As Tiger's recuperation proceeds, and we hear it is going well, the question of just what his challengers have learned during his absence comes up. Interesting letter from Richard Smith about Jaime Diaz's Golf Digest column on Davis Love...and the whole issue of whether the rest of the field, having not heard from Tiger for a while, will be less likely to hear his footsteps when he does return.

Dear Editor:

Jaime Diaz' recent closing column, "Learning to Be Tough," hits the mark in praising Davis Love for his recent resurgence. Very few have played the game with such skill and class as Davis. It's very premature, however, to pronounce the Sergios, Padraigs, and Camillos of the tour suddenly "jitter-proof." After all, the examples of their success on tour that Mr. Diaz offers to bolster his arguments all came after Tiger Woods went on medical leave. Let's see if they can stay in the eye when Hurricane Eldrick re-emerges....

Richard E. Smith, DVM
Hobe Sound, Fl

Since you're a vet, Dr. Smith, I'll relate your question about jitteriness to a reality show I saw the other day about a school down near you where average folks learned to "wrestle" alligators, beginning with three footers and working up to a 12 footer. Everything moved along smoothly and students were losing the jitters as each successful hold was accomplished, until one of the female students took a slightly incorrect stance on top of an 8-footer and he reached back and grabbed the right side of her face in his mouth. The student, admirably, went back and completed the course after a first-aid session, but others didn't and the jitters never left anyone again. My point: Tiger will be back only when he's ready to win. And when challengers see the return of his game, they'll feel the return of those jitters, too.

--Bob Carney

John Hawkins' Golf World cover story on Whisper Rock G.C. met your approval. Here are two of many comments we've received about this "pro's club."

Dear Editor:

Outstanding article on Whisper Rock! I had the pleasure of playing as a guest about 18 months ago.

I have been blessed and played some fine courses from the Philippines to Germany while I was on active duty, but nothing compares to Whisper Rock. The condition of the course, practice area, the superb staff made it a wonderful experience!

Norm Phillips
Surprise, Arizona

I almost wrote you last week about your article on Corey Pavin, as I think this belongs in a tabloid. Then you write the article on Whisper Rock GC. This article is just the kind that I want to read in Gold World. As a lifelong member of country clubs (I have been paying my own dues since I was 18) more articles about clubs and club life would really interest me. Going back to Sports Illustrated in the 50s and I remember reading similar articles. I’ll bet little has changed. I’ve been taking Golf World for more than 30 years and I remember the "Tips from the Pros." I’d like to see that come back. You guys have access to the pros and their drills, methods of practicing, etc, I think that would really interest readers like me. Periodically you could run a profile of a tour player, his drills, his tips, and I’ll bet the readers would enjoy this. Being an avid golfer, I’ll probably take Golf World until I run out of air to breathe. Anyway, these are my thoughts.

Buck Leigh
Columbia, SC

--Bob Carney

Golf World's Angry Golfer, John Hawkins, set off a few sirens with his recent reference to speeding through Scottsdale. There was a empathy, but not so much.

Dear Editor:

John Hawkins shouldn't feel too bad about having his photo radar snapped twice on a recent visit to Scottsdale. Last year my brother-in-law came out for a visit from Pennsylvania and when he returned home there was a complete "photo album" waiting for him, compliments of the city of Scottsdale!

Rico Francisco
Scottsdale, AZ

In reading this weeks issue, I was astonished at the cavalier attitude of John Hawkins toward speeding. We have enough jerks on the road without having a national magazine provide a platform for another one to insinuate that it is OK to violate the law because he is special.

Ken Kirch
via Yahoo

So John Hawkins got caught two times for violating the posted speed limit in Scottsdale AZ. I guess he can talk his way out of tickets back in Connecticut when the red light is in his rear view mirror. The truth is the cameras have reduced accidents on Scottsdale freeways and perhaps a few deaths caused by speeding violators. John, do you also cheat when you play golf?

Gil Ide
Chandler AZ

That hurts, Gil, but I can guarantee that John never cheats. His only violation on the golf course, is, from time to time, moving too slowly. But cheat, never.

--Bob Carney

For some of us, huddled in houses covered in old snow, all golf is great and any scene of men in short sleeves walking across green fairways relieves the winter blues. But many of you found professional "etiquette" at the Bob Hope upsetting.

Dear Editor,

I pray that Golf Tournaments don't take on the celebrations of other sports. After Pat Perez holed his final shot, we witnessed a group of his friends run out and present him with a bottle of something, which he took a slug of, and spit out on the 18th green. I would think in this gentlemen's game, he would make his way to Mr. Palmer, the tournament host, shake his hand and be grateful and humble. This cannot be a good thing for the PGA Tour. We need Tiger's return more then ever!

Lew Sypher
Rotonda West, FL

Dear Editor,
I witnessed another example of poor behavior and attitude at the Hope, when many of the finishers did not stop and acknowledge, say thanks to, Arnie, when they left the 18th green.  I'm thrilled for Pat Perez winning, but somewhere in these younger players' minds needs to be reminded how and why they are playing on the PGA Tour and making millions w/o winning for a long time or ever.   What percentage know just how much the Hope and Crosby made the Tour?  Maybe a history lesson could be 'mandated' for anyone under 30.   Thank you. 

Kay Shaw,
Hot Springs, VA.

<blockquote>Dear Editor,

Why did only two of the top 30 golfer in the world play in the Hope?  I know three are hurt or recovering, some are playing in Europe, but what about the other 20.  I mean Bob Hope, name someone else who has done more for golf, maybe Palmer. With the economy the way it is, millions out of work who would love to have a job to go to.  Where the average big name plays less than 20 times a year, give me a break.
The winner gets $1.2 million and, yes, it's 5 days and you play with amateurs,  plus Tiger's not there. So why don't the other guys step up and do the right thing? With the economy where it is for these guys not to play what message does it send out.  I enjoy GolfWorld better than all the other golf publications so I hope you will write about this, I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.
For the game I/we love.
 
Jim Meyers
Indianapolis, IN 

Our two cents: After lots of enjoyable coverage and interesting airtime with Arnie, it was an ugly finish, with Perez first swigging (why?) then spitting out the contents of a bottle his buddy had handed him. I'm sure Tim Finchem, fresh from his issues with John Daly, thought this a wonderful image for the Tour, especially since it all occurred in front of Mr. Palmer, whose presence and interviews on Saturday and Sunday had added a great deal to the telecast. Perez said, "I feel honored that [Arnie] was there to shake my hand when I got done, and he's such a legend that it's just a great feeling on top of everything else." So I also couldn't figure out why more players didn't shake Arnie's hand coming off the 18th, and thought more of the guys that who did. As to the players who skip the Hope, you put your finger on it. Playing with amateurs more than a round at a time is, for most professionals, about as appetizing as whatever it was that Pat Perez rejected there on 18 green, good economic times or bad.

--Bob Carney

In a letter entitled, "Hot List has been Neutered", Dan Studebaker asks, where are the golf balls in this year's Hot List?

Dear Editor:

I was disappointed to find there was not a mention of any golf ball tests on this year's Hot List. Considering all the talk from leading and famous people in the golf industry blaming today's golf balls as being the real culprit in the war against yardage gain. The way the manufacturers keep changing and coming up with new models every year, even when you find a golf ball you like, you know you will be having to look for another one soon. I, being the average hack, am always interested in what's new because they're still not going far enough for me. Is there a good answer as to why balls were not included?

Dan S. Studebaker
San Rafael, CA

Dan, I surprised we didn't get more letters on this. The fact is, as I write this, our judges are in Florida evaluating golf balls for an extensive review in the May issue. As you suggest, there is a lot that's new this year--some great balls that combine spin and distance--and you'll have a lot to choose from, at several price points. Whether there's a ball that will deliver the distance you require, I'm not sure. Here's a tip, though: given the number of shots you hit round the green versus those off the tee, test golf balls for how they perform pitching, chipping and putting and then sort by distance. In other words, first things first....

--Bob Carney

Mike Purkey's "TV Rewind" column in Golf World, one of the best-read parts of the magazine, doesn't normally draw too much fire. Mike's fair and pretty objective. His comments in the December 26 issue about the "Putting Line" tracker , however, lit a fire under a couple of you. Purkey wrote:

Far and away, the Putting Line--sponsored by Mutual of Omaha--is one of TV's best viewer enhancements. It is uncanny how precise the technology is in determining the path of the putt and how much break should be played. Shown only on Golf Channel, it usually is set up on a hole that doesn't make much of a different in the outcome of the tournament. Get Putting Line on the 16th, 17th and 18th holes--where it counts the most--and watch the drama.

These words of praise didn't sit well with readers Paul Hutton and Bob Kains, both, interestingly, from Canada, where the national pastime is hockey, another sport that television has felt compelled to enhance with gadgetry.

Dear Editor,

I couldn't agree less with Mike Purkey's glowing praise of the "Putting Line" as one of "TV's best viewer enhancements." Apparently, this amazing gadget draws a superimposed line on the green and viewers can watch a putt roll along the line all the way into the hole. Thank goodness. With only one ball and one hole on each green it was nearly impossible to figure out what the goal of the game was.

Paul Hutton
Barrie, Ontario, Canada

Dear Editor,

Mike Purkey’s suggestion that “the Putting Line⿿is one of TV’s best viewer enhancements” is not something with which I would agree. It is a distraction and removes most of the excitement of watching the putt travelling towards the hole, wondering if it will miss or drop. With the Putting Line, as soon as the ball leaves the dark blue line there’s no need to watch the rest of the putt. I agree it is amazingly accurate but just because the technology is available doesn’t mean it should be used. It reminds me of Fox Network’s use of the blue streak to show where the puck is in a hockey game. It’s just a distraction. Leave the graphics until the shot has been completed.

Bob Kains
Canmore, Alberta, Canada

Thanks, gentlemen. It's interesting that you should bring up Fox's blue-streak puck tracker. I think the Putting Line is better than that, but your reaction suggests that Golf Channel's caution in not using the tracker on the last few holes may be wise.

--Bob Carney

(Photo: aimpointgolf.com)

In addition to previous posts and responses here, the letters keep coming on the Hot List. Justin Blair sent two. He had a bunch of questions.

Dear Editor:
Unfortunately for me, the new Hot List has raised more questions than it's answered. Since I've kept every Golf Digest I've ever bought, I was able to sate my curiosity by comparing last years Hot List to this year's. So my questions. Is it me, or is golf manufacturers out of ideas, and just looking to make as much money as possible before people start looking for alternatives?

Look at Cobra's L5V. Last year's L4V was supposed to stretch the four main areas of a driver. What's the fifth? Is it the lie angle, the "next big thing" in adjustability? Why was Ping's G10 line and TaylorMade's Burner FW and Hybrid included in this years Hot List? What's new about them, and why are they still full price?

Why does the "All Shapes And Sizes" sidebar article say that the Wilson Smooth is 440cc, when the picture says 460cc? Who's telling the truth? How much bigger can the Cleveland Hibore/Monster get? Wasn't it 460cc and had "extreme" MOI (Moment of Inertia) last year?

Why is the Nike STR8-FIT treated with reverence when most instructors and professional clubfitters swear against it, like they do with interchangeable shafts? The general rule of thumb is that most high-handicappers, the ones that this "technology" is supposed to help, are told to get fit for just the basics and learn to swing that. It seems contradictory. Come to think of it, just like most golf instruction!

I can't be entirely negative. You did try, albeit a little, to show golfers that a good set can be had for around $1,000. Next year, maybe take out the repeats and add a few more of the companies like GigaGolf, Pinemeadow and Wishon Golf, and you can show people how to build a set for around $500! Just for kicks, since I'm being positive, I have to commend Callaway. They accomplished two things with the Diablo: They took the heat off of Nike for having the "ugliest" club, but had the cajones to actually try something totally different that justifies their price point.

Justin Blair
Three Rivers, MI

Mr. Blair,

Yes, the fifth on Cobra’s L5V is adjustability. It, also like its predecessor, earned a silver medal so we did not feel the improvement was significant enough to up its status on the Hot List.

Ping's G10 line and TaylorMade's Burner FW and Hybrid were included in this year's Hot List because, well, it’s the Hot List. We feel both products not only still possess significant technology that is of benefit to golfers, but they also are among the most popular clubs in the market today. Why would we eliminate clubs that are still in the market that are of benefit to golfers? Although newer clubs are generally better, it is not the New List.

We provide the "All Shapes And Sizes" sidebar as a service to our readers. The fact is that sometimes what is stamped on the club is not the actual size. Case in point, by our measurements, the Wilson Smooth is 440cc despite it saying 460cc on the soleplate.

The Cleveland Hibore XLS from last year was not 460cc, the HiBore Monster is. And while both are deemed Extreme MOI, remember that is a range. The MOI did get a boost from last year.

The Nike STR8-FIT is a paradigm shift in innovation. As you yourself are indicating, advances in equipment technology are becoming incremental. So why wouldn’t we fete a true technology advancement? Yes, fitting is crucial to everyday players, but this technology allows for rapid-fitting options, so even if you never touch it again, it has advanced the possibility of getting you into the right club. And should you actually change your swing, you can change the club to match that without having to buy a new one.

Finally, we always welcome entries from any company. But remember, big companies are big companies for a reason—they tend to make excellent products. That said, the Hot List this year featured a putter from Couture. No one knew of Bobby Jones clubs until we put them on the Hot List five years ago. Last year we had a putter from ProFound. Irons from Miura. And Wishon clubs have adorned the Hot List three times in the past. I could name more, but you get the point.

Hopefully this at least helps explain what you see in the pages of the Hot List. As always, we are open to suggestions on how to make it better and more helpful to the reader. Indeed, we did consider eliminating product that had been in the marketplace longer than one year but decided against it. Perhaps we should revisit.

Thanks for writing.

Cheers,
Mike

--Bob Carney

The Golf Digest 50, the annual compensation compilation by Ron Sirak, drew this question:

Dear Editor:

I read the Golf Digest 50 and was surprised I didn't see Natalie Gulbis. I see her more in advertisements than some of the other golfers on the list and figured she would've been among the top 50.

John Gaughan
Fairfield, OH

While Natalie has a lot of deals and earns well over seven figures off the golf course she is hurt by two factors: Lower endorsement fees paid to women compared to men, and lower purses on the LPGA compared to the PGA Tour. Gulbis won only $266,000 on the golf course last year, which means she would have needed to make more than $4 million in off-course money to make the GD 50. Among the women, only Annika Sorenstam, Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie earned that kind of endorsement money in 2008. Lorena Ochoa will likely join them this year.

So please, buy a Natalie Gulbis calendar now.

--Bob Carney

Interesting take on our Hot List issue from Ed LeBeau, founder of the Heartland Golf Schools in St. Louis:

Dear Editor:

In the Golf Digest February issue, you open the the Hot List article with these two sentences: "We are getting better. And equipment technology is the reason."

If that statement is true, what does that say about the impact of the hundreds of pages of instruction that are published in yours and others golf magazines (not to mention those of us who stand in the sun teaching for hours on end)?

Before your get the impression that I have an ax to grind regarding giving credit to equipment instead of instruction, let’s acknowledge that every writer wants to grab their reader and that those opening two sentences were the result.

However, I do want to share one observation. Here it is: There are two approaches to golf instruction, one that focuses on the movement of the body and the other that focuses on the movement of the club. Since golf is a game of sending the ball to the target and the ball responds solely to the movement of the club, wouldn't it be reasonable to have some instructional articles that are club-focused instead of body-focused. Read a few of your articles and you'll see 99 per cent of them are body-focused.

Teachers like Ernest Jones, Manuel de la Torre, Eddie Merrins and dozens of club professionals are proponents of club-focused instruction. This approach to instruction is highly effective and would be something new instead of repackaging the body stuff one more time. I would be pleased to provide you with an example and am certain that I could get Eddy or Manuel to be interviewed.

Ed LeBeau
Heartland Golf Schools
St. Louis, MO

Ed, thanks for the letter. You make a couple of very good points. First, we (you teachers first, we magazines second) ought to give ourselves a little credit. Second, there are more than one way to teach and learn the game. We agree with that and, in fact, have published instruction by Ernest Jones, Manuel de la Torre and Eddie Merrins in our magazine. We have also done interviews with both Manuel and Eddie, Merrins in 2007. Both teachers were included in our 2007 50 Greatest Teachers list. As for club-focused teaching today, I'd suggest that instructors such as Jim Flick are close, though obviously if you agreed, you would have mentioned Jim. You may be right about our body focus. Thanks for the observation.

--Bob Carney

(Photo of Merrins by Joey Terrill)

It's been a week of traveling and getting further behind on your letters. Here's a sampling of letters from Golf World readers this past week:

The Angry Golfer, as usual, leads the list:

Dear Editor:
I share John Hawkins ho-hum January 3 birthdate. (Bobby Hull and Stephen Stills trump Victoria Principal when you're dropping names of people with whom we share our birthday.) I also share his Capricorn headache over Sergio's major misses. Someone once said, "I don't believe in Astrology. I'm a Capricorn. We don't believe in anything." I won't go quite that far, but I must reluctantly admit I don't believe Sergio will ever make the putt when it matters most.

Jeff Lyttle
Columbus, Ohio

The unbelievably sad story of the disgruntled worker who killed superintendent Joel Erickson's dog at Turlock G&CC in Merced County, CA, drew several letters, but V.M. Vaccaro's captures your reaction best:

Dear Editor:
If I were king,the cretin who killed the border collie would consider himself lucky to be hung by his thumbs and consigned to a dungeon for which there was no key.

V.M. Vaccaro
Naples, FL    

Dear Editor:
Isn't showing the putting line of early players an advantage to later players and their caddies? I know if I was in the last group I would be watching as soon as the telecast came on to see what the break was going to be. Just a thought.

Gerald Spear
PGA Golf Professional
Commerce, GA

Couldn't agree more. Our desire to make the game completely equitable will always be foiled by the vagaries of playing partners slow and fast; morning and afternoon tee times; and, in this case, early coverage and putting trackers. Even that, though, evens out. And there are some guys who won't make four-footers under the gun no matter how many times they've seen it or when their birthday falls.

--Bob Carney