(02-11) 20:11 PST Pebble Beach — – At age 16, Huey Lewis set himself on the perfect path to becoming a golf bum, although
he didn’t discover golf until two decades later. The path: Get a harmonica and hitchhike across Europe fall in love with music and performing, even if it’s on a street corner in Marrakesh return to the Bay Area and become a rock ‘n’ roll star, pumping out hit records, eventually giving yourself enough money and free time to play golf whenever the hell you want to, forever. Lewis’ love for music led to a gravy train of golf. As a wise man once sang, “That’s the power of love.” For Lewis, the Bay Area’s No. 1 golf bum, the bumming has never been better. He is playing in his 22nd Pebble Beach pro-am, a fantasy gig for amateur golfers. On one of his first trips here, Lewis bunked in a little room above a garage. This week he and five of his golf buddies – Team Lewis – are holed up in obscene luxury in a kazillion-dollar estate overlooking everything, a loaner from a pal of Huey’s. Bumming can’t get much better. You may know Lewis from his band, Huey Lewis and the News, and their ’80s albums like “Sports” and “Fore!” The band is still cranking: 73 concerts last year and they’ll record a new album in 2009.
But these days, especially this weekend, Lewis is less about “Hip to Be Square” and more about “Square your hips.”