Waitsfield, Vt.- based Divot Communication, publisher of regional golf lifestyle magazines, names Steve Donahue as the editor-in-chief of its publications.

The Caulfeild Apparel Group announces Deanna Ruby as its new sales representative for Caulfeild Golf in British Columbia and Tracy Maxwell as its new sales representative for the Cutter & Buck line of golf apparel in Alberta.

Rodney Pampling won The International on Sunday and moves up 56 places to No. 58 on the Official World Golf Ranking. Tiger Woods has now equaled Greg Norman's record of a total of 331 weeks at No. 1 and his current sequence at the top is now 5 years exactly.

By Judi Janofsky and Rich Steck
wheretogonext.com

We're not one of American Express' Platinum cardholders. We have just a regular AmEx card. The one that costs the least but still lets us accumulate Delta mileage.

The Platinum card is for the affluent. At least that's how AmEx refers to these cardholders. And we guess that must mean something because according to a new survey by AmEx, these affluent folks spend a lot on themselves.

In the survey, 59 percent of its Platinum cardmembers, as they're called, receive the greatest personal satisfaction from experiences such as fine dining, travel, entertainment and cultural, arts and sporting events. (Actually, we're surprised it's only 59 percent. We don't know anyone who doesn't like to eat and be entertained.)

On average their affluent consumers spent $10,060 on these pleasures over the past 12 months. (Well, there again we're surprised. That's just a little over $800 a month on eating out, traveling and entertaining. If that's AmEx's definition of affluent, most of the rest of us should qualify.)

AmEx's report gets even better. Peggy Maher, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Charge Card, American Express said: "In the real world, affluent consumers aren't relaxing poolside or eating bonbons. They're working long hours, juggling personal and professional lives, and are constantly pressed for time."

Guess Maher hasn't been around the average American lately. Or any single moms, who sometimes work two or three jobs and raise kids on their own. Don't think they're sitting around eating bonbons.

But that's probably where the similarity between AmEx's affluent cardmember and the Average American ends. Because while the Platinum folks don't spend that much on the small pleasures, they do spend it on the big ones.

According to the survey, their affluent consumers travel often and in style: 68 percent took an average of six personal trips in the past year and spent $12,650 on average on personal travel. That is big bucks.

So besides spending money on travel, what does it take to be affluent? According to Webster's dictionary, affluent is having an abundance of wealth. According to AmEx it's being one of their Platinum cardmembers. And that starts by paying $395 a year for the card - it's a charge card, not a credit card - and paying your AmEx bill in full each month. Then you have to spend that $10,060 on food and such, $12,650 for travel and, if you're among those 21 percent who said they get the greatest satisfaction from personal luxuries, such as cars, clothes and jewelry, you'll have to spend, on average, another $14,270 on those items.

Guess we'll just have to continue being content as average. Although we did renovate our kitchen this year. Does that count?