President George H.W. Bush's day on the PGA TOUR

Former President George H.W. Bush passed away on Friday, leaving a lasting legacy of service and humility. He was also a treasure to the golf world, helping to grow the game in a way few could have imagined. I was fortunate enough to witness a small part of that history, following as three Presidents teed it up at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

People all over the country and world are sharing stories about President George H.W. Bush this week. And while he made many contributions to golf with his support of the First Tee and the Presidents Cup, there is one story that I remember because I was involved, however peripherally.

It happened at the 1995 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, when the three presidents – Pres. George H.W. Bush, Pres. Gerald Ford and Pres. Bill Clinton – played on the PGA Tour for a day. It’s not often Bob Hope isn’t the headliner, but on that day he played fourth fiddle.

I was planning to attend the tournament to capture material for a television program that I produced at that time. However, I got an interesting call from PGA Tour Productions asking me to lend a hand to Laurie White, then a freelance producer for them, to capture, edit and upload (transmit to satellite) a video package about the three presidents playing in the tournament. I’d be the advance party and would have to edit quickly in the production truck for a first send within a certain satellite transmission window. Timing was important because of satellite availability.

Laurie would then follow with more footage for a more complete package, a longer, second feature for upload. You know, more material, in case a president made a birdie or eagle and it needed to be recorded for posterity.

Well, who could say no to that? Besides, there were few women in golf production then, as now, and this plum assignment went to us two.

We were also directed specifically NOT to show any shots of any presidential golf balls hitting anyone. President Ford, in particular, had a reputation for shooting golf balls into galleries. But any amateur, faced with a golf hole that is tee-to-green spectators is going to hit somebody on almost every hole. It’s really a wonder there aren’t more people hit.

My job was to follow the groups and television crew from the PGA Tour, part of the massive group of media covering the presidents, for a couple of holes, after which someone would hand me a couple of video tapes. Then I was to fly like a bat out of you know where from Indian Wells CC, where the presidents were playing, to an NBC production truck which was inconveniently located at another golf course, Bermuda Dunes, about five miles and a pile of golf traffic away.

Well, the first tee at Indian Wells was just a mass of presidents, Secret Service personnel and a few members of the media as well as officials from the tournament. Everybody wanted a look.

Secret Service did a great job of being fairly inconspicuous by wearing golf clothes instead of Men in Black suits. However, the little wires hanging out of their ears gave them away. They could actually have worn clown costumes because nobody was looking at them anyhow. Everyone was gawking at the presidents and Bob Hope.

As the group was getting ready to tee off, one of the Secret Service entourage ambled up to me and in a low voice said, ”Watch this. Bush is going to hit it right. Clinton will go left, and Ford can go anywhere.”

I deduced this was Secret Service political humor and laughed, but not too much since I didn’t want to get put in a hammer lock and dragged off the course.

A few holes later, I got the video tape hand-off, raced off to the NBC truck, did the edit, and did the “up yours” as some production people liked to say at the time about uploading video to satellite. The package had the basic introductions and tee shots and some walking down the first fairway with Clinton shaking hands like he was still campaigning. There was also footage of the other two presidents, along with Bob Hope. It was done and uploaded. Then Laurie arrived, and I left. She added whatever she was supposed to add, and then that was sent to the ether.

Some time afterward I got a call asking about the shot of the women who got hit by the golf ball. I said what shot of a woman hit by a golf ball. I didn’t have anything like that and didn’t use anything like that. I doubt Laurie did either.

Well, turns out NBC had decided to add on to the packages, and they included a shot of one of the people hit by one of the presidents. They did exactly what we were asked not to do. Go figure. Best laid plans.

The ball count, however, has been recorded for posterity and was as follows:

An errant golf ball from President Bush banged into Mrs. Norma Early on the 10th and another one found Mr. John Rynd four holes later.

Apparently, President Bush asked Rynd if he was OK, and, Rynd quipped, “No blood, no problem.” Right attitude.

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President Ford, living up to his reputation, delivered a mighty tee shot which struck a woman from North Dakota.

To show how party colors have changed since then, President Clinton wore a red shirt and President Bush wore blue. President Ford wore a navy shirt with a red sweater. It was his job to mediate between the other two.

I remember seeing President Bush later in the round when I got back to the golf course. His caddie had a small, lightweight, carry bag with Cape Arundel on it. You could just imagine him playing golf in Maine as a boy, without a caddie, striding down the fairway.

Really, I’m really sure that he seldom played without a caddie, at least as an adult, but you could imagine it, seeing him decisively march up to that green. However, you just don’t envision the head of the CIA carrying his own golf bag. Or the Vice President. Or the President. But seeing that, you just knew he did once upon a time because of the light bag.

Next. George H.W. Bush and the "White House Clubhouse". dark

We are lucky in golf to have presidents that embrace our sport. Some, like President George H.W. Bush, have enjoyed it more than others.

If you want to win a bet about the day three presidents played, ask all your friends who was the PGA Tour player in the group. They will never be able to tell you. Answer: Scott Hoch. I imagine that his friends are enjoying this story today, too.

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President George H.W. Bush’s day on the PGA TOUR

By Kathlene Bissell | Dec 5, 2018

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