1 – Missing the mark

These media folks shedding tears for Tiger Woods, hoping he’s OK, hoping he gets better, hoping he gets a chance to get back to working on his game? They need reality checks. Me? My prayers are going to the drivers and car passengers who might be sharing  the road with him.

2 – Trees are defenseless

These are those early April days when golfers stroll out to their golf courses and ask, “Hey, where did that tree go?”

3 – And the winner is . . .

Don’t say I didn’t tell you, but that will be Xander Schauffele slipping into the Green Jacket on April 12.

4 – Give me cap letters

Green Jacket? Just writing that reminds me that in a bygone era, I was at the mercy of editors who had strict guidelines – and brilliant convictions, to be honest – so the coveted Masters prize had to be written green jacket. No cap G, no cap J. And the Open Championship trophy was the claret jug. But given that I’m captain and crew of my own “Power Fades” ship, it’s Green Jacket and Claret Jug.

GOLF COURSE PHOTO – Should you need proof that we speak a universal language in golf, Emily Chorba provides a photo from the other side of the world, Tasmania GC. If the sentiment to this sign sounds familiar, it’s because we respect such etiquette no matter where we play. Good on you, Tasmania. And cheers to Emily, a historian at famed Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz, Calif., where she keeps alive the legacy of Marion Hollins. Quite the spirited trip she was on, part of the Ladies MacKenzie Gathering, a group of eight ladies from 12 Alistair MacKenzie courses around the globe who descend upon a different one of his designs annually. This year they played at Royal Melbourne in Australia; the trip to Tasmania was an add-on and the ladies provided rave reviews of 7 Mile Golf where they played before stopping in at the new 7 Mile Golf near Hobart Airport. As always, please forward any pictures you stumble across to intriguing golf course photos to jim@powerfades.com

5 – Be proper

Oh, and it’s the Open Championship in my arena. Any mention of the British Open will fall on deaf ears.

6 – Tears flowed in this corner

Yes, there’s crying in golf. Way to go, Gary Woodland. Utterly inspiring.

7 – Aim small

Trying to maintain perspective and keep my goals modest, I'm hoping to make two birdies before July 1.

8 – The truth hurts

I knew she was starting to understand the golf swing when she introduced me to her friend thusly: "This is Jim, he sometimes gets into problems with a reverse C swing, creating poor weight distribution."

9 – Time to go hunting

It's April. Good time to take your golf bag, which you likely haven't touched since October, and tip it upside down. Maybe you'll find that hand towel you think you lost, or even that $5 bill you collected from your final four-ball in 2025, only you said you hadn't been paid.