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Reigning Golf Nut of the Year Dave Wells Reminisces about AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Golf Nuts – Following is an article reigning Golf Nut of the Year Dave Wells (#2803) wrote for a local newspaper in his hometown of Memphis a while back. He was fortunate to earn a spot in the 1990 Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Here are a few of his fond memories of that event… –Head Nut

SPECIAL TIMES AT THE AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM

                                    By Dave Wells

As the PGA Tour is now underway, I wanted to share some personal experiences at a special golfing place on the map, the Monterey Peninsula in California. Whether you watch it on TV, attend it as a spectator, or have the opportunity to play in this golf event, it is so very special. Words cannot express the true feeling of teeing it up on Hole #1 at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

I was fortunate enough to earn a spot in the 1990 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am where I was paired with Neal Lancaster who was a rookie on the PGA Tour that year, and the other two players in our foursome were Robert Meyer, a Golf Pro from California and amateur Louis ‘Chip’ Weil, the publisher of TIME Magazine.

Before the tournament actually starts on Thursday, each amateur can play three practice rounds at the Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, and Spyglass golf courses. I played Pebble Beach on Monday and was joined by the Waterford Crystal CEO from Ireland and a practice round Wednesday at Spyglass with golf pro John Inman, currently on the Champions Tour, and his memorable comment to me was….”Spyglass is the toughest of the three courses….most pros don’t like it; I don’t even know why I’m practicing here.” Interesting comment….but he was really more concerned on how he was going to identify his amateur partner, that would be ‘Robin’ of Batman & Robin fame.

My Tuesday practice round was the most eventful of the practice rounds….at Cypress Point set up by RJ Harper, the Pebble Beach Golf Director….I searched out RJ as he was originally from Memphis and played football at Rhodes. After introducing myself, he called the Head Pro at Cypress Point (Jim Langley), and I was to contact him upon my arrival at Cypress Point on Tuesday morning.

The Cypress Point Pro sent me to the first tee, and I was to play with a golfer named Jeff Hart. I introduced myself and asked Jeff what he did for a living thinking he was another amateur golfer, and he immediately answered, “I am on the PGA Tour”…. so that started it out with a slight embarassment on my part. Jeff is now on the Champions Tour, and I saw him a few years back at the FEDEX ST. JUDE, and we both laughed about it.

Then Jeff said, “Lead us off Dave”….. as I addressed the ball, a voice behind me said, “May I join you please?”, and Jeff and I both looked up, and there was Sandy Lyle, so now excitement was in the air as we were a threesome. I readdressed the ball, and of course, another voice said, “Can I be the 4th in your group?”…so Tom Kite joined us and away we went.

No gallery except my wife, Nancy, and the four of us plus our caddies start down the first hole at Cypress Point after hitting our tee shots over the road in front of the # 1 tee. A light rain began on # 4, but everyone kept playing, and Nancy pulls a COPPERTONE umbrella out of my golf bag….and Tom Kite starts laughing and says, “I don’t think I’ve seen a COPPERTONE Umbrella on a golf course.”….and much laughter became a part of this fun round.

Then, we got to the 7th tee, a short Par 3 up on a hillside, and everybody was selecting their iron for the shot when Sandy Lyle’s caddy from England came over to me with tears in his eyes and I thought, what has happened….and then he looks at me and says,  “I hear you’re from Memphis, Dave…you know that Elvis Presley never came to England.”…..I didn’t know what to say….he was very upset, so I just said, “I’m sorry.”…so memories of Elvis also joined us at Cypress Point.

Our foursome got to # 8, a dogleg to the right, and the tee shot has a very small landing area between a very large sandtrap and the rough….so I hit my tee shot…didn’t know if it was in the sand or not…and Tom Kite quickly says,  “Dave, your tee shot is either dead or dead perfect.”…thankfully, it was OK.

As my caddy and I were walking down # 9 fairway, my caddy waved to a caddy friend on another hole, and Jack Lemmon waved back….funny, funny.

As we approached the famous Par 3 #16 at Cypress Point, we had a short wait until the group on the green finished putting. Sandy Lyle was looking out at the ocean and the gray skies as the rain had now become a steady drizzle, and I asked Sandy, ” Does this remind you of Scotland?”….and Sandy’s response, ” It’s never this nice in Scotland.”….and he was serious. What a practice round to remember at Cypress Point.

Now, it was tournament time…Time to tee it up Thursday, and on the practice putting green prior to our 9:00 A.M. starting time, I was practicing my putting alongside Gary Morton (Lucille Ball’s husband) when one of my practice putts found the hole from 20 feet out, and a nearby celebrity golfer, Huey Lewis, said loudly, “Will you teach me to putt?” And my quick response was , “If you teach me to sing,” followed by much laughter from everybody on and around the practice green as the day started with fun times.

Our group’s starting hole was # 10 at Pebble Beach Golf Links on a beautiful sunny day….in those days the amateurs and pros hit from the same tee in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and Neal Lancaster and I did finish the three rounds at 9-under par, but did not make the cut for the 4th round…the cut was -13, but it sure was loads of excitement and fun at a scenic place you can see this week on TV. The three-course rotation is now Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, and the Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

This PGA Tour stop is certainly a special event which Bing Crosby and his friends started back in 1937 combining golf professionals with amateur golfers including celebrities from all over the world. A few of the celebrities I had the pleasure of meeting and being around in 1990 were Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery, Jack Lemmon, Julius ‘Dr. J.’ Erving, James Garner, and Robert Wagner….quite an experience.

“If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach. I’ve loved the course from the first time I saw it. It’s possibly the best in the world.” – Jack Nicklaus

–Dave “Iron Byron” Wells (#2803)

Thanks for sharing the memories and stories, #2803. It had to be a golf nut’s dream week!

The Head Nut

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Welcome Nut #4051!

Joe Sgroi, our newest member, exemplifies what our society is all about…

We exist to give people like Joe their “fifteen minutes of fame”. Speaking of which…

Joe has played over 200 rounds a year for 13 straight years and has made nine holes in one during that span. During his illustrious career, Nut #4051 has also been a member of four different golf clubs; three in Florida and one in North Carolina. Ruling: 1,660 Nut Points

Joe also scored 7,665 Points on his Entrance Exam, for a Grand Total of 9,325 Nut Points.

Welcome aboard, Nut #4051!

You’re our kind of Nut.

The Head Nut

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Ed Heimann, R.I.P

We lost Ed Heimann, Certified Golf Nut #2740 last August 1, 2021 at the age of 83.

Ed was famous in the Golf Nut Society for a couple of stupendous feats. First, his company, Globe and Hamilton Tailoring, were the makers of the Masters winners’ jackets, which earned him 2,000 Nut Points. Equally impressive was when he once hired David Leadbetter for a full week of all-day lessons when Leadbetter was at the height of his popularity, a rather expensive feat any measure! I guess #2740 wasn’t hitting it all that well and was kind of desperate. It earned him 5,000 Nut Points.

Following is an excerpt from Ed Heimann’s obituary:

“Globe and Hamilton Tailoring were manufacturers, representing dealers nationwide, of Fine Custom made suits, coats and uniforms. They sold Uniforms to the US Marines, US Air Force, Delta Airlines, Private Golf Clubs, and Police Forces across the country.

While Globe catered primarily to their dealers, and larger organizations, Ed was a gifted salesman and was able to convince many well-known individuals in the golfing world like Arnold Palmer and Greg Norman to appreciate Globe’s Garments. He also nurtured many celebrities like Perry Como, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell, and Chet Atkins to be loyal customers.

Soon, not only were they customers of Globe but they became Ed’s friends. He often was invited to Palm Springs to play in the Bob Hope Classic and stay in Bob and Deloris’s home.

A recent article in Town and Country polled a number of athletes and asked them what they thought was the most coveted and well known award in sports. Overwhelmingly, they voted for the “Masters Green Jacket”, which was produced for more than 40 years at Hamilton Tailoring in Cincinnati.

Not only was Ed a gifted salesman, but also a master golfer. At a very young age he beat Jack Nicklaus at Avon Fields. He won the Club Championship at Hyde Park Country Club 26 times, the Club Championship at Coldstream Country Club 18 times, the Club Championship at Hammock Beach in Florida, and was a member of the Society of Seniors. He was also inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Legends of Golf.

Ed loved the game; he loved seeing others succeed at the game, and he inspired others to love it as much as he did.”

The Golf Nut Society celebrates Ed Heimann’s unmatched passion for the game, his great skill as a competitive golfer, and his endearing personality which made him a friend of the famous and not so famous throughout his life.

Rest in peace, #2740.

The Head Nut

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2021 Golf Nut of the Year!

Dave Wells (#2803)

Dave Wells, Certified Golf Nut #2803, was named 2021 Golf Nut of the Year by the Golf Nut Society.  Wells, a resident of Memphis, Tennessee, is the quintessential golf nut in every sense of the word. An excellent golfer who has played golf with numerous tour players, Dave is still an autograph hound and inveterate golf memorabilia collector. Nicknamed “Iron Byron” by none other than Julius “Dr. J” Irving for his uncanny accuracy off the tee, Dave has shot his age over 200 times, and every time he tees it up he is a threat to do it again.

He lives on the first tee of TPC Southwind, the home of the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Classic and can literally sit in his backyard and watch players tee off in the event.

He has played golf all across America and has attended numerous world-class PGA Tour events and Ryder Cups.

And then there’s his golf museum which takes up a large room in his home…

In winning the title, “Iron Byron” had an Entrance Exam score of 11,614 Nut Points, and 37,207 Bonus Points for a total of 48,821 Nut Points, placing him fourth on the All-Time Leading Scorers list.

An 84-year-old 10.6 handicap golfer, his lowest Index was 1.0, Wells is a long-time member of the Golf Nut Society and one of our favorites for his active involvement, great sense of humor, and unmatched passion for the game. Here are some of his more impressive feats:

BONUS POINTS SUMMARY

  • Was given the nickname “Iron Byron” by none other than Julius Erving (“Dr. J”} after they were paired together in a pro-am and Dave hit every single fairway. 1,000 Points
  • Dave and Nancy Wells live adjacent to the tennis courts, with a backyard overlooking the first hole at TPC Southwind. 1,000 Points
  • On the first day at the first fan-less World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, Dave Wells was one of the few Memphians doing exactly what he would have been doing if the tournament hadn’t been completely altered by the coronavirus pandemic. He was watching the players tee off from his back yard. 500 Points
  • Has a spectacular golf museum on the second floor of his home. 5,000 Points
  • Has 65 trophies and 150 golf books in his home’s golf museum. 1,150 Points
  • Retired almost 30 years ago from his job at Schering-Plough. And even then, when someone would ask what he did for a living, Wells would joke, “I play golf.” 500 Points
  • Almost every inch of almost every wall of his “museum” is filled with golf memorabilia from seemingly every significant golfer of the past century. Sam Snead. Ben Hogan. Arnold Palmer. Jack Nicklaus. Lee Trevino. Seve Ballesteros. Tom Watson. You name it, aside from Tiger Woods, Wells probably has an autograph up somewhere. 1,000 Points
  • There’s a Ben Hogan signature which prompts Wells to tell the story of how he once met Hogan at Old Cherokee Golf Course at the corner of Lamar and Prescott. 1,500 Points
  • There’s also an autographed picture from Al Geiberger with this note: “You were here that great day,” when Geiberger shot the first 59 in tour history. 1,059 Points
  • Dave was also there in 1965 when Nicklaus won the Memphis Classic. 165 Points
  • “Iron Byron” would always bring a chair to the events to stand on so he could see over the people in front of him. 100 Points
  • He has a faded program from the 1979 Danny Thomas Classic that his son used to get autographs. When they came home, Dave asked how many he managed to get. “Three,” his son said. A few years later, Dave was leafing through the program in his son’s room and noticed the three autographs were Gerald Ford, Bear Bryant and Danny Thomas. 503 Points
  • On another shelf in his museum sits a photo of Patrick Reed from when he won an American Junior Golf Association event at TPC Southwind as a 14-year-old. 114 Points
  • Another prized possession is a signed picture from Cary Middlecoff, the greatest Memphis golf product. It’s the first piece of memorabilia Wells ever got. It’s from 1948. 948 Points (See top photo)
  • Also has a Scrapbook given to him by Cary Middlecoff. It is one given to Middlecoff one year as a Masters participant, honoring the winner of the Masters the prior year. Cary received the scrapbook in 1965. It was entitled ‘Arnold Palmer’s Scrap Book’ honoring Arnie’s win in 1964…..many photos, scorecards, history of the Masters, newspaper headlines and articles written during the 1964 tournament and many other photos of the golfers playing in the 1964 Masters (See bottom of photo below.)
  • When Dave had the opportunity to play a round with Arnie in 1989, he carried the “Arnold Palmer Scrapbook” with him, and Palmer honored him by immediately signing it upon meeting him. So, you could say, it all started with the gift of this famous book from Cary Middlecoff…and Arnold’s autograph makes it a keeper for life. 2,500 Points
  • Has a photo of Arnold Palmer and himself walking together up the 18th hole as they finished their round together. 1,018 Points
  • “Arnold Palmer told me the most important thing about the game of golf is who you meet on the golf course,” Wells said. 500 Points
  • After his round with Palmer, he asked Wells, “Dave, what do you do for a living?” When he returned home, he told his boss what Palmer asked and his boss replied, “I would like to have been there to hear your answer!” 500 Points
  • Has played every golf course on the West Coast Swing (Pebble Beach, Hawaii, Palm Springs, and San Diego). 500 Points
  • Won “Low Gross” in the CEO Open Gross at TPC Sawgrass which earned him a spot in the 1990 AT&T Pro-Am. 1,000 Points
  • Won two Father-Son championships (‘77/’78), proving that he has his priorities in order. 200 Points
  • Has made 4 holes-in-one. 4,000 Points
  • Has shot his age over 200 times. 2,000 Points
  • “Retired” the first 50 golf balls with which he shot his age, and still has them. 500 Points
  • Made a Double-Eagle – the shot of his life – on the 10th hole at Nairn GC in Scotland. 200 Points
  • Has over 200 golfer autographs dating back to 1946 including Hogan, Snead, Palmer Middlecoff and many others. 2,000 Points
  • Has played golf with tour pros Arnold Palmer, Sandy Lyle, Tom Kite, Neal Lancaster, Ted Purdy, David Frost, Hubert Green, Doug Barron, Clark Dennis, Dale Douglass, John Inman, and Jeff Hart. 1,300 Points
  • Has autographed photos of Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker. 500 Points
  • Got Bob Hope’s autograph while attending the 1990 Bob Hope Desert Classic. 500 Points
  • Has autographed photos of LPGA founder Marilyn Smith, Woody Austin, Boo Weekley, and David Toms. 400 Points
  • Witnessed Justin Leonard’s winning Ryder Cup putt in person and got Leonard’s autograph. 1,000 Points
  • In the “International Section” of his golf museum he has autographs from Louis Oosthuizen, Seve Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els, Darren Clarke, Jon Rahm, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood and KJ Choi, and also has Justin Rose’s glove from the 2021 Memphis Classic. 1,200 Points
  • Got an autograph from Gene Sarazen when he was 95 years old and still playing golf at Marco Island. 950 Points
  • Has Lee Trevino’s autograph. 500 Points
  • Has autographs from Ken Venturi, Jerry Pate, Ted Purdy (his Scottsdale neighbor), Billy Casper, and Johnny Miller. 600 Points
  • Has a birthday card from David Feherty. 500 Points
  • Has a golf book about Payne Stewart, autographed by Stewart. 300 Points
  • Has several autographed golf balls including from Greg Norman, Tom Kite, John Daly, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Andrew Magee and Dan Quayle. 600 Points
  • Has written 26 golf articles over the last 10 years for two local magazines. Quite an achievement for a non-golf writer! 2,600 Points

Last, but not least, Dave has his wife’s grandfather’s golf clubs from 1924 proudly displayed in his golf museum. They include six clubs (Jackson Park Driver not shown because shaft/clubhead were broken), five Irons (Mashie Iron, Mid Iron, 1-Iron, and two putters (one a Champion brand hand-made putter). Also in the bag were two Spalding golf balls and three short tees from that era. 600 Points

Dave Wells, Certified Golf Nut #2803, embodies everything that makes the Golf Nut Society what it is…a society for golfers who will never win a major, but who love the game with a passion that surpasses all understanding. We proudly celebrate Dave “Iron Byron” Wells’ victory! He is a worthy recipient of the title 2021 Golf Nut of the Year.

The Head Nut

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