Memories of LACoFD Golf Association (November 2007)

by Dave Stone

Tom, please forgive me for I am now 70 years old and I can't remember shit!  This is my recollection of the LACoFD Golf Association.  I hope this will help you for the history of our Association.

I joined the County Golf Association in 1963 . . . 44 years, doesn't seem possible.  I first played my golf with Emmet and John Kinney.  Emmet and I worked together at old Station 9.  Many of the old timers at Station 9 played golf with the County.  Jack and Clete Hinton were fine golfers.  I played a lot of golf with Nate Wilson who worked at Station 24 and Tom Fowler who worked at Station 16.

As I recall, the first LACoFD tournaments were held at Montebello, Rio Hondo and Whittier Narrows.  At that time, I was a boot fireman.  I met for the first time Bob Greer and Will Farmer.  They were BIG, TOUGH FIREMEN.  I learned to be Mister Macho!  I worked at OLD NINES . . . you know . . . kick in doors!  no air masks . . . beat the crap out of the fire . . . smoke eaters . . . macho men!  Couldn't play golf worth a damn!  But these guys were now my Buddies.  Remember Schoony, Ali Dog and the Animal.  I met Paul Delaney, George Demos, Pete Pedersen, Cal Sanders and Bob Yuill on the golf course before I met them on the fire department.

The first meeting of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Golf Association was held at Montebello Country Club in January 1958.  Bob Greer was elected President and Bob Yuill was elected Vice President.  At that time our membership fee was $1.00 a year.  In the 60's, Bob Yuill was now the President of the Golf Association; I believe it was Bob Yuill who decided to take our Golf Association to away days.  Southern California Golf Association went to Las Vegas in 1961 . . . a total of 265 golfers from 20 Departments.  We played at Hesperia for 3 years, from 1963 to 1965.  We had some great golf and some hell raising times.  Poker games till sunrise, dancing on the tables in the bar at 2:00 a.m.  I think we got kicked out.  I can't remember . . . too much Jack Daniels.    We had many away day tournaments, such as the 1973 Bob Yuill's Las Vegas Classic.  Southern California Golf Association went to Pebble Beach in 1972.  Get this!  The tournament fee for a single golfer was $100, which included three rounds of golf with cart, four meals and two nights lodging at the Del Monte Lodge.  Such a deal!  I believe this year (2007), if you stay at the Lodge at Pebble Beach, play three rounds of golf and eat four meals, it will set you back right around $2500.  And that's a non-ocean view room . . . 35 years of inflation!  In 1966 we went to Massacre Canyon.  The golf course was at Gillman Hot Springs.  The golf course is no longer there . . . I guess we shut that one down, too!  In 1967 we went to San Clemente Municipal Golf Course and stayed at the San Clemente Inn.  I can't remember why we left Gillman or San Clemente, or if we got kicked out, but I do remember the dreaded Pie Cart incident at one of those two places.  I won't mention their names, but a couple of firemen stole the pie cart from the restaurant and went around throwing pies or knocking on doors in rooms with a pie in the face.  Innocent fun!

The year was 1968 . . . Bob Yuill retired and George Bardwell was elected President.  It was George that introduced us to our beloved Singing Hills.  At that time we played Willow Glen and Oak Glen.  Our membership was 120.  George Bardwell was our President from 1968 to 1971.  Dean Metcalf was the President for the year of 1972.  Gary Dennis was the President for the year of 1973; Gary was one of our finest golfers.  Soon after, Ralph Derico took over as President from Gary Dennis.  According to Donna Derico, Ralph was president for 15 years and retired in 1988.  Those times at Singing Hills during Ralph's reign were wild times.  The dreaded accident with Bob Davis going through the windshield, Skip Bennett and Jim Sheppard driving Skip's Porsche off the cliff overlooking the tennis courts, Dick Bradley driving his car almost into the swimming pool.  Probably the best one of all was the golf cart in the room on the second floor of the hotel.  How it got there I will never tell.  The next day the cleaning lady called the office and said there was a golf cart in room 212.  Impossible . . . I don't think so!

We used to wear some of the most outrageous clothes playing golf.  Remember Johnny Miller and his checkered pants.  He had nothing on us . . . purple and white striped shorts, American flag golf shirts.  One year I wore these white pants with blue and yellow daisies . . . what a fashion statement!  I talked to Larry Carroll at the Jim Eaton Par Mutuel about the good old days at Singing Hills.  For four years at Singing Hills, the foursome of Jim Eaton, Keith Chausse, Larry Carroll and Bob Cross would play golf in a different costume every year . . . the "Cone Heads", the "Blues Brothers", the "Beach Boys", and "G.I. Joes".  They were fantastic!

I used to play golf with Tony Virga, Bob Ramsted and Lee Hickman at Singing Hills.  Seems like we were always drunk and raising hell!  Some got kicked out of the association.  Not me, I was an angel.  Lee Hickman passed away this year on April 3, 2007.  Lee was a great guy!  Lee and I played golf together for over 25 years.  He made sure I got home safely after all those Singing Hills marathons and adult beverages!  Another one I will always remember is Ron Jones, who has since passed away.  Every time I played golf with Ron, whether it was at Singing Hills, Match Play or County Play, he would have a plastic tumble of Scotch.  And this was in the morning!  Ron was a hell of a competitor and a great golfer in his own right.  He was the first golfer I ever played with that shot in the 60's and he was drunk!  Every time the bar cart girl would come by for refreshments, Ron would say, "Fill this tumbler up with Johnny Walker Red."  We just drank beer.

Someone said the bar tab in the lounge at Singing Hills reached $20,000 a night!  That doesn't count all the beer drank during the Derby and the Scramble.  According to the management at Singing Hills, LACoFD holds the four-day record for adult beverages consumed . . . beating out L.A. City, the police departments and even the four days over New Years!  Bill Harrison had a battery-powered blender so we could make Margaritas out on the course.  The heck with the mix . . . most of us just drank Tequila out of the bottle.  Thanks to Russ VanDeMark, we always had plenty of Vodka and Cranberry juice.

I think the highlight of our tourney at Singing Hills is the Derby!  One hundred drunken firemen, teeing off on the same hole!  All those insults when you are trying to hit your next shot.  You know . . . Does your wife play golf? . . . Nice putt, Helen!  You thing those PGA pros are nervous playing in front of all those galleries.  That's nothing compared to the firefighter who has to tee it up on the 10th hole at Oak Glen on Derby Day!  Your knees are shaking, your hands are sweating, you know you're gonna hook it out of bounds or slice it into the trees!  That's real pressure!

Another thing we used to do after playing golf for six hours . . . then playing in the Scramble for another three hours!  We used to play shower down for quarters after golf.  Even after dark with flash lights and cigarette lighters.  We putted the ball from every which way . . . behind trees, from inside the room onto the green and even out of the second story balcony (I don't think that putting green is there anymore).

We used to play poker every night until the wee hours . . . sometimes until the next day.  These were table stakes, big bucks games with some pots reaching $1,000.00 and more.  I played poker for more than 20 years with the likes of Hogie Willeford, Billy Roe, Rusty Hastings, Chuck Willy, Bud Lillard, Leroy Crawford, Larry Simcoe and many more.  I remember the next day we would tee it up at 0800.  The late night group (not me, ha, ha!) would show up at tee time, with no sleep, no shoes, and still play golf!  I remember the time that Steve Sherrill sat down at the poker table with $1,000.00 and said, "Let's play some poker!"  Two hands later he was broke!  These guys would get so drunk, stay up all night and still play golf the next day . . . and fall down on the first tee . . . and shoot good scores!  Amazing!  The next day after no sleep, we would get up and do it all over again. 

We were not those mean, bad tempered firefighters.  We were the best of the best!  We always meant well.  We meant no harm.  Just good fun!  I will always remember those good times with my L.A. County Firefighter buddies.

Tom, 44 years is a long time!  I have no regrets!  These past 44 years have been the best years of my life!  Every time I show up at our monthly play, at Las Vegas, at Tahoe or at Singing Hills I remember the good old days!  These are precious memories!

You have done a fantastic job, taking over for Ralph and Dale, putting our golf association into the 21st century.  I know you love the golf association as much as I do!

November 2007 marks a sad time for the Los Angeles County Fire Golf Association.  Our friend and fellow firefighter Mike Rubick passed away suddenly.  Our prayers go out to Barbara and her family!  Mike Rubick was a classy guy, a true gentleman, a fine golfer!  There was something special about Mike.  He always made me feel like I was special!  A true friend!  We all will miss him!

If there is anything I can do to help you with the past history, memories or anything else, let me know.

God Bless,

Dave Stone