Of all the e-mails that come here from various golf companies, publications and organizations, only a handful are ever mentioned in this space. But one recently caught my attention enough to be printed out before it was deleted. This one came from Wally Uihlein, President and CEO of Acushnet, better known as Titleist.

It was titled “In defense of Technology,” with the subtitle, “An interesting thing happened to professional golf in 2003. The game wasn’t ruined.”

That, of course, is the opinion of a man whose job it is to sell the latest technology in clubs and balls, but his observations are worth noting, along with one thing he failed to mention.

The key point he made was that in spite of all the doomsayers who decry the technology that has players hitting the ball 350 yards off the tee, the winners this year prove it’s not a problem. His contention is that the standards in place prevail and old courses are not becoming obsolete.

Uihlein cites the following facts. Of the 560 players in the four majors, only 15 finished under par. The aggregate score of the four major champions was 20-under. No player shot four rounds under 70 in any of the majors, and the per-round average of all the players was over par.

He makes the point that it isn’t only the long hitters who are winning. Of the eight players averaging more than 300 yards per drive, three have combined for five wins (Through 36 events), while three others are outside the top 145 on the tour. According to his breakdown, three winners averaged over 300 yards, six between 290 and 300, 10 between 280 and 290 and three between 270 and 280.

What’s missing is any mention of how courses have been lengthened for the pros and how courses are set up for the majors. We saw the impossible rough at the PGA that had many of the long hitters going with irons to keep it in the short grass. Last weekend we watched as Adam Scott took apart TPC Boston to win the Deutsche Bank Open by four shots at 20-under.

I was particularly impressed with play on the final hole. What appears to most of us playing from 513 yards to be a double dogleg is a monster drive and a five or six iron to cover the 543 yards the pros played. Scott hit his drive close to 350, his second mid iron shot on and two putted for birdie.

Anything less than 300 off the tee and the second shot becomes a layup with a hazard in front of the green.

Equally impressive was Scott’s play on the par-three 16. He hit a five iron so high on the 211 -yard hole that the ball stopped almost dead at pin high. These guys are so good the rest of us can’t even relate to the game they play. If they get any stronger and hit the ball any further, the courses will have to be extended or have the kind of rough reserved for the majors. But Uihlein is right, the game isn’t being ruined.

In fact, I’ll take the technology that has me hitting the ball farther than I did at 20. The new clubs and balls give us all more distance, but in the hands of the average golfer technology is no threat to the game.

I was interrupted by, what else, a phone solicitation from a custom golf club company. It was a recording, so I hung up before hearing the pitch, which I have found on my answering machine in the past.

More technology was my next topic anyway. I saw two on the Golf Channel this week and both were at least interesting.

The first was the ASERTA putter. According to this spiel, nearly all putters have a low center of gravity, which imparts back spin and makes the ball skid for the first two or three feet. The ASERTA, with its “patented inverse mass technology,” has the weight at the top for a higher center of gravity and the starts the ball rolling immediately. It’s guaranteed and not available in stores. It can be yours for only three payments of $39.95 plus shipping and handling, and they will include a $19.95 head cover, (which happens to be two thirds of what I paid for my current putter).

I mentioned to Dick Browne, Head Pro at Natanis how I had a tough time thinking in terms of $169 for a putter and he had an interesting response.

“Most golfers take 30 or 40 putts per round, but they will pay $300-500 for a new driver that they can use no more than 14 times each round.”

I won’t be ordering the ASERTA, but I will have to consider a change in thinking when it comes time to look at a new putter.

The other device was introduced by Jack Nicklaus and that got my attention. Especially when the “Inside Approach” promised to straighten out a slice.

Jack called it he easiest, fastest approach to cure a slice. The device sits on the turf in front of the golfer and has a padded arm protruding from a point above the ball, about a foot toward the back of the tee box. Only by bringing the club straight back in a wide arc and returning it along the same path can the player make contact with the ball without knocking the arm loose.

Two payments of $39.95 plus shipping and handling and you get a video of golf tips with Jack.

If the slice isn’t cured in 30 days, your money back. The putter and Jack’s device are interesting, but I think I’ll stick with the drills I’m using to make sure I complete my turn and the Cobra 427 for my solution.

Finally, there is one more tournament to consider. I mentioned the Maine Golf Hall of Fame tournament and banquet next Friday, but there is also a Hall of Fame fund-raiser Monday, Sept. 22 at Springbrook. Call 946-5900 for details on that one.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.

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