Robin Williams' Legacy Extends to Golf

By: Jeff Shelley


The entire world was saddened by the recent death of Robin Williams. A few days after his passing on August 11, it was determined that the 63-year-old comedian-actor committed suicide by hanging.

He endured a life-long battle with depression, treating it with drugs, alcohol, psychological counseling and extended periods of sobriety. Unfortunately, the depths of Williams' despair were not known to even his closest family members and friends.

But the gifted performer left behind a massive trove of performances, treating millions of people around the world to his amazing gift for entertaining, humoring and thought-provocation.

His remarkable knack for creating characters and utilizing voices from a variety of dialects - many made up on the spot during his nonpareil improvisations - set a standard that will never be matched.

Behind the scenes and beyond the public eye, Williams drew admiration for his massive heart. He raised millions of dollars through his Windfall Foundation and, with friends Billy Crystal and Whoopie Goldberg, brought attention to homelessness in America through a series of "Comic Relief" television shows.

It wasn't uncommon for Williams to do a comedy show in a city and donate all of his fees to local homeless shelters and food banks.

He was also one of the most popular entertainers ever to visit American troops overseas. In Iraq and Afghanistan, he helped boost troop morale at USO shows with comedy routines and reprising his role as the iconoclastic deejay Adrian Cronauer in the wonderfully timeless movie, "Good Morning, Vietnam."

There was no taboo subject for Williams, who flayed many sacred institutions, baring them with a rapier-like wit that quickly cut to the core.

One such area he skewered was the sport of golf during a memorable, Grammy Award-winning one-man performance in July 2002. The YouTube clip (see the link below) has been viewed over 7 million times. It's a good bet that some of the visitors aren't golfers, but my guess is that many of them are.

So here's Robin Williams' take on golf (a game he didn't play). Beware: the language is decidedly not kid-friendly. We'll miss you Robin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcnFbCCgTo4&list=RDpcnFbCCgTo4#t=2

Jeff Shelley is the editorial director of Cybergolf.