The wheel is come full circle: The Muni | Stories from a Public Golf Course

A love letter to the game of golf, told by the African-American caddies-turned-players who, despite Jim Crow laws and the lasting effects of racism, built a rich and vibrant golf culture on a historic municipal course.

COVID-19 put a damper on travel, but as more people get the vaccine, things are starting to open up. Sheryl and I couldn’t take it… We had to get on a plane. We didn’t really care where it took us, we just needed a break. We decided to visit Nashville, Tennessee and Asheville, North Carolina. It has been so long since we’ve left, I almost forgot where the airport was!

Sheryl and I are both from Indiana, but neither had been to Nashville. Considering how much we both like country music, it just never happened. But we were excited to see Music City. Our mutual friend Scott visits Nashville a lot; his company has an office there. So he made plans to spend a few days with us. Our friend Josh also came down to visit… He still lives in Indianapolis and drove down for a couple days. It was great seeing them both.

After spending a few days in Nashville, we headed to Asheville. I didn’t realize it was 5 hours… So we stopped at a few breweries along the way. It was a pretty drive, too, getting to see the Great Smoky Mountains. The beer scene in Asheville is pretty good, too. This was a beer trip for us, after all. We were excited to visit Wicked Weed Brewing Pub, New Belgium Brewing Company, Green Man Brewery, Highland Brewing (the first craft brewery in Asheville) and The Funkatorium. We also hit up a few beer bars and made the most of our time in the Land of the Sky.

We had a great trip, and there are a lot of things to talk about, but a highlight of the trip was getting the chance to visit Asheville Municipal Golf Course.

The Muni | Stories from a Public Golf Course

A few months before we left, I heard about a new documentary featuring Asheville Municipal Golf Course. (This documentary is available on Callaway’s website and on YouTube, but to keep things simple for you, you can watch the film below.) There is a lot of history here, including the Skyview Golf Tournament. For over six decades, the Skyview Golf Tournament has been home to some of golf’s greatest moments in North Carolina. Knowing we were going to be in Asheville, I wanted to get someone from the golf course on my podcast. I reached out to them hoping to get someone from the film on my show. We tried to get Baxter, but he just didn’t feel comfortable doing it. Someone thought it would be a good idea to get Paul Bonesteel on the show. You can listen to that podcast here.

Paul is the founder of Bonesteel Films (what a cool last name?!) and lives in Asheville. He agreed to be on the show and we had an unforgettable discussion. We talked about the documentary, how Callaway Golf got involved, the connection to Darius Rucker and more about the golf course. I asked Paul if, while I was in town, we could grab coffee. Imagine having Paul on the show, getting the chance to meet him AND visit the golf course… The wheel is come full circle.

Our first full day in Asheville, I put Bonesteel Films in the GPS. I just wanted to see “where the magic happens” and figured it would be neat to drive by. We did, but couldn’t find the front door. Now I know why the handwritten thank you letter I sent Paul was return to sender. They moved locations recently, and the address was wrong on Google Maps. Doh! We did find the correct address, did a drive by, and laughed on our way to The Funkatorium. (UPDATE: As a Local Guides Level 8, I was actually able to help Paul get the address updated on Google Maps.)

The next day I finally got the chance to meet Paul. We met AT Asheville Municipal Golf Course. When I pulled up, Baxter was sitting at the bag drop. I sat there staring at him. It was like Elvis walked in or something… He had a presence about him. I could feel him in the room!

I gathered my thoughts, got out of the car, and walked over to say hello. “Good afternoon. How are you today, sir?” Baxter looked up, smiled, and replied, “I’m good. About to get off here. Been working all day!” His charm was infectious. I walked around, taking it all in, when I saw a large sign with all their rules. Baxter noticed me looking at the sign.

“Everyone playing here needs their own bag. You got any clubs? If not, I’ll get you a bag from inside. But you need your own bag.” Paul was bringing some clubs for me to use, but he hadn’t arrived yet. “You see that twosome out there on 1 fairway? She didn’t have her own clubs. Can’t do that. So I got her a bag. That’s just the way we do things around here. Doubt they’ve ever been to a golf course before.”

Shortly after that Paul showed up. I introduced myself, and we hit it off. We walked inside so I could pay. No way I am coming this far to play here with this man and letting him pay. Not going to happen! The young man behind the counter looked up, I told him it was Paul and me, and he said, “That will be $12.95 per player.” Wait… 13 bucks to play 9 holes? You’ve got to be kidding me. What a great deal!

After I paid we walked outside to roll a few putts. They don’t have a driving range here, but a nice practice putting green. While waiting for our tee time, a nice man walks up, “You mind if I join you? I’m a single.” His name was Rick, and he had a heart of gold. We enjoyed getting to know him.

A few holes in I noticed a small tree that you couldn’t miss walking from one hole to the next. Rick stopped, pulled out a water bottle, and watered the tree. Rick told us about a man named Phil Ray that used to play here. He had passed away, so all his buddies planted this tree and stopped to water the tree when they passed by. Rick commented on Ray, “He was a little crooked, kinda like that tree there,” I asked if I could take a photo of the tree and Rick obliged.

Rick, not sure if you will read this, or if I will ever get the pleasure of meeting you again, but I enjoyed our time together.

Asheville Municipal Golf Course: How many steps?

Since we were only playing 9 holes, I wanted to walk. That is the way the game was intended to be played. The focus of this blog isn’t on the number of steps and miles, but I figured it would add some fuel to the fire for a longer, more meaningful blog post.

Most people playing that day were walking. According to Paul, the front 9 is much easier to walk than the back. Standing on 9 green, I checked and had walked 6,158 steps. I forgot to check the mileage, but it doesn’t really matter. I had too many other things running through my head. Before we teed off I noticed some rocking chairs outside the golf shop. Was hoping I could convince Paul to grab a beer before we left.

He agreed, so we headed back inside. They had several local beers on tap and available in bottles and cans. We grabbed a couple of local pints, snagged a rocking chair and continued the conversation. Just when I thought we were going to call it a day, he invited Sheryl and me to join his wife and son at Highland Brewing. It was literally down the road, so I texted Sheryl to Uber over so she could meet everyone.

Highland Brewing Company | Asheville’s Original Craft Brewery

With so many different brewing companies and beer bars in Asheville, and limited time, we didn’t think we’d make it to Highland. We’ve had their beers before, but it would be neat to visit the brewery. Especially since they are the first brewery in Asheville. Just so happened the brewery was near the golf course, and Paul was already planning on meeting his family there. It was a quick drive, and I was blown away by the size.

When I pulled in there wasn’t much parking. I finally found a space and saw 2 food trucks and several different places to grab a beer. Paul explained the layout and we headed over to an outdoor area with picnic tables. We grabbed a beer and got to know one another. It was a pleasure meeting his wife and son, and I wish we had more time to connect. Next time perhaps we could all go out for a nice dinner somewhere. Paul, where do you recommend?

Until We Meet Again

Before we left the golf course, I asked Paul for a photo. We snapped a selfie from the clubhouse patio.

Paul, it was such a pleasure meeting you and your family and spending time with you. And to meet Baxter, shake that man’s hand and know the life he’s led… Incredible. None of this would have been possible had you not produced this film. We talked briefly about your next project, and I can’t wait to see what you produce next. You’ve got a fan for life in me, sir.

This might be the first time an episode of my podcast has truly come full circle. Might need to do this again sometime. Had Ms. Cathy Harbin, a golf course owner, on my show a few weeks ago. Perhaps I get on a plane and go visit her sometime. And don’t forget about meeting Lukie At The Links in San Francisco for 19 holes. Thank you for reading and if you haven’t seen the film yet, I hope you spend time with it. You won’t be sorry. FORE!