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Almost Famous
Posted under How I See It by Mike
I made the trip to the public golf course near my in-laws to get in a round of golf about ten years ago. It was a Monday morning and the course wasn’t crowded. Being a single I was hoping to get in with a group. Upon arriving and giving my name in at the starter I went over to the range to hit a bucket of balls.
My name was called a few minutes later and I proceeded to the first tee. As I approached the tee box I saw that there were two guys standing there and I figured that we’d be going off as a group of three. Introductions were made and it was decided that since I was the out of town guest I would have honors and tee off first.
As I teed up my ball a shout came out in the distance. A golf cart approach us with a single “older” gentleman aboard. As he approached I saw that it was someone from my past. A person I grew up with. He was on television everyday. Someone my mother watched and participated with every morning.
Jack Lalane was rounding out our foursome. The guru of fitness, the herculean muscle man, the god of the juicer, the man who seemed to come from Mount Olympia itself. He was there to play golf with me, and a couple of other guys.
He introduced himself and told us he was there because his regular course was closed on Mondays. I was going to play with Jack. This was going to be fun.
Jack rode the cart while the three of us walked the course. He joked with us about the game of golf, about living in the Central Coast of California. He reminisced about the old days and the stars that he knew. I heard stories of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., all the brat pack crew. His playing golf with Bing Crosby, and Bob Hope.
The round of golf was over long before I was ready to finish. Jack who had to be in his eighties outshot us youngsters. He never crushed the ball but kept it straight and on the fairways. A finesse player who knew he didn’t or couldn’t power the ball.
I’m a native Southern Californian and have met my share of celebrities. I’ve been introduced to stars, directors, professional athletes and have never been once star struck. You can’t swing a dead cat where I live without hitting someone famous.
But my time with Jack was truly memorable. It was time spent getting to know a man who has lived a lifetime. I hope to run into him again on the golf course.
That is so cool! Sounds like a great memory and a fantastic story.
Weaselmomma’s last blog post..Interview With WeaselMomma Part II
Very cool indeed! Got any other rock star stories? I’d enjoying hearing them.
Cocotte’s last blog post..Reading Phenomenons
That is pretty interesting. It’s a small world.
citizen of the world’s last blog post..It was probably the most impulsive thing I’ve ever done.
That is cool! The “celebrities” here in Charlotte don’t frequent the muni’s that I play. Never mind most of those celebrities would be playing in the local golf tournament and not want to play the scrub courses I do.
So, how do you sink an 8 footer while doing crunches? Is it hard to tee off in the middle of a jumping jack? I bet you had a blast. I’m old enough to remember his show too. His suit used to creep me out when I was a little kid, but it always amazed me that a man who looked like my grandfather was in such good shape.
NukeDad’s last blog post..Krugerrands Would Be Cheaper
That is a cool story, but truthfully, what would it take to outshoot you in Golf?
m@’s last blog post..TECH: Hitting enter?
I get star struck. I would have sliced or shanked every tee shot and thrown a divot with every iron. I used to love his show in the morning when I was a kid, him and his two dogs and that goofy music playing in the background while he pumped us all up to exercise with him. What an experience that must have been.
Tom’s last blog post..Dad-type Training
WeaselMomma – I had a great time.
Cocotte – More stories are sure to follow…
Citizen – Yes, it is a small world, getting smaller everyday…
Russ – Mine was just a luck of the draw…
NukeDad – He’s still in great shape and that is scarry…
Matt – Not much, a blind man could outshoot me…
Tom – Yeah, well I didn’t play my best. Probably got too wrapped up in his stories…
Wow, Thats cool. I met Tommy LaSorda at Torry Pines once, while I was out there for business.
It’s always neat meeting famous people. Especially when you realize they’re just like you.
Oscar’s last blog post..Mrs. 4444’s Muffins
I met Richard Lewis in a Vegas casino.
Played next to him at a $25 Black Jack table.
I tried my best impession of him during a shuffle thinking I was funny.
He moved to another table.
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I hate golf. for many many reasons.
movin’’s last blog post..The weight of it all
I’ve never met anyone famous, although Emilio Estevez did film a movie scene outside my place of employment around 1986. My coworkers got to meet him. I, of course, was off that day.
terri’s last blog post..What are the chances?
What fun (for all of you)!
Half-Past Kissin’ Time’s last blog post..Parent-of-the-Year, NOT
A very sorround sound blog here… aaah what I meant there was you keep a good balance..
.. I for one had a small dog.. Not of a particular breed just a street dog who I used to feed ocassionally…Turned out she would go nuts on anybody who tried to approach me.. Geesh!
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