Sayonara

By: Jeff Shelley

Well, here we are. After 15-and-a-half years and over 16,000 articles, I'm leaving Cybergolf. Here's my final story, which looks back on my experiences as a golf writer.

• Being the media director of the Fred Couples Invitational in Seattle and observing a hung-over David Feherty fire a 7-under 65 to take the first-round lead in the 36-hole Monday-Tuesday event in the 1990s. On his birdie binge the then-noted tippler from Northern Ireland stopped by backyard parties along Overlake's fairways, eagerly accepting beers and cheers as he played carefree golf. With a chance at victory the following day, Feherty went back to his hotel and got eight hours of booze-free sleep, then went out and shot a 76 Tuesday to drop from contention.

• Despite having a bad case of the flu, a torn ligament in my wrist and playing in lousy weather, accomplishing my three goals on the Old Course at St. Andrews: getting off the first tee, hitting my tee shot over the hotel on the Road Hole, and parring the 18th. After the round, my pal Charlie and I had a drink at the Jigger Inn and while walking back came across a little white car on the street beside the last hole with dozens of golf-ball-caused dents all over it.

• Putting through the legs of grazing sheep at the rough-hewn six-hole course across from the famed Ballymaloe House in County Cork.

• Attending two of three once-a-decade GWICOs (Golf Week in Central Oregon) hosted by my good buddy Allen Schauffler. The celebration of his 50th and 60th birthdays drew friends from around the U.S., with this year's GWICO 3 attracting the inimitable Tony Reynolds from Sydney, Australia. The three of us will reconvene for the golf event at the 2017 World Masters Games in Auckland.

• Playing Royal Portrush in 50 mph gales and heavy rains, and not seeing much of the fabled course at all. The round's highlight was a stiff shot of Bushmills with my pal Clyde in a weather-beaten shack beside the 10th tee before we re-entered the maelstrom.

• My friend Zig, while en route to a snowman on the closing hole at a Boston course, yelling at the group in front of us to speed it up.

• Encountering, among many beasts on golf courses, bear, elk, water moccasins, bald eagles, moose, a nasty swarm of bees, black snakes, osprey, parrots, cockatoos, hawks, skunks, raccoons, longhorn steer, a giant goat in New Zealand that knocked me on my keister because I foolishly didn't have any food for him in my bag, and a scary crocodile in Queensland, Australia, that forced the shutdown of nine holes.

• During those five-hour stretches on a golf course getting to know wonderful people after being paired with them on the first tee. This sizable group included Michigan State football coach Duffy Daugherty in Seattle, on the day before his Spartans played the UW Huskies.

• Following male strippers on a Portland daytime TV show to promote my book.

• Enduring an hour-long interview by a non-golfing radio talk-show host that was broadcast over the PA system in a cavernous and loud shopping mall.

• Playing 54 holes at age 14 during my Dad's company tournament at Broadmoor GC in Portland while all the guys were in the bar.

• Almost making a hole-in-one on the 70-yard first hole at Jackson Park's par-3 with a putter, taking advantage of a water-eroded gully off the tee that zigzagged downhill into a seldom-reset cup.

• Two aces, both on the same hole, at Sand Point in Seattle.

• Working with and befriending such fine folks as John Bodenhamer (now at the USGA), B.C. historian Michael Riste, Bob Spiwak, Dan MacMillan, Dan Raley, Jim Moore, Karen Armstead, Steve Kealy, Bunny Mason, Kimberly Erusha, Larry Gilhuly, Dave Phipps, Tony Dear, Cathy Relyea, Dan Murnan, Jeff Brauer, Blaine Newnham, Ron Stull, countless golf course superintendents, pros, architects, developers, builders, owners and managers, all my fellow writers/contributors over the years, and myriad others.

• And finally, meeting and interviewing hundreds of long-gone and still-alive people, whose abiding love of golf underscored my sense, 28 years ago, that writing about this enchanting game might be a good way to go. I will pass this on to my two grandsons.

Editorial director Jeff Shelley's last day at Cybergolf was July 31.

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