They're put together by all kinds of people, from superfans to computer wizards with way too much time on their hands. The medium is anything from a proper tribute to a multimedia haven that borders on the psychotic.
They're fan pages on the Internet.
PGA Tour golfers aren't immune, of course. There are 23 listings for Web sites devoted to Tiger Woods alone in the Yahoo search directory. That's to be expected, as he is the world's best player and the type of golfer that brings together all types of fans.
It's the two sites devoted to the life and times of Stuart Appleby that should concern you a little bit.
Still, we all need heroes of some sort, and if you prefer to spend your time surfing Annika Sorenstam's Web site, be my guest.
The best thing about celebrity web pages is that they have all kinds of pictures and information on your favorite player. The information can range from their golf accomplishments to what their favorite food is. It all depends on how extensive (and official) the site is.
Just for fun, take a look at Yahoo's directory of golfers (dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Sports/Golf/Golfers/). You'll get a whole list of names in the form of links - some of those will take you to a subdirectory if there is more than one entry for that name (such as David Duval), while others will take you directly to a Web site.
If there is more than one site under a name, the best place is usually one that marks it as the "official site." Such is usually the case with the marquee names (such as Fred Couples or Woods), although other players do have their own sites from time to time.
Some of these links take you to the PGA, LPGA, Senior PGA or European PGA tour sites. Those aren't official sites, but rather pages created by the tours to provide information on every player.
The most visible site, of course, belongs to Tiger Woods (www.tigerwoods.com). Hosted by CBS Sportsline, this site has all kinds of information on the young golf phenom.
The "All About Tiger" section has a complete bio on Woods, but there are other features as well. "Off the Course" has excerpts from his father's book, and there is a "Chat" link that takes you to a place where you can talk with other Tiger fans.
There's also a link for the Official Tiger Woods fan club, appropriately named "Club Tiger." Bet you didn't even know that existed, did you? But it's a neat site, one where Woods answers fan mail and writes semi-weekly updates.
Of course you have to join the club to access this information, but at least it's free.
Like he does on the golf course, Woods has set the standard online for other golfers interested in building a Web page. He was smart to pair up with Sportsline, as it has the marketing muscle and Web savvy to build a page that's relevant to your average surfer.
Try going over to the PGA's official site (www.pgatour.com) and checking out the individual pages. Those have interesting biography info, but the page also auto updates if the player is playing in a tour event.
Thus, if you'd click on Justin Leonard's page, you'll be able to track his progress up-to-the-minute if he's playing in today's tour event.
Other than official sites, fan pages can be interesting, although it's harder to find one that is well done. You might find pictures or information on players that you can't get anywhere else, including where to write if you want to send someone fan mail.
These pages usually spring into existence for some reason. A lot of these fans have met their favorite player, whether it be at a tournament or charity function, etc., and the Web page is their way of thanking them.
Others build it out of fascination for a player's ability, a la the Tiger Woods homages.
Whatever, or whoever, you're looking for, it's out there on the World Wide Web. Maybe you'll find out more about your favorite player in the process.
Jeremy Littau is the Nevada Appeal sports editor. Write to him at jjleditor@yahoo.com.
