Making Memories

Yesterday I had one of the coolest days of golf I’ve ever had. I’ve had good days on the scorecard (by my standards), I’ve had fun days playing with my Dad (which is just about every single time we head out) and I’ve had other good experiences be it meeting interesting people, phenomenally lucky shots or just a great view from a tee box somewhere. But yesterday may have been one of the few days that captures all those experiences – the only topper would have been to have had my Dad playing with me for this one (maybe next time, Dad!).

Through some people I work with, I was invited to play on the Olde York Country Club in a charity outing for the MDS Foundation (www.mds-foundation.org). The gentleman who had the connection at MDS is a manager also named Peter. He offered me the opportunity to play and said “It’ll have some celebrities. Have you ever heard of someone named Joe Theisman or Mike Schmidt?” Um … yeah! I was a kid into sports in the ‘80s!

One of the things that made this so cool was that I was playing with two guys I have become quite friendly at work with. The first, Darrell, was the guy who I’d played my first two rounds of golf on courses with. The second is a guy named Mike who played football and soccer at Penn State and is one of two friends I regularly play with who have single-digit handicaps. The guy can hit the ball a mile and is a joy to watch play golf. And, of course, the other Peter who as of yesterday I would call a friend as well.

So, the day was to start with a professional clinic that I was initially going to blow off until Mike talked me into going. I’m glad he did. It was run by Bruce Fleisher and golf Hall of Famer, Bob Toski. Up on the tee box on the practice range were other amazing golf names like Jim Thorpe, Bob Murphy (NBC broadcaster and amazing player), Jay Sigel and Bobby Wadkins. Watching these “old” guys hit was really impressive. However, the most impressive thing may have been watching Philadelphia Phillies legend, Mike Schmidt, hit a full driver. I don’t know how far it went, but I can tell you, it was certainly the longest ball I’ve ever seen in person. Also on the tee box were Joe Theisman and Baltimore Oriole legend, Jim Palmer. The amazing thing is Palmer and Theisman still look pretty much the way you remember them. Sure they are a little more “leathery” than they were before, but nonetheless, these guys (and Michael Jack) are still formidable athletes.

After the ensemble clinic, they broke out into short game, long game and putting clinics. I watched Murph and Sigel talk about dealing with sand traps and chipping from the rough (where my game needs the most help) and I actually think I may have learned a thing or two.

I was very excited to learn when they asked us to all get in our carts to prepare to play that on some of the holes on the course, we would be joined by a pro for a hole. This was very well done, because everyone had foursomes and there were not enough pros to play with all the groups. This would work out so that we would play with about four or five celebs during the day.

The format of the outing was “Texas Scramble.” I had never done this before and I thought it was pretty cool. Basically, each player drives from the tee, then everyone plays their own ball from the spot of the best drive forward. Then the team takes the best individual score as their team score. Pretty neat format – it allows each player to enjoy the course while allowing us to all start from a good place on the course (usually).

We were put out on the eighth hole to start. This was a 190 yard par 3 that had the hole-in-one contest for the Mercedes. No celebs on this hole. I started out by putting my tee shot 40 yards out into the pond in front of the tee box. Not a great start. I carded a six … on a par three!

Hole number nine was an uphill short par four (still no celebs). I proceeded to knock my contribution to the team into the woods. Fortunately Mike got us about 130 out and I got a five.

As we came around the turn to come to hole one Jay Sigel was waiting for us. He must have been stinging from his last round (a +2 at the TPC in Michigan) or just didn’t like these events because he was surly. It kind of seemed like he’d rather be going for an enima than playing golf with a bunch of hacks on a Monday afternoon. Whatever it was, we ended up playing his shot. I ended up skulling my approach, dropped one for three, took two to get on and two putted: seven.

The next hole was a par three. Mike was the only one of us to get on the green so I ended up three putting for a four.

As we came around to hole number three (our fifth of the day), we were greeted by a pro named Tony Perella. Yeah, me too. Never heard of him. Apparently he is retired from the senior tour but was an amateur legend in Pennsylvania. Helluva nice guy. Very encouraging and friendly. After he got us to within thirty yards of the par four from his tee shot, I pitched on and two putted for my first par of the day.

The fourth hole is a medium sized par five. We ended up using my drive, which still sat about 250 yards out but it was on a nice part of the fairway. Mike shot it to within twenty yards and I rifled a three wood to within 70 (after tapping through some leaves in a tree that protected the green). As we were all preparing our approach shots a cart came from up and over the hill and pulled up.

“Mind if I join you guys?” It was Joe Theisman. He got out of his cart, shook my hand and introduced himself. “What are you about 75 from here?” he asked. I said “about that” and he said, “Go ahead,” after he dropped a ball about five yards from mine.

I picked it perfectly with my wedge and was about twelve feet by the hole. “Nice shot, Pete,” he told me as he followed my shot with a very similar one.

Now here’s the very funny part – at least to me. We’re all on the green (Peter, Darrell, Joe and I) waiting for Mike to pitch on his third shot. We’re all watching him and he proceeds to chili dip it and hit it like ten yards. Joe, who had advice for everyone – including the pros during the clinic –, told Mike, the single-digit-handicapper, that he needed to slow his pace. After watching me drop a 75 yarder to birdie distance, this hall-of-fame athlete thinks Mike is the guy who needs the most help in the group! After Joe’s caddie (the pros all had their own caddies who traveled with them) gave me the read on the green, I putted past the hole by three feet. After I put my quarter down to putt for par, Joe picks it up, tosses it to me and tells me, “That’s good.”

Joe came with us to the next hole – a par four that we all missed the fairway on. Even Joe. Until his third drive. Which he counted as one, and who are we to argue with him? Long story short, I was about to putt out for par again when he hit me on the ass with his putter and said, “Pick that shit up. That’s good.” He then posed for a picture with our group and followed us to the next hole.

At this par three a camera crew shooting the event for the MDS came rolling up in a car. Joe hammed it up of course, but was still very cool. After he got on with an eight iron, I pulled my five iron – the club I have been screwing up most lately. As I start addressing the ball, Joe says, “Make sure you film this swing.” Of course I topped it. I acted like I played it perfect while my ball rolled down the waste area in front of the tee box and Joe came over, put his arm on my shoulder and took me to the camera. “Tell the camera what you learned from Mr. Toski’s clinic this morning.”

I held up my iron and said “Apparently you’re not supposed to hit the ball with this bottom part of your club.” We laughed, went down and putted out Mike’s shot and finished up. Joe left us at that hole but the memory of playing with the hall-of-fame QB who had his leg snapped on Monday Night Football will forever be one of my greatest golfing memories.

But there were some other great golfing memories to come.

Halfway through the next hole we were joined by Jim Thorpe. He might be one of the nicest guys you’d ever want to meet. A gentle giant. He has forearms the size of your calves and a powerful swing. He is what you expect from a pro. On the second hole he played with us, we used his tee shot and were sitting 100 yards out on the long-ish par four. When I stepped up he said, “Knock it on now,” in a low, little league coach tone. I did but I was still a good 35 feet from the hole.

After the previous hole, our team was in need of a birdie, so as we got out of our carts, I joked, “Alright team, I’ll have to go out and putt this one in.” Jim’s caddie gave me the read on a slightly sloping green and I proceeded to sink a 35-footer on the green with Jim Thorpe watching. It is such a rush to have a great pro like him say, “That was a hell of a putt, son. Nice birdie. I’m gonna have to take you out on the tour and putt for me.” Another awesome memory.

That was it for the pros for the day. After that we were on our own.

On the $10,000 hole in one contest, we all stepped up on the tee box. It was about 195 yards and everyone was making fun of me for pulling a three wood. My shot was worth probably about $9,950 as I was just four feet from the pin. Never let your ego pick the club. We ALL proceeded to miss the birdie putt and walked off with par.

A couple of holes later, permanent golf memory number three happened. It was a short 341 yard par four down hill. Mike, the big hitter, got up first and plowed it down the fairway. The other Peter said, “Should we even bother to hit?” I suggested we might as well – I mean we are on a very nice course and the pressure was off after Mike’s bomb. I got up and had one of those swings where everything just seems to feel perfect. I nailed it – straight and long. Darrell and Peter hit their shots but not particularly memorably.

As we drove down the path, we saw two balls in the fairway: one about 70 yards out, one about 80. I said to Mike, we should go pick up my ball (the one 80 yards out – hell a 261 yard drive!) and Peter and Darrell drove over to the ball we were going to play. “Titleist 4, Mike?” Peter shouted as we arrived at the other ball. As we arrived at the other ball Peter added: “Three red dots?”

I mark all my Titleist balls with three red dots in a triangular pattern to the right of the number. I’ve done it for a year and a half or more (don’t ask me why). It turns out I out drove Mike by 10 yards. The thing to remember here is that Mike is a monster off the tee – he’s won long drive in at least one tourney I’ve played with him and been close every other time. After playing with some of the pros, I see he has closed to pro distance.

And I beat him by ten yards!

Granted, it was down hill but I drove the ball 271 yards! Mike was visibly surprised by this. I got out of the cart and said, “Hold on – let me savor this moment.” I preened around the ball and said, “OK, let’s play this one!”

I went on to chunk my approach, mis-hit my wedge and then three putt. But I had the long drive on that hole. One that Mike felt like he hit on the screws.

The final great golf memory of the day was the last hole we played. We ended up using Mike’s drive on the par five as we were sitting just 200 yards out. Literally, we were right next to the marker. I was exhausted; it was a long hot day on the course and I lazily sidled up with my three wood. I hit a great shot that bounced down to the right of the green and spun left (yes, left!) onto the green and landed five feet from the hole and I would be putting for eagle for the team.

Just then, Theisman came swinging around in his cart. “What are we 200 yards, gentlemen?” He dropped a ball and came up short in the deep rough in front of the green. When we all got up there and he realized he was in a bad lie, he picked up his ball and said, “Alright fellas – I’ll see you in the clubhouse.” And he was gone.

When it was finally my turn to putt, I did everything right. I lined it up perfect and watched the spot behind the ball all the way through the stroke and didn’t look up until I heard it hit the bottom of the cup. Now, I know it’s not a REAL eagle because it was off of Mike’s drive, but it still felt pretty damn good.

All I can say is that if you ever get a chance to play in a celebrity golf outing, you should always take advantage of the whole day. Go to the clinic, hang out at the driving range and make conversation with the celebs. As Joe Theisman said, “What could be better? I’m hanging out with the guys, playing golf and drinking beer!” Add celebrities and some great shots and equals awesome memories.