In 1933, Bob Hope walked into The Vogue Club in New York City and a young beauty by the name of Dolores Reade was on stage, singing. "It was love at first song," he said. Soon after, they had their first date and discovered a mutual passion that helped clinch the deal. Golf. In a lovely restaurant with a pristine white table cloth as their drawing board, they scribbled drawings and diagrams of holes they had played and where their shots landed. Little did they know that that evening would be the beginning of almost seventy years together and that golf would be a source of endless conversations, instructions, despair and laughter. Later in life, Bob and Dolores Hope attributed their mutual love of the game as one of the ingredients of contributing to the success of their marriage.
Hope never left home without his clubs. From the deserts of Iraq to the jungles of Vietnam to the steel decks of ocean going battleships, he stood on stages, club in hand, and brought laughter and a touch of home to American troops abroad. He played golf whenever and wherever he could, even driving balls off the USS Iowa toward cheering sailors aboard a nearby ship. On the home front, the Hope's built their Toluca Lake estate virtually next door to Lakeside Country Club where they became lifetime members.
But it was the siren call of golf in Palm Springs that led to the most important professional and philanthropic collaboration of their marriage; the symbiotic relationship between the
Bob Hope Desert Classic and the establishment of the Eisenhower Medical Center. In 1965, Hope became the "driving" force behind the Desert Classic and
Dolores Hope became the primary mover and shaker behind the founding of the Eisenhower Medical Center, named after their good friend, Dwight D. Eisenhower. As ground was being broken for the Center, the Classic was quickly becoming one of the most successful pro-am tournaments in the country. Over the next 47 years, the Classic raised millions and millions of dollars for the Eisenhower Medical Center as well as many other desert charities.
Dolores Hope was EMC President for seven straight years, then chairperson and for the rest of her life remained involved in key leadership capacities and dedicated to its cause. She once said, "I played a lot of golf before I became involved with the Center. Yes, my game has suffered but my life has been greatly enriched."
Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States, said, "
Bob Hope has contributed immeasurably to the good things golf can provide." Ford and Hope were very close friends and shared a passion for the game. However, Ford was infamous for beaning folks in the galleries and this, of course, made him one of Hope's most favorite subjects. "There are over 50 golf courses in Palm Springs and Jerry never knows which one he's playing until after he tees off", Hope once joked to great laughs. But he was friends with many presidents and played golf with several of them regularly. President Richard Nixon once famously landed in the presidential helicopter on the grounds of the Hope estate and whisked him off to play a round with Jimmy Stewart and Fred McMurray at nearby Lakeside. At the White House, Hope once demonstrated his putting acumen by knocking the ball into an ashtray held by Nixon. George H. Bush joined Hope for one of the Desert Classics, as did
Bill Clinton. Clinton and Hope enjoyed many laughs together, and Bob loved his spirit and wonderful sense of humor. After Hope's death, President Clinton took on the hosting duties at the newly named Humana Challenge, formerly the
Bob Hope Desert Classic.
Golf was at the center of Bob and Dolores Hope's long lives. It gave them great joy, great friends and the opportunity to do
very, very good work. Julien's Auctions of Beverly Hills is proud to announce the exclusive auction of Property from the Collection of Bob and Dolores Hope to take place on Friday, September 20th and Saturday, September 21st at Julien's Auctions' Beverly Hills gallery. The auction will include the treasured golf memorabilia and mementos from the Hope homes as well as an array of treasures including paintings, Desert Classic items, golf clubs, awards and statues, signed Bob Hope Chrysler Classic photographs and Bob Hope's E-Z Go Golf Cart. Other Hope memorabilia includes signed Presidential books and photographs, award plaques, trophies, figurines and novelty items from political luminaries and celebrities. For more information, go to juliensauctions.com.
Bob and
Dolores Hope wanted their golf treasures to go to auction so that fans and friends might be able to remember them and enjoy a piece of history. All benefits from the sale of Property From the Collection of Bob and
Dolores Hope will go to the Bob and Dolores Charitable Foundation to support American's veterans and to help feed the poor.
All of the property in the auction will be featured in a full color limited edition catalogue available for purchase at
www.juliensauctions.com.
Property From The Estate of Bob and
Dolores Hope Exhibition Dates:
Monday, September 9th - Thursday, September 19th
(10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Daily - Closed Sundays)
Property From The Estate of Bob and
Dolores Hope Auction
Friday, September 20th
Session I: 10:00 a.m. P.S.T.
Session II: 2:00 p.m. P.S.T.
Saturday, September 21st
Session I: 10:00 a.m. P.S.T.
Session II: 2:00 p.m. P.S.T.
Exhibition and Auction Location
Julien's Auctions
Beverly Hills
9665 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 150
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Registering to Bid: Registration is required to bid in this live auction and can be done in person at the exhibition and auction, or online before the sale at the JuliensAuctions.com Registration page to bid by phone, proxy or in person, or online at JuliensLive.com to bid live online, or by calling
(310) 836-1818.
Placing Bids: There are four ways to bid in this sale:
1. Bid through Julien's Auctions Online Live in Real Time at JuliensLive.com.
2. Place bids in the room by attending the auction.
3. Bid over the telephone through an auction house representative, who sits in the room and conveys the bid to the auctioneer.
4. Enter Absentee bids. Absentee bid forms are included in the back of each catalogue, and are also available by calling Julien's Auctions or online at
www.juliensauctions.com.
ABOUT JULIEN'S AUCTIONS: With expertise specializing in entertainment and sports memorabilia, Julien's Auctions has quickly established itself as the premier auction house in high profile celebrity and entertainment auctions. Julien's Auctions presents exciting, professionally managed and extremely successful auctions with full color high quality auction catalogues unlike any other auction company. Previous auctions include the collections of Cher, U2, Barbara Streisand, the estate of
Marilyn Monroe and many more. Official website is
www.juliensauctions.com.
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