John O’Hurley was a legend long before he played the part of J. Peterman on Seinfeld. O’Hurely speaks in poems and paints pictures with his colorful vernacular.

His disastrous proposal on the par three No. 7 at Pebble Beach is undoubtedly one of the great golf stories ever told. Before Lisa Mesloh said yes, she was a college golfer and executive at Golf Channel, she can flat-out play. O’Hurely and Mesloh are both five handicaps and their matches are civil wars. O’Hurely had a vision of the perfect proposal and the legendary No. 7, a 100-yard par three next to the Pacific was the perfect setting. O’Hurely planned to hit his approach over the green into the back bunker, hack around until it was time for her to pull the pin whereupon she would find an engagement ring box in the hole.

All hell broke loose.

Instead of hitting it over the green, O’Hurely hit it to eight feet and it was the bride-to-be in the sand trap. In a haste Mesloh ended up pulling the pin, found the box, thought it was garbage, tossed it off the green and with O’Hurley on one knee, she mischievously pushed him over.        

It was at this moment that O’Hurely aborted his plan… he got off the ground, picked up the box, took a knee and proposed.

She said yes and today they’re a happy married couple. 

There is no such thing as an absolute private golf club. There are golf courses anyone can play and others with a guard gate that rivals the Korean Demilitarized Zone. When you’re John O’Hurley, it’s amazing what a few phone calls can do.

Here are O’Hurley’s top five anyone can play and his top five for the fortunate few.

Anyone
1. Pebble Beach Golf Links; Pebble Beach, CA
2. Spyglass Hill Golf Course; Pebble Beach, CA
3. Bandon Dunes; Bandon, OR
4. Old Course at St Andrews; St Andrews, Scotland
5. Kingsbarns Golf Clubs; St Andrews, Scotland

Fortunate Few
1. Augusta National Golf Club; Augusta, GA
2. Pine Valley Golf Club; Pine Valley, NJ
3. Nantucket Golf Club; Nantucket, MA
4. Sherwood Country Club; Thousand Oaks, CA
5. Mayacama Golf Club; Santa Rosa, CA

O’Hurley’s new movie Swing Away hits theaters this month. Professional golfer Zoe Papadopoulos, played by Shannon Elizabeth travels to her grandparents' village in Greece to escape the harsh spotlight of the international sports world. Between baking bread and eating baklava, she meets and mentors a ten-year-old girl who is determined against all odds to become the next golf sensation. Along the way, “Zoe” rediscovers her Greek heritage, her love of the game, and the hidden strength within herself as she inspires the townspeople in an epic showdown against a greedy American developer played by John O'Hurley.

Even if it’s a sympathy move for O'Hurley’s disastrous proposal, just watch his damn movie.