After reading Dr. Bill Stein's editorial "Dentists, Golf, and Ethics" in the January-February issue of Northwest Dentistry, I thought I should share the following e-mail from an old high school classmate who is a very good golfer. Substitute the word "dentist" or "dentistry" for "golfers" or "golf". It's fun and at the same time helps underline that we as dentists stand tall in trying to practice with high moral and ethical standards. I think we could draw other parallels with our profession, although perhaps not that last little historicial tidbit. 

Sincerely,

Michael John Harrison, D.D.S.*

The following is not intended to offend fans of tennis, basketball, football, or baseball. It is, rather, one golfer's attempt to put everything in its proper perspective.

Ever wonder why golf is growing in popularity and why people who don't even play go to tournaments or watch it on TV? The following truisms may shed some light thereupon.

            1.  Golf is an honorable game, with the overwhelming majority of players being honorable people who don't need referees.

            2.  Golfing's ranks don't find some of its players in jail every week.

            3.  Golfers don't kick dirt on, or throw bottles at, other people.

            4.  Professional golfers are paid in direct proportion to how well they play.

            5.  Golfers don't get per diem and two seats on a charter flight when they travel between tournaments.

            6.  Golfers don't hold out for more money or demand new contracts because of another player's deal.

            7.  Professional golfers don't demand that taxpayers pay for the courses on which they play.

            8.  When golfers make a mistake, nobody is there to cover for them or back them.

            9.  The PGA raises more money for charity in one year than the NFL does in two.

            10.You can watch the best golfers in the world up close at any tournament, including the majors, all day every day for $25 to $30.

            11. You can bring a picnic lunch to a tournament golf course, watch the best in the world, and not spend a small fortune on food and drink. Try that at a taxpayer-funded baseball or football stadium. If you bring a soft drink into a ballpark your options are get rid of it or leave.

            12. In golf, you cannot fail 70% of the time and still make $9 million a season.

            13. Golf doesn't change its rules to attract fans.

            14. Golfers have to adapt to an entirely new playing area each week.

            15. Golfers keep their clothes on while they are being interviewed.

            16. Golf doesn't have free agency.

            17. In their prime, Palmer, Norman, and other stars would shake your hand and say they were happy to meet you. In his prime, Jose Canseco wore t-shirts that read "Leave Me Alone".

            18. You can hear birds chirping on the golf course during a tournament.

            19. At a golf tournament, (unlike taxpayer-funded sports stadiums and arenas), you won't hear a steady stream of four-letter words and nasty name-calling while hoping no one spills beer on you.

            20. Tiger hits a golf ball more than twice as far as Barry Bonds hits a baseball.

            21. Golf courses don't ruin the neighborhood.

            22.  And finally, here's a little slice of golf history that you might enjoy. Why do golf courses have 18 holes? During a discussion among the club's membership board at St. Andrews in 1858, a senior member pointed out that it takes exactly 18 shots to polish off a fifth of Scotch. By limiting himself to only one shot of Scotch per hole, the Scot figured a round of golf was finished when the Scotch ran out.