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Sunday, June 6, 2021

I Knew Harvey Invitational Golf and Dinner

 
Thanks to everyone who made 'I Knew Harvey Invitational' a fun day of golf and an enjoyable dinner with spouses, celebrating Harvey's legacy. Special shout out to Dale and his team for allowing the four foursomes to play the front nine twice (after the storm wreaked havoc on the back nine the night before.) Also, many thanks to Jordan Meyers in catering (along with Chef Bob) for making the dinner so amazing.

Appreciate Tom Forbes from the ACC Legacy Committee updating everyone on club plans to better display our history. Below is an iPhone clip of my Ode to Harvey (Lucky) toast, and I'll post the words as well. It was fun to write. I hope it successfully celebrated Harvey's legacy and reminded everyone of how lucky we are to belong to Austin Country Club.

Congrats to Team Stuart's Kitchen Sinks for the overall victory, Team Messi-roll the Rock Squad for winning the front nine, and to all who won skins, especially Whitlock. (-; Thanks, Master-of-the-Games (Hop), for keeping up with it all!

And special thanks for the signed ‘A Course Called America’ by Tom Coyne. Don’t miss reading this book. You will all love it. 


Ode to Harvey (Lucky)

Those who knew Harvey
will reflect and reminisce
about the time
he said this
or that.

So simple,
yet so profound.

The ground.

The ground,
around this place
this beautiful club.
This Pete Dye golf course
so steeped
in Harvey lore.

Quotes galore . . .

All golfers know
To “Take Dead Aim.”
Because “Golf is a game
for everyone
not just the talented few.”

But those of us
who spew
our shots through
the morning dew.
We long for the day
when our game
is in one piece
when our game is
at peace.

I am told . . .

Harvey had this
uncanny way
of making it
so simple.

"Just one aspirin,
please sir
Not the whole damn bottle!"

We try to throttle
our enthusiasm for this place
sometimes all worked up
all bent out of shape
over, over-seeding
for example
just a sample
of how easy it is
to forget
how lucky we are.

“Go to dinner
with good putters.”
He told his players.
“The woods are full
of long drivers.”
"If you play poorly one day
forget it
If you play poorly the next
Review your fundamentals
grip, stance, aim
ball position
If you play poorly
a third time
in a row,
go see your pro!"

And those of us
who know
this game of golf.
We owe
so much of our
happiness
our very soul
to this man
our beloved first pro
who helped
the game 
grow, and grow.
 
For me, my favorite
Harvey quip
It is not about the grip
Or how to chip
Or a swing tip
But rather
simply this:

“If you play golf
you are my friend.”

Indeed!

All of you
are my friends.
The game connects us
in ways
you cannot understand
until you stand
over that
little white ball.

So, stand tall
fellow members
and friends.
Remember always
how lucky we are
how high the bar
when the club
we call Austin
is our home.
And the home
of our very own

Gentle, kind, wise . . .

Harvey.







Stuart's Kitchen Sinks
Sillers
Olssen
Stuart
Healy

Messi-roll the Rock Squad 
Meserole
Utley
Hillhouse
Senterfitt

Whitlock’s Jocks
Singletary
Hopke
Bybee
Whitlock

JT’s Jammer Slammers
Atwell
Beiter
Costello
Thomas

Letters to Harvey from The Kingdom:

Other 'golfy' scribblings:
"Millions of people were charmed by the homespun golf advice dispensed in Harvey Penick's Little Red Book, a sports classic that became the best-selling sports book of all time. Yet, beyond the Texas golf courses where Penick happily toiled for the better part of eight decades, few people knew the self-made golf pro who coaxed the best out of countless greats -- Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Betsy Rawls, Mickey Wright -- all champions who considered Penick their coach and lifelong friend." - Kevin Robbins, author of Harvey Penick: The Life and Wisdom of the Man Who Wrote the Book on Golf.
"And if you play golf, you are my friend." - Harvey Penick
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