Fire Drill 016: The Rielly Way

On my left Michael Bamberger, frequent wingman. We are here in the press room at UM Southern Hills almost at Oakland Hills, Southern Hills, Tulsa, Oklahoma. One of the great things about the pg Championship is it the one week all year we really celebrate the club pros. They get the stage and they get the who do is that they deserve. We know it's a challenging profession. And joining us is Rick Riley, the head pro at Wilshire Country Club in l A. Rick, thanks for being here. You

great to be here. Thanks thanks for having me on your podcast. Looking forward to Oh yeah, well, as Michael said a minute ago, which it was under a little happier circumstances, but uh, you know, your father was a legend in the field, and he was past president of the PGA Championship and unfortunately passed away recently, and Michael here wrote a beautiful tribute that kind of introduced him to some of our readers, and we thought, you know, this being the PGA, we just we wanted to talk

a little bit more about his life and legacy. And Michael, let me turn it over to you. Yeah, it was it was ne Rick here and life is so weird. I got interested in in your in your dad's life by reporting another story and then someone brought up your dad's name and I was interested in the father something and how the game gets handed down, and of course you're a great example of that. So what you know, maybe that's a starting point. Uh what's it like to grow up under the watch of a pg A club

professional and then become one yourself. Well, my dad was unique individual. He you know, obviously started out with a lot, not a lot. But you know, the one thing I learned from my dad is, you know, he always talked about, like, to be a good PGA professional, you have to be like a five point player. You have to be a player a teacher and merchandiser administrator, but the most important thing,

you gotta be a people person. So I mean, he he, He was an ant El Camino for ten years and for thirty years, I just kind of watched him, you know, deal with the people, you know, take care of the ladies who couldn't get it across the over the bunker, and at the end of the the day, you're just you're you're trying to promote the game of golf, you know, but people have a good time playing golf, and get him getting walking away from the golf course with like

a great experience. So for me, it's kind of something I've watched Dan Dale and my dad had grown up at and he'd be I'd be in his office, he'd be chewing me out for someone banging a club or getting upset or something like that. But it was always, uh, you know, do it the right way. He's his his his motto was the right way, the wrong way, in the right way. So um, kind of big shoes to fill,

but that's that's kind of what he talked about. And I kind of tried to follow his lead all these years and and just um, you know, obviously I missed him, but you know he's still here in my heart and try to do what he would do, you know, thinking about when you make a decision on something like what would pat Riley do? That type of thing. So it's I've been lucky that way to have that kind of fall back on. That's that's really beautiful. I love that.

I mean I didn't have the pleasure of ever meeting your dad, but from from reading Michael's words and some of the things you said through the years and we've been playing golf, it he just seemed like a larger than life character. And it's almost and something seems like a dying breed where you have these these club pros who stay at one place for thirty years, like like like like your dad did and Dale and maybe you'll

do it at Wilshire. But I mean, how important is it to the life of the club when when you have these figures who transcend the generations and and really bring that continuity and become just a part of the fabric of the life of a club. You know, it's funny to hear you've been here since seven Wilshire and

you know it's kind of it's it's a family. We kind of talked about the family aspect of the membership as well as my team here, and you know, it's just you know, we're all we're all really lucky to come to a golf course every day. I mean, you look in other parts of life and it's we're not not so blessed on people. So it's it's coming here, you know, doing the right thing for all the members and our team here. It's it's it's I like to come to work every day. I guess said, they're paying

me to do this. Yeah, that's great, but it's it's something. It's something as a kid, I want to be at the golf course all day. I'm kind of a golf course junkie. So it's it's a great place to be. We're very lucky here, will Shure. You've got a great, great club here, great history and here for a hundred and two years now, and just want to make sure that you know, when people walk away from Welsh whether it's a member or guest like this had a great time.

Then that's that's kind of what golf and in any clubs should be that way in the country, like enjoy the day, the game, walk away and get experience you may know this, but there was a World Golf Hall of Famer Uh at Mr Riley's funeral, Dean Beamon gave the second reading. Uh yeah, I mean that's quite his statement because Demon is not a young man and he lives in Florida, so it's a long way to come. What what what did that mean to and what can you tell us about the relationship between dem Bam and

with jam Bon and your dad? Well, they had an interestant relationship because obviously my dad was representing the PJA of America, the best censors of the PJA American Demons obviously representing the best censers of the PGA Tour. But at the same time they're both trying to grow the game of golf. And there are some things obviously over the years, like we have the PGA Championship and got twenty PGA Club pros in there right now, which is which is great. I mean that's a big deal for

our PGA club phone professional playing this event. At one time there were forty players. That was probably too many. But uh, those two, those two very interesting relationship because they were they butted heads a lot back in the day when he was when he was the president PGA when Dean was running the tour, but they became good friends because they able to work out their differences and at the end of the day, it was it was

all about what's best for the game of golf. They always had that vision, like what's what's the best thing at the end of the day, and it's it's it's sometimes easy to get caught up in that, but it's I think both of those my dad and Dean had the same vision from that perspective. Very neat. That that

is neat. I mean, it was just a quirk of faith that that your your dad was running the Page of America during the Shoal Creek controversy, which was very impactful for the entire sport and really the whole culture of golf and now and then he seemed like he did a fantastic job guiding the PG of America into this this new year where you know, it really became

something that it was sort of a background issue. People knew about it, but for those aren't familiar, Shoal Creek was this host club in Alabama and they didn't have they had an all white membership, and that became controversial based on some public statements by their club president, and very quickly, under the leadership of your dad, things changed and should Creeks membership changed, and it swept throughout the

whole Gulf world. And how much you remember that that conversation around the at the dinner table, and what can you tell us about about that very fraught moment. You know, it's interesting because uh, you know, back then it was

it was. It was difficult for my dad because you know, he obviously working at a club um and he had to you know, Ian hall Thompson, we're buddies always all rand Shawl Creek and you know when you're when you're doing you're gonna host PJ Champs, you're going to the US Open, you're going pg A, British Open, the Masters, and you're seeing what everyone's doing, right, And it was kind of an innocuous comment, but it kind of caught win about a month before and you know, he had

he had to make a decision. He and Hallward buddies to usten home, get two choices, rather going to admit a minority member or we're gonna move it down the road. And obviously they admitted a minority member, which has been in the best interes of hall clubs, and I think a lot of clubs now have taken on this name. Much more inclusive golf is a much more inclusive sport. And I'm not saying it's because of what my dad did, but it's just, um, it definitely helped start the conversation.

Of course, No, it was a very principal stand. I mean that that's when you think about golf and race, and it's been a little bit of a tortured history, but that's a very important milestone that helps set about a widespread chain. So I wouldn't underplay his role that at all. And then uh, and then another event. This is so obscure and so hard to explain, but it was a really big deal at the time because people think this whole thing with live golf that's going now

is the first time golfer ever had any controversy. They weren't around like your dad was for the square groove controversy. And you could open up the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and see schematic diagrams with grooves. Look like at how much volume of groove there was. It was crazily inside baseball. It was quite interesting. But your dad was in the middle of it in the simplest terms possible. Couldn't explain what it was, what your dad's

stance was on it. You know, at the end of the day, you know, listen to square groups saying, you know, it benefited the tour player, Yeah they can, they can spin it out of the rough, but for the for the rank and file member, like we got, golf is a tough game. You just stand listen, we gotta make it better for for all the players, not just the two percent on their you know, you know, making their name on tour and that type of thing. And you know,

and and for the manufacturers as well. I mean, you know, paying had a lot of money invested in their molds and that it's like that that that made it more fun for the everyday player to play golf. And that was kind of his you know, my dad was a great ball ster. He always start with a potty and he he used a long Partterny's like, let Pat Ratty use a long puttery. Let's let's let these guys use a long putter. So it's all about making the game

more playable. The games and listen to the US g In the last couple of years has made some changes. The game is definitely more playable now, some of the things they've done to make it, the rules easier, some of the some of the things that relaxed. And obviously the ball, the flight, how long the ball going. That's that's going to continue. But his whole, his whole stance. And I was listening to PGA tour players. Maybe maybe you bifurcated. You know, you don't let them use that.

But the everyday player, let me hit, let me hit a shot of a bunker out of the rough lund of ball stop on the green celler. You know, it's it's make it fun, make it playable, make it more enjoyable for everybody. And that was kind of his. It was his direction. That's so sensible. Like I never walked up a golf course and geez, I was really spitting my wedge too much today, Like I'm really bubbed about

how sucking those wedges back. That just doesn't happen. I was starting to a fellow today who was going to be the next president of the of the U s J and like he was telling me about what would be in his a. Jenny is a very interesting, smart guy, and I was thinking, I wish I could just say what I feel, which is you want to you want

to simplify golf for people. You can't make worse than a triple bogey, move on, and you can't write and for handicapped purposes for everybody, doesn't matter where levels, no one cares. Just drop it where we're out in your chemic wors in triple and the game is going to be faster and more enjoyable for more people. But we do. Your dad, I think, had the right attitude, did your dad of relationship with Arren Palmer, because he Arnold had very much the same attitude. Yeah, so my dad. You know,

they're both from western Pennsylvania. My dad would from Sharon al from Latrope and they actually they become pretty good friends because at annandale Um Arnold would come out every year and playing an exhibition to raise money for the Methodist Hospital and sat in Pasadena. So for twenty years my dad would play, you know, he had Laura Baugh, Julie Ekster, Mark McCormick would play because Mark obviously was you know, one of the visionaries in golf with you know,

the first three guys were obviously Nick was Palmer and player. Um, and then so every year you got to know, you got to know the family. And and Arnold was I mean he's he's still in obviously everyone's money. He's he's the greatest. I mean what he's done for golf. And my dad and he got along real well. They they've had similar views on things. And you both from kind of a you know, less than wealthy family. They worked their way to the top. So, um, yeah, it was great,

It was very lucky. I gotta I got a picture of offs of me and Armald here, I got a picture sitting here with my dad and all I'm like ten years old, walk in Brookside. So it's you know, those are those are memories all always told my heart. So is that your dad behind you in that photograph? And over your right shoulder, that's Bobby Jones. I gotta cheat part of him. Um, did you ever consider doing

anything else for a living? Rick? What excuse me? Did you ever do any consider doing anything else for a living than what you're doing? Now? You know, it's funny. I played golf in college. You have had a golf scholarship, and I was, I was, I wasn't playing great when I got out of school and I see, now I'm not gonna. I mean, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna

go into this business, my dad's band. So I went to work for the guy that worked for my dad, Pete Co down allaho As there for four years and I was gonna after that, I was gonna go to work for my dad. And this this position opened up at Wilshire and I've been ever since. But yeah, um, I always kind of said, you know that the club pro is the guy that kind of promotes the game of golf. The tour pros were making the money, but

the club pros really the guy behind the scenes. It's really you know, getting the kids to learn how to play golf, getting the girls out there, the young kids, the only people, and that's what it's all about. You mean, that's I mean, golf is obviously had a great boom as a result of COVID, but it I hope it continues. We've got to keep, you know, keep promoting the game of golf. I mean, it's it's a game for everybody.

Like this is super super obscure. But was there a outing at Willshire a few years back where Charlie sever, Tom Siever's father, Bobby Jones and maybe Hagen played together. Did ever hear of such a thing? Yeah, we got some great history here. We got uh, you know, we had the l a open here back in the thirties and forties. Um, yeah, I'm sure those guys. We have some pictures hanging on the walls here and I'm sure that was the case. Definitely Bobby ken Hogan, much of

those old timers. But yeah, the reason comes to mind is I think Sandy Tatum told me that that's how he uh, that's how he got interested in golf. Was was going to an exhibition where Tom Severs father Charlie Severs playing with Poppy Jones literally in the twenties and and uh Tatum lived near the courts and went over there, and and uh and and so for the end, Sandy's dad was actually one of the first members of Wilshire.

And Sandy told a great story here. He grew up here on Wilshire, his dad was a member, and he told a great story where you was misbehaving, you know, banging his cloud like we all did his kids, and he said, listen, you're gonna sit right here. You're not gonna play the golf that he's you're just gonna wait here and when I come through the term, we're gonna talk.

So I guess Sandy sat there for three hours waiting for his dad to make the turn or you know, finished around in golf, and he said, I learned my lesson that day. So Sandy was great. He came here and made it, had made a great a great speech about mystery. Passed away about ten years ago. And he was a cool story because here's a guy that ran in the U. S. G A, you know, the pillar of golf and the utmost gentleman and talked about, hey, you know he help golf like made him, made him nuts,

but he kind of learned from his mistakes. So it's it's pretty cool stuff. Is Howard Hughes a member of your Place. Art Hughes was a member. He his his house was on the eighth hole. Stories about you know him playing and I guess Kathryne Hepper just sitting up on the balcony kind of distracting the guys playing, and uh, the funny stories they talked. They say land the plane on number six, but he actually landed the plane on the eighth, told Bell Air. I guess Jathon Pepper was

playing golf and he he landed a plane. He was a member there as well, and uh actually get chicked out because it took like a month to disassemble the plane on the bell Air. I didn't have enough runway to just like fly it out of there like he was take it off. Firestone would be a good golf course to land a plane on. Bell Air definitely not

too many canyons and cravasses. Uh, well, that's great. I mean, it's just fun to talk about this stuff with you, Rick, I mean, just to bring this to a close up in in this aftermath after your father has passed away. I'm sure you've heard from a lot of people in the game. Is there any anything that's been particularly memorable or meaningful to you? You know, I've I've had so many people, you know, semi notoates and condolence citizen. You know, it's it's um obviously it's the first time I really

lost a close relative like that. But just you know what what he meant to so many people, like the words they the words they wrote and spoke to me. We're just very meaningful and heartfelt, you know, Like I said, he's he's he's a big he's a big legend in the game of golf. Um and its spirit will carry on. I mean, it's right here and like like I'm gonna I'm gonna keep doing what he wanted me to do. And I think a lot of the people that worked

from are in the same boat. They were kind of trained by Pat Riley and they like he says, it's they're gonna do it the Riley way. It's neat. And he played in a PJ championship, played in Columbine and up that's neat. Yeah, I mean, you gotta have a lot of golf game. There's a lot of club pros who want to play in the tournament only for to get in. Yeah, exactly, exactly, that's great. I love this is this is really one of the special things about

this tournament. The average fan that they see these these club pros and they're not familiar with the names and not George Speede, that's not really relay, so they don't they don't really invest in the stories. But when you dig into the stories of the guys who make it there, it's really special. So a couple of kids in our sitting, you know, Michael Block, Who's and you had, you know,

seventy one today. But I mean, it's that's. I mean, it's it's pretty amazing that yet twenty club pros who probably played maybe one or two events all year and they're gonna play in a major championship. So it's a really hard course, really hard golf course. It's it's and and people say why they listen because it's a PGA of America. That's who we are. We're promoting the game

of golf for developing players. And when a game makes it cut, it's it's I mean, it's gravy, but it's I mean, I think it's great for all the golf to see these guys out there in the stories and you know what it took term to get there. It's it's it's impressive. I agree. Well, Rick, thank you so much for doing this with us. And for those who are listening to this podcast. Michael's story will be up

at Firepit Collective dot com. It's it's beautifully done. I would really encourage yeah, no, it really, it was really moving, and um, I would encourage you to check out the story. It's it's it's a must read. So and Curiously, the philanthropy that you designated for for child Bold Gifts and your dad's name is one that's deer to the fire Pit Collective as well as I'm sure you know, but but I didn't know at all. I mean, that was just a weird coincidence. But maybe you could explain what

it is. Yeah, it was for goat Hill Park, which you know, it's kind of the junior program there, I guess, yeah, the junior program and the Caddy program. It's really sort of the spiritual home of the fire Per Collective. You know, our guys played there all the time, and it's it's going to be at the site of different initiatives that we run through. So it I mean, that's very kind of you, Rick. We won't appreciate. You know. What's funny because my dad was a dull community which is just

around the corner. I can remember there's a kid canny for my dad when I was like ten years old, when it was when it was it was Oceanside right now it's going Hill. But and just that whole North I got my start and you know North County Junior Golf. My dad got to start Caddy and so it's just it's a perfect marriage because I mean I've seen like three of the kids that are go down for some of the terms down there, and there's three kids going to college this year that would have probably not gone

to school. We're not for God Hill Caddy Academy. It's it's impressive. With all due respect to anybody who wins this championship, Jason Duffner and and everybody else is everyone, I'm sure your dad impacted more golfing lives than most people play this PGA tour. Uh And I think that message really it's hard to tell that message, but it's

the truth. And anybody who knows club golf and knows the kind of life that your dad led and lots of other people just like them, you know that they changed my life and Alan's life working coming up as a cardboy. And you know, if you look at Alan's starting golf as a carboy Pebble Beach, at some point, it's you know, there was a headpro was way on high and it filtered on down and influenced Alan. Same for me, same for you in a very different way. But all of us have some path in American golf

pretty much to the PGA of America. So it's a it's a it's a great life really and it's a life of giving. Um. So anyway, thank you for that. Appreciate that. Rick, Thank you again for being here. You too, Michael. Well we'll bring this fire drill to a close. But um to a little tip of the cap to uh to. Pat Riley's no doubt looking down on on this event with a with a with a rice smile. So um signing off from Southern Hills. But thanks again, Rick, Thanks

you guys, appreciate it. Put another log on the fire. Nobody here is get the time.