WEBVTT - Fire Drill 016: The Rielly Way 0:00:03.920 --> 0:00:07.080 I'm sure your dad impacted more golfing lives than most 0:00:07.120 --> 0:00:09.280 people play this pg A tour, but all of us 0:00:09.320 --> 0:00:12.280 have some path in American golf, pretty much to the 0:00:12.320 --> 0:00:15.600 PGA of America. So it's a it's a it's a 0:00:15.640 --> 0:00:18.400 great life really and it's a life of giving. Um. 0:00:18.400 --> 0:00:25.880 So anyway, thank you for that. Put another log on 0:00:25.880 --> 0:00:38.440 the fire nobody here is get the time. All right, Hello, 0:00:38.479 --> 0:00:41.680 this is Alan ship Knock back for another fire Drill podcast. 0:00:41.960 --> 0:00:44.879 On my left Michael Bamberger, frequent wingman. We are here 0:00:44.920 --> 0:00:49.040 in the press room at UM Southern Hills almost at 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:52.880 Oakland Hills, Southern Hills, Tulsa, Oklahoma. One of the great 0:00:52.920 --> 0:00:55.600 things about the pg Championship is it the one week 0:00:55.640 --> 0:00:58.400 all year we really celebrate the club pros. They get 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:00.400 the stage and they get the who do is that 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:03.800 they deserve. We know it's a challenging profession. And joining 0:01:03.880 --> 0:01:07.160 us is Rick Riley, the head pro at Wilshire Country 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:10.120 Club in l A. Rick, thanks for being here. You 0:01:10.160 --> 0:01:12.080 great to be here. Thanks thanks for having me on 0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:15.800 your podcast. Looking forward to Oh yeah, well, as Michael 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:17.680 said a minute ago, which it was under a little 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:21.319 happier circumstances, but uh, you know, your father was a 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:24.720 legend in the field, and he was past president of 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:28.960 the PGA Championship and unfortunately passed away recently, and Michael 0:01:29.000 --> 0:01:31.520 here wrote a beautiful tribute that kind of introduced him 0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:33.480 to some of our readers, and we thought, you know, 0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:35.280 this being the PGA, we just we wanted to talk 0:01:35.360 --> 0:01:38.320 a little bit more about his life and legacy. And Michael, 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:40.280 let me turn it over to you. Yeah, it was 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:44.120 it was ne Rick here and life is so weird. 0:01:44.520 --> 0:01:47.680 I got interested in in your in your dad's life 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:51.840 by reporting another story and then someone brought up your 0:01:51.920 --> 0:01:54.880 dad's name and I was interested in the father something 0:01:55.080 --> 0:01:57.400 and how the game gets handed down, and of course 0:01:57.440 --> 0:01:59.200 you're a great example of that. So what you know, 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:04.800 maybe that's a starting point. Uh what's it like to 0:02:04.920 --> 0:02:07.600 grow up under the watch of a pg A club 0:02:07.600 --> 0:02:12.320 professional and then become one yourself. Well, my dad was 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:18.399 unique individual. He you know, obviously started out with a lot, 0:02:18.560 --> 0:02:20.079 not a lot. But you know, the one thing I 0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:24.320 learned from my dad is, you know, he always talked about, like, 0:02:25.120 --> 0:02:27.440 to be a good PGA professional, you have to be 0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:29.200 like a five point player. You have to be a 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:33.520 player a teacher and merchandiser administrator, but the most important thing, 0:02:33.560 --> 0:02:35.600 you gotta be a people person. So I mean, he he, 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:37.680 He was an ant El Camino for ten years and 0:02:38.000 --> 0:02:40.560 for thirty years, I just kind of watched him, you know, 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.079 deal with the people, you know, take care of the 0:02:43.160 --> 0:02:46.120 ladies who couldn't get it across the over the bunker, 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:48.680 and at the end of the the day, you're just you're 0:02:48.840 --> 0:02:51.160 you're trying to promote the game of golf, you know, 0:02:51.360 --> 0:02:53.520 but people have a good time playing golf, and get 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:55.920 him getting walking away from the golf course with like 0:02:55.960 --> 0:02:58.520 a great experience. So for me, it's kind of something 0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:00.560 I've watched Dan Dale and my dad had grown up 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:02.799 at and he'd be I'd be in his office, he'd 0:03:02.840 --> 0:03:05.000 be chewing me out for someone banging a club or 0:03:05.320 --> 0:03:08.840 getting upset or something like that. But it was always, uh, 0:03:08.960 --> 0:03:10.840 you know, do it the right way. He's his his 0:03:10.840 --> 0:03:14.360 his motto was the right way, the wrong way, in 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:18.280 the right way. So um, kind of big shoes to fill, 0:03:18.360 --> 0:03:20.920 but that's that's kind of what he talked about. And 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:23.359 I kind of tried to follow his lead all these 0:03:23.440 --> 0:03:27.840 years and and just um, you know, obviously I missed him, 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:29.600 but you know he's still here in my heart and 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:32.320 try to do what he would do, you know, thinking 0:03:32.320 --> 0:03:34.040 about when you make a decision on something like what 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:35.960 would pat Riley do? That type of thing. So it's 0:03:36.040 --> 0:03:38.000 I've been lucky that way to have that kind of 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:42.560 fall back on. That's that's really beautiful. I love that. 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:44.560 I mean I didn't have the pleasure of ever meeting 0:03:44.560 --> 0:03:47.200 your dad, but from from reading Michael's words and some 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:48.400 of the things you said through the years and we've 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:50.360 been playing golf, it he just seemed like a larger 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:54.440 than life character. And it's almost and something seems like 0:03:54.480 --> 0:03:56.440 a dying breed where you have these these club pros 0:03:56.440 --> 0:03:58.520 who stay at one place for thirty years, like like 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:00.400 like like your dad did and Dale and maybe you'll 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:02.600 do it at Wilshire. But I mean, how important is 0:04:02.600 --> 0:04:04.280 it to the life of the club when when you 0:04:04.560 --> 0:04:07.880 have these figures who transcend the generations and and really 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:10.320 bring that continuity and become just a part of the 0:04:10.360 --> 0:04:13.720 fabric of the life of a club. You know, it's 0:04:13.720 --> 0:04:16.520 funny to hear you've been here since seven Wilshire and 0:04:16.720 --> 0:04:19.000 you know it's kind of it's it's a family. We 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:22.600 kind of talked about the family aspect of the membership 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:25.320 as well as my team here, and you know, it's 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:27.800 just you know, we're all we're all really lucky to 0:04:27.839 --> 0:04:29.400 come to a golf course every day. I mean, you 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:32.520 look in other parts of life and it's we're not 0:04:32.520 --> 0:04:35.080 not so blessed on people. So it's it's coming here, 0:04:35.839 --> 0:04:37.440 you know, doing the right thing for all the members 0:04:37.440 --> 0:04:40.800 and our team here. It's it's it's I like to 0:04:40.800 --> 0:04:43.600 come to work every day. I guess said, they're paying 0:04:43.600 --> 0:04:46.120 me to do this. Yeah, that's great, but it's it's something. 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:48.080 It's something as a kid, I want to be at 0:04:48.080 --> 0:04:50.359 the golf course all day. I'm kind of a golf 0:04:50.360 --> 0:04:53.000 course junkie. So it's it's a great place to be. 0:04:53.080 --> 0:04:55.080 We're very lucky here, will Shure. You've got a great, 0:04:55.240 --> 0:04:58.159 great club here, great history and here for a hundred 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:01.040 and two years now, and just want to make sure 0:05:01.080 --> 0:05:03.600 that you know, when people walk away from Welsh whether 0:05:03.600 --> 0:05:06.160 it's a member or guest like this had a great time. 0:05:06.240 --> 0:05:09.479 Then that's that's kind of what golf and in any 0:05:09.480 --> 0:05:12.039 clubs should be that way in the country, like enjoy 0:05:12.120 --> 0:05:16.680 the day, the game, walk away and get experience you 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:18.480 may know this, but there was a World Golf Hall 0:05:18.520 --> 0:05:23.200 of Famer Uh at Mr Riley's funeral, Dean Beamon gave 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:26.120 the second reading. Uh yeah, I mean that's quite his 0:05:26.200 --> 0:05:29.279 statement because Demon is not a young man and he 0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:31.240 lives in Florida, so it's a long way to come. 0:05:31.480 --> 0:05:33.400 What what what did that mean to and what can 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:35.479 you tell us about the relationship between dem Bam and 0:05:35.640 --> 0:05:38.599 with jam Bon and your dad? Well, they had an 0:05:38.600 --> 0:05:41.799 interestant relationship because obviously my dad was representing the PJA 0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:45.240 of America, the best censors of the PJA American Demons 0:05:45.240 --> 0:05:49.640 obviously representing the best censers of the PGA Tour. But 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:51.919 at the same time they're both trying to grow the 0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:55.360 game of golf. And there are some things obviously over 0:05:55.400 --> 0:05:57.560 the years, like we have the PGA Championship and got 0:05:57.560 --> 0:05:59.640 twenty PGA Club pros in there right now, which is 0:05:59.680 --> 0:06:01.520 which is great. I mean that's a big deal for 0:06:01.560 --> 0:06:05.800 our PGA club phone professional playing this event. At one 0:06:05.839 --> 0:06:08.440 time there were forty players. That was probably too many. 0:06:08.880 --> 0:06:13.600 But uh, those two, those two very interesting relationship because 0:06:13.600 --> 0:06:16.080 they were they butted heads a lot back in the 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:18.839 day when he was when he was the president PGA 0:06:18.960 --> 0:06:20.880 when Dean was running the tour, but they became good 0:06:20.880 --> 0:06:23.640 friends because they able to work out their differences and 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:25.360 at the end of the day, it was it was 0:06:25.400 --> 0:06:27.920 all about what's best for the game of golf. They 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:30.560 always had that vision, like what's what's the best thing 0:06:30.640 --> 0:06:33.039 at the end of the day, and it's it's it's 0:06:33.040 --> 0:06:34.960 sometimes easy to get caught up in that, but it's 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:37.440 I think both of those my dad and Dean had 0:06:37.480 --> 0:06:42.560 the same vision from that perspective. Very neat. That that 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:45.520 is neat. I mean, it was just a quirk of 0:06:45.560 --> 0:06:47.960 faith that that your your dad was running the Page 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:52.040 of America during the Shoal Creek controversy, which was very 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:55.279 impactful for the entire sport and really the whole culture 0:06:55.279 --> 0:06:59.200 of golf and now and then he seemed like he 0:06:59.240 --> 0:07:02.560 did a fantastic job guiding the PG of America into 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:05.520 this this new year where you know, it really became 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:09.200 something that it was sort of a background issue. People 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:11.720 knew about it, but for those aren't familiar, Shoal Creek 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:14.440 was this host club in Alabama and they didn't have 0:07:14.600 --> 0:07:17.320 they had an all white membership, and that became controversial 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:20.440 based on some public statements by their club president, and 0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:23.560 very quickly, under the leadership of your dad, things changed 0:07:23.680 --> 0:07:26.440 and should Creeks membership changed, and it swept throughout the 0:07:26.480 --> 0:07:29.240 whole Gulf world. And how much you remember that that 0:07:29.280 --> 0:07:31.440 conversation around the at the dinner table, and what can 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:34.920 you tell us about about that very fraught moment. You know, 0:07:34.960 --> 0:07:37.720 it's interesting because uh, you know, back then it was 0:07:37.840 --> 0:07:40.240 it was. It was difficult for my dad because you know, 0:07:40.360 --> 0:07:43.880 he obviously working at a club um and he had 0:07:43.920 --> 0:07:48.520 to you know, Ian hall Thompson, we're buddies always all 0:07:48.640 --> 0:07:51.440 rand Shawl Creek and you know when you're when you're 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:53.840 doing you're gonna host PJ Champs, you're going to the 0:07:53.920 --> 0:07:57.560 US Open, you're going pg A, British Open, the Masters, 0:07:57.560 --> 0:08:01.560 and you're seeing what everyone's doing, right, And it was 0:08:01.600 --> 0:08:03.600 kind of an innocuous comment, but it kind of caught 0:08:03.640 --> 0:08:05.560 win about a month before and you know, he had 0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:07.440 he had to make a decision. He and Hallward buddies 0:08:07.440 --> 0:08:10.800 to usten home, get two choices, rather going to admit 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:13.680 a minority member or we're gonna move it down the road. 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:18.480 And obviously they admitted a minority member, which has been 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:20.920 in the best interes of hall clubs, and I think 0:08:20.960 --> 0:08:22.800 a lot of clubs now have taken on this name. 0:08:23.240 --> 0:08:25.760 Much more inclusive golf is a much more inclusive sport. 0:08:25.760 --> 0:08:27.440 And I'm not saying it's because of what my dad did, 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:31.640 but it's just, um, it definitely helped start the conversation. 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:34.800 Of course, No, it was a very principal stand. I 0:08:34.800 --> 0:08:39.319 mean that that's when you think about golf and race, 0:08:39.400 --> 0:08:41.640 and it's been a little bit of a tortured history, 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:44.880 but that's a very important milestone that helps set about 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:47.559 a widespread chain. So I wouldn't underplay his role that 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:50.480 at all. And then uh, and then another event. This 0:08:50.559 --> 0:08:53.360 is so obscure and so hard to explain, but it 0:08:53.480 --> 0:08:55.600 was a really big deal at the time because people 0:08:55.640 --> 0:08:57.560 think this whole thing with live golf that's going now 0:08:57.679 --> 0:09:00.240 is the first time golfer ever had any controversy. They 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:03.800 weren't around like your dad was for the square groove controversy. 0:09:03.800 --> 0:09:05.079 And you could open up the Wall Street Journal, the 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:08.240 New York Times and see schematic diagrams with grooves. Look 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:10.760 like at how much volume of groove there was. It 0:09:10.800 --> 0:09:14.160 was crazily inside baseball. It was quite interesting. But your 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:16.480 dad was in the middle of it in the simplest 0:09:16.559 --> 0:09:19.040 terms possible. Couldn't explain what it was, what your dad's 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:22.040 stance was on it. You know, at the end of 0:09:22.080 --> 0:09:26.400 the day, you know, listen to square groups saying, you know, 0:09:27.080 --> 0:09:31.360 it benefited the tour player, Yeah they can, they can 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:32.760 spin it out of the rough, but for the for 0:09:32.800 --> 0:09:35.240 the rank and file member, like we got, golf is 0:09:35.280 --> 0:09:37.560 a tough game. You just stand listen, we gotta make 0:09:37.559 --> 0:09:40.559 it better for for all the players, not just the 0:09:40.600 --> 0:09:44.040 two percent on their you know, you know, making their 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:46.160 name on tour and that type of thing. And you know, 0:09:46.640 --> 0:09:48.760 and and for the manufacturers as well. I mean, you know, 0:09:48.800 --> 0:09:51.079 paying had a lot of money invested in their molds 0:09:51.120 --> 0:09:54.320 and that it's like that that that made it more 0:09:54.400 --> 0:09:56.640 fun for the everyday player to play golf. And that 0:09:56.679 --> 0:09:59.240 was kind of his you know, my dad was a 0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:01.320 great ball ster. He always start with a potty and 0:10:01.360 --> 0:10:04.480 he he used a long Partterny's like, let Pat Ratty 0:10:04.600 --> 0:10:06.560 use a long puttery. Let's let's let these guys use 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:08.840 a long putter. So it's all about making the game 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:11.439 more playable. The games and listen to the US g 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:13.240 In the last couple of years has made some changes. 0:10:13.480 --> 0:10:16.080 The game is definitely more playable now, some of the 0:10:16.080 --> 0:10:18.880 things they've done to make it, the rules easier, some 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:21.040 of the some of the things that relaxed. And obviously 0:10:21.080 --> 0:10:23.439 the ball, the flight, how long the ball going. That's 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:26.640 that's going to continue. But his whole, his whole stance. 0:10:26.679 --> 0:10:30.200 And I was listening to PGA tour players. Maybe maybe 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:32.600 you bifurcated. You know, you don't let them use that. 0:10:32.640 --> 0:10:35.000 But the everyday player, let me hit, let me hit 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:36.480 a shot of a bunker out of the rough lund 0:10:36.520 --> 0:10:38.560 of ball stop on the green celler. You know, it's 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:41.400 it's make it fun, make it playable, make it more 0:10:41.480 --> 0:10:44.440 enjoyable for everybody. And that was kind of his. It 0:10:44.520 --> 0:10:51.400 was his direction. That's so sensible. Like I never walked 0:10:51.480 --> 0:10:53.360 up a golf course and geez, I was really spitting 0:10:53.400 --> 0:10:55.560 my wedge too much today, Like I'm really bubbed about 0:10:55.600 --> 0:10:58.040 how sucking those wedges back. That just doesn't happen. I 0:10:58.080 --> 0:10:59.559 was starting to a fellow today who was going to 0:10:59.640 --> 0:11:02.040 be the next president of the of the U s 0:11:02.120 --> 0:11:04.600 J and like he was telling me about what would 0:11:04.600 --> 0:11:06.720 be in his a. Jenny is a very interesting, smart guy, 0:11:06.960 --> 0:11:09.400 and I was thinking, I wish I could just say 0:11:09.400 --> 0:11:11.400 what I feel, which is you want to you want 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:13.679 to simplify golf for people. You can't make worse than 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:16.199 a triple bogey, move on, and you can't write and 0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:19.320 for handicapped purposes for everybody, doesn't matter where levels, no 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:21.240 one cares. Just drop it where we're out in your 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:23.280 chemic wors in triple and the game is going to 0:11:23.360 --> 0:11:26.000 be faster and more enjoyable for more people. But we do. 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:28.400 Your dad, I think, had the right attitude, did your 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:31.120 dad of relationship with Arren Palmer, because he Arnold had 0:11:31.240 --> 0:11:34.520 very much the same attitude. Yeah, so my dad. You know, 0:11:34.679 --> 0:11:37.760 they're both from western Pennsylvania. My dad would from Sharon 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:41.719 al from Latrope and they actually they become pretty good 0:11:41.720 --> 0:11:45.360 friends because at annandale Um Arnold would come out every 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:47.840 year and playing an exhibition to raise money for the 0:11:47.960 --> 0:11:50.920 Methodist Hospital and sat in Pasadena. So for twenty years 0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:53.520 my dad would play, you know, he had Laura Baugh, 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:56.960 Julie Ekster, Mark McCormick would play because Mark obviously was 0:11:57.240 --> 0:12:00.520 you know, one of the visionaries in golf with you know, 0:12:00.600 --> 0:12:05.240 the first three guys were obviously Nick was Palmer and player. Um, 0:12:05.360 --> 0:12:08.680 and then so every year you got to know, you 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:10.959 got to know the family. And and Arnold was I 0:12:10.960 --> 0:12:14.360 mean he's he's still in obviously everyone's money. He's he's 0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:16.400 the greatest. I mean what he's done for golf. And 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:19.040 my dad and he got along real well. They they've 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:22.719 had similar views on things. And you both from kind 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:26.520 of a you know, less than wealthy family. They worked 0:12:26.520 --> 0:12:29.680 their way to the top. So, um, yeah, it was great, 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:31.760 It was very lucky. I gotta I got a picture 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:33.560 of offs of me and Armald here, I got a 0:12:33.559 --> 0:12:36.440 picture sitting here with my dad and all I'm like 0:12:36.480 --> 0:12:39.080 ten years old, walk in Brookside. So it's you know, 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:41.960 those are those are memories all always told my heart. 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:44.199 So is that your dad behind you in that photograph? 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:48.920 And over your right shoulder, that's Bobby Jones. I gotta 0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:54.360 cheat part of him. Um, did you ever consider doing 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:58.640 anything else for a living? Rick? What excuse me? Did 0:12:58.640 --> 0:13:00.720 you ever do any consider doing anything else for a 0:13:00.760 --> 0:13:03.920 living than what you're doing? Now? You know, it's funny. 0:13:03.920 --> 0:13:07.880 I played golf in college. You have had a golf scholarship, 0:13:07.880 --> 0:13:10.280 and I was, I was, I wasn't playing great when 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:11.520 I got out of school and I see, now I'm 0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:13.320 not gonna. I mean, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna 0:13:13.360 --> 0:13:15.760 go into this business, my dad's band. So I went 0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:18.840 to work for the guy that worked for my dad, 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:21.120 Pete Co down allaho As there for four years and 0:13:21.120 --> 0:13:23.040 I was gonna after that, I was gonna go to 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:26.240 work for my dad. And this this position opened up 0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:29.640 at Wilshire and I've been ever since. But yeah, um, 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:32.280 I always kind of said, you know that the club 0:13:32.320 --> 0:13:34.680 pro is the guy that kind of promotes the game 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:36.920 of golf. The tour pros were making the money, but 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:39.719 the club pros really the guy behind the scenes. It's 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:41.840 really you know, getting the kids to learn how to 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:44.200 play golf, getting the girls out there, the young kids, 0:13:44.280 --> 0:13:47.360 the only people, and that's what it's all about. You mean, 0:13:47.520 --> 0:13:51.240 that's I mean, golf is obviously had a great boom 0:13:51.360 --> 0:13:55.520 as a result of COVID, but it I hope it continues. 0:13:56.160 --> 0:13:58.560 We've got to keep, you know, keep promoting the game 0:13:58.600 --> 0:14:01.480 of golf. I mean, it's it's a game for everybody. 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:04.480 Like this is super super obscure. But was there a 0:14:04.679 --> 0:14:09.040 outing at Willshire a few years back where Charlie sever, 0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:13.680 Tom Siever's father, Bobby Jones and maybe Hagen played together. 0:14:13.800 --> 0:14:16.600 Did ever hear of such a thing? Yeah, we got 0:14:16.640 --> 0:14:19.400 some great history here. We got uh, you know, we 0:14:19.440 --> 0:14:21.320 had the l a open here back in the thirties 0:14:21.320 --> 0:14:24.360 and forties. Um, yeah, I'm sure those guys. We have 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:27.000 some pictures hanging on the walls here and I'm sure 0:14:27.080 --> 0:14:31.680 that was the case. Definitely Bobby ken Hogan, much of 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:33.720 those old timers. But yeah, the reason comes to mind 0:14:33.760 --> 0:14:35.680 is I think Sandy Tatum told me that that's how 0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:38.600 he uh, that's how he got interested in golf. Was 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:41.480 was going to an exhibition where Tom Severs father Charlie 0:14:41.520 --> 0:14:44.520 Severs playing with Poppy Jones literally in the twenties and 0:14:44.520 --> 0:14:46.960 and uh Tatum lived near the courts and went over there, 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:50.960 and and uh and and so for the end, Sandy's 0:14:51.040 --> 0:14:53.240 dad was actually one of the first members of Wilshire. 0:14:53.240 --> 0:14:55.560 And Sandy told a great story here. He grew up 0:14:55.600 --> 0:14:58.640 here on Wilshire, his dad was a member, and he 0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:01.760 told a great story where you was misbehaving, you know, 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:04.720 banging his cloud like we all did his kids, and 0:15:04.720 --> 0:15:08.440 he said, listen, you're gonna sit right here. You're not 0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:10.280 gonna play the golf that he's you're just gonna wait 0:15:10.280 --> 0:15:12.480 here and when I come through the term, we're gonna talk. 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:15.720 So I guess Sandy sat there for three hours waiting 0:15:15.720 --> 0:15:17.160 for his dad to make the turn or you know, 0:15:17.240 --> 0:15:19.120 finished around in golf, and he said, I learned my 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:21.040 lesson that day. So Sandy was great. He came here 0:15:21.080 --> 0:15:23.800 and made it, had made a great a great speech 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:26.320 about mystery. Passed away about ten years ago. And he 0:15:26.400 --> 0:15:28.800 was a cool story because here's a guy that ran 0:15:28.800 --> 0:15:30.640 in the U. S. G A, you know, the pillar 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:34.280 of golf and the utmost gentleman and talked about, hey, 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:37.280 you know he help golf like made him, made him nuts, 0:15:37.320 --> 0:15:39.160 but he kind of learned from his mistakes. So it's 0:15:39.200 --> 0:15:42.080 it's pretty cool stuff. Is Howard Hughes a member of 0:15:42.080 --> 0:15:45.360 your Place. Art Hughes was a member. He his his 0:15:45.440 --> 0:15:47.760 house was on the eighth hole. Stories about you know 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:51.080 him playing and I guess Kathryne Hepper just sitting up 0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:54.640 on the balcony kind of distracting the guys playing, and uh, 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:59.200 the funny stories they talked. They say land the plane 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:01.320 on number six, but he actually landed the plane on 0:16:01.360 --> 0:16:05.880 the eighth, told Bell Air. I guess Jathon Pepper was 0:16:05.920 --> 0:16:08.400 playing golf and he he landed a plane. He was 0:16:08.440 --> 0:16:12.160 a member there as well, and uh actually get chicked 0:16:12.160 --> 0:16:14.280 out because it took like a month to disassemble the 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:19.080 plane on the bell Air. I didn't have enough runway 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:20.560 to just like fly it out of there like he 0:16:20.600 --> 0:16:26.720 was take it off. Firestone would be a good golf 0:16:26.720 --> 0:16:29.240 course to land a plane on. Bell Air definitely not 0:16:29.840 --> 0:16:34.040 too many canyons and cravasses. Uh, well, that's great. I mean, 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:36.920 it's just fun to talk about this stuff with you, Rick, 0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:38.520 I mean, just to bring this to a close up 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:42.280 in in this aftermath after your father has passed away. 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:43.480 I'm sure you've heard from a lot of people in 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:46.120 the game. Is there any anything that's been particularly memorable 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:49.320 or meaningful to you? You know, I've I've had so 0:16:49.400 --> 0:16:54.120 many people, you know, semi notoates and condolence citizen. You know, 0:16:54.240 --> 0:16:57.520 it's it's um obviously it's the first time I really 0:16:57.560 --> 0:17:01.120 lost a close relative like that. But just you know 0:17:01.960 --> 0:17:04.600 what what he meant to so many people, like the 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:07.480 words they the words they wrote and spoke to me. 0:17:07.600 --> 0:17:13.560 We're just very meaningful and heartfelt, you know, Like I said, 0:17:13.560 --> 0:17:16.920 he's he's he's a big he's a big legend in 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:20.399 the game of golf. Um and its spirit will carry on. 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:22.320 I mean, it's right here and like like I'm gonna 0:17:22.320 --> 0:17:25.199 I'm gonna keep doing what he wanted me to do. 0:17:25.320 --> 0:17:27.160 And I think a lot of the people that worked 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:29.560 from are in the same boat. They were kind of 0:17:29.600 --> 0:17:32.320 trained by Pat Riley and they like he says, it's 0:17:32.320 --> 0:17:34.760 they're gonna do it the Riley way. It's neat. And 0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:37.680 he played in a PJ championship, played in Columbine and 0:17:38.680 --> 0:17:41.639 up that's neat. Yeah, I mean, you gotta have a 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:44.640 lot of golf game. There's a lot of club pros 0:17:44.640 --> 0:17:46.119 who want to play in the tournament only for to 0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:51.040 get in. Yeah, exactly, exactly, that's great. I love this 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:53.080 is this is really one of the special things about 0:17:53.080 --> 0:17:55.720 this tournament. The average fan that they see these these 0:17:55.760 --> 0:17:58.119 club pros and they're not familiar with the names and 0:17:58.119 --> 0:18:00.240 not George Speede, that's not really relay, so they don't 0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:01.960 they don't really invest in the stories. But when you 0:18:01.960 --> 0:18:03.840 dig into the stories of the guys who make it there, 0:18:03.960 --> 0:18:07.960 it's really special. So a couple of kids in our sitting, 0:18:07.960 --> 0:18:10.639 you know, Michael Block, Who's and you had, you know, 0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:12.840 seventy one today. But I mean, it's that's. I mean, 0:18:13.720 --> 0:18:17.120 it's it's pretty amazing that yet twenty club pros who 0:18:17.240 --> 0:18:19.320 probably played maybe one or two events all year and 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:21.960 they're gonna play in a major championship. So it's a 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:26.440 really hard course, really hard golf course. It's it's and 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:28.919 and people say why they listen because it's a PGA 0:18:29.000 --> 0:18:31.760 of America. That's who we are. We're promoting the game 0:18:31.760 --> 0:18:34.800 of golf for developing players. And when a game makes 0:18:34.800 --> 0:18:36.840 it cut, it's it's I mean, it's gravy, but it's 0:18:37.160 --> 0:18:39.920 I mean, I think it's great for all the golf 0:18:39.960 --> 0:18:42.680 to see these guys out there in the stories and 0:18:42.720 --> 0:18:44.520 you know what it took term to get there. It's 0:18:44.600 --> 0:18:48.159 it's it's impressive. I agree. Well, Rick, thank you so 0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:50.800 much for doing this with us. And for those who 0:18:50.800 --> 0:18:53.560 are listening to this podcast. Michael's story will be up 0:18:53.560 --> 0:18:55.800 at Firepit Collective dot com. It's it's beautifully done. I 0:18:55.800 --> 0:18:58.840 would really encourage yeah, no, it really, it was really moving, 0:18:58.880 --> 0:19:02.320 and um, I would encourage you to check out the story. 0:19:02.480 --> 0:19:06.440 It's it's it's a must read. So and Curiously, the 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:10.760 philanthropy that you designated for for child Bold Gifts and 0:19:10.800 --> 0:19:12.520 your dad's name is one that's deer to the fire 0:19:12.560 --> 0:19:14.560 Pit Collective as well as I'm sure you know, but 0:19:14.560 --> 0:19:16.080 but I didn't know at all. I mean, that was 0:19:16.160 --> 0:19:19.560 just a weird coincidence. But maybe you could explain what 0:19:19.640 --> 0:19:22.080 it is. Yeah, it was for goat Hill Park, which 0:19:22.119 --> 0:19:24.040 you know, it's kind of the junior program there, I guess, yeah, 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:26.560 the junior program and the Caddy program. It's really sort 0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:28.520 of the spiritual home of the fire Per Collective. You know, 0:19:28.560 --> 0:19:31.040