Thanks for the multitude of memories, Mr. Hope

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Bob Hope shown in file photo dated 14 November 1967 posing for photographers with the Blue Bell Girls in London.

Bob Hope once said, "Golf is my profession. Show business is just to pay the green fees."

And this week the golfing world will again take time to thank Bob Hope for the memories and for everything he did to help nurse the professional game through many of its rough patches and into the multinational organization it has become today.

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The honorary host for this week's 50th Bob Hope Chrysler Classic fittingly is Arnold Palmer, who won the event a record five times. His victory at "The Hope" in 1973 proved to be his final win on the PGA TOUR. Palmer and Hope -- sounds like a vaudeville act -- even won the pro-am portion of the tournament in 1962.

"Bob Hope was just one of these people that made everybody feel pretty comfortable," Palmer said. "I just think that his contributions have been so great."

Hope truly loved golf. He played whenever the opportunity arose. He used an old driver as a stage prop when he entertained the troops during his USO Tours. He joked about the poor status of his game, much like contemporary Jack Benny poked fun at his lack of skill as a violinist.

But Hope was actually a good player and carried a 4 handicap "for about 20 seconds" when he was young. One year he played with three former presidents in the same foursome (regular foil Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton), the only such White House trifecta known. In 1983, he was named to the World Golf Hall of Fame, where his plaque is near that of his somewhat-more-accomplished friend Ben Hogan.

Hope's tournament was always loaded with movie stars, but generally produced some outstanding golf results, too. Billy Casper won it twice. Johnny Miller won it twice. David Duval shot a 59 when he won it in 1999.

Many of today's young players suffer from lack of vision. They couldn't pick Casper out of a lineup. They are familiar with Miller only from his television announcing gig. They recognize Duval, who is in the field this week, but his glory days are viewed through a glass darkly.

They're all way too young to remember Hope, which is a shame. Bob Hope wasn't a great actor (ever seen "The Road to Mandalay"?), but he was a great entertainer. Even more so, he was a great American, one willing to frequently sacrifice his own safety and comfort for a higher cause. No one has come forward to fill the void of Hope, who died at age 100 in 2003, and no successor is likely to ever be found.

The World Golf Hall of Fame doesn't want the golf portion of Bob Hope's legacy to fade away. Their exhibit, "Bob Hope: Shanks for the Memories," will be on display through 2009. It includes video clips, photos and 300-plus artifacts, like the PGA money clip he received in 1942 and carried through his life.

"This exhibit has given us a golden opportunity to build out a tribute to an American entertainment icon, who, by the way, was 100 percent utterly addicted to golf," said Hall of Fame CEO Jack Peter.

Just ask Jack Wilkinson, my former colleague at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who will never forget his afternoon of golf with Bob Hope. Jack had interviewed Hope over the telephone in order to write about an upcoming show in Atlanta. In the process of signing off, Wilkie asked if he could caddie for Hope, if he was planning to play golf when in town.

"Caddie? No, we'll play," Hope said. "Set it up and I'll be there."

So Jack, his brother Tom, and Dr. Don Finnerty waited nervously at the Druid Hills Golf Club on a Sunday afternoon for Hope's arrival. Without fanfare a limo pulled to the curb and Hope hopped out, dressed in white pants and a pink shirt. "Let's go," he said, striding toward the first tee.

After watching his nervous playing partners hit three less-than-stellar shots, Ford quipped, "Jerry Ford would be the A player in this group." Rim shot, please.

The next two-plus hours passed much too quickly. Hope filled Jack's head with unforgettable stories about Bing and Ike and Arnie. They played nine still-memorable holes before Hope had to leave to get ready for his show. There were hundreds of people around the ninth green by the time it was over.

"I've been around a lot of athletes and done a lot of things," Jack says in retrospect. "But the whole time we're out there I'm thinking, 'I'm playing golf with Bob Hope.'"

Bob Hope touched a lot of people in a similar way. His influence on the PGA TOUR can never be accurately measured or repaid. In today's modern game that is tilted so heavily toward the corporate side, Bob Hope remains one of the sports legendary figures. Here's to 50 more great years and many more memories for which we can be thankful.

Stan Awtrey is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.