MAILBAG:Don't pave back 9 to put up parking lot

I am extremely dismayed that John Wayne Airport is considering paving over the back nine holes of Newport Beach Golf Course ("Back nine may become JWA parking lot," April 18). I have played at the course on and off over the past 30 years. I am a member of a golf league composed mostly of employees of former Rockwell Semiconductor and its spin-offs. We number about 35 golfers who play the back nine holes every Wednesday in the late afternoon, and everyone in the league looks forward to a mid-week break when we can gather to play. We call the league the Newport Beach Back Nine I served as the league's president in 1999, and I can assure you that our current and past members want to preserve the golf course.

I have lived in Orange County for 44 years, and it is my firm belief that we don't need to cover up more of our scarce open space! If more parking is needed, then the airport should add a second level to the Main Street parking lot.

EUGENE G. PRICE

Laguna Niguel

The golf gods are displeased with plan

I am running a back-nine league at the Newport Beach Golf Course, and this is my ninth year of playing in this league. The league members gather every Wednesday afternoon to play the back nine. We have 33 league members, and we work at businesses that are in the area.

This league provides local working people a convenient, affordable place to golf.

The other angle to view this from is youth golf. I have brought my two boys to play on different occasions, and it's the perfect setting and size to introduce the great game of golf to our youngsters.

There have to be better places to make room for additional rental-car storage than the back nine. The golf gods will punish those who tread on our links.

PHIL ALVAREZ

Newport Beach

Logical solutions to gang-violence problem

Mayor Allan Mansoor has figured out the solution to gang violence, the latest threat to our city: "It boils down to having a strong, two-parent family that really spends time with their kids," Mansoor said ("Leaders react to shooting," April 21).

In order to make this happen, Costa Mesa, we are going to have to do the hard work of staying married. As with the immigration policy, gang violence is the result of failed federal policy (enforcing family values). So let's be logical and ban divorce citywide.