Doyle’s golfing career

As you probably know, I was a world class athlete in track and basketball as a youngster. I broke my leg severely which ended all of that. I then played poker for a number of years and then found golf at the age of 30. I still had great hand and eye co ordination and became reasonably good in a short period of time. I am a natural gambler and started playing for lots of money. Due to my background, I have always been able to perform under pressure so I always tried to play as high as possible, getting my opponent out of his comfort zone. I was always willing to make fair matches, sometimes even taking the worst of it, because I was confident I could out perform my opponent. So, I developed a nation wide reputation in the golf world and got lots of high action. Lee Trevino used to watch some of our games and was amazed at the stakes we played for.

Jack Binion, the owner of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino started a gamblers golf tournament in the early 70’s. We got all the high playing golfers from all across the US coming and playing. I got to know all these guys and each summer I would travel to their home cities and play high stakes golf with them. I had a “circuit” starting in Dallas, moving down to Mobile, then Nashville, Oklahoma City and several towns in California. Most of these fellows have died and the action dried up.

I had always wondered how the pro golfers would fare playing for a winner take all tournament. After talking to some of the big name tour players, we started advertising this type of tournament. Deane Beamon was in charge of the PGA tour and forbade any tour player from entering, threatening them with suspension from the PGA tour. Joe Black, a college friend, was head of the PGA and told me to invite club pro’s and mini tour players, which I did. This was in the 70’s and we held it for several years, until the old Dunes golf course was torn up. The players loved it, calling it “The Dolly” named after me. I remember Larry Rinker and Mark Weibe were two of our winners.

As I got older and heavier, my leg bent from my old injury and I quit playing. A younger group of poker players started playing and after going out watching them, I saw they had no idea how to match golf games. So I started practicing and even though I could barely break 100 and had to use a crutch to walk, I won well over a million dollars my first summer back. I have continued to play and ESPN has televised two tournaments [I won both]. Golf is all about matching games and I can still perform under pressure, which allowed me to beat these youngsters.

There is a golf book called Texas Golf Legends, featuring all the great golfers from my home state. In the Prefix, there is an apology to a group of names for being left out. The authors said they might put out a second edition. My name was one of the list. lol. what a joke, me listed with those great golfers. Dan Jenkins, who has several golf books out, used to write for Sports Illustrated and covered a couple of our tournaments, so he was probably instrumental in my name being on the list.

I’m 75 years old now, still have to use a crutch to walk, but still enjoy matching up with these young gamblers. I hope I play until I die. Actually, what could be a better place to draw your last breath than on a good golf course!

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Poker is not a game where the meek shall inherit the earth.”

Congratulations to my pal Daniel Negreanu for winning the B.C. Poker Championship.  Maybe he can’t play golf so well but he is really performing well in the poker tournaments.  I used to laugh at Daniel’s and Phil Hellmuth’s “small ball” approach, but I’m a bottom line guy and it looks like they are the two best tournament players right now.   My background is cash games and I don’t think the “small ball” play would do very well.  It’s too late for me to change my style so I’m still going to try to bust my opponents at the poker table.

I must be behind the times because I lost two friends in the past few months and didn’t know it.  Orville Moody, a former U.S. Open golf champ, passed away at the age of 74.  Last time I saw him, he was telling me about all the course records he has in Texas.  My other friend was Don Haskins, the basketball coach at UTEP.  Don is in the basketball Hall of Fame and was the first coach to start 5 black players.  He did that in the championship game against Kentucky in the 60’s.  I played many a round of golf with Don when I lived in El Paso.  My condolences to his family.

Speaking of El Paso, it reminded me of one day when one of my golfing friends offered to bet me $20,000 I couldn’t make 50% of my free throws on a basketball court.  I laughed to myself because I thought I could with either hand or even underhanded.  As I hadn’t touched a basketball in 30 years, I decided to go shoot and be sure.  I also had injured both shoulders trying to water ski.  When I got to the gym by myself, I was totally shocked.  The basketball felt like it was a watermelon and I could barely get the ball to the rim.  Good thing I went to practice because I could never have made half of them.  It made me think of the old saying, “buzz, buzz, what you usta wuz.”

I’m off to Costa Rica to make some plans for DoylesRoom.  I’ll be back for the Bellagio tournament.  I hope some of the “small ball” boys work up enough courage to come play in Bobby’s Room!

Caddie:  Sir, why do you play so much golf?

Daniel:  It’s the most fun I’ve ever had with my clothes on.

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it.”

What has happened to me?  I’ve done four “Real Deal” shows, two “Poker After Dark”, a TV cash game and every time I look up, someone wants me to do a charity tournament or be on some radio broadcast.  I’m really getting discouraged with all this stuff.  I really enjoy the cash games for TV, but the sit and gos on PAD aren’t my cup of tea.  The structure is too slow and it seems I never hold a hand in them.  I’m going to do my best to start promoting the cash game at the Bellagio.  It seems the economy is reaching down to the poker games along with everything else.

I went the entire spring and summer and never hit a golf ball.  There were some good action golf matches I would have loved to been a part of, but along with all my other commitments, my leg is getting worse and I’m determined to get over to the Jobe Clinic and try to get it fixed.  Trouble is, that is no guarantee for success.

I just read where Michelle Obama is redistributing the wealth by having a $447 lunch at the Hilton Hotel in New York.  She had lobster, caviar and champagne.  I guess she was really hungry!

I went to a site called luckbox.com and watched Vegas history.  It had a video of the late Puggy Pearson talking about the “old days”.  I had a lump in my throat as I watched and remembered when I first came to Vegas.  Puggy was the man in those days and all the games revolved around him.  He was a totally fearless all around player and should be remembered as one of the pioneers of poker as we know it today.  He was a ruthless player who would do anything to win but he never pretended to be anything else.  I miss the guy, I would have loved seeing him and Phil Ivey go at it.

We only have a few days left to get out and vote.  If you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain about the economy or anything else.  I’m Doyle Brunson and I approve this message

Caddie: Sir, how are you playing?
Daniel: I’m hitting the woods great, but I’m having a terrible time getting out of them.

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “The mighty oak was once a little nut that stood its ground.”

I got back to Vegas late last night and am feeling pretty good after ten hours of sleep.  I had felt like a truck just ran over me after sixteen hours of flying time going to Macau and fourteen hours coming back.  This old body needs lots of rest to get back into playing shape.  I’m afraid this cancels my plans of going to the WSOP Europe.  I may think of myself as young, but I’m not.

You have to understand that for the past 55 years, all I have done is look for a poker game or a new golf course.  I’ve forgotten most of what I learned in school, particularly about what happens in the Far East.  I taught a course as a graduate student in a University in Texas.  I’ve always had an interest in money, so it was appropriate the name of the course was “Money and Banking”.  After that, I was after enough money to live on at the poker table.

When I got off the plane in Hong Kong, I was absolutely amazed.  I’m not sure what I expected; perhaps to see the streets full of rickshaws, and coolies in the rice fields.  Maybe to look out on the waters surrounding Hong Kong and see Steve McQueen on a gunboat like in the movie, “The Sand Pebbles”.  Instead, I saw a modern city that puts most of ours to shame.  There are tall buildings, some of them 100 stories tall as far as you can see in both directions.  They are beautifully designed and look brand new, which some are.  Most all the residents live in apartment buildings which are anywhere there is any vacant land.

I’m sure I learned in school that Hong Kong is an island off the coast of mainland China.  I’m sure I used to know the British had a 100-year lease on Hong Kong that expired in 1997.  But I had forgotten it and felt like a red-necked tourist because I asked so many questions.  Speaking of rednecks….I saw where all the Wal-Marts in Alabama sold all the ammunition they had.  When a local farmer was asked why, he replied, “Russia has invaded Georgia, but they sure as hell had better stay out of Alabama.” 

I’ll write more tomorrow, but right now I’m going to bed.  I got more people coming up laughing about Daniel and the golf jokes, so here is another.
Daniel N. – “Do you think it’s a sin to play on Sunday?”
Caddy – “The way you play, it’s a sin on any day.”

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “If a man has done his best, what else is there?”

While it’s nice to be back in Vegas from Montana, I’ll barely get unpacked before it’s time for Todd and I to go to Macau for 9 or 10 days.  We are going to play in the APT and look things over.  I’ve heard a lot about China but have never been.  We’ll be taking a helicopter tour of Hong Kong before we settle in Macau. It’s a long flight to China but worth it since it might be a while before we can go back.  My pal Jack Binion is going with us and he knows his way around because he worked there with Steve Wynn for 6 months.

My toy poodle, Casper, injured himself in Montana.  He was chasing the golf cart I was driving and ran into a hidden hole, dislocating his left shoulder.  We have to do our best to keep him inactive, but it is impossible.  When he gets excited, he is as quick as that Jamaican runner, “Lightning” Bolt.  I hope he doesn’t hurt himself again.  He did add two more victims to his “bite list” while we were in Montana.

The Olympics have really slowed down the poker games, both live and online poker tournaments.  Everyone watches NBC every night instead of playing poker.  I don’t blame them because I get goosebumps watching the great athletes compete.  I even found myself cheering for Misty May and her partner in the beach volleyball finals.  That was the first time I had ever seen that sport and it was cool.  I can’t wait until the distance races start but I’m afraid I’ll miss them on this trip to China.

I hate to miss the Bike tournament because that is where I won my only WPT event.  I’ve always been partial to the Bicycle Club from the old days when George Hardy ran it.  I won lots of money there so that probably makes me fonder of it.

I heard Daniel N. got all the money in his golf matches.  I don’t know how, because his caddy talked to me and said Daniel asked him if he could get to the green with a 5-iron.  His caddy told him “Eventually”.

-DB

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