The numbers are in: The overnight ratings last night were higher than any golf telecast since the U.S. Open. Common denominator, Tiger Woods. And yet something in the victory and the telecast rubbed a bunch of you the wrong way.

Dear Editor,
Sean O’Hair didn’t get beat by Tiger Woods on Sunday as much as he simply lost. Here is a guy who dropped six strokes to par in the last 22 holes. You cannot win any golf tournament playing like that. Heck, you start an event like that, you wouldn’t see many weekends.

I’ll be honest and state I was pulling for him. He has a heartbreaking story and a lot of game. I think it obvious though he has not yet developed the ability to shut out the demons and confidently trust his considerable talents.

I would never slight Tiger’s win at Bay Hill. There is no one who succeeds as the pressure accumulates more than he does. And in golf pressure doesn’t suddenly appear, it builds and builds, gathering momentum and importance as the round concludes. He feeds on it, getting stronger and more focused as others loose their ability to perform. It was unfortunate; Sean had to serve as the classic example of failure in the face of Tiger’s dominance. Sadly, some players seem to never get over that experience.

More to the point--what I find increasingly pathetic is Johnny Miller’s gushing commentary all weekend over Tiger. What is it with NBC? Johnny sounds like Chris Matthews on MSNBC with his “thrill” running up his leg. Though for Miller, it’s not the President but Tiger who is the magic cause of it all. Please, Johnny and Dan, we all know how great you think Tiger is and we mostly agree, but a little on-air objectivity can’t be that difficult to pull off.

On Tiger’s bunker shot from under the lip on No. 17, Johnny tells us that “no other player in golf can make that shot.” Come on! His play at that par 3 cost him a stroke to par, yet it was a “one of kind” shot. I saw a poor tee ball and a swing-for-the-fences bunker shot, yet by listening to Miller and the “boys” you would think it was heroic. It could have cost him the win against a more seasoned opponent.

In retrospect, the one commentator it seems we didn’t hear enough from and who was uniquely and refreshingly accurate was Dottie Pepper. The stand-out observation from the broadcast came from her just as Sean was about to strike his second shot from the left rough on 16. Last to hit his approach, his single goal had to be, don’t be short. She noted, based on the line selected by Sean and his caddie, it was another six yards to carry the hazard. Not three seconds later, as the ball is in flight at its apex, and right on cue, you hear his caddie say “GO!” Show’s over folks…don’t give away the ending. Thanks Dottie, great call.

Richard Miller
Cary, NC

Dear Editor,
The only reason Woods has won another tournament is because the overnight leader
FAILED TO SHOOT A PAR ROUND OF GOLF. How many times has this happened? Have the stats looked up.

And, if I hear any more about Woods' knee operation, I'll scream. Singh, Appleby, Mediate all have had knee operations at the same time and no mention. Scott had a broken bone in his hand. Other golfers had injury problems, so please give the Woods' knee a rest.

Sincerely,
Ron Field
Morton, WA

Dear Editor,
After watching Tiger Woods win another tournament, it finally dawned on me the difference between him and everyone else that plays golf.

He's the only person who has ever been able to work the ball--after he has hit or putted it.

Terry N. Higgins
Great Falls, MT.

I understand what you--especially Ron Field--is saying: The other guy collapsed. This was not Trevino against Nicklaus at Winged Foot. It was not Watson vs. Nicklaus at Turnberry or Pebble Beach. It wasn't even Bob May against Woods at Valhalla. It was Sean O'Hair dumping one in the drink just when he needed a safety. The same Sean O'Hair who couldn't find a fairway on the front nine. Say what you like, though, Tiger did what he had to. Would you bet--had O'Hair played more solidly--that Woods wouldn't have been there at the end?

Bad bet.

--Bob Carney

Dear Angry Golfer,

In response to your March 30th issue column. The Angry Golfer? How about the Wimpy Golfer? I'm sure that since you are also an employee of The Golf Channel you are not contractually allowed to say anything critical of Lord Eldrick. Since it is The Golf Channel's policy to not only mention the word Tiger in every other sentence no matter what the story, but to heap as much praise upon him even if he is trailing by 12 strokes.

By the bye, is it really necessary to show Lord Eldrick's 2008 Open winning playoff putt and subsequent primal scream at every commercial break?

So Hawk, Tiger can do whatever he wants because he is number one? That is the same kind of thinking that Wall Street had going and got us into the mess we are in right now. You disappoint me, and that makes me angry!

-- Alex Gonzales Salt Lake City, UT

Jaime Diaz's column in the March issue of Golf Digest drew a most interesting letter from Stan Bishop, a 78-year-old Ohio retiree. Diaz had argued that to get kids into the game, we need cheap golf. He suggested $2 for 18 holes.

Dear Editor,

I read the article from Jaime Diaz and thought it had merit. It is a great idea to promote a low fee golf course for young children to introduce them to golf.

On the other end of the spectrum, what about when these tikes grow old, like me? I never picked up a golf club until I was 66 years old (too busy trying to make a living for my family). Now I volunteer at a senior golf course (Bayview Retirees Golf Course). We lease it from the city, have all volunteers run the course (pro shop, maintain the equipment, mow and water the grass, etc.). We charge our customers, who must be 50 years old and retired, $4.00 to play 10 holes (all we have left after the city of Toledo took some of the land to expand the water treatment facility) and $2 for a golf cart.

This started in 1981 as an old, grown-over (weeds hip high) 18-hole course abandoned by the city. A bunch of people got together with hand-operated sickles, push mowers and hand rakes to create a one-of-a-kind course for old golfers.

The original 18-hole course was built in around 1932 and run by the city but abandoned in 1978 or 1979. The founders [of our group] got a groundskeeper from Inverness, also in Toledo, to help. We still have two of the founders with us. They are in their late 80s and 90s.

So when you get the younger players in the game, don't forget the old timers what were born in the Depression era and didn't make big bucks raising a family and don't have corporate jets to fly around on. Thanks.

--Stan Bishop
Rossford, Ohio

I called Stan, who said that as far as the Bayview retirees group can tell, their course is the only one of its kind in the country. He says it measures about 2500 yards and is open only to seniors (though the volunteers can bring their kids as guests if the kids are over 50!) "When I was volunteering behind the counter, I had a fellow who came in who was 48. I wouldn't let him play," says Bishop, a retired Libby Owens Ford mechanic and machinist. Bayview has three par 3s and the rest 4s, with the longest hole about 400 yards. "Old timers aren't as straight and long as they used to be," says Bishop, "so we don't want it too long." The greens are rolled and verticut, according to Bishop, but "pretty slow." About 60 volunteers maintain the place. Bishop didn't start playing until he was 66, when his son gave him a $65 set of used clubs. "Never put em down," he told me.

--Bob Carney

Here's how close we've come to consensus on the new Golf World design:

Dear Editor,
Is it my imagination or have you created a great makeover serving the cause of readability? Body type looks bigger, makeup seems cleaner and more open. The overall effect is a big jump in legibility for us old golfers who regularly hit the ball out of sight. One suggestion: When boxing an item, use outline box instead of a toned background--or at least boldface the text and avoid thin-line fonts!
George F. Gruner
(retired newspaper editor)

Dear Editor,
Cannot tell you how much I dislike your new format for the magazine. When my subscription runs out, I will not be renewing. Nice work. I hope it saved you some money, but it will cost you my subscription revenue.
Brad Kahla
Scottsdale, AZ 85254

Thank you gentlemen. The idea of the new design as not to save money, but to save eyes--and add freshness. Readability was an issue for some readers with the old design and many, like George Gruner, have responded positively to the change. We hope others, such as reader Kahla, will grow to like it.

--Bob Carney

Mike Cullity's March 23 Backspin piece on Mike Nicolette drew this letter from an old friend of Nicolete's, who recalls in detail Mike's lone win in ten full years on the tour, at the 1983 version of this week's Bay Hill Classic. In the piece, Nicolette talks about his putting in the one the Champions tour event he played last year, at the Greater Hickory Classic. "From tee to green I was pretty good that week," says Nicolette, who tied for 44th, "but I just forgot how to putt."

Dear Editor,
The story about Mike Nicollete brought back many fond memories of my days at Rollins College. I was a teamate of his on the 1977-78 Rollins golf team. Mike was a special player with extraordinary talent, but I had to laugh about his commment about not being able to make a putt, because, man, in college he made everything. His victory at Bay Hill was special for many reasons, but as his lead was slipping away he made the best 6 on #16 that I've ever seen. Hole No. 16 in those days was a par 4. If my memory serves me, Mike drove into the left fairway bunker and hit his second shot O.B. off the leg of the TV tower. He then had to drop in the bunker, the drop plugged, so now he had to lay up short of the water and then get it up and down for the double bogey 6. I bet if you asked Mike, he might agree that it was the shot that won the tournament. Mike was a good teammate who tought me a lot on and off the course. Congratulations on the success with your family and at Ping, Mike.
Steve Magargal
Rollins 79

Ed. Note: As near as we can tell, Magargal now runs a bar in Western Mass that caters to snowmobilers, writes for the Western Mass Golf Magazine and still plays some pretty strong golf. Thanks, Steve.

--Bob Carney

(Photo of Nicolette courtesy of espn.com)

With the LPGA's first major upon us, an LPGA fan's fancy turns to Michelle Wie. Will she contend? Will she win? Will she have a TV show? (Sorry, that was old Michelle Wie). As Ron Sirak points out, now that Wie has her LPGA card, she has the luxury of beginning anew without having to admit that she or her family made a single mistake in the way that her career was handled. (Indeed, she's even jettisoned her old management team, William Morris, for IMG). Oh yes, and she picked up a zillion dollars along the way. John Hawkins sees big things for Ms. Wie. He wrote the other week that Wie is now the tour's biggest star.

Hold on! says one Louisiana reader.

Dear Editor,
This email is in response to John Hawkins article on Michelle Wie being the LPGA’s biggest star. Mr. Hawkins mentions the No. 1 player in the world, Lorena Ochoa, in his article only to say that she is “too shy and too preoccupied with the business of winning golf tournaments.” In this age of the web, I find it incredibly difficult that Mr. Hawkins could make a statement like that. Has Mr. Hawkins looked into the causes that Lorena has and the time she puts into the LPGA, her foundation and charities, much less her family? Obviously not. What charities does Wie have, other then her own cause?

It's quite a shame that Mr. Hawkins would mention Wie as the biggest star when she has not proven anything. Naturally Wie is a future star and I hope that she does turn around the adversity that her family and management group put her into. But to even think that she is the star of the tour is [misguided] journalism. I guess we need Lorena to go out and get drunk or smoke some pot or drive her car 100 miles per hour so she will be generate some publicity. When are athletes like Lorena going to be noticed for their professionalism on and off the course?

I don’t understand this infatuation with Wie, but maybe it’s just me. Maybe Mr. Hawkins should do a follow up article at the end of the year to see who has a better year. Oh, but all Wie has to do is show up and she’s the star. God help us if we praise someone with good morals, a family life and a record that proves she's No.1 in the world... I’ll live with too shy any day.
Andrew Cohoon
Metairie, La. 70005

As you imply, Andrew, the proof is in the play. I believe Wie has her act together and will overcome the contention jitters and win this year. But will that win overshadow l seven "quiet" Ochoa victories (which she accomplished in '08)? Don't know about that.

--Bob Carney

In their most recent Bomb & Gouge column, Bomb (Golf World Equipment Editor Mike Johnson, and Gouge, Golf Digest Equipment Editor Mike Stachura) discussed the merits of the proposed new USGA restrictions on grooves. They compared it to the NCAA's proposed lacrosse-stick rules change and a recent attempt to fight those rules. Bomb (Johnson) took the USGA line and argued that rest of us ought to just "get on board." Gouge was a bit more sensitive to the consumer who would have to purchase new clubs (to the tune, across the industry, of about $19 billion). That won the heart of one Michigan reader.

Dear Editor, Can we change the blog "Bomb & Gouge" to just "Gouge"? He is the only one that makes any sense. I can't fathom why the groove or lacrosse stick rulings should be upheld. It's also similar to hockey (as in goalie pads) and their dimension changes, come to think of it. Point being, it doesn't matter if it's a weekend hacker, or a college that needs to buy these things for its team...they're expensive. Too expensive, in my humble opinion.

It's no wonder people think there are signs of a "class war" in golf. Bomb is under the belief that every golfer will just stop by their local pro shop and drop $1,000 or more on new irons and wedges...just to be "conforming". Who gives a d@mn, really? When 99% of us aren't going to be playing in a USGA-sanctioned event anytime soon? We're constantly reminded of our ineptness by the likes of people like Bomb and this magazine--why worry about something that would basically set us back even more in our "abilities" (aside from not being able to afford to play everyday)? What possible purpose would there be to become "conforming", when it's just a foursome of buddies with a round at the 19th hole on the line? What are they going to do if we don't conform... call the golf police on us?

Something to think about: Where would that $19 billion come from, when only 1% of the world's golfers are truly worried about conforming, and a good number of those golfers are being paid to play the conforming clubs?

Good Luck With That,
Justin Blair
Three Rivers, MI

Justin, good to hear from you again, and in such fine fettle. If your point is that all of us without a courtesy car in the driveway are watching are pennies more closely than our grooves, couldn't agree with you more. I think the bodies-that-be should be sensitive to to changing rules now, especially when such changes require us to re-stock our bags. It does not surprise me, either, that a golfer from Michigan would be among the first to point this out. My relatives back there agree with you that the thought of spending $1,000 on new clubs is, well, back burner, to say the least.

--Bob Carney

Sometimes the mail just plain surprises us. The reaction to Tim Rosaforte's Arjun Atwal story, which this editor found to be sensitive and well done, brought a lot of negative comment. A sampling:

Dear Editor,
That was a poorly written article in your last Golf World issue about that tragic death of John Noah Park, an Isleworth member, who was supposedly car racing with Arjun Atwal. Article says nothing about how Mr. Park Died. Did he hit a tree, another car, roll over?, what happened. Did he collide with Mr Atwal? Did Mr Atwal have to pay fines. If so what did it cost him? There were scant few detail in the article about what transpired. I assume legal ramifications prevented you from detailing the accident timeline from start to finish, and what really happened just outside the gates of posh Isleworth community in Florida. Next time you do a cover story about a tragedy, please inform us with some real details.
Scott McBreen
Seattle, WA

Dear Editor,
I have nothing against Arjun Atwal, but his comments about the events leading up to his eventual car accident were exactly what a lawyer would want a client to say. His statements were completely vague.
Carlo Scialla
Mendham NJ

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Dear Editor,
I've just finished the article on Arjun Atwal, discussing the tragic accident he was involved in. I had to reread and clear my eyes when I read his statement that he "wants to talk about it in a positive way". Mr. Atwal was admittedly driving 85 mph on a back road, which is reckless in and of itself, and now that he is lucky enough to have the FHP drop the case, he, like OJ, thinks that because they weren't convicted, they are off scot free. I wonder if Atwal would think the Park family thinks there is anything positive to be found in this tragic story.
Tony Lopez
Atlanta, GA.

Dear Editor, What next - a cover story on how Tripp Isenhour accidentally hit a shot in the trees and killed a hawk? Christopher Casimer

Dear Editor,
Please put current winners on cover. Not people that need to work HARDER on there golf game!
John Palenik
Rahway, NJ

To answer one question raised by these letters: Tim did not revisit the tragic crash in detail because we had already covered the crash itself. This was about Atwal's recovery from the crash and its impact on his career. But we hear you.

--Bob Carney

Is golf a dirty word these days? Dave Shedloski explored the question in Golf World's March 16 issue, supported by Ron Sirak's interview with Congressman Barney Frank, who had wildly criticized Northern Trust for entertainment at its tournament in LA. In an accompanying letter Golf Digest Publication's Chairman Jerry Tarde defended the sport, quoting, among others, H.L. Mencken, who defined golf as "conspicuous leisure" and a demagogue as "one who preaches doctrines he know to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots." "These two definitions converged this year," wrote Tarde, "when Washington's elite rebuked the corporate golf junket known as the PGA Tour."

The pieces drew lots of mail, most of it supportive.

Dear Editor, As a reader who fondly recalls H.L. Mencken it is most pleasing to read one of his quotes in Mr. Tarde’s editorial piece. Tarde’s letter is very timely in its effort to educate the nay-sayers about the effects of professional golf. Golf simply is better and cleaner than any other sport.

Marshall Stewart
Fort Worth, Texas

Dear Editor,
I would like to compliment Golf World on the in-depth article and Jerry Tarde's editorial on my interpretation of the government interfering with free enterprise. Both pieces were well done. In these very trying times the Congress must remember their purpose of existence from the Constitution. I can't find anywhere where it mentions running the nation's businesses.

Jim Kamerzell T
Tucson, AZ

Dear Editor,
The Chairman’s Letter, “It’s Time For a Pause in the Action”, and Dave Shedloski’s
“Why Golf Is a Dirty Word in Washington” were two of the most well written arguments on the subject that I have read. These articles hopefully will help inform the uninformed, pompous, and know-it-all Washington politicians who were the primary cause of the economic down turn in the housing market.

Golf is one of the purist forms of sports competition, and entrepreneurial ship, that as these articles state, hire millions, and raise millions of dollars for charity, and communities. I hope the politicians will not ruin golf as they have so many other
things. Hands off, Washington!

Barnie Baker
Augusta, GA

P.S. I have decided today to renew my GW subscription. BB

Dear Editor,
This is all so true and it is why so many of us wonder why these people continue to go after so many of the good things that we have going in our country. This smells like class warfare and it is the basis of the Socialist movement. Keep up the fight.

Neil and Marian Farris

Dear Editor,
I do so look forward to my copy of Golf World, I consume the magazine for golf news. It is my hope that you can imagine my disappointment at the political commentary (Golf sponsors become and easy target and Why is Golf a Dirty word in Washington). Please stick to golf, we have far to many self proclaimed political pundits.

Tim Cottrill
Cincinnati, OH

Dear Editor,
Jerry Tarde quotes Thomas L. Friedman as saying, "No, I am not for bankers using taxpaper money to buy private jets," yet Friedman believes it's necessary to use those taxpayer dollars to keep the hospitality industry afloat so that blue-collar workers such as dishwashers, cooks, and maids remain employed.

That's a noble thought, but Gulfstream, whose plant is right next to the golf course where I teach, just laid off 1,200 workers. Shame on you, Mr. Friedman, for making such a thoughtless statement. Or, do you not care about blue-collar private jet employees?

Mark Harman
Teaching Professional
Crosswinds Golf Club
Savannah, Georgia

Thanks, all, for your letters. That last, by Mark Harman, illustrates how difficult it is to isolate any part of the marketplace by class. We're all in this together, the work force and the jet set (a point Friedman, ironically, was making). As Jerry said in his letter: "Pause is what's needed...The best stimulus package is a robust golf economy because nobody out-travels, outspends or out-contributes a golfer."

--Bob Carney

Golf World's Angry Golfer, John Hawkins, stepped boldly on the side of distance-measuring devices in a recent column: "If 15 minutes of sprinkler-hunting is avoided in every round, you wouldn't think twice about make the investment. So, too, should the USGA." Your reactions fell squarely in two camps:

Dear Editor,
John Hawkins has it right. It’s now time for Golf’s Governing bodies to encourage the use of all rangefinders and distance-measuring devices. Five hour rounds would be a thing of the past. By not doing so they are stealing our most valuable asset. Time.

Rocky Rafkin PGA
San Clemente, CA

I hesitate to disagree with a PGA professional on a subject like this, and you'll call me old school, but I'm with Larry. I'd legalize his cattle prod if it weren't for the fact that the guys in the foursome ahead of me would spend ten minutes on each hole talking about their new ones. Remember when we just looked at the hole and thought, "Hmmm, five iron," and hit the darn thing? Yes, once in a while an architect would trick you with a false front or bunker that looked greenside and really wasn't. But that's how we learned about those tricks. They don't make a distance-measuring device that can teach you that.

That said, it's not the distance-measuring device that slows things down, it's the measurer. Hurry up and measure.

--Bob Carney