Encounters With Famous Athletes

Charles Barkley

One of my first posts on Substack was about my encounter with Arnold Palmer. As a golf professional, I have been privileged to meet many famous athletes. Some of these encounters have been great. Some have been absolutely horrible. But all of them are memorable.

From time to time, I will share a personal experience with a famous athlete.

Today I want to share my encounter with Charles Barkley.

At the time, Barkley was the superstar basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers. Talented, outspoken and large, Charles earned the moniker of “The Round Mound of Rebound.”

We were notified Barkley was coming to play 9-holes with one of our members. Having dealt with high profile sports figures before, I had a rule for staff when dealing with someone like Charles: no autographs. I wanted staff to treat celebrities the same as any other golfer. Celebrities wanted some sense of normalcy when they came to play golf. Enough people at the course would be hounding them for autographs. I didn’t want staff hounding them, too.

Bill, one of my outside staff, approached me the morning Barkley was to play. He explained he was a huge Charles Barkley fan and really would love to get an autograph. I told him he could come in the pro shop with me and ask one time. If Barkley said, “No,” end of story and walk away.

Having dealt with a lot of athletes prior to Barkley, one thing I learned very quickly; until you meet them in person away from fans you have no idea what to expect. Some are super nice. Some are total jerks.

At the time, Barkley had been calling out teammates in the media. To this day, I’m not a fan of players or coaches calling each other out in the media. Maybe I’m old school, but players and coaches should keep issues in house and out of the public forum. Admittedly, I didn’t like Barkley calling out teammates in the media. As a result, I wasn’t sure if he was a good buy or a bad guy, but I anticipated he might be a difficult personality.

Bill was behind the counter when Barkley walked in. Bill was 18 years old, 5’10” and 130 lbs. soaking wet. The scorecard in his hand started shaking uncontrollably as Barkley entered the pro shop. To say Charles was (and still is) an imposing physical presence is an understatement. He was solid and looked as wide as he was tall.

“Mr. Barkley? Can I get your autograph?” Bill managed to ask.

Barkley scowled and stepped up to the counter. I moved into position to get between him and Bill and diffuse what appeared might be a tense encounter.

Barkley placed his gigantic hands on the counter and leaned forward. The countertop disappeared beneath his giant hands. Bill almost fell over backwards with the scorecard still in his trembling hands.

“You want an autograph?” Barkley snarled still scowling.

Uh-oh, I thought.

Bill nodded.

“I’ll give you an autograph under one condition,” Barkley responded before standing straight up. Suddenly, the scowl disappeared from his face replaced by the biggest, friendliest smile you’ve ever seen. “You call me Charles. Mr. Barkley is my father.”

I can’t say how Bill felt in the moment, but I felt a huge sense of relief. The tension which had been building in me just seconds before melted in an instant.

Charles took the scorecard from Bill and scrawled his signature before handing the card back. Charles then turned around and shouted into the clubhouse.

“Charles Barkley is in the house. Free autographs for the next ten minutes. After that, they’re twenty bucks a pop.”

For the next half hour, the pro shop buzzed with activity. People bought hats, visors, shirts or whatever else they could to get Charles to sign. Not only did Charles sign for free for ten minutes; he signed for free the entire time laughing and smiling and talking with everyone.

Charles Barkley, superstar basketball player, knew who he was and what he was to the people he encountered. He understood what it meant to them to meet him if only for few brief moments. Better still, what those fans got was not some fake corporate creation; they got Charles Barkley as he truly is.

Things settled down, and Charles and his playing partner started discussing the wager for their 9-hole match.

Charles announced he was going to break 50.

His partner laughed. “No way you’re breaking 50 on this course!”

“A hundred bucks says I break 50,” Charles responded.

“You’re on.”

At this point, there were only three of us in the pro shop; the playing partner, Charles and me.

Charles turned and looked at me. “Anyone else want a piece of that action?”

His partner leaned around Charles and mouthed emphatically, “Take the bet. Take the bet.”

I’m not much of a gambler to begin with, but back in those days a hundred dollars was a lot of money for an assistant golf pro. Assistant pros still don’t make a lot of money, but that is a atopic for a different day. Suffice it to say, a hundred bucks was not something I could afford to lose.

In the end, I took the chance and agreed to join the bet.

I waited anxiously for the time to pass wondering if I would be able to treat myself to dinner out or have to settle for Raman noodles. when the time finally came, I couldn’t wait any longer. I hopped in a cart and drove to the ninth green. Charles and his partner were walking off the green.

“How did it go, Charles?” I asked.

Charles frowned as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a roll of hundred-dollar bills. He peeled one off and handed it to me.

“I’m never f*&^ing playing this course again,” he muttered as he walked past me to the cart.

I stared at the bill in my hand as they drove off in the cart happy for my luck. No Raman noodles for dinner.

All these years later, I still remember that day vividly. I doubt Charles Barkley does. It would be just another day for him. Most people think I remember it for being the day I won a hundred dollar bet with Charles. That’s partially correct. It’s a big part of the story. But I remember it more for the graciousness, kindness and good nature Charles showed to his fans. He treated them all like friends happily signing his autograph and chatting with them. Too often superstars are not friendly or likeable in real life. Charles went out of his to be both and proved himself to be a total class act.

It was a day I would have remembered as the day I won a hundred dollar bet with Charles Barkley, but it was much more. It was the day I became a fan not just of the superstar athlete Charles Barkley, but the man Charles Barkley is.

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter. I truly appreciate it. Your time is valuable, and I am humbled that you give me a small piece of that valuable commodity each week.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

And remember to be gracious and kind, just like Charles, every time you get to play this amazing game. Now, go golf!