Marin man reflects on photographing iconic Bob Hope golf tournaments

“Laughter connects you with people. It’s almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you’re just howling with laughter. Laughter is a force for democracy.” — John Cleese

“Laughter, Always the Best Medicine!” is a photo essay of people, many of whom you’ll recognize, photographed when it seemed like they didn’t have a care in the world. Many of the photographs were taken at the Bob Hope Desert Classic golf tournament, where I was the official photographer from 1965 to around 1985.

I hope that the images taken years ago in the desert will bring a smile to your face and bring back fond memories of these individuals and what they did — and perhaps what they meant to you. Laughter is universal — join in.

As the official photographer of one of the top, if not the most prominent, pro-am golf tournament in the nation, it meant that I had a backstage pass to photograph some of the most well-known entertainers and pro golfers of the era. The actors and comedians entertained, the pro golfers were entertained and their amateur partners and the gallery all enjoyed the show. Everyone laughed. The relaxed atmosphere almost always ended with the pro approaching his teed-up golf ball.

The Bob Hope Desert Classic tournament was a charitable event that benefited the Eisenhower Medical Center, now known as Eisenhower Health.

Because of the circumstances, I began my photographic career photographing important politicians, famous celebrities and leaders of American business and industry. In many ways, the United States and the Coachella Valley were much different in the 1960s and 1970s from today. I was glad that I had the opportunity at that time and era; it would not be the same today.

My family and I lived in the desert since my sophomore year at Palm Springs High School. After I graduated, I went to the University of California at Riverside, where I studied political science.

The Coachella Valley 50 years ago was vastly different than now. Many well-known people — whom most of us saw often in our daily activities — lived in the desert. We went to school with entertainers’ kids; our family lived in Rancho Mirage where, as a youngster, I sometimes saw my boyhood hero, Hopalong Cassidy — played by William Boyd — and former President Dwight Eisenhower in the nearby Jurgensen’s Market. Eisenhower’s brother, Edgar, lived a few blocks up the cove from us, as did Elliott Roosevelt, former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s son.

Former President Dwight Eisenhower made it a practice of attending the last day of the Bob Hope Desert Classic to present the winner of the tournament with the Eisenhower Trophy.

That was just the way it was, and together, famous or not, we all enjoyed the quieter, slower pace of life in the Coachella Valley. The charity galas, golf tournaments and other events were lowkey, not deluged with the national press and individuals with entourages.

In many ways, Marin, especially a few decades ago, was probably much like the Coachella Valley — way before Coachella!

Zeny Cieslikowski is a Marin photographer.