It all began when Golf Digest’s Matt Ginella did a Q & A with Jack Nicklaus.

Jack talked a lot about golf course design and came to grief when he was judged to be very critical of Tiger’s course design capability. Specifically, “He won't know how to do it, but he'll learn. It will take him seven or eight golf courses before he'll learn enough before he'll really be able to talk about it intelligently.”

Geoff Shackelford wrote,

“Considering the sheer volume of mediocrity produced by the Nicklaus design factory, Tiger Woods should be heartened by Jack Nicklaus’s woefully condescending, ignorant and frankly embarrassing answer to Matty G’s question.” - Zap! Take that Golden Bear!

In the comments column 86 General wrote, “When Jack is outspoken about the golf ball, he's a wise old sage. When he's outspoken about design, he's a bitter, crotchety old geezer.” – Blat!

And Old Tom said, “It's hard to like such an arrogant, self-centered bitter old man as fat Jack.” – Wham!

Now lads give Jack a break! As OWGR Fan said, “Jacks comments on TW as a course designer/architect are accurate however the message could have been delivered in a less condescending way. 

And they say Jack did good at Kinloch.

Haven’t played there and will not until the guys running the place come to their senses and lower the green fees and thereby get more bums on golf cart seats.

Russell raves about it and reckons it’s better than Wairakei.

C’mon Russell! Wairakei has a Gleneagles feel about it that I’ve never experienced anywhere else in the world.

Did you try the Stack and Tilt method mentioned in my previous blog?

Neither did I. Except I tried tilting rather than rocking my shoulders while putting and Hey! Hey! It did produce a smoother putting stroke...

Watch this golfing space to see if it lasts.

Finally, here’s my wee dig at the “Golden Bear”.

Jack says, “If I had two places that I want to visit, my favorite place, I’d be hard pressed to choose between Augusta and St Andrews.”

Geez Jack it has to be St Andrews. Keep this up and we might just rescind your honorary doctorate at St Andrews University.

And the fact that you haven’t bothered to play Bandon Dunes suggests a touch of arrogance in that you’re not interested in taking a look at courses people are raving about.

By all accounts they have accomplished what they set out to do.

“Bandon Dunes is true to the spirit of Scotland’s ancient links.”