Beebe Memorial Garden – 15th Tee
Six holes-in-one! Five on the fifteenth at SMC! The sixth on the third at Pine Valley. The Sports Illustrated article citing his accomplishment embarrassed Doctor Beebe. At 86, he declined to identify the club he had used. That figures. Think about it! This man was a hard working physician, an amateur, seasonal, occasional golfer. Unbelievable!
Richard T. Beebe ( 1902-1998 ) was an impressive man. Every time I play the 15th hole, I take a minute to think about him. Just as I do when I visit Albany Med, or drive by the intersection of Turner and Schuyler Road, or pass by Upper Loudon. I just keep hoping for one more visit, one more round. Doctor Beebe still makes me smile. A round of golf with him was everything golf should be, thoroughly enjoyable dosed with a dash of competition, an abundance of humor and memorable moments.
The good doctor was tall and angular possessing the bushiest eyebrows imaginable. He was a revered man of standards, dignity and extremely quick wit. People listened when the doctor spoke, for if you blinked a valuable lesson might pass you by.
He was my doctor long before we played golf. Truth be told, if you were sick and at Albany Med, he was your doctor too. He was the tall, white-haired, stern fellow at the side of the bed in the morning, the same man that would stop by on his way out each evening. He was the man reading the charts, instructing the staff, calling the family. He was the doctor that would drop by the house, put his hand on your forehead, a thermometer in your mouth and issue his cure-all, “take two aspirin and rest.” That seemed the remedy for everything. Miraculously, you would begin to feel better. Soon, you might even wonder why he had visited. I came to understand that it wasn’t his prescription, it was his presence that restored you. It still does.
He inspired good behavior. At church, school, work or play, you just knew this was not a time to get it wrong. Not only did Doctor Beebe teach hundreds of medical students and physicians, he helped us stand a little taller, play a little better, converse with more meaning, laugh a little heartier. He was the kindest, most sincere man I ever met.
An invitation to play with Doctor Beebe was an honor. Casually attired in a white button-down, long sleeved shirt, he generally wore light-weight gray flannels. I am convinced he rolled up his sleeves on a couple of occasions, but I could not swear to it. Sometimes he wore a tie, the end neatly tucked between the second and third buttons. You knew he would be on the tee at 1:00 p.m. Sundays, right after church.
Make no mistake about it, Doctor Beebe was an athlete. His exploits at The Berkshire School are legendary. He later continued his baseball career at Princeton.
One day as we started the back nine, the good Doctor told me a story about his mentor, his baseball coach from grades nine through eleven at Berkshire. They were very close and Beebe was his star. While in the ninth grade the coach told him to play life and sport by a simple rule; “Never walk a man intentionally and never, ever putt out of a sand trap.” Doctor Beebe had a way of emphasizing important things with a slight hesitation and then a quiet chuckle. At age 85, he still held this hypothesis noteworthy.
After his junior year, the baseball coach became headmaster. A new baseball coach took the reins. Beebe was a gifted first baseman and a tall hard throwing pitcher. Midway through the season, Berkshire was embattled with the league co-leader. The good doctor was pitching. In the eighth inning, Berkshire had a one run lead, but the opposition had runners on second and third with two out. The team’s best hitter, who was also Princeton bound, came to the plate. The new Berkshire coach approached the mound to inform our doctor he should intentionally walk the batter. Beebe agonized over this recommendation. The complexity intensified as his old coach, the new headmaster, moved to stand behind the bench watching the game, watching his protégé. Beebe made his decision. He wound up and threw his best, low inside fastball. The hitter swung inside-out lacing a double to right field and plating the tying and winning runs. Beebe struck out the next batter and returned to a silent bench. The new coach glared his discontent. The headmaster, ex-coach, walked to our doctor, shook and held his hand loudly declaring, “Excellent pitch.”
I would never putt from a sand trap again!
Dr. Richard Beebe
1902 – 1998
Husband, Father, Physician, Sportsman unequalled
“Never be afraid to dare. Never be afraid to play without asking advice. I’m not going to teach you, but to guide you.” Horowitz
Thank you!
