Superstar: Don J. Pucillo Turf Pirate

A Turf Pirate’s Journal

It’s all about the Bling or is it?

Welcome back Turf Pirates! We have

previously established that Turf Pirates are masters in the art of living. That they are ancient and honorable and that they can appreciate all manner of things (shrimp and grits for example) and that they are most definitely elusive creatures as proven by their unofficial status. It is also important to note that successful Turf Pirates are all about the bling. Have you ever been into a Turf Pirates inner sanctum (Office, Shop, Boat, Cave or Tee Pee)? It is usually a blend of triumphs and tragedies, of faith and fellowship. These hallowed spaces are also full of bling (trinkets, trophies and finery). Admit it you have a pin flag from every course that you captained or crewed. The more legendary the Turf Pirate the more bling and the bigger the tales that surround the bling. My office is a bit of a museum. Everything in it has a story and there is always one open spot just over my computer screen for the next big item I am chasing (Thank you Mr. Maples). It is therefore considered a breach of etiquette for a Turf Pirate to not have a recent date of achievement for an item in open view of guests. If called out on this by another Turf Pirate the offender shall forfeit a beverage of the edifier’s choice and must commit to a recovery of honor at an agreed upon date. After all rules are rules even if they appear imaginary. Since moving to Texas I have tried to Cowboy Up my bling so after winning the Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards Triple Crown in 2017

my friends at Champions Choice Belt Buckles captured the moment in an awesome black and gold artistic work with the two wins from Georgia and the first from Texas (I also won under the new rules in 2020 allowing me to ward off Turf Pirates seeking libations at my expense for another year) complete with turquois and mountains. It is now in my office and lives on their website as a display buckle. It sits quietly on a shelf (next to a picture of Isadore Sharp, the founder of Four Seasons and me) but it is full of a thousand stories that made the journey epic. So the crux of the matter is this, to a Turf Pirate it is the journey, the chase that leads to the bling that matters. The bling is a reflection of people, programs and perseverance. The bling represents the memory of a fight well fought and of achievement in the face of impossibility. It is in the end a reminder that anything is possible in the eye of the visionary and of course the Turf Pirate. I thought it would be appropriate to answer a question from time to time about traditions within the Ancient and Honorable Tribe of Turf Pirates. This one is personal. Is it true that you have worn Pirate Socks (black dress socks with white skull and bones) to every award ceremony for the last 36 years? Yes, if you don’t own a pair of dress pirate socks you should once again question your life choices. I’ll close with this, Turf Pirates, what bling are you chasing?