|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Hogan's memory lives at Shady Oaks
Posted: Tuesday May 23, 2000 12:10 PM
FORT WORTH -- Colonial Country Club may be the home of golf here, but Shady Oaks Country Club is the House of Hogan. Ben Hogan practically owned Colonial. He won five times there, and is such a legend and part of the local history that there's a statue of his likeness by the clubhouse. Shady Oaks, which is only a few miles away, is where Hogan was a member, where he went to practice and relax and could most often be found in his later years, seated at his reserved spot near the window overlooking the 9th and 18th greens. His silhouette in that chair was an intimidating presence for any golfer. I got a chance to play Shady Oaks during the recent MasterCard Colonial tournament and heard enough Hogan stories for a book. In fact, there was new one in the golf shop, I Remember Hogan, and I meant to pick up a copy. If you've already read it, let me know if it's any good. Like Colonial, Shady Oaks has lots of big, mature trees and a '50s-style look to the clubhouse. It's elongated, flat-roofed and has a lot of windows. The course itself is pretty sweet. Unlike Colonial, Shady Oaks is hilly and features rolling terrain. The greens seemed a little bigger, which is good because they were very firm and very fast. The greens are the course's main defense, at least from the members tees, from which the layout plays a modest 6,308 yards. If you want more action, you can go to the back tees and play it at 6,929 yards, and you'd be grinding hard. It was designed to be a fun, not-too-tough members course, and it is. Shady Oaks is the kind of course you could look forward to playing every day and not get bored. Of course, I was like every other Shady Oaks guest. I wanted to hear about Hogan. Shady Oaks golf professional Mike Wright told me about the time he Hoganized George Karl, the NBA coach and a single-digit golfer, a few years ago. Hogan was sitting at his usual spot in the dining room and Karl was facing a short approach shot to the green on the 9th or 18th, I'm not sure which. Wright thought he'd have some fun, so he pointed Hogan out to Karl, said he'd told Hogan that Karl was playing as a guest that day and that Hogan knew who he was. Karl tightened up and bladed his approach shot over the green, across the cart path, past the flower beds and over near the window right in front of Hogan. From there, a series of chili dips ensued, followed by another skulled shot back across the green. Karl later told Wright he couldn't believe he could get so nervous just because one person was watching him. I visited the lunchroom where Hogan's seat at the round table is still reserved in his honor. On a pillar just behind his chair is a button that was installed for Hogan so he could call for service. You can go outside and see where Hogan's dog was buried in a place of honor. Folks still talk about the day Hogan took off his cap at the burial service and wept. There's a display of Hogan memorabilia in the golf shop, tastefully done. I visited the locker room, where Hogan's locker is still intact with his shoes and other belongings, including various balls and ointments. I had a hell of a time prying the glass off his locker so I could stick my shoes in there before I played. O.K., I'm kidding. Golf has never had another personality quite like Ben Hogan. He was considered the ultimate shotmaker and he built his own equipment company. There have been few players, if any, who knew as much about the golf swing and about the golf club as Hogan. Because he was reclusive and intimidating, a mystique grew around him. He was golf's Howard Hughes. If we'd known him better, his legend might not be as strong as it is today. Hogan was a man of mystery in many ways. Most golfers would like to have been closer to him so they could hear his opinions and soak up some of his knowledge of the game and the golf swing. We have to settle instead for a few books, a few stories and a living legacy at Shady Oaks. Hogan would no doubt have considered the latter a great honor. Sports Illustrated senior writer Gary Van Sickle is a regular contributor to the magazine's Golf Plus section. Click here to send a question to his Golf Mailbag. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
