Stu1961 Wow, does THAT bring back memories. I think that may have been the very first putter I ever used (out of my Dad's golf bag).
You are either highly nostalgic - or so good of a putter that you could use absolutely anything. lol That said, my Dad's been gone for over 20 years, and, now, I really have to find out what happened to that putter ...
That is a GREAT story. Thank you for sharing it. I love that.
I am VERY nostalgic.
I turned pro and joined the PGA at 16 here in Illinois.
At 17 I worked at LaQuinta CC and across the street at Laquinta CC Hotel
These pictures are from the framed piece right behind my desk right now. (no comments about... "who's the chick with Arnie", i've heard them before. hahaha.
I was 17 in the pictures and it was my day off at the club. Arnie was scheduled to be there and play for a Xerox corporate outing. I was actually there just to putt in our daily assistant pro putting green skins game at $20 per hole. We would putt for 4 hours or until everyone ran out of cash.
They asked if anyone wanted to play with Arnold and show him the ins and outs of the course all day. As I literally only had $40 in my pocket I volunteered. It was the BEST decision of my young life!!!!!!!
We were in the same cart and teed off with the first group. Played two holes and waited for the group behind to catch up so we could play the next two holes with them and so on and so on. It was an 8 hour round!
The side stories I was told was like being with him in EVERY locker room for his entire career!
The best question he asked was on, I believe, the second hole of the Mountain course , Par 5 , dogleg left around the mountain before the par 3.... After his tee shot which really wasn't every exceedingly long. I recall out driving him several times through the day., he asked... "So Mike, where do you typically play it to from here on this next shot?"
I said, " We always hit out to the right with a 4 iron or so, so we have a nice angle coming in with a 9 or wedge as you cannot see the green from here which is really just around the corner a bit."
He said, "You know Mike, I didn't get where I am today by laying up."
With that, he pulls out his 4 wood, burns a HIGH draw right around the damn corner of the mountain onto the green that he couldn't see about 25 feet away and drains it for an eagle.
Getting out of the cart for the next hole, par 3 he said... "Hey, don't walk so fast youngster... seems like I have the honors." and hugs me.
All day it was like that!!!
The kindest, most generous and down to earth Pro I have ever met and after 42+ years now, I have met and spent time with so many. He is, indeed my hero.
So, we get to the end of the round and he hand be $400 folded over twice and thanks be for my "local expertise".
I told him that I would not take his money as the experience of spending time with him and learning so much about golf and life was more than I expected and more than I deserved. He laughed. Shook my hand again with those GIANT hands and pulled that scorecard off the cart as we didn't use it. The teams kept their own score, He signed it as you see and then it was my turn to laugh. He asked "what's so funny?"
I said, "like I could EVER be of HELP to you".
He reached in his bag, gave me his 4 wood, glove and several balls and said... "Keep telling people to lay up on that hole, I don't want anyone else on that green in two."
We hugged again and that ended my long day with The King!!!!
Oh, by the way.. If I could putt, I would still be playing for a living.... hahahahahahahaha
Thanks for letting me re-live one of the greatest days of my early days in the golf industry.
