THANKS for the entertaining "Don't Hit It Here" article in the March/April issue. I was, however, disoriented by the photograph of Pine Valley's fine 10th hole in the table of contents. It is part of the charm or, perhaps more accurately, tradition of Pine Valley that sand traps (sic) are never raked. In fact, there are no rakes on the course. In the photograph, we see immaculately raked sand traps (sic) surrounding the 10th green. Was this the work of an airbrush, or did photographer Robert Walker bring his own rake?

CHARLES B. SILCOX

Moorestown, N.J.

Robert Walker responds: You're right about the rakes; there are none on the course. But the maintenance staff grooms the course before the start of play each day, and the bunkers are raked. The photo was taken in dawn's early light -- after the grounds crew went through but before players reached the hole.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

I ENJOYED "Don't Hit It Here" in the March/April issue.

One hole I have played fits this profile. The 14th at Stonehenge Golf Course in Crossville, Tenn. (below), is a 140-yard par-3. Go left and you will hit the rock outcropping and have a difficult pitch onto the green (if your ball can be found). Go right and you will feel quite fortunate to be in the sand.

Correct club selection is critical.

GARY D. JACQUES

Mine Hill, N.J.

I WOULD like to vote for a hole that is one of the most demanding par 3s I have ever played. It is the third at Myopia Hunt Club in Hamilton, Mass. It is 244 yards over a wide, deep glen with a large Scottish bunker protecting the small, postage stamp two-tiered green. It is all carry and has another huge bunker bordering the left side of the green.

By the way, the par-4 fourth is a world-famous hole and is featured in Golf in America, The First One Hundred Years. The U.S. Open has been held at Myopia four times, around the turn of the century, and is famous for its legendary "chocolate drops."

DAN DINZIK JR.

Stuart, Fla.

NYET, THIS IS NOT TRUE

WHILE READING the article "To Russia With Love" in the March/April Golf Journal, I believe I came across a mistake. The article states that the group of junior golfers from California were the first American juniors ever to play in Russia. Unfortunately, I am quite sure they were not the first.

In the summer of 1990, a group of juniors, myself included, represented the state of Illinois and the U.S.A. Junior Golf Association on a trip to Moscow. The trip lasted for 11 days and consisted of tournament golf, tremendous sightseeing and, like the juniors from California, we too stayed in the homes of the Russian players.

I write not to take anything away from the tremendous experience of the group from California. However, I do write in hopes that you will recognize the first group of juniors that competed in Russia.

PAUL LEVIN

Flossmoor, Ill.

AS SOON as the March/ April issue arrived, I was inundated by telephone calls from parents of golfers who went with me to Moscow, as well as from some of the golfers themselves, all urging me to set the record straight. We were the first junior golfers to go to Moscow, after 10 juniors from Russia visited the U.S. in January 1990.

The USA Junior Golf Association is still alive and well. Except for 1990, when our [summer] camp was held at Emerald Dunes, our camp has consistently been held at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

GEORGE J. THIELEMANN

Founder,

USA Junior Golf Association

SLIPPERY WHEN WET

I WOULD like to comment about soft spikes; I am totally against them being mandatory on some courses.

I was playing at a course in Virginia that has some elevated tees. To get to these tees, one has to climb wooden stairs. It was early morning and the stairs were wet with dew.

I slipped and badly sprained my ankle. I could not play golf for two months and I also had to go to therapy. The ankle still occasionally bothers me.

Courses which have wooden steps should not require these spikes. Safety is more important than better putting surfaces.

CAROL A. RYBA

Sterling, Va.

OTHER BROTHER-SISTER

WHILE browsing through some old Journals, I came upon a letter in May 1994, saying it would be interesting to know if any brother-sister combination other than the Pierces in Vermont won state championships in the same year. In 1939, William Barclay, of Flint, Mich., won the Michigan State Amateur, and his sister, Virginia Barclay Weiss, won the Ladies State Championship.

Bill Barclay was quite the athlete. He played golf, football, and basketball at the University of Michigan, winning eight varsity letters, and later served as assistant coach in both football and basketball. He then became golf coach from 1945 through 1947 before moving to Harvard as head basketball coach, and then became head pro at Salem CC in Peabody, Mass.

CHUCK MENEFEE

Rogers City, Mich.

FAMILY FEUD

MY ATTENTION was drawn to the special pull-out section in the March/ April issue. I quickly passed it on to my spouse (a non-golfer), who, being an environmental activist, has advised me on many occasions about the damage done to the environment by golf course construction in wetland areas. Additionally, she indicates that the chemical treatments given to fairways and greens are usually excessive, creating chemical runoff and water table pollution.

Can you help me out here? How do I respond to her criticisms? When I go to a golf course, all I see are the birds, deer, foxes, alligators, beautiful hole designs and new challenges.

. . . her environmental barrage was followed by, "If it's such a stress reliever, why do you come home mumbling and berating yourself because of this shot and that shot that you once again ill performed?"

DAVID KOSEK

Horsham, Pa.

Kimberly Erusha, director of education for the USGA Green Section, responds: Many of the statements and claims made against golf have no basis in science. The research supported by the USGA is conducted at independent, land-grant universities. The research goes through extensive review by the scientific community and is published in scientific journals. When products are properly applied, there's no evidence to show that golf courses harm the environment.

Many golf courses have been built on property that was previously agricultural land or degraded sites, such as landfills and quarries. In many parts of the U.S., golf courses serve as excellent facilities to take secondary water discarded by the community, or water that's too salty to drink, and reuse it for irrigation.

As far as your bad shots, we can't help you there. Maybe you shouldn't describe your golf game to your spouse.