News

Golf course decorum

September 23, 2009

We can do 20 pages on the environment and get little reaction, but mention the pros or cons of cargo pants, cell phones, collarless or un-tucked shirts and the email lines light up. Golf course propriety--and it's apparent degeneration--sets you off. Recent evidence:

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__Dear Editor, When will the golfers decide to shave? They are beginning to look like a bunch of bums. We never saw this when Nicklaus, Palmer and Trevino--and many more--when they were playing on the tour. Before you know it, they will be in jeans and no shirts. P.S. I hope that I am not the only one complaining.

Gloria L. Peacock>

Walnut Creek, CA__

__Dear Editor,>

I read your interview with Tiger Woods' caddy, Steve Williams. One question that you failed to ask him was why he takes his caddy bib off on the 18th green before Tiger has finished completing his round. He can be seen walking around the green shaking hands in a regular golf shirt looking just like one of the other golfers. Does he feel that this separates him from the other caddies? Is he embarrassed in his role as a caddy? Whatever the reason it breaks with the tradition of golf and shows great disrespect to the tournament sponsor, who paid dearly to have their logo displayed on all caddy bibs. Incidentally, Steve Williams is the only caddy on any tour to do this.__

Gerald A. DeAngelus

Tiger, Phil, Ernie...nothing inspires your comment like golf course decorum, whether it's Steve Williams or the fellow with his hat on backwards in the next foursome. Not only here, either. When Jerry Tarde, in his Editor's Letter in November, set down the five "sacred" rules of private clubs, it unleashed a ton of comments both on our site and on the popular Geoff Shackelford blog as well. Indeed, within 24 hours, there had been about 80 comments after Geoff posted Jerry's list. Check out the poll on our site--it may surprise you--and definitely read

--Bob Carney

Photo: PGA Tour's Ryan Moore