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 my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), 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.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Like a dummy, I signed up the other day for a three-month seminar on golf rules.

Why?

A couple reasons:

• First, I like the subject, which I know is a strange affliction.

• Second, the seminar is being run by the Oregon Golf Association (OGA), not a national golf association, so the content will be easier to understand as local officials help all of us deal with an often-arcane subject.

The seminar will be offered on-line every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. each evening, starting on January 31 and running through March 9.

The “all” refers to about 40 from Oregon who have joined me to take the course – or perhaps, better put, I joined them.

Based on the first sessions, it appears that Brent Whitaker, a friend of mine who directs all OGA golf tournaments, will be the instructor.  That’s good because he knows many of us who have signed up for the seminar need a lot of help understanding the rules.

Further, one helpful feature of the course is that, on a weekly basis, in addition to the on-line class, there will be a “office hours” session.  That’s where a small group of those who have signed will have at least an hour of time with an OGA rules official to engage in an interactive session.

Based on the first such yesterday afternoon, it will be time well spent.

So, beyond the two reasons cited above, why do I do this?  Well, I want to gain more rules knowledge, if not rules certification, so I can add that to my goal to continue serving as a “starter “for OGA tournaments for junior or adult amateurs.

Being a starter is rewarding.

First, you are “around golf.” 

Second, at every tournament, you meet and greet the players on the 1^st or 10^th tees, welcome them, and review basic rules of the competition.  Plus, once all players have teed off, a starter usually gets to go home while rules officials must stay around for hours so all players can finish their round under rules supervision.

I hope my increased rules knowledge will come in handy as I continue to support golf in Oregon.

Let me add that golf rules are arcane, complicated, and difficult.  Look at it this way:  Rules have to be applied to all kinds of outdoor areas around the world.  Far different than drafting rules for a stadium or an indoor gymnasium.

Could the rules be written more simply?  I believe the answer is.

From a wordsmithing perspective, I’d love to take a crack at it.  But, I am too busy now attending another rules seminar.