by Shannon Dowdy

Although not the Ryder Cup of 1969, Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin walked down the fairway commenting on the opening of their new 7527 yard, 520 acre, The Concession Golf Course while playing each hole and making jokes with the crowd. A private ceremony celebrating the opening of their course in Sarasota, Florida allowed me to see and meet the legendary golfers.

While my travels take me around the world speaking and playing golf as a LPGA pro, I was able to sit back this time and allow someone else to chat about the game. And who wouldn't want to watch these two men play after reminiscing about one of the most memorable moments in golf history? So many think of that moment when Jack conceded the 18th hole to Tony to tie with the Europeans at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England as "one of the greatest gestures ever."

In 1969 the two-foot putt to Tony Jacklin resulted in a tie between the two teams. That moment golfers regard as one of the greatest sportsmanship act in sports history. The running joke between these two men was to see who could concede the hole. The invitation-only crowd was able to experience a small token of this gesture as if they were reliving that day.

Jack Nicklaus, now 66 yrs old, hit the ball quite well playing from the back tees. He struck the first ball with a commemorative club used in the 1970's. His drive only carried about 183 yards, so he decided to take a mulligan. His "mully" also ended up sour. He turned to the crowd and said "and… sometimes I get a second mulligan!" We laughed. I sat in amazement as I watched him fly the ball over 250 yards with his modern driver.

Tony Jacklin opted to play the members' tees to show the course design from different perspectives and didn't play a mulligan. Playing golf courses around the world and comparing golf courses, I admit this course is a fantastic design allowing for those who have a 2 handicap. . .or a 20…to seek challenges and rewards. Even Jack admits "There's no feeling like walking up the 18th fairway at a major, but the satisfaction I get in designing a golf course from the ground is a close second."

Jack did more of the commentating during the round. His humor kept me laughing throughout the day. On the first hole he was sharing how to play the little 20 yard shot using a putter, but he left himself shy of reaching the green and the ball came to rest almost exactly where he had just struck it. The crowd let out an "oohhh" as the ball returned to Jack. "I hit that fat. How can you hit a putt fat?" In golfers language that's lingo for hitting the ground first, then hitting the ball, resulting in a poor shot.

The crowd laughed almost easing their minds that today would be a relaxed day of golf. On the range while warmingup before the round, Jack even saie, "Ya know, the reason we're doing this now, is it's my practice round for the skins game next month." Tony, a bit more shy with the crowd enjoyed the walk noting his favorite holes and special features of nature that he appreciates.

It's fun to share adventures around the world, playing and speaking about golf with vendors like Crystal Cruises, and the LPGA, and at private functions, but it doesn't compare with watching the legends play the game. They have an aura about them that holds the crowd captive.

Maybe someday I'll win a LGPA event and catch a glimpse of what the legends have experienced. Time will tell. Until then, just like any other golfer, I love to play the game for the sake of playing.

Shannon Dowdy is an Apprentice LPGA member and Teaching Professional with Crystal Cruises out of Los Angeles, California.