Tour

A year ago, when Maestro David Zinman renewed his contract as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's music director, one big factor in his decision to remain in Baltimore was a pledge by the orchestra's management to put more emphasis on touring, recording and broadcasts.The BSO had evolved over the previous decade into one of the finest regional ensembles in the country. But because it couldn't tour, relatively few music lovers outside Baltimore knew how good it really was.That's why the orchestra's announcement last month that it will spend three weeks this fall touring East Asia represents an exciting new phase of the orchestra's development.

The worlds of Baltimore and TV politics met Thursday when HBO's "VEEP" came to City Hall. The series that stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus is filming season two in and around the city. "It was a thrill to visit the VEEP set today," Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in a statement. "This show, along with others recently filmed in Baltimore, are a boost to our economy and our sense of pride in the city. It will be great seeing our historic chamber on TV. "  

Calendar PGA Tour Chrysler Championship Site -- Palm Harbor, Fla. Schedule -- Thursday-Sunday Course -- Westin Innisbrook Golf Resort (7,295 yards, par 71) Purse -- $5.3 million. Winner's share: $954,000 TV -- USA Network (Thursday-Friday, 4-6 p.m., Saturday, 3-6 p.m.); ABC (Sunday, 2-5 p.m.) Last year -- Vijay Singh became the first player to surpass $10 million in single-season earnings by winning his ninth Tour event by five strokes over Jesper Parnevik and Tommy Armour III. LPGA Tour CJ Nine Bridges Classic Site -- Jeju, South Korea Schedule -- Friday-Sunday Course -- The Club At Nine Bridges (6,274 yards, par 72)

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band will be crowned 2003's top concert attraction by Pollstar in the magazine's annual ranking of the top 100 North American tours, a list that will be finalized this week. The New Jersey rocker grossed $115.9 million from 47 performances in 30 cities, according to Pollstar editor Gary Bongiovanni, placing him No. 2 on the list of the highest-grossing tours ever. The Rolling Stones' 1994 tour remains the all-time champion with $121.2 million in tickets sold.

TOKYO -- The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, reveling in the success of its highly acclaimed tour of Asia, heads home today with one goal in mind for the future -- to get back to Japan as quickly as possible."

It's not a tournament, but the Senior PGA Tour now has a link with Baltimore.The tour has joined with the locally based American Foundation for Urologic Disease for a "Keep Your Health Up To Par" campaign aimed at educating the public about prostate health.The AFUD was founded in 1987, prompted by a need to make health research and public awareness separate and distinct from the American Urological Association, which primarily is for doctors/surgeons."Our target market is men over 50, and we have determined that 41.5 percent of the spectators at Senior tour events are aged 46 and over," said Thomas M. Bruckman, AFUD executive director.

Where -- 4701 Bay Hill Drive, Beltsville Phone -- 301-595-8901 Online -- www.crosscreek golfclub.net Course description -- 18 holes, par 70. Opened 2002. Bent grass tees, fairways and greens. Tees -- Black gold, 6,356 yards; Creekside, 6,035; Quarry, 5,268; Fox Trail, 4,413. Cost -- $49 Monday-Thursday ($39 after noon); $55 Friday ($39 after noon); $69 Saturday and Sunday ($55 after noon); twilight (after 3 p.m.) $29 including cart. Reduced winter rates start Nov. 28. Rates for juniors, seniors, women and residents of Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

CALENDAR PGA Tour Tommy Bahama Challenge Site -- Scottsdale, Ariz. Schedule -- Through today Course -- Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club (7,108 yards, par 72). Format -- Four of the top "young guns" age 30 and under from the United States face a team of international young guns in match play, a change from last year's medal-match format. Players -- Zach Johnson is the only returner from last year's winning U.S. team, and he is joined by Ben Crane, Ryan Moore and Arron Oberholser.

The bold-faced names of the 19th century are all here -- the Sheppards, the Pratts, the Abells --resting in a vast garden graveyard surrounded by some of East Baltimore's toughest neighborhoods. And Wayne Schaumburg knows exactly where to find them. Since 1985, the recently retired city schoolteacher has been leading October and May walking tours of Green Mount Cemetery, where "Baltimore's best are laid to rest," as he likes to say. Nestled among the greenery in the 68-acre necropolis are eight Maryland governors, seven Baltimore mayors, countless local luminaries and one presidential assassin.

Contrary to a report in USA Today Tuesday, Nirvana has not been confirmed as the headliner for this summer's Lollapalooza tour, the annual multi-band, cross-country, alternative-rock festival."