Golf/ Mal Florence : Hillcrest Pro Eric Monti Retires With a Smile

Eric Monti has had a few laughs over the years. In fact, as the pro at Hillcrest Country Club, he has been regaled by some of the world’s funniest people.

At one time or another, such famous comedians as Jack Benny, George Burns, George Jessel, the Marx brothers, Milton Berle, Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett, Danny Kaye, Jan Murray and Jack Carter have been members of Hillcrest.

Monti, who will turn 72 in December, is retiring in January, and he chuckled when he recalled some of the antics of the comedians.

“We had a rule that you could take your shirt off after the first hole but that you had to put it on at the ninth hole as you approached the clubhouse,” Monti recalled. “Well, Harpo Marx took his pants off at the ninth hole, but left his shirt on. So he didn’t actually violate the rule.”

Monti said the comedians take their golf seriously but that there are usually a few pranks along the way. He recalled one pocketing another player’s ball that had gone into the rough and not giving it back until the round was over.

Monti also said that the 93-year-old Burns still comes to the club every day for lunch and to play bridge. He is always, Monti says, accompanied by his cigar.

An accomplished golfer, Monti has taught many celebrities since he became associated with Hillcrest in 1945.

“I remember that Burt Lancaster came to me about 30 years ago,” Monti said. “He had never played golf, but he was a fine athlete. He got me to jog and take care of myself.

“And after a few years, he shot a 72 at Bel Air. In fact, he got a two on our par-four 11th hole that is listed at 424 yards but plays about 464 yards. Nobody else has ever done it.”

Monti also recalled that there was a member who wore thick glasses and could barely see the green on the par-three, 125-yard 16th hole.

“So what does he do? He gets two holes in one there in a period of two weeks,” Monti said.

As a teacher, Monti doesn’t believe in making the game too complicated.

“You can get too involved in technicalities,” he said. “If you get people thinking about too many things, you’ll destroy them. I tell my assistants to stay with simple, fundamental things and don’t tell people to do four things at one time because they can barely handle one. “As an example, you say to someone that there are four things you have to do better, but you can’t do them all at once. So after you accomplish the first thing, we’ll go on to the next. If I told you everything I knew about the golf swing, you’d walk away from me.”

Monti joined Hillcrest as an assistant pro under George Fazio in 1945. He went on the PGA tour in 1948 and 1949, but his playing career was hampered by an automobile accident.

In 1950, he became co-head pro with Mortie Dutra and, in 1955, he had the position to himself. In the next five years, while still associated with Hillcrest, he won three tournaments on the tour. He also won the Southern California PGA championship five times. His best finish in a major tournament, he said, was fifth in the U.S. Open in 1960.

Monti still plans to teach at Hillcrest a few days a week. He has been accorded lifetime membership privileges at the club, for which he said he’s grateful.

“I’m playing now more than I ever have,” Monti said, and, at Hillcrest, someone will always be there to leave him laughing.

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Golf Notes

Pepperdine University’s annual golf tournament to benefit student scholarships will be held Oct. 30 at North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village. Entry fee is $200 a person, or $800 a foursome. . . . The second annual Academy of Country Music Celebrity Golf tournament will be played on Burbank’s De Bell course Oct. 16. Proceeds will go to the T.J. Martell Foundation for cancer and leukemia research.