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It was just last Wednesday when a fellow writer at the Daily Bruin dropped the latest issue of Golf Digest in my lap.

I laughed.

Me? Read Golf Digest? Are you joking?

I’m not much of a golf fan, mostly because I don’t really understand the game. But I might have to learn.

Simply skip the first 96 pages to the centerfold. Yes, Golf Digest has a centerfold – that’s to make it easier for readers like myself to find it. I use the term “readers” loosely, because what I really did was stare at the nine members of the UCLA men’s golf team, plus their trainer Jeremy Lawson, clad shirtless in only the ubiquitous UCLA athletics shorts.

I liked it.

But it gets better – I opened the pages and the ten are still staring at me, but this time without shorts, instead holding strategically-placed pails of golf balls.

In case you missed that – they’re as naked as the day they were born, with only golf balls shielding me from ... a different kind of balls.

I’m beginning to like golf.

As part of the magazine’s cover story on the “Future of Golf,” the spread seeks to highlight the changing face of golf and the new emphasis on fitness which was epitomized by the rise of Tiger Woods and continues with the regimens of collegiate programs like UCLA’s.

Yeah, these guys work out.

And sure, they’re sporting more grease than a slice of Enzo’s pizza, but they insist there was no post-shoot alterations to the photo spread.

“That’s all us, no airbrush or anything,” senior Roy Moon said.

Even better.

I heard the guys weren’t apprehensive about the shoot at all. They were invited to do the shoot in winter and had extra time to train, which probably didn’t hurt either.

“We were all pretty comfortable about it. It changed our training a little bit,” junior John Poucher said. “(We decided to) take a challenge and go for it.”

But as I continue to stare at the photo – with a small level of disbelief – I can’t help but wonder for whom that picture was taken. Golf Digest has a circulation of over 1.5 million, and clearly those who subscribe don’t need a centerfold of naked college golfers to convince them that it’s a sport worth following.

In essence, it is a win-win situation for both parties: With poster boy John Poucher – complete with dirty blonde hair, plenty of freckles and the pecs to match – gracing the cover, the magazine will sell to anyone remotely concerned with the superficial.

With the boys wearing UCLA-emblazoned shorts, the program benefits as being the only complete team in the nation to be photographed for the story, which also includes various individual collegiate golfers. (Yes, I actually read part of the story. At least, I read all of the captions). Can you say a benefit for recruiting? Surely not one that UCLA will officially tout on their materials (can you just imagine), but seeing the logo is not something a recruit would easily forget. Or, let’s just say, if I were a recruit, it’s something I would not (could not?) forget.

I mean, let’s face it, I don’t know where the golf team practices or competes (although I might have to find out), and for the most part, a majority of the UCLA community is probably as equally ignorant of the team as I am. When was the last time your social calendar included going to a golf tournament? In short, publicity like this can’t hurt.

Coach O.D. Vincent took the unorthodox publicity in stride, calling UCLA’s selection as the team to be photographed an honor.

“Going into it again, we would definitely make sure there was more awareness as to what the pictures would have been like,” Vincent said. “The bucket of balls is definitely more controversial. We were confident it was done in good taste.”

They have my vote for good taste. I mean, really, what girl wouldn’t like that? Honestly now.

By the way – where does the golf team practice?

If you happen to know, e-mail Newman at enewman@media.ucla.edu.