Royal Dublin
Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby has left enduring legacies in music and golf.
No Christmas entertainment is complete without Bing’s classic song “White Christmas” ringing out across the airwaves.
The mellifluous tones of the late, great actor, entertainer and businessman, who died in 1977 on a golf course in Spain, never fail to evoke special memories every December.
His golfing legacy lives on in the form of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, one of the highlights of the PGA Tour schedule.
The event had its origins in 1937 when it was called the “National Pro-Am” with Bing and his great friend and acting partner Bob Hope bringing professional golfers and showbiz personalities together for an annual tournament.
Popular with pros and amateurs alike, the event soon became an established annual tournament, and was the forerunner of the Pro-Am format that is now an established feature on professional Tours.
How appropriate that one of his last rounds of golf in Ireland should be alongside Royal Dublin’s maestro Christy O’Connor Senior in such a format.
The date was July 11, 1976, and the event was the Musgrave-Christy O’Connor Pro-Am organized by The Links Golf Society at Hermitage GC.
Bing was in Ireland on one of his regular visits to this country. He and Bob Hope were among a host of celebrities who had enjoyed a round at Royal Dublin over the years.
On this occasion, Bing and Christy were joined by another big name entertainer, Val Doonican, and amid great excitement, their every shot was followed avidly by a large gallery.
Golf was a huge part of Bing’s life. A 2-handicap at his lowest, he competed in the British and US Amateur Championships in his prime.
Bing could hardly have chosen a more appropriate way to shuffle off this mortal coil than to make his exit at the end of a round of golf.
He was playing with Spanish champion Manuel Pinero and two top Spanish professionals at La Moraleja GC near Madrid when he collapsed at the 17th hole on October 14, 1977.
An ambulance took him to hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was 74.
The world mourned the loss of a great singer and actor who had sold over millions of records and entertained generations of fans for over 40 years.
The Royal Dublin Golf Club
North Bull Island Nature Reserve , Dollymount, Dublin 3 , Ireland
Phone: +353 1 833 6346 Fax: +353 1 833 6504
Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.
