A FREE GOLF LESSON (WELL, $2.95) FOR THE PREZ

By Joel Stein

After scoring a near best 79 (Vernon Jordan swears it) at the Vineyard's Farm Neck Golf Club on Monday (O.K., he did take three swings on the first hole, but they were practice drives, really), President Clinton doesn't seem to need much help. But as Americans, we want a President who plays the best darn game of golf possible, so TIME called in some experts for their advice. Below, Claude ("Butch") Harmon Jr.--famed swing doctor to Tiger Woods, Greg Norman and Davis Love III--gives his detailed suggestions for the presidential stroke. "The President has a decent swing. If he had more time to practice, it would be better," says Harmon. "I'm sure his swing is going to be better in four years." CBS golf commentator Gary McCord offers a similar critique to the First Golfer: strengthen your grip, swing more outside and keep your left heel down in the backswing. "Nureyev didn't get on his toes this much," says McCord. Sometimes, you see, a golf coach has to give tough love. If Clinton could just keep that heel down, McCord adds, "it would stop his Big Bubba turn." --By Joel Stein