Great post. That caddie must be walking
on air. Being able to caddie while
driving a golf cart is one of those rare
treats I wish I could get my hands on
more often.

And congrats again on your book. What a
great accomplishment.

I am all for letting her take a cart BUT...

Isn't 14 a little young to be getting sponsor's exemptions? She can't wait to graduate high school? Is she a freshman? What is the LPGA's obsession with little girls? This isn't Star Search. It'll be the same feel good story when she turns 18.

Uh, I have to correct you on something: The PGA Tour made no mistake by UPHOLDING its rules; it is we who made the mistake when we devised a government that would become a nanny state and dictate to private entities what rules they must use to govern themselves. If an entity is not of the public sector, if it was created with PRIVATE money, then the owners and managers have a moral right to determine what rules will prevail within it. It's called "freedom of association," which is implied in our Constitution. You ought to ponder it sometime. And there's a name for the violating of it: Tyranny.

Rules exist for a reason, and that is to ensure fairness for all. If these individuals should receive a special dispensation, why not others who say that walking exacerbates a condition and impacts upon their play? If I claim that I have lower back pain that is aggravated by having to walk, who are you to tell me I'm wrong?

It's a shame that so many people have no grasp of the principles of freedom and so little common sense.

Most of you are sheeple.

Judge, thanks for joining in! I've missed our little chats.

You are absolutely correct that private organizations have the right to uphold their own rules. Take Augusta National, for instance. I think they're within their rights not to allow women members. They own it, they pay for it, they get to decide who to play with.

The mistake I was referring to was of the PR variety. Good PR is critical to a business like professional golf--without it, you lose fans. Fewer fans = smaller profits = mistake.

The Judge is right. I thought giving
Casey Martin a cart was THE public
relations disaster, not the phony one
created by the media and lapped up by
the lemmings.

I'm 5'11" and can't slam dunk a basketball.
Should the NBA lower the hoops so I have
a chance to play for millions? Why not?
I am handicapped.

Life is hard. A man has to know his
limitations.

Great story and hopefully this young lady can inspire other children with disabilities to reach for the stars.

Annika is one sweet woman to offer the exemption.

Booger,

I can not believe I agree with you. I do not think Casey Martin should have been given special exemption either.

However, I would like to see the PGA Tour to extend their so called rules to the Senior Tour if the rationale for the Casey Martin decision was 'walking is part of golf'.

PGA was right in upholding their own rules, but they unfortunately bowed to the 'elder statesmen' that played on the Senior Tour.

Hey Jen,

Nice to see you back. So, do you have a deal for a book on MacKinzie Kline yet?

Judge, you bring up the point of what is "implied" in our Constitution, which brings to mind the idea of the spirit of a law. Or rule. I don't see what's wrong with interpretation as long as the spirit of the rule is followed. If the rule is intended to eliminate unfair advantages, shouldn't it be considered whether or not the exception would violate that rather than the rule itself?

Kristen, the freedom of association has nothing to do with "eliminating unfair advantages"; it only has to do with the freedom of association. That is both the spirit and letter of the law.

The problem here is that this is the result of a dangerous precedent that was set by an activist High Court (I never did figure out what they're high on, but I know it's something) a long time ago when they called private establishments "public accomodations." That quite stupid and unlawful (as it is contrary to the Constitution) ruling has led to the situation we're now in, where private institutions are regularly sued based on the often fanciful notion that they're engaging in "invidious discrimination."

A good example of this is the Boy Scouts. They've had to spend millions of dollars defending themselves against utter scum (who deserve Mussolini's fate) who have tried to sue them into oblivion. They were sued by that vicious witch, Gloria Alred, who acted on behalf of a GIRL who wanted to be a boy scout. Then they were sued by atheists and homosexuals who, respectively, didn't like the fact that they had God in their pledge and that they have a policy excluding homosexual scout masters. Of course, in the Scouts' case they have prevailed thus far, but their coffers have been drained, which is one of the goals of these legalistic scum. The end result is that millions of dollars that could have provided great experiences for thousands of poor boys are now in the pockets of lawyers. Yes, great civilization we have.

As Milton Friedman said, "If you place equality before freedom, you'll end up with neither. If you place freedom before equality, you'll end up with a good measure of both."

Oh, and you godless leftist scum: You should get down on your hands and knees and thank the one you worship (Satan) that I and my set are not runnings things. You would definitely receive your comeuppance.

Smails is right again. He did forget to
point out to Kristen that the decline
in American civilization can be traced
to many things. A good argument can be
made for the election of Lincoln. Some
say it was the creation of the Federal
Reserve system. Booger says it was giving
women the right to vote. Now we can never
turn back the clock and must wait for the
total destruction of our civilization. I
just hope that when things do go Road
Warrior here, you equality freaks should
not even think about darkening the doorstep
of the civilized areas controlled by the
hated white man. You will ride it out
with your rainbow coalition of freaks and
savage degenerates and lie in the bed
that you helped to make. You go girl!

Oh yeah, up yours Trevor! And I agree,
make the old fools walk too. It's good
for the heart.

Judge: How dare you call me scum.

Booger: I'm heavily armed and can handle myself if things go "road warrior" so I won't have any use for your mighty mighty doorstep. Feel free to come to mine.

Kristen,

Although you might have been kidding, I'll point out that my last comment wasn't directed at anyone in particular. And you shouldn't take it personally unless you are in fact a leftist.

Booger,

You are absolutely correct, the toothpaste can't be put back in the tube, thus, all we can do is wait for the walls to come tumbling down.

Hey, Kristen thinks she's a tough broad. Well, I know she can't be as well armed as I am. And, lastly, that'll be the day, when I need a woman to protect me. The Muslims have ONE thing right . . . . Get it?

Well I guess I misunderstood since you began your comment with my name (I think Booger saw it that way, too). And I'm as armed on my left as I am on my right.

And I guess you misunderstood. That wasn't an offer of protection.

Booger-

Right On. I too am vertically challenged. But profesional sports are supposed to be played by the "best of the best". If a person cannot perform, without the use of artificial aids, then they cannot be "one of the best". All the artificial crap to help someone else ends up costing you & me in the end. Somebody has to pay for it. I have to pay when I want to "do" or "use" anything, so why shouldn't other "challenged" folks pay their own way.

Kristen said:

Booger: I'm heavily armed and can handle myself if things go "road warrior" so I won't have any use for your mighty mighty doorstep. Feel free to come to mine.

You've obviously watched too many episodes of Dark Angel. You go girl!

For those interested, you can rent the DVD 'Idiocracy' and get a taste of what America would be like in the future.

Trevor,

The truth about what America will be like in the future is a lot gloomier than any picture a movie would paint.

I'm all for a spirited debate, but I do believe we've gotten a little off-track here.

There's Booger arguing that "giving women the right to vote" has led to the "decline in American civilization."

And then there's the judge: "That'll be the day, when I need a woman to protect me.... The Muslims have ONE thing right... Get it?"

What is this--a parody of conservatives designed to make conservatives appear foolish? Because if you're seriously trying to champion the conservative cause, you might want to consider a tack that doesn't alienate half the population. You sound like misogynistic louts--or is that just what you want people to think conservatives are?

Jenny,

Maybe I'm not a conservative. Did you ever think of that?

One of those damned Libertarians eh. :-)

I'm not a conservative either you silly
wench.

Well I'm sure that's a relief to all conservatives.

But do tell, gentlemen: Which cause do you represent? Near as I can tell, here are a couple of the platforms that really stand out:

* despise anyone on the "left" and assume they are godless and/or that they worship Satan.

* deny women the right to vote and advocate the adoption of sharia law.

Wow, that sounds like a great cause that will have everyone jumping on, if you could just name it. Are you libertarians, as One-Putt suggests? Booger, without consulting a dictionary, can you tell us what libertarianism entails?

And Booger, while you're at it, please enlighten us about the argument you can make that the election of Lincoln has led to the decline in American civilization. Let's hear it--I'm sure it'll be very interesting.

The political arguments are, as usual, rather fascinating. I've come to the conclusion that Judge Smails is a created persona, much like Stephen Colbert. I hope that "Judge Smails" has as much fun with this persona as "Colbert" does with his. At any rate, I take the two personae equally seriously.

But, back to the original topic of this blog, my questions are:

Does riding in a cart fundamentally change the game of golf to the extent that it should be disallowed under all circumstances? (That extreme seems somewhat foolish, given that golf uses a handicapping system to allow anyone to play against anyone else, whether in the liberal tradition of egalitarianism, or in the equally time-honored of providing something on which to wager.)
Or should carts be disallowed only at the professional level?

Is walking the course a necessary component of the game, and if so, is it necessary to prove that the winner possesses the highest physical endurance? Or is it purely traditional? Tradition is, to a traditionalist like myself, a valid reason for requiring a player to walk. But allowing a player who otherwise is quite capable of competing at the level of the others to ride, seems equally sensible, especially when potentially negative public relations effects are considered. And pragmatic, which to a pragmatic person like myself, is an equally valid reason for allowing a player to ride.

And, just for fun, and to get back into the political part of the thread, let's talk about Islam, particularly shari'a, which "Judge Smails" seems to admire, in terms of both tradition and pragmatism.

Huh, Islam fails on both counts. Traditionally, it's younger than any of the Hebrew, Greek or Roman foundations of what we know as civilization, so Western civilization wins the tradition point. And pragmatically, how sensible is it to completely refuse 50% of the population to contribute in any meaningful manner? No point for Islam there either.

Anyway, "Smails", I'm starting to get somewhat offended by your defense of a belief system that a whole lot of fine American men and women, including my husband, are risking their lives in order to prevent its believers from risking yours. You are unworthy of their
dedication.

Well, I would answer you all, but the stupid system tells me that my "comment is invalid." Hey, if you guys who run this site want people to post here, you ought to make sure the system doesn't have such glitches. It didn't even indicate what the problem was.

Uh, let's not be simpletons, I never defended Sharia Law; that aspect of my comments was simply a rhetorical device. Being someone who believes in Jesus, I'm the most ardent opponent of the heresy known as Islam you'll find.

Secondly, you completely missed the point about the Casey Martin case. It concerns FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION; it has nothing to do with whether or not a given rule is a "good idea." If we reach a point where the government can disallow every rule in the private sector that it doesn't think is a "good idea," we won't have much freedom OR true diversity at all.

I'll also point out that it is the liberals who are much like the Islamists, as they seek to control people's lives at least as thoroughly. The only difference is that instead of getting Sharia Law, you end up with Statist Law.

Now let's see if the stupid system will allow these comments to be posted.

Ms. Mario,

As a “Gentleman” I feel the need to rise in your defense from the onslaught of cretins who post on your blog. You may find them entertaining much in the style of chimpanzees performing in a circus, but that might to a disservice to the apes that have evolved further than some so called men who post their boorish prose here.

This started out as a posting by you Ms. Mario of an exemption being given to a handicapped young lady who is an exceptional golfer. Unfortunately her condition dictates she rides in a golf cart during matches and she will be using one during a professional event.

Rather than accept this “fact” the cretins decided to take issue with Annika and the invitation she extended to her event. Miss Kline will play and her golf cart will not be the factor that determines the outcome of the tournament, just as it was not in the case of Casey Martin. Tournaments are decided by who puts a golf ball in a four and a quarter inch hole with the fewest swings of a club, pure and simple. Whether or not the player walks or rides to the ball really is insignificant in how the match is played.

Golf is an evolving sport and after a decade when a PGA course is an average of 12,000 yards long, the tour itself may insist on golf carts to speed up play. Well if not golf carts; at least they will have to lay tracks and run a train around the course.

For the Cretins posting comments on this topic, I quote from a famous American golfer who has a message for all of you, “Get Over It” (M. Wie).

Err:

"that might to a disservice"

should read

"that might be a disservice"

Notice:
Respectful debate is welcome here, but off-topic comments with foul language, personal attacks, or hate speech will be removed.

What is "hate speech"? Who defines it?

I don't know who you're referring to, Jenny, but the response that the system wouldn't let me post contained no foul language (I don't use it). God only knows why it couldn't be posted.

Judge, good question. On this blog, I get to define it. Wishing millions of people dead, as you've done in your comments, is hate speech. Bigoted statements and personal attacks designed to insult other readers (lefties, women, and African-Americans, for example, the worst of which has already been deleted), qualify as well.

If you want to talk golf, you're welcome to post here. But if you just want to be a bully, you'll have to find another playground.

An apology to Booger, who just asked a question that was deleted. Sorry, your comments had gotten so out of hand that deleting them became a reflex.

But you asked a serious question, something to the effect of am I embarrassed about writing a book about Michelle Wie. An interesting question, coming from someone who uses an anonymous pseudonym for their own writings. But a serious question deserves a serious answer.

Am I embarrassed about writing a book about an interesting figure in women's golf? Short answer: of course not. I'm a golf writer. Writing about interesting golfers is what we do.

If you want to keep commenting here, refrain from hurling insults, please. I treated your question with respect, now do the same for me or expect to have your comments deleted.

Bravo, Jen, bravo! Let's all try (although I know how challenging it will be for some) to maintain a semblance of common decency around here.

One-Putt,

I take issue with the way in which you portray our sport:

"Tournaments are decided by who puts a golf ball in a four and a quarter inch hole with the fewest swings of a club, pure and simple. Whether or not the player walks or rides to the ball really is insignificant in how the match is played."

It isn't that simple. Ask Ken Venturi if walking is insignificant in golf. And I seem to remember Darren Clarke fading down the stretch at the Masters some years ago, and citing his fatigue from walking as the primary reason for his poor performance (and his newly-found faith in physical fitness.)

This is exactly the reason why golf is perceived as a "game" as opposed to a sport. My supposition is that supreme court justices, who don't share our love and/or understanding of golf, see it in much the same terms.

I play golf in Colorado (unfortunately, not lately). Walking the courses out here take their toll in the latter portions of the round. If fatigue sets in, and my upper body gets quick over a sluggish lower-body, I hit an infuriating pull. So to say it makes no difference is incorrect.

I feel sorry for Ms. M, and Casey Martin. But using a cart does create an unfair competitive advantage.

Unless you allow EVERYONE to use a cart...

2under, your comments are excellent. It's so nice to find a comment that actually has bearing on golf, much less the original blog.

When I think on it, when I walk 18, I'm well on the way to an excellent score, until about the last 4, when everything just goes all to crap. When I ride 18, it can still all go to crap, but that randomly happens at any point, not always in the last 4. Fatigue must play some part, even though I'm a marathoner so walking 18 shouldn't be all that tiring.

Your point is that walking is a significant aspect of the physical part of the game, and that in a nonhandicapped game (not trying to make a pun about disabilities, but referring to the pros), everyone should either walk or ride.

And to preserve tradition, walking should be the preference.

I do suspect that most of the Supreme Court justices get out to the course more often than you or I do, and they may or may not see it as a game or as a sport. But the comment about golf's perception as game vs sport is interesting. I walk more than I cart, but I consider golf to be a game.

What is the criteria for the difference between a game and a sport?

Madia,

I agree, walking should be the preference.

I happen to think carts should not be allowed in competition, PERIOD. Not even the "Champions Tour". It set a horrible precedent.

I do see golf as a sport. Why? Because
it requires skill, agility and stamina. Although it is not as rigorous as marathonin
or cycling, there is still some level of
endurance necessary to be successful,
particularly in competition.