Celebrity golf episodes on TGC

[David Stamm]

I've been watching these the last couple of weeks and they have some great footage of some of the greatest So Cal courses. But the most intersting thing I saw was that there has been a running commentary of the specific episode that the viewer is watching, such as info about Snead, the celebrity he's playing and so forth. The point I wanted to highlight was that they are mentioning the architect as well. For Bel Air, they mention Thomas, Woodland Hills they mention Bell jr (it's actually sr. who did it, but hey, it's something) and they mention Behr during the Lakside episode. I just thought it was great that someone at TGC made it a point to mention them.

[Pete Lavallee]

David,

I caught the tail end of the Woodland Hills show. Robert Wagner could really golf his ball in those days; he actually beat Sam Snead, I don't know how many shots he got for the 9 holes they played. Although Bob appeared to be quite the stud, what amazed me was that a Tour Pro and an actor could play the same tees and have roughly the same iron shots in. In fact a few times Wagnor outdrove Sam because he hit it in the trees; try that with today" ball!

[Tom Huckaby]

I am loving this Woodland Hills talk - that's the only private club of which I have ever been a "member."  I was a junior member for two years in high school... and oh yes I got my money's worth out of the $25 per month I paid.

So... if Robert Wagner is playing Snead... I have to guess the match took place in the 60s, early 70s at the latest?  Do they give the year?  I'm just really curious what the course must have looked like.  My two year membership was 1980-81, so it must be pretty close to what I remember.

I loved that course, cramped and awkward and street-filled as it is.  Went back and played it again three years ago and the love all came back.

So... I shall have to monitor TGC more closely and see if this comes on again!  

In any case it is cool they are mentioning the architects and giving this commentary.

TH

[Allan Long]

Huck,

The series ran in 1960. Well before you made all those birdies for $25 a month.

It is great to see Lakeside, Woodland Hills, Brentwood et al from back in the day. (Except those bad memories from hitting it OB on 18 at WH keep coming back).

[David Stamm]

David,

I caught the tail end of the Woodland Hills show. Robert Wagner could really golf his ball in those days; he actually beat Sam Snead, I don't know how many shots he got for the 9 holes they played. Although Bob appeared to be quite the stud, what amazed me was that a Tour Pro and an actor could play the same tees and have roughly the same iron shots in. In fact a few times Wagnor outdrove Sam because he hit it in the trees; try that with today" ball!

I think he got 3 strokes, Pete. I know what you mean about the clubs they were hitting. It's still amazes me when I watch these shows and to hear the host say "He really clobbered that one, 250 right down the middle."

[Tom Huckaby]

Allan:

Thanks!  1960... three years before my birth and about 17 years before I first played that course.  So man now I really want to see it, to see how different it was (if at all) from my time there.  

In any case, I am truly bummed I have missed this series as man I played a lot at Lakeside and Brentwood also, via junior golf and high school golf team and other friends.  I'd love to see those also.

And oh yes, I surely sent a few over the fence on 18 at WHCC also!  But I have a great memory there - stud birdie to make playoff for 2nd place in the mighty Del Rey League individual finals in 1981, my sole moment of high school glory.  Given only three went on to the CIF Southern Section finals, it was right clutch if I do say so myself... par would have left me T4 and thus sh*t out of luck.  So OK I lost the playoff for 2nd, but us glory beggars cannot be choosers.

Thanks for the memory lane indulgence.  

[Pete Lavallee]

Just think about it David, a 6 handicap takes on a Tour Pro, from the same tees and wins the match. Can you see me playing the front 9 at Torrey with Tiger and winning with 3 shots from any set of tees!

[Tom Huckaby]

Great thoughts... my son asked me the other day how many shots I'd get from Tiger and if I'd have any chance.  My answers:

11, I think, and no.

I wonder if we back up to 1981 and put me against Jack, with persimmon and Balata...

The answers would be 11, I think, and heck yeah.

And I say this with full love and devotion as a certified Nicklausian.

TH

[Pete Lavallee]

Hey, that's why Sam always won all those matches; he played as a 0 when in actual fact he must have been a +4 or so. Did they even have the concept of a plus handicap in the 60's? Certainly it was a much fairer match between the haves and have nots in those days however.

[Tom Huckaby]

Pete - EXACTLY!  I don't think there was such a thing as plus handicaps.... the story goes that Snead always played as a scratch, meaning zero, in the storied matches at Greenbriar.

Jeez... make any of us play any pro with him at zero and it's gonna get bloody very quickly.

 

[Tim Leahy]

Huck, I used to play both Brentwood on caddy's day and Woodland Hills sneaking on in the late evenings when I was at Pepperdine from 79 to 83. Unfortunately you didn't miss much on those old Celeb Challegne TV shows, when I watched them you don't get to see much of the actual course, I guess because of camera limitations, I know they used Buicks on the course to move the cameras and they show you mostly shots of the players swings and putting and very little of the course is recognizable. Now the shows with Palmer are different and they do show more of the courses such as LACC and Bel Air etc.

[Tom Huckaby]

Tim - bummer.  I surely would watch these for the courses, not the swings.

And it seems our paths must have crossed at Woodland Hills!  I was a scrawny high schooler gazing in awe at you college studs.