BARKLEY'S GAME NOT UP TO PAR; SIR CHARLES TURNS TO TV HOST FOR ADVICE.

Byline: GREG WILCOX Golf

When that notorious golf aficionado Sir Charles Barkley isn't dunking for the Houston Rockets or hurling rude patrons through bar windows he's trying to figure out his swing.

Chuck is not shy about asking for help.

He was watching television somewhere in America recently when he came across a segment of Golf Channel Academy Live featuring Butch Harmon. Viewers can call the show for instruction tips from the featured pro.

Chuck, clearly a golfer in desperate need of help, put down his channel changer and called Butch, who has impeccable golf bloodlines but gained fame as the coach of Tiger Woods.

This makes him ``The Man'' to call when your swing heads south or out the window.

Harmon told viewers that he had not yet had the opportunity to work with Chuck.

``My good friend, Clyde Drexler, said I shouldn't do it because I might ruin my reputation. (But) I think we're going to give it a shot and help poor Charles out,'' the coach said.

A graphic appeared on the television screen noting that Chuck plays to a 14 handicap, which means he gets around the course without too much trouble.

He cried foul.

``That 14 handicap is bogus,'' said Chuck. ``I used to be about a 12 handicap, but then I started this impossible hesitation thing in my swing about two years ago. And right now I pride myself at 20.''

(Wonder where that swing hesitation was when Chuck heaved that little fella through the window?)

Then Woods, Harmon's star pupil, came on the line and viewers were treated to a three-way gab fest.

``I played with Chucky here in Isleworth ( Fla.) and it was quite interesting,'' Woods said. ``After playing with him, I have to give Chucky a huge amount of credit. You know what, NBA players are the most athletic people I have ever met. To come from a position like he does and still make contact, that's amazing.''

(Some advice folks. If you cross paths with Barkley, who is known to be a celebrity about town, don't call him Chucky or even Chuck. I'd recommend Mr. Barkley.)

Butch advised Chuck that his swing contained more gears than a big-rig truck. It starts out bad and gets worse, sort of like some of Chuck's nights on the town.

Woods offered that Chuck just loves to play golf and that if he just put some time into it, things would fall into place because he's got great eye-hand coordination.

They showed a tape of Chuck playing in a tournament at Lake Tahoe, where one of his shots found the green.

Chuck was pleased.

``I am without a doubt the best athlete in the world,'' he said.

But some bad advice messed up his swing. So Chuck blamed everybody for his problem.

``What happened was, about two years ago, everybody was saying I was coming forward before I finished my backswing. So I told myself mentally that I need to stop before I go forward, and it just kind of took its own life from there,'' Chuck explained. ``I think I got so tense over the ball, that's when I really hesitate.''

In other words, Chuck was motoring down the fairway before the ball had left the tee. That's not a good place to be.

Harmon delved further into Chuck's swing problem and, swing guru that he is, offered Chuck some sage advice.

``What we need to do here Charles, is tell you to lay off two weeks and then quit,'' Harmon said in jest.

Chuck also had some advice for Woods, who is known to have a fondness for the game of hoops.

``I know he likes to play,'' Chuck said. ``But he's a little too little to be out there. He wouldn't survive in the lane.''

Don't bet on it.

And Tiger, don't go near any lane that Chuck is in.

Aloha: Dave Mills, who hosted a radio show about golf for KWNK Sports Radio in Canoga Park and publishes Golfer's Guide to Southern California and Hawaii, has put together a package trip to the islands for golfers who like football.

The trip features sideline tickets to the NFL Pro Bowl game Feb. 1 then seven nights lodging on Kauai. Air fare and a compact rental car is also included in the price, as is daily tennis instruction and tennis activities.

Prices range from as low as $950 per person if four people share a two bedroom condo at Marc's Pali Ke Kua at Princeville to a high of $1,395 person at the Princeville Hotel overlooking Hanalei Bay and Bal Hai. An add-on golf package for $300 includes four days of golf, one a 27-hole tournament - and an upgrade to a mid-sized car.

Princeville Hotel is part of Sheraton ITT's Luxury Collection. For additional information, call 888-465-3332.

Notes: As the 1997 PGA Tour season concluded with David Duval winning the Tour Championship for his third victory of the year, it looked like the torch had been successfully passed by middle-aged geezers like Nick Faldo, Tom Watson and Greg Norman to the younger generation.

It won't be long before we find out how tough it will be for the new guys to keep the flame burning.

Hard to imagine, but the new season begins in just a couple of weeks, with the Mercedes Championships Jan. 5-11 at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad.

The field features the largest free-for-all of young players trying to dominate the game at the same time.

Since playing privileges are granted only to winners of PGA Tour events and major championships the previous year, the Mercedes has a select field. Seven competitors, led by Woods, a four-time winner last year, are under 30.

The others are Duval, Justin Leonard, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink and Paul Stankowski.

Between them, they won 15 titles and three of the four majors last year.

Woods, the defending Mercedes champion, and Duval did the most damage, racking up nearly half of the wins.

Don't expect the old guys to give up.

The field also includes Faldo, the defending Nissan Open champion, and Norman, who won twice last year.

This is the last year this event will be held at La Costa.

It moves to Hawaii in 1999. But La Costa, a venerable course just off the San Diego Freeway, gets the World Golf Championship Match Play tournament that year.

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Photo

PHOTO Charles Barkley, right, pictured with (from left) Tiger Woods, Rick Rhoden and David Robinson, says his handicap has fallen to 20. He recently called a television show for advice.

Associated Press