Alan “Al” Jon Bailey, age 73, of Inverness, FL passed away at his home after a lengthy battle with ALS on August 26, 2019. He was under the care of HPH Hospice and his wife Penny. Born in Cedar Rapids Iowa on November 20, 1945, Al was one of four children born to the late Joseph and Dorothy (Daker) Bailey.
He attended Harrison Grade School, Roosevelt Junior High and Thomas Jefferson Senior High in Cedar Rapids. He spent his summers playing baseball and was a member of the Roosevelt baseball team. In 8th grade, Al was introduced to golf by his best friend. Ultimately he abandoned baseball and golf became his lifelong career path.
After graduating from Jefferson High School as a member of the National Honor Society in 1963, he attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, AR and was a member of the freshman golf team. The next year he transferred to State College of Iowa in Cedar Falls. In 1965, Al married his longtime girlfriend, Penny McDaniel in Cedar Rapids. He then transferred to the University of Iowa in Iowa City and played on the golf team his senior year.
Al turned Pro in August of 1967 and accepted his first job as 2nd Assistant Pro at Happy Hollow Country Club in Omaha, NE where John Frillman was the Head Pro. His next positions were all in the Chicago area:
March 1, 1968 – November 1, 1971
Assistant Pro at Sunset Ridge Country Club in Northbrook, IL
Bob Harris, Head Pro
March 1, 1972 – November 1, 1972
Assistant Pro at Ravinia Green Country Club in Deerfield, IL
Pete Mazzetta, Head Pro
March 1, 1973 – November 1, 1973
Al is the Head Pro at Kankakee Elks Country Club, Kankakee, IL
March 1, 1974 – November 1, 1976
Al is the Head Pro at Midlane Country Club in Waukegan, IL
At the end of the season in 1976, the club was sold and the owner gave the Head Pro position to a friend. Al’s contract wasn’t renewed for 1977. In the spring of 1977, Al moved to the Quad Cities and ran a driving range for a friend, where he also gave golf lessons. In 1978, Al was hired by Dunlop Maxfli as a sales representative covering 5 states for 2 years. In 1980, an Iowa territory for Titleist opened up and Al got his “Dream Job” as a sales representative. He and Penny moved backed to Iowa and lived in Des Moines for the next 12 years. Al spent a total of 23 years with Titleist. 12 years in the Iowa territory, 5 years in the Memphis based territory and 6 years as Sales Automation Trainer for Titleist and Footjoy worldwide.
Al had so many accomplishments in his golf career, there are just too many to mention them all. However, here are just a few from his professional PGA days:
1970, won the Illinois open at the Prestwick Country Club in Frankfort, IL
1970, qualified and played in the US Open
at Hazeltine National Golf Club, in Chaska, MN.
Al made it to the finals of the PGA Tour Qualifying School which earned him a sponsor exemption to the 1971 “Western Open” at the Olimpia Fields Country Club in Olimpia Fields, IL.
After regaining his amateur status in 1980, Al won the Des Moines City Tournament 3 out of the 4 years he lived there (1982, 1984, 1985) which was held at the Waveland Golf Course.
Al worked hard, played hard and lived his life to the fullest with no regrets at the end. He loved golf, college football, especially the Arkansas Razorbacks, “Hogs” and the Iowa Hawkeyes. He also loved any and all technology, especially computer and camera technology. Al enjoyed riding his recumbent bike on the trails in Citrus County, FL with his family where he lived. He was super intelligent, witty, funny, and a “hardass” at times but, his family and friends loved him. His Titleist and Footjoy families meant so much to him. Many of the relationships he formed there would be lifelong. Al had so many friends from his golfing days in Iowa and here in Florida. He missed “The Dunes” and “Silverthorn” golf buddies so much as he couldn’t play golf the last year of his life due to the progression of his A.L.S. disease. He will be missed so much by his family and many friends.
In addition to his parent’s, Al was preceded in death by his brother, Lee Bailey and his sister, Nancy Bailey. Al is survived by his loving wife Susan “Penny” Bailey, his brother, Jim Bailey and his wife Marilyn of Clive, IA; sister in laws, Pam Wharton and her husband John, Patrice Jackson and her Fiance, Steve Corpstein; brother in law, John McDaniel and his wife Julie and special dog, “Huck” whom Al loved.
Al is also survived by nephew, Dr. Skiff Bailey, his wife Jenny and their 3 sons; nephew, Randy Bailey; nephew, Mark Bailey, his wife Barbara and their sons; nephew, Shannon Rippey, his wife Andrea; nephew, Josh Wharton, his wife Natasha and their daughter, nephew, Gregg Bailey, his wife Sara and their 2 sons and 1 daughter; nephew, Matthew Wharton, nephew, Drake Zabloudil and wife Paige; niece, Cheryl Hochstein, her husband Chris and their 2 children; niece, Jennifer Rippey; niece, Abby Jackson-Tschechaniuk, her husband Phil; niece, Erica Bascom, her husband Ryan and their children; niece, Abbie Rathje, her husband Scott and their children; niece, Kylea Zmoos, her husband Zach and their children.
Per Al’s wishes, he was cremated and there will be no services. Al’s wife Penny has made plans to have a portion of his ashes spread at a couple of golf courses Al played throughout his career, as well as his former college Alma Maters. Penny also plans to take some of his ashes to the Gulf of Mexico, where he loved to fish and the Tsala Apopka chain of lakes where he lived.
Cremation care provided by the Chas E. Davis Funeral Home with Crematory, Inverness, FL.
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