the stone remind us that in our ever-changing world, our footprints make a mark and the past can never truly be forgotten.

Wyoming golfer: Jim Benepe III. This Sheridan, Wyo., native was born in 1963 and made his mark on the PGA TOUR in the 1980s before leaving the TOUR after the '91 season due to injuries and problems with his game. He has dabbled in golf ever since with appearances on the Nationwide Tour and in Australia. He still calls Sheridan his home.

Next week: Cheeseheads, get ready; we're checking out Wisconsin.