Western New York is home to a number of microbreweries that produce eclectic and tantalizing flavors of beer and ale that make your mouth water before, during, and after their consumption; they're that good! You can find them on tap and in bottles at local watering holes.

Of all the unique establishments in the area, Alternative Brews on Sheridan Drive in Amherst might just be your best bet. If you want city-center action, try Pearl Street Grill in Buffalo. For a true Irish experience, head to the old South Ward in south Buffalo to McCarthy's on Hamburg Street.

If you and your contingent are tapped out after 36 holes on the links, you can purchase just about any suds (micro, national or international) by the 6-, 12- and 24-pack at the giant local supermarkets for après-golf enjoyment. On the golf course, a typical can of suds goes for $3-$5 American in the states, not a bad deal for an on-course libation.

The principal question is, are you a historical wing eater, a post-modern wing eater, or a progressive wing eater?

The historical fellow heads straight to the Anchor Bar in the medical district. Back in the 1960s, Frank and Theresa Bellissimo began to fry what the rest of America threw away. Chicken Wings took off locally, but it wasn't until the 1980s that the rest of America (for once!) caught up with western New York. Located on Main Street just north of downtown, you owe it to yourself to visit at least once.

If you're post-modern, you'll head straight to one of Duff's two locations. The original restaurant is located in Amherst, a mile from SUNY-Buffalo, the flagship campus of the State University of New York. The newer one is found in Orchard Park, south of the city. Duff's is well known for the size of its wings, the crispiness of the texture, and the absolute range of sauce degrees. If you want your last act on earth to be the consumption of a chicken wing, Duff's can make it happen with their "suicidal" sauce. If you want to taste the chicken along with the sauce, try one at the mild or medium levels.

Finally, if you're lumped in with the progressive wing eaters, you'll want to wait a bit for Quaker Steak Oil and Lube to open. Located on too-busy Transit Drive in Williamsville, QSOL is a Pennsylvania establishment looking to break into the western New York market (akin to heresy in some circles!) The problem is, QSOL is really good! I've venture south of the NY-PA border and sampled their incredible variety of sauces. They know how to do it up in the Buffalo tradition, yet branch off in unexplored directions like the finest of rebels. QSOL will occupy a former Don Pablo's building on Transit, but might not open its doors until late summer or early fall. Come to think of it, as the dying leaves explode in fiery colors, fall just might be the best time for BWG in western New York.

It's what you come for, right? Well, WNY has caught up with the rest of North America when it comes to upscale public courses. Six openings in the past five years bring the total of excellent courses to seven. When the Lewiston (north of Niagara Falls USA) Hickory Stick course opens in 2009, you'll have eight from which to choose. In the meantime, here's the rundown on local tracks.

Glen Oak, located in north Amherst, is the granddaddy of the lot. Designed by Robert Trent Jones in the late 1960s, it is extremely playable. With the arrival of the new six on the horizon, Glen Oak refused to stand pat and dredged water hazards, built stone walls, and update the aesthetics and playability of the course.

East of the Oak, in Lancaster and Akron, you'll find Arrowhead, the Links at Ivy Ridge, and Buffalo Tournament Club. All three courses present a different golfing experience to the traveling golfer. Arrowhead is a medium-length track that forces you to think ahead on nearly every shot, all the while testing you with angles, twists and turns, and undulating putting surfaces. Ivy Ridge runs up, down and across the Ivy Ridge. It relies on dried-out washes, water courses, and an ever-present wind to dictate play. Having hosted multiple USGA qualifiers in its young history, Ivy Ridge can stretch to over 7,000 yards and give your best game a run for its money. Buffalo Tournament Club is the youngest and least mature course of the bunch. As it grows in, it will take its rightful place alongside its neighbors. The front nine at BTC traverses dells and highland while the back takes a tour of a played-out quarry.

Just west of this triumvirate, across from the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport in Cheektowaga, sits the modern miracle that is Diamond Hawk. Surrounded by two industrial parks, a trailer park, and a major thoroughfare, you'll sense nothing but silent bliss while golfing around Diamond Hawk. Designed by the Michael Hurdzan firm of Columbus Ohio, Diamond Hawk dances around wetlands and down abandoned railroad lines in the truest Scottish fashion. You'll need to play runners and bouncers here, as the course welcomes (often demands) the non-traditional approach to the green. Play for the fronts and you'll reach the pin; play for the pin and you'll end up over the back.

South of the city, in Orchard Park, Hurdzan's firm returned to design the Harvest Hill complex, showcase of the First Tee of Western New York. In addition to the championship layout, Hurdzan's team built a three hole short course, an enormous short game facility, and a spacious practice range. Unlike Diamond Hawk, the amount of land available at Harvest Hill forces a necessary comparison with the greatest New York public course of them all, Bethpage Black. There is a heroic sense at Harvest Hill and you might like it most of all.

All of the big six top out around $50 US. Each course has a special deal, be it for twilight, bring a senior and all are seniors, or some other incentive. Visit the following sites for more information:

www.btcgolf.com

www.glenoak.com

www.thelinksativyridge.com

www.harvesthillgc.com

www.diamondhawkgolf.com

www.arrowheadgolfclub.net

Get together with your colleagues and plan your BWG in WNY. You'll enjoy the food and beverages and love the golf. It's all available at prices reminiscent of an earlier era. As one local golf course owner put it, "you could build Pebble Beach along the shores of Lake Erie and still only charge $50." When it comes to a place to stay, don't fret. Each golf course can direct you to the best lodging deals available. There are enough bed and breakfasts, budget hotel chains and small motels with rooms for very little cash output. For the traveling golfer, that's sweet, sweet music all around!