On Oct. 18, the Backstreet Boys participated in VH1's Fairway to Heaven golf game in Las Vegas. Here is a break down of the Backstreet Boy's day at the golf tournament.
01:27PM ET
Fairway to Heaven attracts a strange group of pro golfers, music industry people and businessmen. But what people are really here for is to see the stars. And we have some of the biggest playing today. The Backstreet Boys alone could pull a legion of teenage girls, and not surprisingly, they have. Although VH1 did their best to keep their participation secret, the Boys themselves announced they would be taking part at a press conference the other day. The Country Club has now prepared itself for a lot of Las Vegas students to cut class.
01:42PM ET
Another question on everyone's lips is Where's Howie? Howie who? Howie Backstreet Boy, of course. Although Brian, AJ, Kevin and Nick are all here and watching Paul Azinger do the work for him. But Howie is nowhere to be seen. If you happen to spot him, please email us at mymusicfirst@vh1mail.com. Some of us at VH1.com think he might have overdone it at the MGM Grand tables the other night. Still, we think he might have the money to spare. Brian has brought along his dog to keep him company in Howie's absence.
01:48PM ET
Our roving cub reporter "Scoop" Graver has just given us an on-the-scene update about the Backstreet Boys. "Scoop"'s getting on in years, so he referred to said Boy as "the blonde one". It seems he's had one of the worst tee-offs ever. It sliced off the fairway and into someone's yard. So if you're living anywhere near the 16th green at the Las Vegas Country Club, you might have a Backstreet Boys' ball in your backyard.
01:50PM ET
Seen Howie yet? The nationwide search for the missing Backstreet Boy has prompted us to set up an independent email address. Send all your sightings or suggestions to Howiewatch@hotmail.com. We'll keep you posted on the sightings as the day goes on. Please don't send us any ransom notes.
01:58PM ET
'Scoop' Graver gives us another report from the Backstreet Boys area. It seems the Boys are playing a game of "best ball". Well, actually it starts like "scramble". It seems all the golfers take their shot. Whoever hits the best shot, the other players all pick up their balls and move them over to where the best shot landed. And then they take the game on from there. So expect the Backstreet Boys to be huddling around Paul Azinger a lot.
02:00PM ET
Our apologies for the sea-sickness we're inducing at the 18th hole. Our spies are going over there to see if the cameraman is in fact Howie Backstreet.
02:02PM ET
The exotically clad creature on hole 18 isn't in fact an incognito Howie Backstreet. VH1 have brought out some Las Vegas showgirls to provide a little bit of local color. Many of them have never seen daylight before, which accounts for the fact that most of them look like they're shell-shocked. Or maybe it's just that they're so close to Tico Torres. It's not a bad life being a rock star, is it?
02:21PM ET
...Maybe they were going to meet Howie Backstreet somewhere. Don't forget ... if you see the missing Backstreet Boy anywhere, than please email us at the howiewatch@hotmail.com. They aren't exactly flooding in, so maybe he's lying unconscious in a bathroom somewhere. But we doubt it.
02:35PM ET
If you're looking for the Backstreet Boys, they're just approaching the 18th green with their showgirl in attendance - and pro Paul Azinger. After that they move on to Hole No. 1, so if you're a fan of the fresh-faced foursome (at least for today), you'll want to move to that camera next.
02:43PM ET
The Backstreet Boys are currently on hole No.1. Having seen the guys in action, VH1.com must say that it's hard to play golf and sign autographs at the same time. But somehow the guys are doing it ... even without Howie to back them up. The fifth Backstreet Boy is still AWOL somewhere in Las Vegas.
02:45PM ET
Having shot their best, the Backstreet Boys are making their way down the fairway at Hole No. 1. Just in case you're wondering if that heavenly music follows them around everywhere, we should tell you that it's really a band located here in the middle of the VH1 village at the Las Vegas Country Club. You should hear 'Mustang Sally' again in about half an hour.
02:49PM ET
At hole No. 1 you can now see a view of the VH1 village, including the stage where the band is playing. The VH1 Village is currently in a tizzy because there are unauthorized people taking pictures of the Backstreet Boys. Call it a hazard of the profession. Our photos are fully authorized and you can see them over at the photo gallery.
03:46PM ET
Shame! Our emergency Howiewatch has attraqted precisely no emails! Can it be that Howie has dropped off the face of the planet? Can somebody ask AJ If it's been more than 24 hours since he last saw his friend? Or is it just that Howie is the most dispensible Backstreet Boy? Email us at Howiewatch@hotmail.com if you know his whereabouts! The Boys are struggling out there and they need his help!
04:18PM ET
The Howiewatch is up and running. However, one of our correspondents isn't looking too hard. Jill has written in to say she thinks she saw Howie talking to a showgirl at the 18th hole. She probably sawing Mommy kissing Santa Claus as well. Because Howie has yet to turn up and join his fellow Backstreet Boys. We need to know his whereabouts since he left the stage at the MGM Grand last night so the other boys can get in touch with him. If you've seen him wandering the streets of Vegas, or if he's in your kitchen, email us at howiewatch@hotmail.com.
04:33PM ET
The Backstreet Boys were last seen on the 14th hole. Although their golf game could do with some improvement, today has been a pleasant break for them from those oh-so-heavy pressures of stardom. Although the country club is open to anybody who wants to watch the game, not too many people have cut school to watch the slicing and putting. Still, there are some families milling about, with guitars, hats and all manner of things they want to have signed. Our spies are combing the pitch, so we'll be sure to let you know where those irrepressible scamps who want it that way are next.
04:50PM ET
The Backstreet Boys have been sighted again. They've made it as far as hole eight. VH1.com is too fatigued to figure out if that means they're heading backwards.
04:58PM ET
The Howiewatch has since been expanded to include VH1.com's golf cart. Our cub reporter 'Scoop' Graver was polishing his glass eye and at that very moment, some scallywag stole our golf cart! Rumors are already flying about that the culprit may be none other than Howie. So if anybody spots the VH1.com golf cart, which looks like, er, a gold cart, driving down your street (it can't go faster than 2 mph), please email us at the Howie Watch. The email address is howiewatch@hotmail.com
05:30PM ET
On hole 9, the Backstreet Boys are trying to regain their golfing honor following their slice-ridden game.
05:32PM ET
If the hairy chins of the Backstreet Boys at hole 9 get to be too much for you, you can see Madison preparing for filming on the 18th hole camera. We should warn you that she's swallowed a dodgy raisin cookie, so she might not be on her best behavior.
05:33PM ET
Howie has made it! Despite the incredibly underwhelming response to our Howiewatch, the errant Backstreet Boy has finally arrived. And he's already raising hell. Howie's first shot bounced off the window of a nearby house. Advice to home-owner: save the ball. It will be worth money some day.
05:35PM ET
Shameless self promotion dept.: The owner of the Backstreet Boys ball that nearly broke their window. Bring it to the taping of Rock Collectors, which is going on in Las Vegas right now. The show is going to center around people who own or collect unusual rock memorabilia. Come back to VH1.com soon to find out how you can be apart of it. Oh, come on, that was pretty painless wasn't it? Since you've been so good reading this, we'll direct you to hole No. 10, where the Backstreet Boys are getting ready to take out another window.
05:37PM ET
Flagrantly disregarding the rules, the Backstreet Boys seem to have movedon to Hole No. 1 instead. Hey, when you sell as many records as they have, we suppose you can do pretty much what you please.
06:14PM ET
VH1.com also decided to wander over and see what Team Backstreet were up to on the 11th hole. It's a strange spectacle. The Backstreet Boys have gotten better at making sure their balls land in the grass as the day has gone on. There are very few of the expected crush surrounding them, although between the five of the guys (Howie has been found and is with them), they all have ten golf carts. Among the hangers-on are girlfriends, assistants, Paul Azinger who has been doing the serious golfing and tip-giving, and a dog. We're not sure what the golf course regulations are, but the chiuauaua is allowed to run free behind Brian, AJ and the rest. They've lost their showgirl however. The heat became too much for her and last we saw, she was being whisked away in a golf cart.
06:48PM ET
As the day lengthens, the Backstreet Boy fans have gotten out of school. And they're making a bee-line through the streets of Las Vegas to the Country Club. This means the air is filled with an unusual mix of twittering birds, crackling walkie-talkies from production people, singing babies (true!) and the hysterical screams of those experiencing Backstreet-mania. To make matters worse, do we hear the band tuning up on the hole 9 camera?
06:53PM ET
After 17 holes, the Azinger, Backstreet Boy team is ten under par (???)
07:54PM ET
Bruce Fleisher shoots it a little far, while a random ball bounces across the green. Are those Backstreet Boys still at it?