AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is one of golf’s great events. Pros and amateurs alike compete on three of the most beautiful golf courses in the world: Spyglass Hill, Monterey Peninsula Country Club, which replaces Poppy Hills, and of course Pebble Beach. These should be on everyone’s list of places to play before you die. It was originally known as Bing Crosby’s clambake, or simply The Crosby, and an invitation to Bing’s party was on everybody’s wish list.
From its earliest days in 1947, the tournament has been known for three things: great golf, celebrities, and unpredictable weather. The rain and winds that often visit the tournament are as much a part of the championship's character as the competition they often interrupt.
However, no one expected the cause of the final round's delay in 1962: Snow. It was the first time in 40 years it had snowed on the Monterey Peninsula, prompting golf pro Jimmy Demerit to make the famous remark, "I know I got loaded last night, but how did I end up in Squaw Valley?”
Some of the more memorable happenings at the tournament include Sam Snead’s request for a new partner when Roger Kelly, an amateur and terrible drinker, got sick in the bushes beside the 1st tee. Snead demanded, but was denied, a new partner. The Snead-Kelly team went on to win the Pro-Am, then paired up for many years to come.
In 1951 Phil Harris, a longtime bandleader and Crosby crony, curled in a 90-foot putt on 17 to capture the Pro-Am title with partner Dutch Harrison. Never at a loss for words, the hard-partying Harris said, “Ain’t this a heckuva blow to clean living?”
Ben Hogan spent his last Crosby in 1956 paired with the Bing himself. The weather for Sunday’s finale was God awful, so Crosby invited Hogan to his house on 13 to warm up. The Hawk declined, completing the round with an 81.
The very next year, “Champagne” Tony Lema lost his footing on the cliff on 9 and fell eighteen feet to the sand below, acquiring several bruises and contusions. Thank God it was before YouTube or you would still be watching the video.
In 1977 Bing Crosby died the way every golfer should. On the afternoon of October 14, Bing was playing at the La Morajela golf course near Madrid, Spain. He finished 18 holes with a score of 85, and with a partner, defeated two Spanish golf pros. After his last putt, Bing bowed to applause and said, "It was a great game." He was about 20 yards from the clubhouse when he collapsed from a massive heart attack. He was 74.
After Bing’s death the Crosby family had an unfortunate falling-out with the Monterey Peninsula Association, the organization that actually owns the tournament, about the use of Bing’s name, or more accurately about the money for the use of Bing’s name, and from that time forward the tournament has been known as the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Sorry, Bing.
It may come as a surprise to you, but Pebble Beach is only 6,737 yards from the Championship tees. Par is 72 with a course rating of 74.4 and a slope of 142. The U.S. Open Championship has been played at Pebble Beach four times, most recently in the year 2000 for its 100th tournament. "The U.S. Open at Pebble Beach is always memorable," said the United States Golf Association's Craig Smith. "There are always tremendous finishing holes that add incredible drama. There's just a sense that you're seeing something great."
As for Official World Golf Rankings, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Padraig Harrington represent the top-ten. In addition, there are seventeen major winners, six past champions, and a slew of international players. As for celebrities, Bill Murray and Ray Romano are the headliners along with Tom Brady, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Vince Gill, Huey Lewis, George Lopez and Tony Romo. There are also a lot of corporate bigwigs, but who’s counting.
I’ll admit that I suffer from the good old days syndrome. I miss Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Phil Harris and Jack Lemmon. I also miss the party atmosphere and the funny stories it produced. It helps me remember that golf is a game and games are supposed to be fun.
Laughing is good for the soul and your golf game. Stop and smell the perennial ryegrass in fairways at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am because the world just might not be there when you plan to return.
