Peter's party in Portland

Rocker Huey Lewis is here today. So is former NBA star Terry Porter. Holly Sonders, who can be seen on the Golf Channel's "Morning Drive", also showed up. Ditto for former quarterback Joey Harrington. 

They are here, like me, in Portland, Ore., to be part of Peter Jacobsen's world. I'm here in the Great Northwest to gather information for a feature story I will compose in a later issue of GCM about Jacobsen, who has been named the GCSAA's Old Tom Morris Award winner for 2012, presented annually to an individual who, "through a continuing lifetime commitment to the game of golf, has helped to mold the welfare of the game in a manner and style exemplified by Old Tom Morris." Jacobsen (pictured here at the far right, signing a painting) will be presented the award Feb. 28 in Las Vegas during GCSAA's Education Conference at Celebrate GCSAA! presented by Syngenta.

The stars showed up to participate in the Umpqua Bank Challenge, a three-day affair at Portland Golf Club, an event that benefits multiple charities in the region. It is, kind of, a reincarnation of the Fred Meyer Challenge that Jacobsen spearheaded from 1986-2002. That event raised more than $13 million for charity.

"This is not about golf. This is about fun," Jacobsen told a crowd of folks who were on hand for a pre-pro-am clinic this morning.  

Lewis, who brought two members of his group Huey Lewis and the News along for the ride, said to Jacobsen, "thanks for having us. We're all here for Peter."

Jacobsen's clinic included lots of laughs, especially when he displayed some of the imitations that he has made famous, including Arnold Palmer and Craig Stadler. When he imitates Stadler, Jacobsen dumps a few dozen golf balls down his shirt, where they pool, providing him with a major gut. Jacobsen has done it for years, and it never gets old.

Watching it all was his wife, Jan Jacobsen, who admits her husband truly was honored when he learned about the Old Tom Morris Award honor a few months ago.

 "He was thrilled. He was really touched," Jan Jacobsen said. "He cares about the golf course. When we sat down and read the past winners (such as Bob Hope, Gerald R. Ford, Byron Nelson) ... it was not just golfers. There is a lot of thought put into this, and that's what means something more. It's like, 'Wow, they really want to give me this award, not that I was just the next golfer on the list.' He cares so much about the greenkeepers, the behind-the-scenes part of golf."