She was one of the most popular players of her time—maybe THE most popular—and for good reason. Amy Alcott was fun to watch. She pured it off the tee, she striped her irons, and if she missed an approach shot, she could get up and down from anywhere. She was gritty, determined and passionate. But that’s not why she was so popular. Amy Alcott is beloved because she was just pure joy.
It was Amy who, in 1988, started the LPGA’s best-known tradition by jumping into Poppie’s Pond after winning the Nabisco Dinah Shore (now known as the ANA Inspiration, an LPGA Major). This was back when the pond was, well, a pond. Today it’s a well-maintained pool. And when she won “The Dinah” again in 1991, she jumped in again, this time dragging an unwitting Dinah Shore with her!
Current LPGA pond-jumpers are entertaining, but nothing compares to watching that first unplanned leap of sheer exuberance by Amy Alcott.
So, you can imagine my response when a friend said, “We’re having dinner with Amy Alcott, would you like to join us?”
I became a 60-year-old child in an instant: Where? When? What time? What should I wear?”
What should I wear? I never say that! But even fashion-failure me doesn’t want Amy Alcott to think I’m a loser.
I waited patiently for the dinner, and it finally came. Who knows what I ate, who cares what I drank, all I remember are the things a fan wants to talk about with their golf idol:
What’s your favorite course? Riviera Country Club.
What’s your favorite movie? Forrest Gump.
What’s your favorite color? Okay, I didn’t ask her that, but you get the drift.
It was a perfect dinner, because, as it turns out, the person I thought Amy Alcott was, is, in fact, who she is. Gritty, determined and passionate, yes, but Amy Alcott’s overarching quality is that she’s fun. Everything she says, she says with a smile. She didn’t tell good jokes, she told great jokes. She didn’t tell run-of-the-mill golf stories, she told hysterical ones. We laughed a lot that night because it’s fun to be around a really fun person—and Amy Alcott is that.
For a baseball fan, this was dinner with Babe Ruth. For a football fan, it was dinner with Joe Montana. For an LPGA fan, it was dinner with Amy Alcott. Oh wait, it really was dinner with Amy Alcott!
sounds like a perfect person for on the course and off the course! what a gem. love learning more about our wonderful LPGA golfers!
Great story. It’s heart warming to hear you spent time with a Legend in Women’s Golf. It was a chance of a lifetime. Thanks for sharing.
I am old enough to remember that first jump into Poppie’s Pond, so this article brought back a fun memory. Plus it was written with both great insight as well as humor. Fun to remember and fun to read.
Patty – you are such a hoot. I especially liked “what should I wear?”
Great story. Love it when our heroes live up to our expectations!
Patty—you are awesome!…..Nice story( i saw both jumps!)…..Now all we need is a few folks like Amy to come to Bethpage and tee it up with us!…..:)
Excellent story, Patty! Living your dream. Now to get her to play a round with you?
I bet Amy said the same thing about you, Patty!!!!
What a great story! So nice to hear that legends can be pretty wonderful people, too.
Keep writing, Patty.
So great to hear that our golf legends are how we imagine them. What a treat, what a dinner!
What a great story! So happy she lived up to your expectations.
Another great article! Keep them coming!
I think you have found your true calling Patty! Your writing is as engaging as you are. Glad the CA sunshine is treating you well.
A fun article to read. Great to meet an idol. Better to have wonderful memories with your meeting her!
What a dream come true for you. When life gives you this kind of gift, it stays with you forever. This is a great article, knowing how happy it makes you is enough for me!
Great article Patty! Memorable night. Thanks for bringing it to life again. It’s like a dream when you spend real time with living legends.
Thanks for another fabulous article Patty! I so look forward to reading your articles. Please keep them coming!
Hi Patty, As you know I am Australian so I will respond from an Australian’s perspective. I know what is like to suddenly sharing dinner with a great leader and never being able to discuss all the topics I wished I had. Our little group doesn’t rurally mix in places where we would be taking to golfing greats but we play a lot mainly at one particular course and just socially but we have a lot of fu and being rather competitive we strive to win. Only recently we have introduced an actual competition based on a handicap arrangement worked out by our best golfer. There is usually some argument about the fairness of the handicapping although we have to admit it works fairly well. We try to give the handicapper a hard time as twice when we have gone away for golfing weekends the trophys we have created have been won by the handicapper and his wife!
WE don’t play for money as I understand that Americans always do but for a small “gold” cup worth about $2.00 – Rather British isn’t all about the honour not the money.
By the way I aim sure you would be most pleased that Joe Biden became President!
Best wishes
So, what did you ware? Surly not your lucky gray and white, well mostly white, seersucker shorts? What a great story, and it made me reminisce about my favorite round with a personal hero. There was an outing at The Ridge at Backbrook to raise money for the Princeton SPCA. (Much easier to raise money for pets than kids it seems)
I got a call from two good friends who were afraid they wouldn’t know enough about their guest to be entertaining. Being a huge fan of television and Broadway, except for Andrew Lloyd Weber, I was beside myself when I learned I was going to spend the day with Jerry Orbach. I had a small part in our high school production of The Fantastics–he wrote that. He started as a creative guy in show business, but he was also a legendary song and dance man, and later a TV hero. “Dick Wolf saved my life,” he told us.
We talked about Mel Brooks. “He never trusted anybody taller than him with Anne Bancroft.” Stories about Eva Gardner. “Was she as beautiful as they say,” I asked. “More,” he snapped back, and then went on to tell some beauties. We heard at least one great story or incredible joke on every hole. I would nonchalantly whistle an old song once in a while, on purpose to see his reaction. On about the eighth hole, Rosemary Clooney came to mind. “Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister.” He waited for my friend to hit his shot and said, White Christmas, that’s where I met my wife!” We all had dinner together, wife too, and happily bid ado. Jerry gallantly fought off prostate cancer for over ten years before that and sadly passed a few months after one of the greatest golf days of my life.
And, please tell Alistair that nobody in their right mind is happy about Joe Biden becoming “President.” Most are just happy to see the big guy gone.
Thanks for your excellent stories Patty
Patty, as always your writing is a joy to read. I’m not even a golfer and now I want to have dinner with Amy! You shared your experience wonderfully and I felt like I was there. Please keep ‘em coming, Patty!
Patty,
Perhaps Ms. Alcott did not ponder what to wear or prepare any questions in advance for dinner conversation, but I have no doubt her heart was warmed by the appreciation you expressed for her contribution to the game. I must also add that it is always nice to hear that a legend in any sport who becomes a role model (willingly or unwillingly) is a person of substance and character-and able to relate to people on a personal level.
Such a great story, Patty! I am happy you were able to meet your idol. It sounds like you had a wonderful time!!
Great story, Patty! What a treat!