Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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.

Anyone who is a fan of the Masters Golf Tournament knows this: 

Those who are on site for the tournament are not to be called spectators.  They are patrons.

But the New York Times shows up today with more banned words at the Masters.  Banned words that I did not know.

Here’s intro to the story:

“Golf Channel TV analyst Brandel Chamblee was on a Barstool Sports’ golf podcast earlier this week, and there is a fascinating clip where Chamblee reviews the words or phrases that TV broadcasters are given guidance not to utter when covering the Masters.

“They are replaced with more hifalutin expressions that are more on-brand for the event and its organizers at Augusta National.”

Here’s the list:

It goes without saying that an event like the Masters won’t ever let announcers name-check other event sponsors [For example, for a past tournament, would never be the Valero Texas Open; it’s just Texas Open.]

• Can’t say:  Fan.  Can say:  Patron.
• Can’t say:  Rough.  Can say:  Second cut.
• Can’t say:  Sand trap.  Can say:  Bunker.
• Can’t say:  Driving range.  Can say:  Tournament practice facility.
• Can’t say:  Back nine.  Can say:  Second nine.

So, there you have it.  I list of the “do’s” and “don’t’s.”

And, many of us also remember the time when golf announcer Gary McCord was told he could not cover the Masters again because he chose to utter a bad phrase – “the greens were as fast as bikini wax” – whatever that is.

“A tradition unlike any other.”  That’s the Masters and there are words you can use to describe the event and words you cannot use.  At least if you are on television.