Professional Golf Association

Am I alone in being fed up to the back nine teeth at the self- serving advertising of the U.S. Professional Golf Association (PGA) on satellite television? In the adverts, golfing luminaries Ray Floyd, Corey Pavin and Nick Price extol the PGA for its support of charities. Pictures of physically and mentally challenged children support this image.

The idea that the PGA is a charitable organization, rather than an association to promote golf in general and its super-rich superstars in particular, is grossly misleading. It is surely fair to assume that the main reason these superstars play golf is to earn money for themselves, not for charity.

Giving money to charity is, of course, a wonderful act. It should, however, be considered a private matter. I find it deeply disturbing that the PGA uses gifts to charity as its primary means of self-promotion.

"Anything's possible with the PGA," the adverts conclude. What rubbish. The US$7 million the PGA has given is not that large a sum in golfing or charitable terms. It is just 25 percent of the construction cost of a premier golf course, less than 20 percent of this year's earnings by Tiger Woods and less than the amount given by British people to an off-beat charitable cause such as aiding distressed donkeys.

It would be interesting to know how much of the $7 million has actually been provided by the professional golfers; how $7 million compares to their combined earnings; and how $ 7 million compares to the cost of the PGA's extensive advertising campaign.

One of the adverts shows the Arnold Palmer Memorial Hospital and its namesake saying that he cares for the work conducted inside its walls, not for the name on the outside. This seems strange given that he is promoting its name on global television. If he does not care for the name, give us all a break and take it back.

Perhaps very rich people can only ease the pangs of guilt associated with their wealth by publicly declaring that they love and care for society's most disadvantaged. I would ask that they go on giving but have the courtesy to do it in private.

WILLIAM KEELING

Jakarta