Rockin in the Golf World

Neil Young playing Pebble Beach, 2003

Among the celebrities swinging their sticks at the AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach this week, there is one name that you won't see: Neil Young.

This is not because the iconic rock star does not play the game, because he does. Or at least he did. He was lured into the Royal and Ancient Game when he was growing up in eastern Canada. His mother belonged to a golf country club there and Neil's older brother, Bob, was an excellent golfer. Yet the name Neil Young and golf resonate cognitive dissonance for many of his longtime fans whose image of Neil have him holding a guitar, not a nine-iron.

To the surprise of many such fans, including me, Neil, at age 57, was among the amateur celebrities who showed up at Pebble to play in the AT&T in 2003. His presence in the tournament was stealthy and would be his only one. There was no pre-publicity. No TV coverage or media hoopla. Only astute followers of the game would have known, and word did slowly get around. By the time Neil reached the back-nine at Spyglass Hill on his first day, he had a small but distinctive gallery following him. It was a group -- in feathered hats, long coats, jeans and boots -- that would have made more sense at a rock concert than a sedate golf course in Del Monte Forrest.

Once known as the "Crosby Clambake," the now corporate AT&T Pro-Am that comes to the Monterey Peninsula is still considered a big party of celebrities and professional golfers playing together in a unique format that includes amateurs on the course into the final round on Sunday broadcast on national television from Pebble Beach. In addition to some of the top golfers in the world -- and their amateur partners -- it is pure eye candy for viewers along this beautiful stretch of coastline.

The week of the tournament many locals who enjoy golf will grab a copy of Wednesday's San Francisco Chronicle to read the pairings of celebs and pros and where they will be playing. There are three golf courses involved: Spyglass Hill, Monterey Peninsula and Pebble Beach Golf Links. Perusing that list in 2003 the name Neil Young showed up, partnered with professional golfer, Chris Riley (not a big name). Neil had never played in the tournament so you could easily have guessed that it was not the same grunge-style rock star. Rockers who were known to play golf included Alice Cooper and Huey Lewis, who was one of the first rock 'n rollers to play in the AT&T. But never Neil.

Word started to spread, including a mention on KPIG Radio, a Santa Cruz area station. "It looks like Neil Young will be playing," announced one of the DJs that morning. I was on my way to the tournament and the radio comment confirmed that it was, indeed, the same Neil Young. According to the pairings, he would be at Spyglass.

Spyglass Hill, which opened for play in 1966, is a dynamic golf course that takes advantage of being both near the sea and in the woods. The course starts at the ocean, with gorgeous contours along the craggy shoreline, and winds back into the dense forest. Locating the golfers requires referencing names and their order based on tee times. One of the wonderful features of attending a pro golf tournament, especially that includes celebrities, is that you can walk the course and follow your favorite players, at times getting within a few feet of the competitors if, for example, their ball lands near where you're standing.

Walking from the 18th hole backwards I figured I would eventually run into Neil. By the time I reached the 15th hole I spied that gaggle of gallery that stood out like a polka party at the opera. These were Neill's people, for sure. There he was strolling down the fairway in beige-colored attire and matching floppy brimmed hat. He displayed a decent swing but the results were not so pretty. Still, he moved along without screaming or pounding his club into the ground when he missed a shot. He was a true golfer, accepting his fate with a modicum of grace and steadiness. It is not a game for the emotionally weak.

I felt as though I were backstage at a rock concert, hanging with the fans (okay, groupies). By the 18th hole, it was clear that Neil was not exactly tearing it up. He had "picked up" on most of the holes, meaning in respect for his partner and time, he had not completed a couple of holes. I had the feeling that the pressure of being watched swinging a golf club was more humbling to him than playing soulful guitar licks.

I had to at least get a few words from him for my story. When he completed his round I walked up to him and started to say something stupid, like "What the hell are you doing here?" but he saw me coming. "I'll be right back," he said. "I have to go to the bathroom."

I turned to the woman in the cowboy hat who had been standing next to him. She said she was Pegi Young, Neil's wife. She seemed relaxed and we began to chat. She told me that Neil played golf with her father and that he and some of his band members liked to play golf when they were on tour. We were having a nice conversation when Neil returned. He seemed a little miffed that I was having such a good time with his wife. Maybe I was reading into it. He was slowly being surrounded by fans. And he accommodated a couple of young guys with sound equipment who asked him to do a short plug for their radio station.

Neil didn't make the cut that week. He has not returned to the tournament, that year being his sole appearance. A year or so ago I read that he and Pegi had split up. I thought she was pretty cool and was sorry to hear that.