Watching Clint Eastwood in his latest role in “The Mule” brought to mind when the superstar lent his presence to the Northern Nevada Area in a big way. It was in September of 1975 nearly 44 years ago that Clint hosted his Celebrities Tennis Tournament at the Hyatt Hotel at Incline Village Lake Tahoe.
Although I had played several Tennis Matches with Clint and hoisted a few beers at the bar with him the biggest treat I had was when he invited me aboard his state of the art RV and we toured the North Shore for a couple of hours. He explained that he used the vehicle as his dressing room when he was on location so it was well stocked with adult libations.
The tennis event came about because of two unrelated occurrences. Eastwood had canceled his annual tennis tourney, which was previously held in Carmel, California because his tennis pro, Don Hamilton, had been let go by the facility there. The other event was the purchase of the King’s Castle Hotel/Casino at Incline by the Hyatt Corporation. When Hyatt decided to plan for a Grand Opening at the end of the summer season it seemed a natural “fit” to propose to them that they make the Eastwood tennis tournament a part of the celebration.
Working with my tennis partner from the Bay area, former 49er Ed Balatti, we set up a meeting with the head of the Hyatt Corp., Hugh “Skip” Friend. After a four hour “pitch” we convinced Skip that the tennis tourney would garner lots of press and give the Hyatt a strong entry into the Tahoe market. The next step was to approach Eastwood and convince him that Tahoe was the best spot which to move his well-established tournament. Indeed at the time his Carmel/Monterey tennis event was beginning to do for the racquet sport what the Bing Crosby Clambake Golf Tournament was doing for the links game.
Eastwood, no stranger to the North Shore of the lake because he often vacationed there many times as the guest of Incline realtor Rod Campbell, who along with developer Art Wood pioneered the affluent community was a relatively easy “sell” after we had played a spirited doubles match at the Tahoe Racquet Club.
We then enlisted the aid of Don Hamilton to do the “nuts and bolts” of running the tournament and contacting the thirty or forty celebrities that gave the tournament its drawing power.
George Sayre, the premier contractor at Incline, set about building grandstands and a box seat area at the Tahoe facility and the publicity began to grind out-particularly in the Bay area adjacent to Northern California. We were immensely helped in this phase due to the fact that the country’s best columnist at that time, Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle, was a tennis buff himself and one of the first celebrities that we booked.
Other stars began accepting and soon we had a list that contained names like Merv Griffin, Lorne Green, Dan Rowan, Doug McClure, Gene Hackman, Pilar Wayne, Glen Campbell, R.C. “Alley Oop” Ovens, Cornel Wilde, Rick Barry, Donna Mills, Lloyd Bridges, Bernie Kopel, Frankie Albert and a dozen more entertainers and sports figures. The format for the program was a Men’s Doubles and a Mixed Doubles competition that lasted for three days. Tennis Club pros from Northern and Southern California were also invitees and they were paired for the celebrities. The other teams were made up of “high roller” types that did their best playing at night on the tables of the Hyatt Casino. A number of high profile California politicians of that era were also guests and they provided the Society Page fodder for the major Bay Area newspapers that sent sports and society reporters and editors to cover the event.
Since most attendees wanted to see the host, Eastwood, in action along with the enormously popular Merv Griffin, it was an easy matter to make sure the two featured stars would advance through the tournament-they were paired with the best pros.
Off of the court, highlight of the event was the Saturday night “Gala” which was put on in the spacious showroom that existed at the time at the Hyatt. Ebullient Merv Griffin was the MC and he cajoled even stoic figures like Eastwood onstage to participate in the humorous hijinks. One newspaper columnist quickly tallied up the pay scale of all the stars involved and said it was probably the most expensive floor show ever held in Nevada up to that point in time-had the Hyatt not picked up the tab.
Attendance wise it was the largest event ever staged at the lake, with stands packed to over flowing and cars parked on both sides of the road from the Mt Rose highway to Country Club Drive.
Now that Eastwood has redefined his career as a solid, first-rate director, as well as a star, he has eschewed the tennis game and is focused on more esoteric pursuits. However, in 1975 and for three years following he gave the North Shore of the lake a tremendous shot in the arm and firmly established the Hyatt as an “in” place for jetsetters of that era.
Suzanne Shea says
Wow! Just saw this piece! So glad you wrote this story down. Harry. I Loved reading it and boy it brought back memories!
I was there in 1975 during that Gala time. I was singing at Castle/Hyatt and then Racquet Club that year.. during all those goings on. . What a year that was in MY life that’s for sure.
I met Glen Campbell, Clint Eastwood, Bill Cosby etc. Glen was in the Racquet Club bar drinking up a storm and singing along with my songs .. and Mac Davis was with him i’m sure that was him?? But if so that that HAD to have been right before Macs wife left him for Glen)!) Anyway I was a huge Glen Campbell fan and so privileged to have him there singing along with tunes I was doing.
I was just telling some friends of my entire year in Tahoe 1975 and the Transition from the Castle to the Hyatt. I turned 25 yrs old. during my year there.. GREAT year! It truly was one of the most memorable years in my now 54 yrs years of singing/gigging.!
I LOVED that gig in Incline at the Sugar Pine Lounge.. I had just come from 4 weeks at the Riviera in Vegas in their small Le Bistro Lounge and that was a KILLER gig. Dry air of Las Vegas ruined my voice! And you were watched constantly…. they’d ck your hair and outfit to make sure you were looking your Vegas-y best. And say things like be “GREAT , but don’t be so good that people are stopping gambling at the close tables to come hear you sing” That kinda stuff. Made my Incline Gig pure heaven . EVEN tho I had the same killer hours/schedule as I had in Vegas.. 9pm to 3am. Tues-Sunday! Hard enough to do that if you are in a group, but as a Solo/Guitarist .. it took a lot of stamina!)
After Las Vegas i was offered the gig at ” Kings Castle in the Sugar Pine Lounge” in Tahoe! I said YES!
. I didn’t mind that Castle was on it’s final days.. they had lost their (table) gaming license so only had Slots. I was the only one singing there and one of the very few people staying in the hotel! Ha!
Since no one else was performing there they put my name up in on the HUGE marquee out front; I was like “whatthe?”! I had to laugh it was so bizarre, I loved it. I got settled into my Hotel Room and started in on the gig. My “commute” was the Elevator.!
On .Weekends people from San Fran and Sacto would come in and it would get a little busy/ And since it was winter when i started there were snow skiers up to ski.. etc Weekdays were quiet as can be though.
I soon was dressing in my casual clothes of jeans ,boots and sweaters… (no use for my snazzy Vegas outfits that’ looked ridiculous in Tahoe singing to 10 people in jeans and parkas in the small lounge! 🙂
The locals would come in after work and sit there and drink and support me. I got to know the waitresses and bartenders and hotel staff. from top on down. They were all so nice . We’d all tip each other generously and keep each other going.. Then long time Incliners made me an “honorary” local” for that year. They took me under wing., The owner of the Sports shop gave me free ski equip to use and lift passes etc so i learned how to ski that year! I was living and singing in a “Castle” and skiing during the day. ..Life is a TRIP! I a million stories of my life as an unknown gigging musician! So grateful I knew what ai wanted to do at age 13, and by 16 started that life. My year in INCLINE was one exceptional story for sure.
For a San Diego gal it was a spectacular opportunity to live a place with 4 seasons! but I didn’t have to shovel my driveway to get to work etc I didn’t even have a car up there. for that year Locals took me anywhere I needed to go. It was so PRISTINE beautiful up there.. (very little traffic back then.
I ended up living in the hotel for 7 mos loved it. I was booked Jan -July. 1975 .. When Hyatt officially opened in May, .GM (Jack Hardy) liked my music and that I had connected with the locals , so he kept me on as the only entertainment while the Hotel was going thru the transition
After Hyatt re-branded and resigned the interior and made a new “showroom”. they brought in bigger names,. So my gig in Sugar Pine ended but .I was booked into the Racquet Club around the corner.. July, … first week in Sept.
. The Racquet Club gave me an apartment on the grounds. Less pay but the gig was only 5 nights a week 4 hrs night so it was a “vacation” after doing the killer schedule of 6hrs/6 nights at Castle/Hyatt.
THEN i was hired back to HYATT for Sept 10- to end of Oct.. Back to San Diego I went Nov 1975…. But in 1976 my husband got a job with Alex G Enterprises ..a booking agency in Carmel Calif So we moved up to Carmel. They shared office space with Clint Eastwood in his office over his Hogs Breath restaurant! Small world!
Anyway…. YES i well remember that big Gala! and ‘my magical year in Incline! I”m so grateful for that year! (also very glad I have an ongoing .. ,”54 yrs so far,.. music ” journal I’ve been keeping to remember it all.
I”ll be 71 next month! Time flies eh? Like the Energy Bunny i’m still going.. Even in spite of the Pandemic we singers have to figure other ways to make music.. or other creative endeavors, online. I’ve done a few very small gigs in venues.. but HOPEFULLY we’ll all get back to our weekly on-gong live gigs soon. . Who knows what it’s all going to “look like” down the line? . I’m just SO SO SO grateful I’ve had the privilege of 5 decades singing to people, and chances to travel and meet people and have these incredible experiences. So grateful for my year in Incline!
IF YOU READ ALL THIS TO THE VERY END? You should get a badge.. Lol .. The button would say ” I survived a Suzanne Shea” Turbo Comment”!