Sandy Tatum turns 90 and is recovering from surgery

[Joel_Stewart]

If anyone on this site has ever been blessed to meet Sandy Tatum, you'll be surprised he turns 90 on Saturday.  I've played with Sandy twice in the last few years and can say it will always be one of the highlights of my golfing life.

On a sour note, he is recovering from vocal surgery which doesn't surprise me as his tone has seemed strained for many years.  I spoke with him earlier this year and he was recovering from a sinus infection and then a few months ago a hip problem which was funny because he swears it limited his ability to get through the ball on his swing.  He was looking forward to begin playing again so he could add some distance.  All of this at age 89.

Below is a wonderful article on him turning 90.

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news;_ylt=At0D8jt7lHydfVTq23g2HTYogsUF?slug=ma-playingthrough070910

Golf Club Atlas is lucky to have done 2 feature interviews with him.



http://golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/interviewtatum1

http://golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/interviewtatum2
 

[TEPaul]

Joel:

Thanks to you I did get in touch with Sandy Tatum when out at the Open. He was staying as Spanish Bay as you know. I didn't actually talk to him---left him a msg and he left me one. I then immediately went to Italy for a week, hearing when I was over there we had a tornado around my place in Pennsylvania and the electricity and phones were out for five days. When I returned and was being driven home by my stepdaughter she got a call on her cell phone that the power came back on just as we landed (the proverbial sun follows me everywhere, don't you know?) and at the same time she heard this on her cell phone Sandy called me on mine getting back to me again. He was so nice saying he would love to talk about architecture, about the history of Pebble Beach, whatever, and yes, his voice sure was hoarse.

[John Keenan]

Joel

Thanks for posting the article. Sandy Tatum is an asset to golf and an asset to the Bay Area.

We are lucky to have him.

John

[Bill_McBride]

Nothing funny about a sore hip and lost distance!  I've been fighting this for several years.  Everything is fine in my swing until it's time to fire that right hip and then..........ouch! and lost distance.

Get well Mr. Tatum.

[BCrosby]

Best wishes for a speedy return to the course Mr. Tatum.

Thanks for starting this thread, Joel. I did not know Mr. Tatum had been ill.

Bob

[Joel_Stewart]

Nothing funny about a sore hip and lost distance!  I've been fighting this for several years.  Everything is fine in my swing until it's time to fire that right hip and then..........ouch! and lost distance.

Get well Mr. Tatum.

Bill, I agree with you about it not being funny.  What I ment to say is Sandy even at age 89 or 90 is still trying to improve his game and looking for that little something that will return his game to yesteryear.  He felt that with his problem being solved it might improve his game.  He is ever the optimist and you just have to love it when he starts talking seriously about improving his game with his beutiful twinkle he has in his eyes.  Its priceless.