Hope tourney meant for fair-weather golfers
As I've mentioned before, the beginning of the pro golf tour has always been a vicarious version of spring for me. While we're looking at a forecast predicting snow headed our way, the tour is in Palm Desert for the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. The weekend forecast there is for the low 60s, sunny and breezy.
The tournament will be be on the Golf Channel and, in fact, it already is. It's a rare, 90-hole tournament that started yesterday and there are five players tied for the lead. There are a lot of wrinkles to the Hope. One is that it's played over four courses and another is that the pros play with a group of three different amateurs each day until the final round.
I saw this excellent story on the Hope by Bob Harig (which I recommend reading) and how it is among the last of a golf tour breed, meaning tournaments with celebrity associations. The Hope standard has been picked up by comedian George Lopez. The late Bob Hope's name has been on this tournament for more than 40 years. The only other celebrity-associated tournament on the tour this year is in Las Vegas and the entertainer is Justin Timberlake.
Some show biz names that helped prop up tournaments in bygone days were Bing Crosby (the Pebble Beach clambake), Andy Williams (San Diego), Danny Thomas (Memphis), Sammy Davis Jr. (Hartford), Dean Martin (Tuscon) and Jackie Gleason (Fort Lauderdale). Now, tournaments are slapped with the nameplates of phone and insurance and car companies. It's the money, hon.
One of the features of a celebrity-associated tournament was that the namesake celebrity recruited other famous names. So, you'd turn on the TV on a Saturday or a Sunday and see TV and movie stars looking far less in control than they did on stage, with their drives slicing far off the mark (this year, you may catch rocker Alice Cooper, actor Samuel L. Jackson or funnyman Kevin Nealon). As their balls strayed off course, the famous and rich would grimace, look sheepish and crack a joke. Just like the rest of us. Golf was doing what it does best -- teaching humility. And it was fun to watch. And glamorous. And with the snow waiting to be shoveled, it was a welcome armchair escape.
Photo credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Comments
BRING BACK KELLY, FALDO IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND. THE HOPE TOURN. ,I ONLY WATCH THE LAST ROUND. KELLY THE ONLY PEOPLE YOU CAN SAY THINGS ABOUT IS WHITE AMERICANS, NO PROBLEM, ALLTHE OTHER ETHNIC AMERICANS IS A PROBLEM. IT IS THE TRUTH. BELIVE ME I AM NOT RACIAL, LOVE THE CHANNEL. KF
Posted by: KENNY FENTON | January 17, 2008 10:19 PM
"The tournament will be be on the Golf Channel", who cares. Not a channel available to me here so I am unable to see the tournament. How long before the sponsors see lower returns on their advertising dollar and it comes back to one of the major networks. I hope it happens before the "Bob Hope Chrysler Classic" is nothing more than a memory and becomes the "Burger King Blunder of Golf".
-----------------------------------------
That's a sad thought, indeed. let's hope not.
-- Bill O.
Posted by: AnHonestOpinion | January 19, 2008 3:39 PM
Why does the Golf Channel keep saying the Bob Hope Classic is coming from Palm Springs? The Classic Course is located in Palm Desert (15 miles East of Palm Springs) and the other three courses are located in La Qunita next to Palm Desert. Palm Desert is larger than Palm Springs and La Qunita will soon be.
---------------------------------------
Jerry,
I've been there and your geography is correct. They probably do it because most folks who haven't been are more familiar with Palm Springs -- it has that old Hollywood glamor associated with it. I was careful to write Palm Desert because I'm somewhat familiar.
-- Bill O.
Posted by: Jerry Lodge | January 19, 2008 7:11 PM