A golf course is like a house.

It is built, maintained and welcomes numerous guests. Eagle's Pride Golf Course on Joint-Base Lewis-McChord is Mike McDonald's second home.

"I want (Eagle's Pride) to be like anybody comes to my house and walks in the front door and says, ‘This is comfortable,'" the course manager said.

For that to happen McDonald and his staff made some recent changes in his three seasons as manager.

"The course was OK when I came here," McDonald said. "It was probably not a lot of golfers' first choice."

The improvements began with the front door - the parking lot entrance. The old lot with railroad ties and no lighting gave way to a smooth, sleek parking surface with an attractive entrance sign. Beyond the entrance golfers are welcomed with a well-maintained 27-hole course open daily to the public.

Nine holes were given new tee boxes last year. Over time the boxes become uneven, but a professional company came out to laser level the surface.

A golf course architect study revealed some of the fairways in the 6,440-yard long course were too long. Forward tees were added to accommodate all levels of golfers.

"As the baby boomers, as we get older we feel like we're 30 but we can't hit that far," McDonald said. "So we've added other tees to try to attract more people. We make it a user-friendly golf course."

New irrigation drains were added to help eliminate wet spots on the greens, and a forestry department was involved to thin and remove trees that were depriving the greens of sunlight. All the work was done without taking away from the ambiance of the course.

All the physical improvements have given new life to the 73-year-old course.

Eagle's Pride opened in 1938 as an 18-hole course. Nine more holes were added in 1979 and in the mid-1990's the military course opened to the public. The driving range features natural grass hitting areas, as well as covered areas with heat and light.

McDonald did more than just a physical remodel at Eagle's Pride to attract more golfers to practice and play the course. Administrative changes made those golfers want to return.

"If you look at courses in the area like the Home Course and Chambers Bay, the competition has been elevated around us," Eagle's Pride PGA Pro Eric Bowen said. "With public access they have many choices and we want them to choose this one."

One of the first changes McDonald made as manager in 2008 was implementing an annual special. This season's special is valid Monday through Thursday and includes the greens fee, golf cart and an $8 food voucher for $35. A civilian would normally pay $47. Tee times can be reserved up to seven days in advance.

Friday through Sunday the course is normally busy with tournaments, but the extra nine holes allow golfers to still play during weekends. McDonald and Bowen have plans for other improvements to the course, including upgrading the other 18 tee boxes.

"We still have a long way to go," McDonald said. "Our goal is to eventually make this the best golf course in the Pacific Northwest where people will want to come and play."

Sabine Pullins quietly entered the marathon scene four years ago.

But it took just one race for the 38-year-old Army spouse to become an elite distance running competitor.

Since her first race in June 2007 in her native country of Germany, Pullins competed in 13 other marathons - qualifying for the Boston Marathon all 14 times.

Just this year Pullins ran a 10K race, a half-marathon in San Francisco and three marathons.

"May 1 was my first marathon this year in Eugene, Ore.," Pullins said. "I ran my second-fastest time there but I didn't feel like I was quite giving it my all. I wasn't very depleted or exhausted afterward."

Pullins turned around two weeks later and won the Capital City Marathon in Olympia. But she didn't give her full effort because she had the Rainier to Ruston Ultra Marathon three weeks later.

Three marathons in a span of five weeks had little effect on Pullins, as she was the first female finisher - second overall - in the Ultra Marathon.

Pullins' accomplishments are known beyond the local running community, as she is sponsored by Quantum Scalar, a manufacturer of performance gear.

"Being sponsored means you're on par with the pro level," said Claire Heid, 66th Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion. "In the running world, a good mark of a professional runner is when they start getting sponsorship."

Heid met Pullins at the start line of the Capital City Marathon in May. Pullins quickly befriended the ultra marathon runner as she prepared for the Rainier to Ruston - Pullins' first ultra marathon - in June.

It didn't take long for Pullins' running career to flourish. But the mother of two doesn't accumulate her winnings to show them off. Rather, Pullins wants to use her success to help others. Even with a full racing schedule Pullins completed schooling at the National Federation of Professional Trainers to become a Certified Personal Trainer, specialized in endurance training.

"My next endeavor is to pay this forward to the community," Pullins said. "I would really like to see if I can work through (Joint Base Lewis-McChord Directorate of) Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, and let this bleed into helping the Soldiers perform at a better, higher level."

Pullins hopes to work at a gym on post where she can share her expertise in training and nutrition with Soldiers and spouses.

Of the 14 marathons Pullins raced in, she made it to the award podium 12 times, with seven first-place finishes. She hopes her numbers will aid in building up clientele as a personal trainer.

"I look at (what I've done) as successes that I can get people interested in me," Pullins said. "So people will think, ‘She really knows what she's doing. She knows what this is about.' If you trust me I can definitely get you to where you would like to see yourself or very close to it."

In the meantime Pullins is taking it easy. Of course she still logs 60 miles a week during her runs, but without the race mentality. She doesn't know when her next marathon will be.

"It's been busy and I want to refill my battery a little bit," Pullins said.

And with her husband, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Scott W. Pullins, 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor Regiment, being deployed next year, Sabine Pullins' competitive running will slow down to spend more time with her Family.

But she admits it would be nice to maybe some day run the Boston Marathon. Or better yet, just round up her 14 marathons.

"I know I would love to do 15. I'm just letting things come toward me."

Bodybuilding.com has officially kicked off the second annual 2011 Military Challenge. The competition is open for entries to all active and reserve United States military members and their spouses from July 15 to Aug. 15.

Bodybuilding.com and MusclePharm are looking for the best of the best in the U.S. Military. Whether someone is already in great physical shape or wants to utilize this 12 week challenge to transform their body, the most important factor is showing that an individual physical fitness goal can be met while being a top motivator for others. Winners will be chosen by an internal judging panel that will look at the contestants' ability to reach their Military Challenge goals and their ability to inspire others in the military with the aid of the world's largest online social fitness community, BodySpace.

The grand prize male and female winners will receive the title of "Bodybuilding.com Military Spokesperson of the Year" and become a sponsored athlete of TEAM Bodybuilding.com. They will also receive $1,800 worth of supplements, a professional photo shoot, a Stayfit Package (including a MusclePharm Stack, gym gift bag, fat caliper, fat loss monitor with scale, shaker and gym towel), and be featured on Bodybuilding.com. The grand prize winners will be chosen from the first place male and female winners of each military branch (Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard). Individual first place branch winners will receive $350 worth of supplements and a Bodybuilding.com gift bag (approximate value of $100). 

2010 Bodybuilding.com Military Spokesmodels Soldier Sean Hardge and Airman Pamela Wilson not only graced multiple pages on Bodybuilding.com and made appearances at company events throughout the year, but they also received exposure in top industry magazines such as Muscle Mag, Iron Man, Muscular Development and Fitness X. Most importantly, they inspired thousands as the official representatives for the strongest force in the world - the United States Military.  

"At Bodybuilding.com, we believe exercise, nutrition, and supplements are critical weapons in the fight for a healthy body. We also believe a battle-ready dose of motivation is essential to achieving the best physique possible. As a result, we proudly support and salute our soldiers with the Bodybuilding.com 2011 Military Challenge," Bodybuilding.com CEO Ryan DeLuca said in a release.

For more on the 2011 Bodybuilding.com Military Spokesmodel Competition powered by MusclePharm, visit www.Bodybuilding.com/Military.

This from Military Times: Video gamers no longer will be able to fight and kill American troops as members of the “Taliban” in the upcoming first-person shooter “Medal of Honor,” Military Times has learned. Instead, they’ll fight and kill American troops as “the opposing force,” a response to criticism from service members’ families and others.

For more on the story, click here.

A new first-person shooter video game has some up in arms about some of the game's features.

By allowing players to assume the role of Taliban fighters killing U.S. troops, Redwood City-based (Calif.) Electronic Arts may have crossed the line with its latest first-person shooter game, a line that Mountain View resident Karen Meredith says was drawn with the blood of soldiers like her only son, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

For more on the story, click here.