PGA Tour Confidential: Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer

Every week of the 2009 PGA Tour season, the editorial staff of the SI Golf Group will conduct an e-mail roundtable. Check in on Mondays for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors.

Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: At the Bob Hope Desert Classic, a week-long birdie fest on some easy layouts in Palm Springs turned into a battle for survival on Sunday, when gusty desert winds swept through the valley.

I like watching birdies and eagles, but Sunday's adverse conditions really showed you who was playing well and who wasn't. British Open-like winds really show you who's a shotmaker.

Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: I like the tough conditions, but I couldn't help but notice the lack of star power out there. Phil Mickelson used to start his West Coast swing at the Hope. David Duval shot 59 there. Nowadays, it seems like the season doesn't really begin until Torrey Pines.

Van Sickle: The Golf Channel may have belabored the old Bob Hope clips and the booth visits by Arnold Palmer, but I think they succeeded in restoring a bit of the tournament's credibility. I saw a lot of the same old footage several times, but I didn't mind. It conveyed the tournament's history.

Dick Friedman, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: On the other hand...it might make some viewers long for the good old days!

Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine: I agree that the Hope is pretty much sizzle-free. The concept of celebrity pro-am golf is only as good as the celebrities and the pros, and the field is weak on both counts.

Hack: Between the rotating courses and rotating hosts, it just feels JV to me. Growing up in Southern California, this tournament used to be special. No longer.

Friedman: But here's a question re: celebrities like Kevin Nealon and Huey Lewis: Once they are invited to these things, are they ever dropped? Or is this a lifetime sponsor's exemption?

Morfit: The celeb exemption looks pretty lifetime to me. The Hope and the Crosby need a quality-control mechanism like Guitar Hero, where you can get booed off the stage.