PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE:  This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon, as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

First, this admission.

I am down here in La Quinta, California, for part of the winter, with nothing much else to do than play golf or think about golf – except when I allow myself to be diverted into politics.

The preamble to this blog makes the point, I guess, about two of my interests – golf and politics.  This time, I’ll stay away from politics.

So, it was that today, between golf rounds on the course, I came up with these thoughts about golf:

SLOW PLAY:  This is one of the main problems with professional golf and the problem is that, as young players see the pros, they mimic the slow pace.  The worst is J.B. Holmes who, incredibly, plumb-bobs three-foot putts.  When he plays, I turn off the TV.  Mercifully, he is not in the field this week.

Based on what happened last year in a European Tour event, I think there is a solution to the slow play problem.  It is to put a shot clock on a golf cart and have that cart follow along with each group of players.  When a player gets to his or her golf ball, turn the clock on.  Give the player 40 seconds to hit his or her shot.

If they exceed the time, give them, first, a warning.  Then, if there is a second violation, dole out a one-stroke penalty – and proceed from there, with a disqualification with, say, three bad times.

It wouldn’t take long for slow play to end in response to the monitoring, warning and penalties.

COLLEGE GOLF IN THE DESERT:  I had the good fortune to attend the Prestige College Golf Tournament at the PGA West Greg Norman golf course this week.

There were 16 teams there from around the country in an event that, after three 18-hole rounds, was won by one of the best teams in the country, the University of Texas.  [Others in the field were Arkansas, Stanford, LSU, University of California/Davis, UCLA, Wyoming, Northwestern, Oklahoma State and Pepperdine.}

Oregon State University was there, too, and played well as a team for the first two days, then fell back a bit on the last day.

I watched the Beavers’ best player, Spencer Tibbets, whom I knew as he came through Oregon Golf Association junior tournaments to succeed well enough to earn a scholarship to OSU.  One of Spencer’s claims to fame occurred last year when he qualified for the U.S. Open and, even as an amateur, missed making the cut by only one stroke.

Regarding the slow play issue, one tactic employed in the college tournament was that, as the first two players in a foursome finished a hole, they walked off to the next tee.  Then, the last two players completed the hole.  Made for a better pace of play because the two who left could tee off quickly on the next hole.

This could have struck some observers as violating golf etiquette because the normal process is for all golfers in a group to remain on the green until everyone has completed the hole.  This time, the need for quickness prevailed.

PLAYING GOLF WITH MY SON AT THE PALMS:  Speaking of good fortune, I was able to play 18 holes with my son, Eric, earlier this week at The Palms where both of us are privileged to be members.

For my part, I would rather watch him play than play myself.  I remember the first time he beat me.  He was 12 years old.  That irritated me.  But, from then on, every time I have played with him or watched him play, I am very proud of him.

As I like to say, I taught Eric all I know about golf – and then he turned five years old!

LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK TO MY FAVORITE GOLF COURSE IN THE WORLD, ILLAHE HILLS:  Now, as I write this, I ‘ll be back home in Salem for the month of March.  So, when I return, one of the first things I’ll do is play Illahe Hills, my favorite course in the world.