1 – Gauging the odds

You see a 43 percent chance of rain; I see a 57 percent chance of fair weather. Then again, you look at a 23-foot putt and think birdie; I look at a 23-foot putt and feel confident of a two-putt for bogey. Life is a contrasting whirl of perspectives.

2 – One, but not the other

It’s come to this: I enjoy watching Rory McIlroy play but am less interested in what he has to say.

3 – Where’s our iron?

So the U.S. has a Solheim Cup date in The Netherlands Sept. 11-13 and presently only two Americans are in the Top 20 in the world rankings and those two (Nelly Korda and Lauren Coughlin) have the only individual tournament wins this year for the red, white, and blue. Ouch.

4 – I’m talking golf

When she asked me how the golf went and I said, “Every wind was hard left-to-right so my slight fades were punished severely and that stinks because everyone knows the mowers don’t go down the right side as vigorously as they trim the left,” she just stared at me like I was talking another language.

5 – Oh, so that’s how we’re playing

While searching for a friend’s ball you ask, “What are you playing?” and he says, “Depends what you find,” you know that today it’s sort of like golf, only different.

GOLF COURSE PHOTO – Consider yourself warned that when you play Brookside Golf Course on Cape Cod, you’re being watched should you wander off to answer the call of nature. Good friend, intrepid golfer, and avid reader of “Power Fades” Jay Riley discovered the clever sign during a recent round of golf and knew just where to forward it to. With thanks to Jay and a reminder to one and all, feel free to send me golf course photos that tickle your fancy. Send to jim@powerfades.com

6 – Sweet words

Not that I love heavy days of rain but I do embrace the frequent byproduct, my favorite three words in golf: No carts today.

7 – Wise guys abound

We were discussing equipment as we waited to tee off, dishing about shafts and lofts and what wedges we carried. There was good banter, until a friend opined that “Jim doesn’t play a mini-driver, but he is a mini-driver.” Honestly, what happened to golf being a gentleman’s game?

8 – I kind of like their words

How we pronounce it – con.tro.ver.sy. How the Euros pronounce it – con.trov.esy. Give me the latter pronunciation. And while we’re at it, when players finish their round in Europe they go into see the “recorder,” not the “scorer,” as they do here. Recorder gets my vote here. Seems to me that the player is the “scorer” and is now simply confirming with the “recorder.”

9 – My "to do" list

Royal Dornoch. East to west through Nebraska, coming out at Rodeo Dunes in Colorado. Northern Michigan in the June/July. That’s the bucket list for now.