October 12, 2009

LATROBE, PA — Joe Muscaro used to be a boring senior and senior member of the Carl Spackler Open. The 3-year member is now an aquaintance of the legendary golfer Arnold Palmer.

Muscaro was invited to play the private Latrobe Country Club on Thursday, October 8, 2009. The following is a 'Muscaro transcript' of his day off the golf course.

"I had the highlight of my golfing career yesterday. We played Latrobe (it was beautiful and tight!) then we ran into Arnold Palmer’s special assistant who knew the guy who got us in there.

This guy (They call him Doc) has been with Arnie from the start. The two of them are the same age and they’re good buddies. So Doc tells Chris (he’s the guy who got us in) 'When you’re done, bring the boys up to the office and I’ll give them a tour.' I asked Chris what the office was. He said not many people get to see it. It has all of his trophies and memorabilia, plus his famous workshop is there too.

When we got done we crossed the highway onto a private drive up past Arnie’s house and to his office. Now we’re in the office and I’m looking at trophies from The U.S. Open, The British, The Masters, The Presidents and Ryder Cups………you get the picture. There were cases of balls, scorecards, pens from U.S. presidents and an unbelievable amount of pictures and things I don’t have time to mention. I’m like a little kid and Doc told me I could take pictures with my cheap little disposable camera. Why didn’t I bring the digital camera?

In the mean time I hear Arnie’s on the phone talking to Lanny Watkins! Doc said he didn’t think we would get to meet him because he had an important phone call coming. Now he brings us to his workshop. You couldn’t believe the equipment and memorabilia in there. I would be writing all day if I told you what I saw! As we’re leaving the workshop I got a peek into his office and there he was on the phone. He smiled and waved to me. That was enough to make my year.

We were just getting ready to leave and Doc said “Mr. Palmer would like to meet you guys.” We all looked at each other like 'You’ve got to be shitting me!' So in to his office we go. Arnie comes around his desk and extends his hand and says “How are do doing? I’m Arnold Palmer. It’s nice to meet you.”

Then he introduces me to his daughter, who I had a full conversation with on the course earlier (I had no idea who it was.) and his brother (who I had spoken to in the clubhouse earlier). Chris told me who he was after he left. Now I’m standing there as Arnie is talking to us holding my cheap CVS disposable camera and Arnie says 'What’s with the camera? Do you want a picture?' I said, 'If it would not be too much trouble, could I take your picture Mr. Palmer?' He says 'I don’t think so…….unless you’re going to be in it with me. Then that would be great.” Now I’m tripping on people to get around his desk to get my picture taken with my idol! He says “Maybe we should let your buddies in the picture too, huh?” Of course I agreed and Doc snapped two (I pray to God) good pictures. He told me to get them blown up and send them to him and he’d autograph them for us and send them back to me.

What a nice guy! I would have liked to see a film of us leaving the place looking at each other like three six year olds who just ran into the real Santa whispering 'Holy shit do you believe what just happened!'"