[BadbarmrapBef]

Got back last night from a golf trip to western PA where I got to play Laurel Valley and Oakmont. Oakmont is everything they say it is and more. Really tough, but fair if you keep it in play. The fairways were the best conditioned fairways I've ever played on. The greens were diabolical. Old school and big money.

But the highlight of the trip was a tour that our pro arranged at Arnold Palmer's place in Latrobe. We had no expectations that he might be there, but it turned out that he was there and he gave us ten minutes to chat in his office. Really impressive that this great man would give that kind of time to perfect strangers. When we were leaving I said, "Mr. Palmer, thank you for your time." He replied, "No, thank you for yours."

[dodsCooggipsedebt]

Got back last night from a golf trip to western PA where I got to play Laurel Valley and Oakmont. Oakmont is everything they say it is and more. Really tough, but fair if you keep it in play. The fairways were the best conditioned fairways I've ever played on. The greens were diabolical. Old school and big money.

But the highlight of the trip was a tour that our pro arranged at Arnold Palmer's place in Latrobe. We had no expectations that he might be there, but it turned out that he was there and he gave us ten minutes to chat in his office. Really impressive that this great man would give that kind of time to perfect strangers. When we were leaving I said, "Mr. Palmer, thank you for your time." He replied, "No, thank you for yours."

Very cool, Phan!

[qzgCVHex]

very cool

[Sipewrio]

When we were leaving I said, "Mr. Palmer, thank you for your time." He replied, "No, thank you for yours."

You should have said, "Your time is a lot more valuable, since you don't have all that much left at your age."

[Master_B]

Palmer has kept virtually every set of clubs he has ever had. There were two rows of clubs like this in his barn (kind of a haphazard museum).

[janeloveslifenow]

Arnie's claret jug from the 1961 British Open.

[Manteiv]

The famous Oakmont church pews

[T5qYkHWQ]

# 18 at Laurel Valley.

[Rufio]

Arnie the pack rat. I think he still has every set of clubs he's every used.

[u2ZQGC6b]

[nemoforone]

So what did you talk about?

[Nabeqiv]

Damn, that's pretty damn special, Phan. Color me green.

[hablyShappY]

So what did you talk about?

I had a picture of him and my Dad from a Pro-Am they played in together in 1963 and we talked about the course in Philly where he won that year. He didn't really pay much attention to it all and he obviously didn't remember it. They guy IS 82 years old.

He pointed out interesting things about a lot of the things that he had on his walls. "I'm the smartest man in America", as he pointed out all the honorary doctorates he had assembled there.

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. I met Fred Couples today. He is probably the most down to earth celebrity I have ever been around.

[AAAESLLESO]

Arnold Palmer turned 83 on Monday but he had to wait until today for his biggest gift, a Congressional Gold Medal that recognizes both his contributions to the game of golf and his humanitarianism.Congress voted to award the medal in 2009 but it has taken three years for the U.S. Mint to design and produce the gold coin depicting Mr. Palmer's image. As the honoree, he had some say over the design but didn't see the finished product until today.
During a ceremony in the Capitol rotunda, House and Senate leaders presented the medal, which is considered one of the nation's highest expressions of appreciation, matched only by the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which Mr. Palmer was awarded eight years ago.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...#ixzz26IWaZV9X