Wednesday Morning, October 16th, 7:05 am Leaving St. Louis Heading to Fort Smith, AK to visit Mr. Jack Fleck

The Olympic Rings at Glen Echo CC

What an inspiring way to celebrate my birthday! Staying at the historic Union Station Hotel in downtown St. Louis and playing golf with my hickory clubs at Glen Echo CC where golf was last played in the Olympics in 1904. I woke up, got dressed in my knickers and went down to the lobby asking which way to the train out to Glen Echo just like those golfers who were here in 1904 to qualify for the Olympics!

I can’t tell you how connected and in tune I feel with the “Olympic Spirit of Golf” being here and coming from an Olympic weekend in Atlanta with Olympian Dennis Berkholtz.

Andy Reistetter with Olympian Dennis Berkholtz in the Bobby Jones Room at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

Now it is off to see a really spiritual guy, Mr. Jack Fleck, 1955 U.S. Open Champion. This trip, “following the sun to the southern hemisphere” is partly inspired by the man he beat in a playoff at Olympic Club- Ben Hogan. I plan to present Mr. Fleck with the replica Gold Medal given to me by the Glen Echo CC. If golf was played in the Olympics during his playing days he surely would have made the team! From Glen Echo CC to Jack Fleck!

Pictures tell a story, pictures with captions bring you closer to the “Olympic Spirit for Goflers”

[Show slideshow]

With Jack Fleck and his Olympic Gold Golf Medal.

My time in St. Louis was fabulous! The “Journey to Olympic Golf” began with playing hickories at Glen Echo CC, site of Olympic Golf in 1904. Now I am heading south pointed to Rio de Janeiro, host to Olympic Golf in August 2016. I don’t have a clue on the specifics of the trip. My only night planned is the next one at the home of Carmen and Jack Fleck in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Beyond that it was anyone’s guess.

I first met Jack Fleck and his good friend Ed Tallach at Torrey Pines in 2008 at the U.S. Open, Tiger’s last (for now) win at a major. We chatted for a few minutes and took a picture together. The next I saw him was at the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, then the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco that honored him and Billy Casper for the life achievements in golf and their U.S. Open victories there. I would also see Jack and Ed at The Masters Tournament. Sadly my visit in Fort Smith would be the last time I saw Jack Fleck. I missed him last year at the Masters and Billy this year. Life is way too short.

CLICK here for the Tribute to Legendary Golfer Jack Fleck.

I remember a long time ago back in the 1990s reading about Jack and his new books. I cut out his advertisement for golf lessons in Arkansas and hoped one day to travel to Arkansas and get a lesson from him and that is exactly what I did on this portion of the ‘Journey to Olympic Golf.’

CLICK here for the Jack Fleck Golf Lesson for Andy Reistetter.

Jack knew me well at first meeting and he knew my swing well at first glance kidding me that he “hoped it was a dogleg left!”

Long live Jack Fleck on the Big Course above and love live his spirit, somehow to be included in the “Olympic Spirit of Golf.”

CLICK here for the Big Wide Open Sky Driving through the Ozarks in Arkansas.

I will always remember the beautiful time I spent in Arkansas with Carmen and Jack Smith. Their grace, hospitality and spirit is well represented by the sky that day I drove through the Ozarks in Arkansas.

My visit was too short, only a one-nighter, but if you are going to travel 18,471 mile in 100 days and pass through 14 countries there is no time to let the moss grow beneath your feet.

I was headed for the Texas Triangle, Dallas first, then San Antonio and Houston. I had a feeling I was going to get lost in there and maybe never emerge to continue my journey. As it turns out the direction of my odyssey south of the border would be focused in the abyss in the heart of Texas and a chance meeting would accelerate JTOG to warp speed!

Stay tune y’all!

I am looking for 100 new friends in the next 100 days to make a $100 donation (or any amount that you are able to make) to The First Tee. Each day I will be reliving the original “Journey to Olympic Golf” and hope to find a new friend in golf. Is that you? Please join me in giving back to the game we all love.

CLICK here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Please select ‘Andy Reistetter’s Journey to Olympic Golf’ on the drop-down menu for the question ‘What inspired you to make a gift today? This is for tracking purposes only, Andy does not receive any part of your donation or anything financially from The First Tee organization.

There are interesting incentives for making your donation to the First Tee…

PLEASE click here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Thank You!

Three Amigos- Ed, Jack & me at the 2012 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club where Jack and Billy Casper were honored.

Torch and I loved driving down Route 66! With Kammy who manages the Visitor Center.

The incredible sky that driving through the Ozarks.

Monday Morning, October 14th, 7:21 am Leaving Atlanta Heading to St. Louis

Guess who was the mystery guest of Bill Hughes at the Clubhouse at TPC Sawgrass?

Life has been a world wind since leaving my condo and heading to TPC Sawgrass Friday afternoon for a Farewell gathering. Interview with Calvin Peete was awesome. He hit his first hickory club on the back tee. Had some fun with Bill Hughes the GM, Kaeerir Lecker won the drawing and was thrilled to have a set of hickory clubs!

Saturday morning I drove around the fountain at the Clubhouse for good luck. My starting mileage was 127.149 and I left at 9 am. I could not have had a better host or visit to Atlanta. My host was 1972 Olympian Dennis Berkholtz and we had a wonderful time together visiting the Olympic Torch, Bobby Jones’ gravesite, East Lake Golf Park, Centenniel Park and playing Atlanta Athletic Club. I am not totally immersed in the spirit of Bobby Jones and the 1996 Summer Olympics.

I left the Clubhouse at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday morning, October 12th at 9 am.”Torch,” my M30 baby had 127,149 miles on her and I am hoping to see her in Rio with me with 140,000 plus in 3 months!

Dennis is the first Olympian that I have known personally and I know it has changed my life already. I am beginning to think this “Journey to Olympic Golf” is a life changer for me. And maybe you too. Come join me! But first click this First Tee link and make a little donation. Like meeting Jim, visiting the First Tee of North Florida, playing the Brentwood Course with a couple of kids really got this whole golf ball rolling and it looks like it is going to roll right into the cup for an ace!

ps- I too, like David Toms laid up on No. 18 and made a 15 footer to finish off a great round and great experience. Unlike David Toms, I was bunkered twice before doing so and in the water once. Mine was for a double bogey, his a par but there were three strokes between us as it was a par-5 for me! But making that putt felt as great!

ps- one thing I do know about Atlanta is that the Blue Ridge Grill in Buckhead is a great place to meet people!

Here is my posting on my visit in Atlanta with Olympian Dennis Berkholtz. He put me on the right track to capture the “Olympic Spirit of Golf.” I hope to do this sort of sharing with each person I meet and place I visit on the “Journey to Olympic Golf.” Let me know what you think, I want to take you along to Rio with me! (-:   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 10/22/13)

Dennis Berkholtz, Olympic Team Handball & Coach

What better way to head south than to go north?

Ultimately my northern destination was St. Louis to play golf with my hickories at Glen Echo CC, where golf was last played in the 1904 Summer Olympics.

What better place to stop than in Atlanta, host to the 1996 Summer Olympics?

Remember my goal is to extract the Olympic Spirit from Olympic cities along the way to Rio de Janeiro (can you guess which ones?) and combine it with what I know of the history and traditions of the game of golf and be the first to define what the ‘Olympic Spirit of Golf’ is when golf returns for the first time in 112 years for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

JTOG (Journey to Olympic Golf) is really the art of networking and my first stop was the icing on the cake. While volunteering at the World Golf Hall of Fame I met a guy (who shall remain anonymous) who was interested in my quest and connected me to an Olympian living in Atlanta. We spoke on the phone and when he heard my story (no budget) he not only agreed to be interviewed but invited me to stay at his place for two nights!

CLICK here for article: Dennis Berkholtz, Olympic Team Handball & Coach

Dennis Berkholtz is a great guy as you can tell in the video interviews and provided insight into the Olympic world and what it is like to be an Olympian competitor and coach. Ever heard of Team Handball? It is popular in Europe and other parts of the world and looks like a lot of fun.

USATH Announces Dennis Berkholtz as New Chair of Beach Handball

“Once an Olympian, always an Olympian,” were words spoken by Dennis that have stuck with me to this day. The maximum from any country will be four female and four male Golf Olympians if they are all in the Top 16 in the OWGR. Sixty women and sixty men total in 2016. Not many people get to be Olympic Golfers every four years..

We enjoyed touring Centennial Park which commemorates the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

It just occurred to me how much being the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games may have impacted now Augusta National Golf Club and Masters Tournament Chairman William Porter “Billy” Payne. With the addition of the Asia-Pacific and Latin America amateur champions to The Masters, golf’s spring major championship is looking even more like the spirited Olympic Games.

Tomorrow Dennis and I will seek the spirit of golf and visit two legacy golf courses and have the privilege and honor to play one! The ‘Journey to Olympic Golf’ is off to a good start. Torch is solid and I found a bed on my first night!

I am looking for 100 new friends in the next 100 days to make a $100 donation (or any amount that you are able to make) to The First Tee. Each day I will be reliving the original “Journey to Olympic Golf” and hope to find a new friend in golf. Is that you? Please join me in giving back to the game we all love.

CLICK here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Please select ‘Andy Reistetter’s Journey to Olympic Golf’ on the drop-down menu for the question ‘What inspired you to make a gift today? This is for tracking purposes only, Andy does not receive any part of your donation or anything financially from The First Tee organization.

There are interesting incentives for making your donation to the First Tee…

PLEASE click here to make a donation to The First Tee.

Thank You!

Dennis Berkholtz pointing to the 1996 Handball Olympic Team at the Olympic Torch Park.

Statue of Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games and doves in Centennial Park.

With the William Porter “Billy” Payne Statue in Centennial Park.