Book Excerpt: How Charlie Mechem Jr. Cajoled Arnie and Jack Into Building The King & The Bear

In Charlie Mechem Jr.'s new book, the former LPGA commissioner tells of how he got his good friends to collaborate on a World Golf Hall of Fame design.

From "Arnie and Jack: Stories of My Long Relationship with Two Remarkable Men" by Charles S. Mechem Jr. Copyright © 2022 by the author and reprinted by permission of Mission Point Press.

Tim Finchem, who was the commissioner of the PGA Tour at the time this story happened, called me one day. He said, “Charlie, I really need your help.” I laughed and said, “Tim this is an historic moment for the commissioner of the PGA Tour to call the commissioner of the LPGA and say, ‘I really need your help.’ I can’t wait to hear it.” He said, “I’ve been trying to convince Arnie and Jack to build, together, a course at the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine. It will be called ‘The King & The Bear.’ They won’t do it. They’ve got all kinds of excuses. Would you give it a try because you know them both well?” “I’ll give it a try,” I said.

So, I talked to Arnie. “Oh no, I haven’t got the time, blah, blah, blah,” he said.

Jack said the same. “You know we have a totally different design approach,” Jack said.

I made a couple of trips both ways from Orlando to North Palm Beach without success, but finally I had a brainstorm. I drove down to Jack’s office and made another appeal.

“Jack, this is the last time I’m going to bring this up, but would you and Arnie please just collaborate on this? This is going to be a great facility right at the World Golf Hall of Fame."

He mumbled a few words that were not encouraging.

I got up to leave and I said, “Well OK, I’m done trying. Just be prepared to enjoy the Player-Trevino Course.”

“WHAT?” shouted Jack.

I used the same thing on Arnie the next day with the same result. They practically had shovels in the ground the next week, and The King & The Bear became a reality. It is a fine golf course that almost was never built.

Of course, I had no idea that there would ever be a Player-Trevino Course, but it would have been a logical step for the tour to take if Arnie and Jack would not do the course. Anyway, the brainstorm paid off.

The book is available online at the USGA and CharlieMechem.com.