Don't think anyone cares about golf this time of year? Of course, you won?t be thinking that way if there is someone in your household who enjoys the game. While that person may not be able to play in some parts of the U.S. in December and January, he/she still thinks about the game and the people who make it enjoyable.

There are only three weeks until the PGA Tour season begins in Hawaii. A good way to survive this stretch and have fun besides is to get (or give) for Christmas "A Passion for Golf: Celebrity Musings About The Game," which has just been published in revised and updated form. Ann Liguori, author of this tome, didn?t interview obscure, reality TV-show size celebrities but heavy hitters in entertainment, sports, and other industries who are hard-core golf aficionados.

First, some background on Liguori. She is celebrating her 20th year at the New York City all-sports radio station WFAN, where she is the chief golf and tennis correspondent. On television, she has appeared frequently on the Golf Channel and other cable stations, and over the years she has interviewed everyone from Mickey Mantle to Arnold Palmer to Annika Sorenstam to Vince Gill. She also writes a regular column for Hall of Fame Magazine. Six years ago, Liguori was the first woman in sports media honored with the Association for Women in Communication?s Headliner Award, previously given to Katherine Graham of The Washington Post and Barbara Walters.

Much of her time is spent on the road. Liguori has covered six Olympics as well as the Ryder Cup, the Masters, PGA Championship, and U.S. Open golf and tennis. You can also find her as a spokesperson and marketing consultant for Bobby Jones Golf.

As if all this didn?t already make her unique, she founded and is the president of Ann Liguori Productions Inc. What makes this special is that she owns the footage and recordings of what she and her company do. She is the boss, and she is building up a substantial archive of material. While this is not unheard of in sports, it is unusual to have a business woman in such a situation in major American sports. (Get the full rundown of Ann?s career, activities, and her company at www.Annliguori.com, where the book can be ordered also.)

She has also managed to be involved in numerous charities. One very close to her, literally, is the Ann Liguori American Cancer Society Golf Classic, which is played near her home in Westhampton every June. It is now in its 10th year.

Back to "A Passion for Golf," Liguori first pulled the book together 10 years ago. "It's an extension of a prime-time show I did on the Golf Channel called "Conversations With Ann Liguori?," said Ann, who was interviewed at her studio at WLIU (88.3) FM, where every Saturday morning she does an interview show beginning at 9 a.m. "I was also doing ?Sports Interview With Ann Liguori," which was airing on regional cable networks around the country. Being on a golf course and talking golf and their careers in a relaxed, comfortable and beautiful setting got the celebrities out of their element at the same old uptight surroundings. They actually enjoyed talking, and it wasn't all about golf. These were interviews that other people with the same old format and questions weren't going to get. It seemed the natural next step was to do a book."

And what a star-studded book it is, like one of the old MGM classics that had, "more stars than there are in the heavens." Those interviewed include Charles Barkley, Pete Sampras, Yogi Berra, Sugar Ray Leonard, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Costner, Smokey Robinson, and Dan Quayle, people who are big names in their respective fields and plain flat-out love golf.

"They're all very successful in their chosen field, and the drive, determination, work ethic carries over to trying to learn golf and try to perfect golf," Liguori explained. "Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretsky, Bret Favre ? these are not only successful athletes but they have dominated their sports, yet golf humbles them and that is why they keep going out there, because they can?t stand anything other than success."

She continued: "All of the people I talked to are addicted to golf. Some of them transferred their addiction to golf. Alice Cooper is one. He told me that the day he got out of rehab he played 36 holes and never looked back. Lawrence Taylor is as addicted to golf as he ever was to drugs."

The new edition has four brand-new interviews: Favre (who must have found the Fountain of Youth on a fairway someplace), Samuel L. Jackson, Celine Dion, and Matthew McConaughey.

This wouldn't be a bad foursome at all, but Liguori has her own dream foursome, which of course includes herself: "Alice Cooper, he is so much fun," she said. ?Bret Favre is very much a class act, and Yogi Berra. He drives righty but putts lefty. One time playing with him I said, "Yogi, I didn't know you were ambidextrous.? He said, "I'm not, Ann, I'm amphibious.?"

Cooper might appear to be the oddest choice, but Liguori has really enjoyed time spent with him on the golf course. "Alice Cooper was a very pleasant surprise. People think of him as the king of shock rock. It turns out that he was the most normal, humble, nicest guy. He is a Christian, the son of a minister, and he is very committed to raising money for his foundation that helps abused women and children - a very smart guy who was a joy to play with."

Given her seemingly nonstop schedule, why do an updated and expanded version of ?A Passion For Golf,? with the first one easily being able to stand on its own?

"I do a lot of talks and readings and book signings, and I wanted an updated version for all these appearances," explained Liguori. "And the way my career has developed, there are more people who know me and now they can have an updated book. When you think about it, you can do edition after edition because you just keep adding to it. There will never be a lack of major celebrities passionate about golf."

Amen to that. An interview can?t end without Liguori's take on the surge in popularity of the LPGA Tour, which just had a very successful 2007 season. ?The interest in the LPGA is growing because there are so many young American players breaking through " Natalie Gulbis, Pauline Creamer, and Morgan Pressel, for example,? she pointed out. "The international players were on top for a while, especially the Koreans, and of course, Annika Sorenstam was the absolute best for a decade. Lorena Ochoa is the best now, she has a fabulous personality and the entire country of Mexico is in love with her. The American audience needs to identify with North American players, and very talented ones are stepping up now."

For Liguori, between radio and TV shows, it's work, work, work ? at some of the most beautiful golf locations in the world. It?s a tough job, but someone has to do it. According to Liguori, while she has plenty of fun, it is indeed a job.

"Playing golf as often as I do, especially in the charity tournaments, is absolutely necessary for me as a business person," she stated. "I need to always be booking guests on my radio shows on WFAN and WLIU and the TV show. You can spend forever going through agents, managers, and PR firms. At a tournament, I'll go up to Kevin Costner and we'll talk golf, and when I suggest we continue the conversation on my show, he says yes. My mom will ask me where I'm going next week and I'll tell her Cabo in Mexico, and she'll say, "Don't you ever work?" I'll get frustrated and say, "Mom, this IS work!?"