Behind The Shoot: Pebble Beach

	Pebble Beach April 22 - 26, 2001 by jerome.meriweather For a couple of years now, United has held what they call, The United Cup. They invite several of their biggest corporate travelers on a golf outing at one of the country's best known golf courses. They wine and dine them at a grand hotel, and they play 18 holes with some season golf pros . . . all in a effort to say, thanks for flying with us and may your corporation continue to spend millions of dollars a year doing so. Personally, I think it's just an excuse for the executives to get out and play some golf. Last year was played at the Greenbrier in West Virginia. This year it's being held at Pebble Beach. 22 APRIL I left in the morning for San Francisco on flight 121, but the flight was delayed for 2 hours for some maintenance problem. Once in San Fran, I could have taken a United Express flight from there down to Monterey, Ca., but I decided to rent a car and drive down Highway 1 instead. I wanted to take in some of the scenery along that highway. With maps in hand I made my way to Monterey and finally to the Inn at Spanish Bay, our hotel for the next 3 days. I arrived around 3 PM. Man, those rooms where great! It was the first hotel that I have ever been in that had a fireplace in every room. And they work! Classy! I hooked up with some of the people from the Premier Group who were managing the event for United. I had a 6:30 am call for the next day.
	Spanish Bay - 23 APRIL I had breakfast around 6 am. The Spanish Bay Golf Course that we were to play on, is pattern after the golf courses of Scotland, which I was told means, "lots of hills". I didn't know that! The two pros for this United Cup were Jeff Sluman, someone that I had never heard of until we were introduced and Craig Stadler, who I met last year at the Greenbrier. Some of the CEOs included United's own Jim Goodwin and Peter Ueberroth, Chairman of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Committee and Baseball Commissioner from 1984-89. There were 20 players in all, broken into two teams of Red and White shirts. My job, to get as many photos as I could of each player teeing off, punting, portraits with the pros, group shots or any other picture that I think the players would like to have as a memento. Equipment I like to travel light for these events. The only equipment I really used were the 2 F5s with a 80-200mm lens on one and the 300mm lens on the other along with the monopod. A SB26 flash and battery pack for the candid shots and lots of Royal Gold 100 ASA color negative film. I also lug around a digital camera for personal shots. I always get a golf cart so that I can stay ahead of the 5 groups of 4 players each. Always looking for the best place to take a shot as each group passes my location, then leap frog ahead to the next photo spot. It took 4 and a half hours to finish 18 holes. The first group started at 6:50 am and I finished around noon. I had the rest of the afternoon off so I drove over to Monterey, Ca. and did a few hours of sight seeing. Dinner We usually take a group shot at the dinner event, but everything was running slow that evening. I had picked a nice location just outside of the Pebble Beach Casa Palmero restaurant. It was 6 PM and there was plenty of light, at the time. But by the time all the players got there, my light was gone. So I decided to try for a group shot the next day while we're on the course. Did you know that Pebble Beach isn't just the name of a golf course, but an entire area that includes several golf courses, one of which is the Pebble Beach course. And that it's all owned by Clint Eastwood and Peter Ueberroth along with Dick Farris a former CEO of United. *I didn't know that!*
	24 APRIL - Cypress Point / Pebble Beach First tee off time at Pebble Beach wasn't until 10:20 am, so I thought that I had some free time. No such luck! United Senior VP Chris Bowers and Peter Ueberroth decided to take a special group of players over to the Exclusive Members Only, Cypress Point Golf Course. Apparently the 16th hole on this course is considered to be the most famous hole in all of golf. When I got my first look at it, well . . . I now know what the word 'Challenge' really means. Tee and hole sparated by a water cove. Impressive! Pebble Beach was no slouch either. Situated right along the Pacific Coast Line, the 7th hole is probably one of the most photographed golf holes that you will ever find. We finished Pebble Beach around 5 PM at which time I finally got my group shot of all the players. Took a lot to get them all together because they were excited about having finished Pebble, but I did it.
	Spyglass 25 APRIL You would think that Premier would save the best course, Pebble Beach, for last. But they didn't and because the CEOs had now played on Pebble, some of them left last night. So a few of the golf playing members of the Premier Group, had to fill in to complete the teams. Sypglass Hill Golf Course was very woody and the weather that morning wasn't to good. I was chilly for most of the morning. At Spanish Bay I spent my time making sure that I got a shot of every player teeing off and punting. At Pebble Beach, I concentrated on getting the player's group/candid shots with the pros. And at Spyglass I worked on getting the individual player shots. Laughing, hitting or missing punts, camaraderie. The 18 holes went finely fast and there was the usual champagne toast at the end of the course. Then most of the players made a run to catch their flights home. I on the other hand spent the afternoon sightseeing in Carmel, Ca.. Eastwood country!
	26 APRIL I started my drive back to SFO at 6:30 am. I should have stayed on Highway 1 but took 101 instead and spent an extra 1/2 hour regretting it. Morning rush hour! My flight was suppose to leave at 11:05 am but was delayed an hour because of a cockpit battery that needed to be changed and recharged. What! Again? I was home by 6:30 PM. and so it goes . . .