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.

A friend once told me, “Set your expectations low enough so you always have a chance to meet them.”

Good advice?  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.

If you get past the negative perceptions of that quote – low expectations — it makes just a bit of sense for those (me included) who often set expectations too high so it becomes impossible to meet them.

Consider golf, my favorite sport.

Is your expectation “to go low” or “to have fun with friends outdoors” or both?

I read the following quote a day or so ago in “Links,” the name of an effort to incent groups at golf clubs around the country to study the Bible and learn from the “good book” as they play golf – and I am part of that effort.

The quote from the writer, Meridith Kirk (who is the wife of the slain Charlie Kirk; she is a writer for Links).

“Something has shifted in me:  I’ve stopped setting heavy expectations for myself.  When I do get the chance to play golf, I tell myself, swing easy, forget about distance, and just keep it in the fairway.

“It’s simple.  Gone are the days of demanding tight dispersion or perfect scores or feeling like I have to perform for others.  I just want to play ‘happy golf’– to be outdoors, enjoy good company, and embrace the moment with no pressure.”

That quote from “Links” relates to what my wife often tells me as I head out the door for more golf:  “Have fun no matter how you play.”

Good advice.  And I have been trying to follow it, at least for a couple years now.

Kirk, the writer, goes to relate contentment in golf to contentment in life, according to this quote from the Bible, Philippians 4:11-13:

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances… I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation… I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”

Her point is that contentment is possible, if as Christians, we allow God to rule our lives, not expectations.

From Kirk:

“With the last three years devoted to full-time ministry and the blessing of a rapidly growing family, we welcomed four grandchildren in just two and a half years, including a set of twins — the time to play 18 holes has become scarce.

“But something has shifted in me:  I’ve stopped setting heavy expectations for myself.  When I do get the chance to play, I tell myself, swing easy, forget about distance, and just keep it in the fairway.

“The Indian poet Sri Chinmoy said it well:  ‘Peace begins when expectation ends.’  In this season of my life, I’m finding peace with letting go of expectations, including unnecessary expectations of myself.

“I’m learning that contentment isn’t about performance on the golf course or in life.  It’s about surrendering to the season God has placed me in and trusting Him with what I can and cannot do right now.  And in that surrender, He gives strength, peace, and even the unexpected gift of a really good round of golf.”

Excellent advice from Kirk!

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.

The subject in the headline has been on my mind for several days now as I have focused on Bible verses calling Christians to do “good works.”

As Christians, however, we know that doing “good workss” is not the way to earn our way to heaven.  Earning is not involved.

If you accept Christ as your savior, you will be in heaven one day and it is not due to your performance.  It is due to grace, which is defined as “free and unmerited favor.”

Still, there is a place for “good work” in the Christian life.

Consider these words from one of the most important Scriptures on the subject:

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

Loving God is based on faith – you cannot see God today, but you believe that he is your savior.  That’s called faith.

Loving your “neighbor” can be tough, especially if your neighbor is different than you based on ethnicity, color of skin, background, homeland, and numerous factors.

But, to God, based on Scripture, none of those differences matter and, in any event, they don’t remove the command “to love your neighbor as yourself.”

As I write that, I cannot remove from my mind Donald Trump, who, as president, has made it one of his priorities to hate others.  Hate?  Yes. 

Here is what he said at the funeral service for Charlie Kirk:  “Diverting from his script, Trump couldn’t resist saying:  ‘I hate my opponent.  And I don’t want the best for them.’”

Sounds like Trump, right?

As for being involved in good works as Christians, one question getting credit for that work.

Another scripture comes into play – Matthew 23:4.  It advises against doing good works to get credit.

“Everything they do is done for people to see:  They love their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long.  They love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogue.  They love to be greeted with respect in the marketplace…”  [By the way, the word phylacteries refers to “a small leather box containing Hebrew texts on vellum, worn by Jewish men at morning prayer as a reminder to keep the law.”]

The point is that credit for doing good works goes to God, not to those who do the work.  So, we should make sure credit goes that way.

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.

I drew this headline from a column written last week by one of my favorite political commentators, David Brooks, who writes for the New York Times, as well as other publications.

Here is a summary of his “Trump crackup” column:

“Last week Minneapolis’s police chief, Brian O’Hara, said the thing he fears most is the ‘moment where it all explodes.’  I share his worry.  If you follow the trajectory of events, it’s pretty clear that we’re headed toward some kind of crackup.”

Before going further, here is a summary of Brooks’ credentials.

A Canadian-born American book author and political and cultural commentator, Brooks describes himself as a “moderate Republican,” while others have characterized him as centrist, moderate conservative, or conservative, based on his record as contributor to the PBS NewsHour, and as an opinion columnist for The New York Times.

In his most recent offering, Brooks says that “we are in the middle of four unravelings:”

• The unraveling of the post-war international order.
• The unraveling of domestic tranquility, wherever Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents bring down their jackboots.
• The further unraveling of the democratic order, with attacks on Fed independence and — excuse the pun — “trumped-up” prosecutions of political opponents. 
• Finally, the unraveling of Trump’s mind.

“Of these four, the unraveling of Trump’s mind is the primary one, leading to all the others.  Narcissists sometimes get worse with age, as their remaining inhibitions fall away.  The effect is bound to be profound when the narcissist happens to be president of the United States.”

And, Brooks goes on to describe Trump succinctly in these two paragraphs:

“…over the past year, Trump has been quicker and quicker to resort to violence.  In 2025, the U.S. carried out or contributed to 622 overseas bombing missions, killing people in places ranging from Venezuela to Iran, Nigeria and Somalia — not to mention Minneapolis.

“The arc of tyranny bends toward degradation.  Tyrants generally get drunk on their own power, which progressively reduces restraint, increases entitlement and self-focus and amps up risk taking and overconfidence while escalating social isolation, corruption and defensive paranoia.”

Also writing in the New York Times, one of the best political reporters going today, Peter Baker, wrote this to chronicle another Trump pattern – lying and more lying.

“Trump has found that putting out a story line early and repeating it often can, with the help of an ideological media and online surround-sound machine, convince a sizable share of the public that does not credit contrary evidence.  Even after investigations, recounts and his own advisers and attorney general refuted Trump’s claim that he won the 2020 election, polls show that most Republicans still believe the election was stolen.”

So, now many lies hasTrump told.  You need a calculator to find out.  The Washington Post Fact Checker column puts the number at about 30,000.

Back to Brooks.  He doesn’t think America is headed toward anything like a Rome-style collapse.  “Our institutions are too strong,” he contends, “and our people, deep down, still have the same democratic values.

I hope he is rigjht.

So, the predicted conclusion from Brooks is that Trump will slide toward even more “deterioration and debauchery,” while the country will survive, barely.

Beyond that, my wish is that we didn’t have to face three more years of Trump.

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.

The writer of letter to the editor of the New York Times writer got it just right the other day when he said this:  “I am deeply troubled by how Christian nationalism exploits convictions to wage a culture.”

I agree.

He went on:

“As a Christian believer who has worshiped in Baptist, Presbyterian and Anglican churches, I share many theological convictions with my charismatic brothers and sisters.  But I am deeply troubled by how Christian nationalism exploits those convictions to wage a culture war.

“Christian nationalism distorts the Gospel.  Christ calls us to embody the justice, mercy and love that transcend tribal identities, not to conflate church and state so that opponents are cast as demonic and constitutional limits are treated as expendable.”

The Christian nationalism “movement” rests on thin theology.  It promotes a false narrative about “Americans being under siege while neglecting this core doctrine:  All are sinful and need grace, all are made in God’s image, and no earthly nation is the kingdom of God.

“I fear the consequences when the church trades the humility of the Gospel for the false security of political power.”

This is the best line in the letter, one worth repeating:  “Christ calls us to embody the justice, mercy and love that transcend tribal identities.”

I share the fear over how nationalism perverts Christianity.

I want to keep the church – the real church – separate from politics.  Yes, use your real, personal Christian faith to influence your real, personal political perspectives, but don’t let the church become just another political movement.

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.

On occasion, I have written about Donald Trump, expressing my disgust for the way he has “served” as president – and I put the word “served” in quotes because there is no question but that Trust has served only himself, not America.

But, rather than writing more myself this morning, I choose to quote several columnists courageous enough in their convictions to oppose Trump.  So, consider:

From Thomas Friedman in the New York Times:  I have never trafficked in the conspiracy theories about Donald Trump and Russia.  I never thought that he was a Russian asset or that Vladimir Putin had some financial leverage on him or sex tapes to blackmail him with.  I have always believed it was much worse:  That Trump, in his heart and soul, simply does not share the values of every other American president since World War II when it comes to what America’s role in the world should be and must be.

I have always believed that Trump has an utterly warped value set that is not grounded in any of our founding documents, but simply favors any leader who is strong, no matter what he does with that strength; any leader who is rich and can thus enrich Trump, no matter what the leader does with that money or how he got it; and any leader who will flatter him, no matter how obviously phony that flattery is.

From Thomas Edsall in the New York Times:  Peering into the Trump mind-set — the logic underpinning his priorities, his morality, his decision making — is like opening a garbage pail left out for days during a summer heat wave.

The dominant theme is governing by narcissism:  Make Trump Great Again.

President Trump can be persuaded with money, the purchase of his crypto coins, contributions and sometimes with plain old obsequious flattery.

The two shining lights that guide his notion of morality are his self-interest and the enhancement of his self-image, both of which crowd out consideration of the national interest and the public welfare.

Peter Wehner in the Washington Post:  The contrast could hardly have been greater.

During a memorial service for Charlie Kirk, held in a stadium filled with nearly 100,000 people, Erika Kirk, the wife of the slain right-wing activist, expressed both her profound love for her husband and the profound grief brought on by his death. It was the speech of a woman deeply influenced by her Christian faith.  And it included remarkable words, which she struggled to say but was still able to articulate.

“My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” Kirk said. “That young man.  That young man. On the cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ That man—that young man—I forgive him.  I forgive him because it was what Christ did.  And it’s what Charlie would do.  The answer to hate is not hate.  The answer we know from the Gospel is love and always love.  Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”

The audience rose to its feet to applaud in support of the grieving widow. But there was another speaker yet to come.

Trump, following Erika Kirk, said Charlie was “a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose.  He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them.”

But then the president, diverting from his script, couldn’t resist voicing his dissent.  “That’s where I disagreed with Charlie,” Trump said.  “I hate my opponent.  And I don’t want the best for them.”  He added, “I’m sorry, Erika.”

From David Kirkpatrick in the New Yorker:   Many payments now flowing to Trump, his wife, and his children and their spouses would be unimaginable without his presidencies:  A two-billion-dollar investment from a fund controlled by the Saudi crown prince; a luxury jet from the Emir of Qatar; profits from at least five different ventures peddling crypto; fees from an exclusive club stocked with Cabinet officials and named Executive Branch.

Fred Wertheimer, the dean of ethics-reform advocates, told me that, “when it comes to using his public office to amass personal profits, Trump is a unicorn — no one else even comes close.”  Yet, the public has largely shrugged.

In a recent article for the Times, Peter Baker, a White House correspondent, wrote that the Trumps “have done more to monetize the presidency than anyone who has ever occupied the White House.”  But Baker noted that the brazenness of the Trump family’s “moneymaking schemes” appears to have made such transactions seem almost normal.

From David Brooks in the NY Times:  We are in the middle of at least four unravelings: The unraveling of the postwar international order.  The unraveling of domestic tranquility wherever Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents bring down their jackboots.  The further unraveling of the democratic order, with attacks on Fed independence and — excuse the pun — trumped-up prosecutions of political opponents.  Finally, the unraveling of Trump’s mind.

But I do know that events are being propelled by one man’s damaged psyche.  History does not record many cases in which a power-mad leader careening toward tyranny suddenly regained his senses and became more moderate.  On the contrary, the normal course of the disease is toward ever-accelerating deterioration and debauchery.

And a conclusion from me:  Enough about Trump, at least for now.  Kudos to all the commentators for their strong, accurate and thought-provoking words.

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.

A new element was introduced into Oregon transportation funding yesterday, one that could help Governor Tina Kotek down the road in her bid for re-election.

House Speaker Julie Fahey and Senate President Rob Wagner said they will introduce a bill in the February legislative session to move the transportation funding measure (read, gas tax) onto the May 19 statewide primary election.

It is likely that Democrats in both the House and Senat will go along with the proposal – we’ll know in a few weeks.  So, it appears voters will get their say this spring.

The alternative was that Republicans who oppose the tax had submitted enough voter signatures to get the measure on the ballot next fall in Oregon’s general election.

That would have presented this problem:  The unpopular proposal to increase gas taxes (and other taxes) would have been on the ballot at the same time Kotek’s re-election.

Irritated voters could have opposed the tax increases AND Kotek.

So, without saying so directly, legislative leaders found their way around the problem:  They proposed to set the election sooner.

Does all this matter?  Of course, the answer is “yes.” 

Voters will get their chance to express their views and the general election next fall will produce a clean slate for Kotek – if there ever is a clean slate in politics in Oregon or elsewhere.  She’ll be running against Republicans on the basis of her record in office.

So far, several Republicans have said they will file.  The leader is State Senator Christine Drazan who ran last time and lost to Kotek, but could be on the ballot again next November, setting up the re-match.

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.

I draw this headline having just read a new, good book, The Augusta Principles, which dissects what the Master’s Golf Tournament does that makes it so special.

Which is why I say that, if we followed the Master’s principles in business and politics, not to mention in real life, we’d all be better off.

The author, John Sabino, cites 10 principles that he says dominate the Masters management.  Some of them sound pretty general, but when you read more about them or when you see them in action as I have once (back in 2015 when my daughter and I attended the Masters), they make great sense.

One example:  “Use technology wisely.”

Sure.  Why not?  In the extreme, you wouldn’t set out to use technology unwisely.

Sabin himself has an interesting background.  He blogs about golf and has written two previous books about the sport.  He also survived cancer several years ago, having a bone marrow transplant to treat leukemia.

In this new book, Sabin describes each of the following principles in detail – and, in some of the cases below, I have added a comment of my own.

+  Exercise restraint

+  Focus on the details

+  Don’t be overly commercial

+  Use technology wisely

+  Adopt a mindset of continuous improvement

On this, I wholeheartedly agree.  In organizations where I have worked in my professional career, I went out of my way repeatedly to say this:  There is always room for improvement.  That is true if your organization is doing well.  And, of course, it is true in the inverse.

+  Treat people with respect

Imagine if this were true where you have worked.  It is true that, most of the time if you run a company, your most important product — the people who work for you.

+  Cultivate civility

And, also just imagine if civility were to be the goal in all of our affairs, especially in politics.  In the latter, the reverse now is most often true, especially with the person who sits in the Oval Office.  There, the standard is retaliation and stupidity in over-the-top words. 

As for the word “civility,” I often reflect on one of my favorite political quotes.  It came from the late General Colin Powell when he was encouraged to run for president.  He passed on the chance as he “bemoaned the loss of civility in politics.”  That was more than 20 years ago.  Imagine what he would say today.

+  Be generous

This is one of the Master’s principles that could just as well as apply to the Christian faith.  If we are Christians, the Bible advocates that we be generous in our relationships with the poor and downtrodden.

+  Respect tradition and honor the past

+  Use scarcity to create value

To illustrate this principle, Sabin reports that the Master’s store is open only one week a year and yet it does a land-office business.  Here is the way he puts it:

“Anyone who has attended the Masters and witnessed the lines into the merchandise areas would be hard-pressed to argue that they haven’t found the secret sauce of retailing, combining three special ingredients rarely found together.

“Denying buyers fifty-one weeks of the year creates scarcity and pent-up demand, and a carefully cultivated brand image makes being affiliated with the Masters desirable.

“Those two elements are necessary, but not sufficient to achieve the kind of success the Masters enjoys.  Quality is the final element.  If their merchandise were sub-par, they wouldn’t be the success story they are.”

As I would put it:  If you don’t have much, you treasure what you do have. So, if you get a chance, read the book and apply its lessons beyond the Masters and golf to business and to life.

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.

I have been involved recently in several organizations that have proposed name or logo changes.

Here they are:

• The Oregon Golf Association re-designed its logo and website, though it has not changed its name.

• Salem Leadership Foundation revised its logo, again without changing its name.

• Illahe Hills Golf and Country Club, my home club in Salem, changed its logo, and is considering a name change to something along the lines of “sports club.”

• And, the church my wife and I attend here in La Quinta, California, has gone by its name – Southwest Church – for many years.  It has become a recognizable brand in the Palm Springs area, if not farther – if the word “brand” is appropriate for a church.  But last week a change became official.  It is now called Wellspring Church.

In this blog, I’ll focus only the latter, even as express my general view that, given the potentially high costs of name and logo changes, assessments must be made to decide that the cost is worth it.

For the church here in the California desert, I wondered why a change was made that would require moving away from such a well-established name as Southwest Church.

The senior pastor, Ricky Jenkins, described the rationale for the change in what he wrote for the congregation in a church bulletin.  Here is what he said:

“For several years, our elders, pastors, and staff have been prayerfully listening for God’s direction, asking how we can faithfully serve this valley for generations to come.  We believe God is leading into a new season – one that honors our past and prepares us for the future.

“Throughout Scripture, when God begins something new, He often gives a new name – a sign of renewed identity and purpose.  Abram became Abraham.  Jacob because Israel.  Simon became Peter.

“As we prayed about this next chapter, our desire was simple:  A name that points to Jesus, not to us – one rooted in Scripture, shaped by our calling, and deeply connected to this valley we love.”

The basic Scripture that brings up the name, Wellspring, is found in the fourth chapter of the book of John, verse 14:

“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

In another words, a “wellspring.”

So, our church has a new name. 

Another reason for the change, I suppose, could be that, if the church were to expand beyond the “southwest,” then the word southwest could be a limiting factor.

We’ll see how all this turns out. 

Meanwhile, we will keep attending this church when we are in the California desert because, when all is said and done, the church is God-centered, ethnically-diverse, age-diverse and portrays other solid qualities.  The first phrase in this list is the most critical.

And, for the other organizations, we’ll remain involved, too – name changes, logo changes, etc., hoping that all will be worth it.

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.

Note:  I publish this blog again because, as always, the book, ‘A Season in Dornoch,” draws me to the game I love – golf.

*********

When my wife bought me a copy of the 25^th anniversary edition of a great book – “A Season in Dornoch” – I knew what would happen.

For about the 25^th time, I would read the book again.

That’s what this book does to me – it lures me to re-discover golf in the home of golf, Scotland.  And, there, one of the best courses is Royal Dornoch (see below). 

Here is the on-line summary for the anniversary edition:

“The town of Dornoch, Scotland, lies at nearly the same latitude as Juneau, Alaska.  Though the town is bit too small and remote to host a British Open, it has hardly diminished Royal Dornoch’s mystique or renown.

“In an influential piece for The New Yorker in 1964, Herbert Warren Wind wrote, ‘It is the most natural course in the world. No golfer has completed his education until he or she has played and studied Royal Dornoch.’

“The author of ‘A Season in Dornoch,’ Rubenstein, spent a summer in Dornoch to re-discover the natural charms of the game he loves.  But, in the Scottish highlands, he also found a people shaped by the harshness of the land and the difficulty of drawing a living from it and still haunted by a historic wrong inflicted on their ancestors nearly two centuries before.

“Rubenstein met many people of great thoughtfulness and spirit, eager to share their worldviews, their life stories, and a wee dram or two.  He came to understand how the game of golf reflects the values, character, and history of the people who brought it into the world.

“’A Season in Dornoch’ is both the story of one man’s immersion in the game of golf and an exploration of the world from which it emerged.

“Part travelogue, part portraiture, part good old-fashioned tale of matches played and friendships made, it takes us on an unforgettable journey to a marvelous, moody, mystical place.”

As for the “wee dram,” I am not a lover of whisky.  But, after a cold day on a course in Scotland (where you don’t ask if it’s windy and raining, you just go play golf), a wee dram does its job – it warms you up quickly.

So it is that I read the book again here, in La Quinta, California, where I sit far from the Scotland’s highlands which do beckon me back, even if just in my mind.

I also rue the day several years ago when sickness required my wife and me to cancel a month-long stay in the town of Dornoch, which we had booked for a couple reasons – (a) the general lure of the place, in part due to my wife’s heritage because her parents emigrated to the U.S. from Scotland, and (b) my desire to return to a place we had visited two times previously, but only for a day or two each time.

Still, on those first trips, I got to play one of the best golf courses in the world, Royal Dornoch, which has earned its “royal” name, as well as received high plaudits from such pro golfers such as Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw.

For this blog, I rely on the words of an introduction to “A Season in Dornoch” written by another acclaimed golf writer, Stephen Proctor.

His words below capture the lure of golf in Scotland, golf in the small town of Dornoch, golf in the words of Rubenstein, and golf in terms of aspirations for me as I consider the basic draw of the game I love without, for example, always having to keep score.

Thus, Proctor writes:

• “Rubenstein was an excellent golfer, a man who knew intimately the agony and ecstasy golfers experience during a round.”

• “Even as they were coming to grips with the region’s history of turmoil, Rubenstein and his wife, Nell, (who accompanied him on his four-month sojourn in Dornoch which produced his book) found themselves succumbing to the charms that have drawn so many to Dornoch.  They slowed down, let go of the urgency that drove life back in Toronto, and took time to savor the beauty of the landscape all around them; from the hills resplendent in purple heather to the golden sands of Dornoch beach.”

• “…often, Rubenstein found himself doing the things that made him love golf in the first place.  Playing alone at sunrise or sunset.  Playing by feel and sight, rather than by yardages.  Playing the ball on the ground, rather than through the air.  Playing beside the sea, in rain or wind, often with a half set.”

• In one game against a long-time pro golfer friend, “Rubenstein played with a half-set slung over his shoulder, never bothering to keep score.  Discussion with the pro along the way focused on the history of the game, the strategy of the holes, tricks for crafting certain shots, and the beauty of the setting in which the two found themselves.  Golf as it was meant to be played:  For the purse joy of it.”

So, if you want to read Rubenstein’s great words about golf, get his book.  It will have the potential to do what it did for Rubenstein 25 years ago in the Scottish highlands – renew his love for the game itself.

And, it has done the same for me.

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Footnote:  As I re-publish this blog in early 2026, I have ‘A Season in Dornoch” in a prominent place on my bookshelf here in La Quinta, California.

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.

To illustrate uncertainty, consider this rundown:

• In the 2025 legislative session in Oregon, Democrats passed a transportation funding measure, including a gas tax increase, without any Republican support.

• Then, Republicans, who contend they were left out of the process to produce the measure, said they would seek to refer the measure to the ballot.

• Led by Republican State Senator Bruce Starr and Republican State Representative Ed Diehl, they succeeded quickly, even without a huge war chest to fund the signature collection effort – and such a war chest usually is necessary to qualify for the ballot.

• Then, Governor Tina Kotek, who led the effort to pass the transportation funding measure in the first place, announced that she would ask the Legislature, during its short session in February, to repeal the measure.

• Then, an old State Attorney General’s opinion – it dates to 1935 – was unveiled.  It said, “no” — once a referendum qualifies for the ballot, public officials cannot pull it off.

• And then, another wrinkle.  Various experts said they weren’t sure the 1935 opinion was still valid.

There.

Understand?

Uncertainty.

Here’s how Senate Republicans described the issue:

“A 1935 Oregon Attorney General opinion confirms that once Oregonians

invoke their constitutional right to referendum, the Legislature has no authority to repeal the measure before voters have their say.

“That precedent directly contradicts Governor Tina Kotek’s recent call for lawmakers to repeal her signature transportation tax package after more than 250,000 Oregonians signed a petition demanding a vote.

“’This attorney general’s opinion makes the law unmistakably clear.  Once the people invoke the referendum, the Legislature has no authority to repeal it out from under them,’ said Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr (R-Dundee), one of the chief petitioners on the successful referendum. ‘The Constitution requires an election. There is no statutory workaround, no procedural loophole, and no legal basis to keep this measure off the

ballot.’”

A few facts will be interesting as this issue develops over the next couple weeks heading toward the legislative session next month.  Not sure whether they will add clarity or confusion. 

One question is whether such an old Attorney General’s Opinion still rules today.  It is possible that current Attorney General Dan Rayfield, head of the Department of Justice (DOJ), will be asked for his opinion to bring things into 2026.

So far, according to reporting from Oregon Public Broadcasting, “the state’s lawyers can’t say for sure whether lawmakers have authority to repeal taxes when they’re already set for a vote.

“’Since 1935, the relevant portion of the constitution has been amended and there is additional case law bearing on the issue,’ DOJ spokeswoman Jenny Hansson said in a statement Thursday.  ‘We have not analyzed whether the 1935 opinion’s conclusions remain valid in light of more recent legal developments.’”

Plus, there have been cases in the past where a measure was approved for the ballot but then got pulled back.  Whether those past cases matter today is another unanswered question.

And still another question revolves around the general election next November where it is likely that Kotek, who is bidding for re-election, will go up against Republican State Senator Christine Drazan.  They ran against each other last time around and Kotek won.  Of course, both Drazan and Kotek must win primary elections first, but both will be heavily favored to do so.

There is little question but that Kotek would prefer not to have the gas tax on same ballot as her re-election.  Many voters don’t like it and some of them also could decide to vote against Kotek.

So, can Kotek convince Democrats in the Legislature to repeal the measure, and if they do, will that matter?

It’s too soon to tell.  We’ll know in a few weeks.  But, as a lobbyist friend of mine used to say, “don’t hold your breath.”