Golf: Bass enjoyed trip to Colorado for prestigious Palmer Cup

Dan McDonald • Local golf columnist • June 17, 2009

Former UL golf coach Bob Bass just completed his annual rite of summer as one of the organizers of the Palmer Cup, and last week’s collegiate equivalent of the Ryder Cup was one of the most memorable in Bass’ many years of work with that event.

For one, it was held at one of the country’s most famous courses as the first event at the newly-renovated Cherry Hills layout in Denver, Colo.

Second, the event’s namesake was on hand for virtually the entire event, and Bass got to spend some time with "The King."

"Having Arnold Palmer there meant so much for everybody," Bass said. "You could tell that the kids were even more excited about being part of the tournament with him being there, and they knew with us being at Cherry Hills how significant it was."

It was at Cherry Hills in the summer of 1960 that Palmer mounted maybe the most famous final-round comeback in golf history, charging from seven shots back to win the 1960 U.S. Open. Palmer drove the 346-yard par-four first hole – a monumental achievement 49 years ago, with equipment not being what it is now – and went on to win his only Open title.

Bass is in charge of course setup for the Golf Coaches Association of America event that matches the top college players from the U.S. and Europe.

And he made sure that what is now called the "Palmer Tee" was used on the matches’ opening hole even though longer and more traditional par-four distances are available with the course’s makeover.

Palmer took notice and referred to it in a pre-tournament luncheon.

"I’m looking forward to watching these matches and these guys," he said. "This is about the guys who play the game and play it right. I’m going to be on the first hole. And the first guy that pulls out a 1-iron or 2-iron or 3-wood, I’m going to run out and hand him his driver."

Few players argued with that club selection, and Bass said that some competitors found that first green on the fly with the combination of equipment improvements and the light air at Denver’s altitude.

"It’s pretty amazing how some of these guys can hit it," Bass said. "But what we tried to do was create some challenges, and the players had to use more than just their length to have some success."

The European team held off a late U.S. rally to take a 13-11 win, one that evened the all-time series at 6-6-1.

"It was a privilege to play a course with the history of Cherry Hills," said Europe head coach Dean Robertson, "and to have Arnold Palmer in attendance all week."

Bass got to spend time with some of Denver’s elite sports names, including former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway and just-departed coach Mike Shanahan. But Palmer – he of the 94 pro wins, seven major titles and the personality and charisma that helped bring pro golf to the forefront – was the main attraction.

"The golf coaches approached him in 1997 about putting his name on a new international college event," Bass said. "But it’s not just his name. He’s very involved and he cares deeply about the college game … he was a college player himself back when it wasn’t nearly as common for players with pro aspirations to start their careers there."