For Sam The Price Is Always Right

"The same," said Snead. "Four and three."

"The same? You beat me every damn time."

The smile lifted the right side of Snead's face.

"Well, you gonna have to improve."

The haggling went on until a full quota of bets were made, team (Snead pairing with Raymond) and individual. MacCallum improved his bet to four-and-four. Satisfied, Snead got up to hit, assuming the honor. "I'm gonna throw a little 32 at you today, Chuckie baby," he said. "A little old 32." And he hit his drive 20 yards farther than the others would.

"I shot a 63 here once," he said as he got in the cart, "and it'd been a 61 if I hadn't three-putted the last green. Ted Kroll wouldn't stop talking on my backswing."

He missed a 10-footer for a birdie, and three-putted the second to fall behind. "I never play good after a tune-ament," he said, twisting the handle of the cart and stomping the accelerator. His passenger's head jerked back. "I always have a little letdown after a tune-ament."

He rolled in a 20-footer for a birdie on the third. Driving again, he said he always preferred this kind of golf, man-to-man, "where you can look a feller in the eye." He said Dutch Harrison "used to make his expenses on the tour playing $2 Nassaus with the younger players. He'd say to one of 'em, 'Oh, my, you're playing so good,' then he'd beat 'em 2-2-and-2."

He said you had to have guidelines, though. "Never gamble with a stranger," he said, "and if you do and he stops arguing the handicap too soon, you know you got a hawk in the chicken yard. When I was at Boca there were three guys I didn't know asked me to play one day. I said, 'Well, you know my fee for a playing lesson is $100.' That didn't seem to shock 'em. And I said, 'And we'll play a $10 Nassau . What's your handicap?' It's a mistake not to know those things, especially since they sure as hell knew mine. They said, 'Five,' and I said, 'Fine, I'll give you six.' So we kinda played along without making a dent, and on the 4th or 5th hole I said, 'Listen, I'll dispense with the fee and play your best ball and cut you for $1,000.' They all said O.K., and we wound up playing four courses over the next five days. I won $10,000."

He grinned and got out of the cart. They were on the 5th tee at Pine Tree.