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.

Remember the movie, “The Bucket List?”

It was a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed and produced by Rob Reiner, written by Justin Zackham, and starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The main plot followed two terminally ill men on their road trip with a wish-list of things to do before they “kicked the bucket”

Well, rather than kick the bucket, I build off that film title to think of my golf bucket list. Yes! Golf.

It is my hobby and some would say I am addicted to it.

So be it.

As has been the case recently, I thought of this subject by reading a piece in the latest on-line issue of Links Magazine. The writer, Adam Stanley, provided a summary of his five-part golf bucket list, which I won’t repeat here, but it was thought-provoking for me.

Here is my list – and, if you notice a desire to return to old venues, that’s intentional because I have had the privilege of playing some great tracks in my 70-plus years and want to do so again.

PLAY ROYAL DORNOCH AGAIN: Royal Dornoch in the small town of Dornoch on the Scottish north coast, is a great course memorialized in the book, A Season in Dornoch,” which was written by a great golf writer, Lorne Rubenstein.

He chronicled the five months he and his wife spent in Dornoch, living in a flat above a bookstore, which I visited on my first sojourn in the small town.

I have had the pleasure of playing the course three times and want to do so again. The first time was with my son, Eric, and we had a great father-son bonding time.

PLAY THE OLD COURSE AT ST. ANDREWS AGAIN: In the same way, I want to go back to the home of golf, St. Andrews, and play the iconic Old Course again. The first time I did I also played with Eric and we had a great time.

We arrived in St. Andrews on a Sunday when the course is closed and functions like a park for residents and visitors alike. We had our obligatory picture taken on the Swilcan Bridge and the photo still resides in a place of prominence in my man cave.

The last time I played the Old Course I was fortunate enough to be with my daughter who was very nervous as she arrived at the first tee hard by the clubhouse of the Royal & Ancient with many visitors lined up to see folks tee off.

The great news? She piped her drive well down the first tee and, together, we had a great father-daughter experience as we plied 18 holes of great links golf.

PLAY CASTLE STUART GOLF COURSE AGAIN: And, in the same way, I hope to be able to play Castle Stuart again in Scotland. Compared to the Old Course or many other courses in Scotland, it is very new, having been built about 2008 on land that lies hard by the Moray Firth.

It is a proto-typical links-style track designed by architect Mark Parsinen who also designed the acclaimed Kingsbarns in St. Andrews.

My fondest memory of Castle Stuart is when I got to play the course with my daughter just after Phil Mickelson had won the Scottish Open there before he headed over to Muirfield to win THE Open (the British Open) in 2013 on top of the Scottish.

The fact that Mickelson is my daughter’s favorite golfer made the visit all the more special.

The staff at Castle Stuart told us that, after Mickelson won, he stayed around for a couple hours signing autographs for fans who had waited for him to sign his scorecard and hoist the winning trophy.

Plus, we got to play Castle Stuart with the same pins as had been used on the last day of the Scottish Open – and, to put a point on it, it will be no surprise for me to admit that none of us played as well as Mickelson did!

PLAY PEBBLE BEACH GOLF COURSE: Now, on to a new course I have not played, but want to play.

It is Pebble Beach that sits hard by the Pacific Ocean as golfers try to fathom the winds and slopes of a course that has been made famous on TV.

The closest I got to play Pebble Beach was many years ago when I served in the Oregon National Guard and spent two weeks every summer at Fort Ord, about 10- miles from Pebble Beach. I played other courses in the area – while defending the United States, of course. But never ventured out to Pebble.

Someday I’ll play the great track, absorbing the huge cost – more than $500 – to do so.

PLAY ILLAHE HILLS GOLF COURSE: I live just above the 7^th hole on this 60-year-old course in Salem, Oregon where I have been fortunate to be a member for more than 30 years.

I put this in my bucket list intentionally because I hope to grow even older playing this great, local track. I never get tired of doing so.

Therefore, easy for me to have this on my bucket list.