First Tee ParTee, the Not-to-Miss Event at Pebble Beach

This was my 7^th straight year at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. It was AT&T’s 30^th anniversary. The tournament dates back to 1937. My experiences at Pebble Beach are only a couple pebbles from the beach of life that extends from celebrity to each one of us. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to interview celebrities and amateurs each year on the practice putting green at Pebble Beach. That putting green is a special place.  It’s an arena, encircled by the Lodge, the first tee and the Shops of Pebble Beach including one special one—Golf Links to the Past. Like my volunteering at the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, that golf emporium takes me back to the very essence of the origins of this game of golf we love. The spirit of golf and life is alive and thriving in each individual I meet on the grounds at Pebble Beach. This year was different as I found that special spirit alive and well off-property for the first time. The experience took place, not far from the Lodge, at the inaugural First Tee ParTee. Ironically, it was held at the home of Stefanie and Robert Skinner right on the second fairway of Cypress Point Club. After World War II, Bing Crosby’s membership at the Cypress Point Club was the key link to bringing the Bing Crosby’s National Pro-Am (a.k.a. The Crosby Clambake, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am today) to the Monterey Peninsula. The Crosby: Greatest Show in Golf, a book written by Dwayne Netland in 1975, has a prologue by Bing Crosby. What is a prologue? One definition, the one I think that fits here is that a prologue is an introductory speech, often in verse, calling attention to the theme of a play. “In the early thirties, having abandoned the rigors of the vaudeville circuits for the more prestigious posture of a film personality, I joined a club called Lakeside,” opens Bing Crosby. He goes on that “our first event was held in 1937 at Rancho Sante Fe, and the weather that day seemed to set the pattern for what was to occur with annoying frequency in the years that followed: a small deluge. They got that first round in despite the weather and Bing would describe the activities when the golf was over by saying—“the first party was a pretty good little soiree, lasting far into the night… thus was born what was to become known as “The Clambake.” By the way, this year, the weather was the best I have ever seen in seven years—warm, sunny and calm. Like Crosby, the Skinners relocated to Pebble Beach. Since they did not know any of their neighbors they decided to have a party. That private party, after six years of progressively becoming bigger and better, transitioned this year into a charitable event called the ‘First Tee ParTee.’ Hosted in their back yard in a corporate tent turned club extraordinaire, the night flowed upon arrival descending onto a red carpet and into a magical celebration of golf and life just like, in my imagination, that first Crosby soiree in San Diego County in 1937 or the first shindig at Pebble Beach in 1947. The heart of the event is the fundraising for The First Tee of Monterey County. Over the years I had interviewed several people associated with The First Tee of Monterey County and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, both nonprofits targeted at helping the youth of Monterey County. So impressed and so inspired by their stories I stopped by to visit The First Tee of Monterey County facility last year while in town for the Pro-Am. What an amazing sight—computers galore and a golf course! One, a way to connect with anyone in the world, the other a way to connect with yourself. Growing up in a de facto First Tee-like setting, I first learned to play golf with my Dad up on the par-3 course at Ely Park Municipal Golf Course in Binghamton, New York. The 9-holer with a view of the big course on the 7^th tee was designed by the pro Ernie Smith so kids could have a place to play golf starting at a young age. There weren’t computers back then but education and an open-mind to the world was stressed in our home, at school and in our little community in the ‘Valley of Opportunity.’ My brother’s gift and inscription of the Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons book to me at age 12 is still with me today: “Golf is a lot like life, the more you learn and understand about it, the easier it is to meet its challenge.” Little did I know at the time of the visit that a year later I would be invited to the inaugural First Tee ParTee, The extravaganza felt like a Great Gatsby party of the West. There was a red carpet complete with a photographer to take you picture in front of the themed backdrop. Three shining Lexus in the driveway yours for making a hole-in-one in the golf simulator in the garage, not on the nearby par-3 third hole at Cypress. Upon entering the Skinner home you cascaded through and down to the festive environment of a Hollywood-like party gone wild yet in a restrained manner. The buzz and clamor likened to the on-course drama of Bill Murray winning the Cinderella Pro Am in 2011 with D.A. Points, Phil Michelson winning his fourth title in 2012 or Brandt Snedeker winning again this year, his second triumph in the last three years. Aptly named for the occasion, the band Money with lead singer Zoe Alexander was a big hit and played well into the Crosby morning. Rob Skinner was best described to me as a “Connector,” of people, ideas and movements. No doubt this first ParTee for the First Tee of Monterey County is a great move in the right direction. Also no doubt that it will be taken to a bigger venue next year. As Stephanie mentioned to me, the party grew so big last year, they came to the conclusion of let’s do something good. Surely that is worth repeating at the 2016 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. There were handwritten cards from the First Tee kids. One said "I like the core value of respect because when you respect others they respect you back." Another simply said "thank you for donating to the First Tee and letting us play golf. It seems to me that this the Spirit of Crosby is alive and well in Pebble Beach and this party will impact the next generation in a positive manner. Bing would hit the nail right on the head as he said “the golf tournament, I believe, was a success if for no other reason than the opportunity it afforded the amateurs to meet and play with some great golfers of the day, and for the professionals to establish a social relationship with some of the people who played and supported the game. Crosby’s tournament raised over $3 million by 1975 with part of the proceeds benefiting the youth in Monterey County through the building and maintenance of recreation centers. That giving spirit is alive and well with the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the nonprofit Monterey Peninsula Foundation who has upped that total to over $120 million. The Skinner party, now the First Tee of Monterey County ParTee, on Friday night at the AT&T, brings a focus on what individual people can do to give back and give forward, to others in need in their communities. And it goes without saying that your last name does not have to be Crosby or Skinner. Proof positive the thousands of volunteers at Pebble Beach over the years. I will close with another Crosby quote from Netland’s book, with a slight modification—“We used to have some beautiful parties, of course, during the tournament in the evenings. Big functions with Big Purposes, one of them will occur well after I am gone at Stephanie and Rob Skinner’s home, it will be the annual “do.” Well the future is now, the Big Purpose is The First Tee of Monterey County, and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am party not to be missed is the Friday night ‘First Tee ParTee.” Look for it in 2016. The Crosby spirit is alive and well at Pebble Beach. I hope to see you there next year!