Please pardon the following.
In 1998, my brother and I drove for the day to Hot Springs to play the Lower Cascades at the Homestead. The parking was (as it usually is) nearly empty. After checking in, the starter said "Mr. Snead is here today. He's on #2 by now. Take your time so you don't catch up to him." We played as slowly as we could, but were within sight many times, especially on the somewhat parallel holes near the middle of the front. Sam Snead was, indeed, playing. He was in a group of five, which occupied five golf carts.
At the turn, as we stopped to order a snack, JC Snead, who was chipping on the practice green immediately behind the clubhouse, said "They want you to play through. Play as fast as you can and don't wait on them to wave." We could see them ahead, hitting approach shots on the tenth. We forwent food and headed to the back.
A few minutes later, as we neared the tenth green we stopped to watch Mr. Snead hit his shot on the eleventh, a lovely downhill par four. He struck it pure, then called "Run, girl!" From his cart sprang a golden retriever, who proceeded to bound down the fairway, all the way to the green, where she circled a few times and laid down. She waited while he hit his approach, then walked to meet him as he arrived to putt.
On the twelfth tee, one of Mr. Snead's playing partners waited for us. He told us to play through. "Don't worry about any of those guys. Hit when you're ready," he instructed. Everyone ahead was waiting next to the par five's fairway, except for Mr. Snead, who continued to play towards the green. Minutes later, my third shot stopped in the fringe and left a birdie chip of about 18 feet. Mr. Snead's retriever was laying just a few paces from my ball when we arrived at the green.
Mr. Snead tended the pin and I hit my chip. It neared the hole, lipped out, and stopped about a foot past. To this, he remarked "That son of a bitch would have rolled off the green if it hadn't rained last night." All I could muster was "Thank you, sir."
I putted out, shook his hand, and walked to my cart. My brother said "Beautiful pup," to which Mr. Snead shared "I wouldn't be out here without her."
Before we drove to the thirteenth, I turned to see Mr. Snead already in his pocket and crouching, petting his dog. I'll always remember that image: a legend of the game, enjoying his day, and appreciating the finer things just a few miles from the place he was born.
WW