Richard! Oakmont SWAT!!

[Obee]

 

 

https://www.golfchannel.com/video/story-oakmont-swat/

[nikegal]

Hahaha, Hi David! This is a great video and Bruce is a real sweetheart and he is so meticulous, lolol. I will let Richard know that this is posted, he’ll love it :) M

[BlackDiamondPar5]

I was hoping for a quick word from Richard in that segment!

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

So SWAT (in golf) isn't an acronym? I always wondered about that ever since I saw Forged4ever use the term. Actually, the explanation they gave of just "swatting" at the ball made perfect sense.

 

Good video, thanks for posting, Obee.

[dpb5031]

Very cool! I played Oakmont in July and spent some time over cocktails with some of the guys in the video.

[FairwayFred]

The SWAT is the best member game in golf. I've been lucky enough to play in it a few times as a guest and they are some of my favorite times on a golf course in my life.

[nikegal]

A funny story regarding the SWAT and specifically the game at Richard’s club, which while Richard has Played in many over at Oakmont, his weekly games were at his club and then the scratch/plus players would play basically an inter-club swat once a week, rotating clubs weekly. Well, as the video showed, Oakmont’s record keeping of their SWATs is meticulous. Richard’s club, not so much, hahaha. So some guys decided that they should start a SWAT legacy similar to Oakmont’s, and brought it to a vote, which Richard, his BFF and a few other guys were against and voted “nay.” While they were outvoted, as SWAT chair that season, Richard was responsible for securing a record book and went out and bought this beautiful tan leather gold embossed lined legal pad size book that could have pages added as needed(I did not know Richard at this time and Pete told me this story as it is still spoken of today, though more about why, later, haha).

 

Well, Richard has had Rottweilers since he was a child and his then current Rotty, Baron, was about a year and a half old, and though I would get to meet and play with him in his later years, I had not met him yet and apparently he got a hold of the book and shredded it, hahaha. Richard, his BFF and a few other guys who had not been in favor of doing this project as they viewed it as Oakmont’s “thing,” and though all of the clubs in town had their own SWATs and versions there of, none, including Richard’s club, kept the permanent records that Oakmont had.

 

While Richard greatly respected Oakmont and it’s traditions, of which the SWAT is probably their most note worthy, he and a few friends did not believe that they should “copy” Oakmont’s tradition, and Richard, who contrary to what he might say elsewhere, believes heavily in karma and is superstitious, took this to be a sign that they should pass on starting their own book, hahaha. The other guys, who were led by an individual, who it seems has always been on the opposite side of the table on issues with Richard, said that he would buy the next book and set it up and Richard and the guys said fine. He bought the book and that evening went to a Pirates game and his vehicle was stolen, with the book in it, hahaha. I am not laughing at his misfortune, as while I do not care for him because he is that “white shoe entitled clubber(Richard’s words?)” that Richard speaks of, loved beating(he did for two of his club championships) and detests, I would never wish that scenario on anyone, regardless of my personal feelings. It’s just that what ensued is still laughingly recounted by the guys who were present as Richard called the SWAT group together and gave what Pete would later tell me was “the most emotional impassioned speech about the most worthless subject imaginable” and he broke a water glass that was in his hand when he slammed it on the table, slicing his finger badly enough that it would require 12 stitches but he wrapped a dinner napkin around his finger and finished his rant, I mean his speech?? There were 17 guys present and I nor Richard remember the count of the first vote but this second vote was 14-3, with the three being Richard’s nemesis, his younger brother and a good friend, hahaha. So while the club SWAT would live on as it does all over Pittsburgh, there is still only one “keeper of the count,” as it should be. Sorry so long, I’m getting as bad as Richard, hahaha :) M

[dpb5031]

The record keeping is cool. We have maintained ~20 years worth of data in our men's group, simply known as "The Group." We track Stableford points, money in, money won, ROI, scats(skins) per round, $ per scat won, win/place/shows, total $ won or lost per annum, per round, etc. It's really quite impressive and is fun to review.

[Forged4ever]

Hahaha, thanks a lot for posting Obes?!!!

 

Yea, I know all those guys and they’re all great guys and take the SWAT very seriously.

 

LMAO, I can’t believe Maddie told the story from when this lil clique of idiots from our place decided that we should copy Oakmont’s record keeping, lmao

 

Hell, I drew the teams up on the back of a club liquor order sheet a few times?

 

The Inter-Club was better than the regular SWAT but the regular SWAT was fun and it is funny cuz if you miss a putt, you’re sh*t, plain and simple, lmao

 

But that’s the same way at our place.

 

The five clubs that all participated in the Inter-Club SWATs have very competitive regular SWAT games cuz we had more Players(scratches & Pluses) than the other clubs in town.

 

Thanks again for posting Obes, and Sweetie, your memory isn’t much better than mine as it was 10 stitches?

 

Cheers?

RP

[Hateto3Putt]

Spencer Mellon, the young guy featured in the video, is now playing on the PGA Tour LatinoAmerica. I went to school with his parents (damn I feel old).

 

The kid absolutely has some game. The fact that he's getting beat up one one of the smallest tours just goes to show you how good the Tour pros really are.

 

Richard, glad to see ya come out of retirement even if it's for just one post!

[Forged4ever]

Spencer Mellon, the young guy featured in the video, is now playing on the PGA Tour LatinoAmerica. I went to school with his parents (damn I feel old).

 

The kid absolutely has some game. The fact that he's getting beat up one one of the smallest tours just goes to show you how good the Tour pros really are.

 

Richard, glad to see ya come out of retirement even if it's for just one post!

Hey Bro, thanks for the kind words?

 

Yea, Spencer’s a class act along with being a superb Player and I lost to him 4&2 in 2010 when he was either a freshman/sophomore, I forget exactly what year he was, at the U of Cincinnati. I had just turned 50 and was tryin to turn back the clock, lmao. We Played over at his place and I got it back to one down at the shack(10), but where I was going for pars on Par 5’s, though I did drop a 15’ snake on on #6 for a bird and he ran a 9-10’er for eagle??, again, I was out of my league cuz he was going for eagles and settling for birds?. My birdie putt on #6 broke 4-4 1/2’, lol. Seriously, there aren’t many places in this country with those kind of greens, where a putt breaks 4-4 1/2’ across 15’. He would end up taking the Club right after he finished school, I believe that he is their youngest Club Champion ever. He’s a super classy kid, his parents did a fantastic job with him!!

 

Stay well my Friend and thanks again for the kind words?

 

My Best,

RP