Bumpers, felt, and fun

SUN CITY – Every sport has its heroes – Babe Ruth for baseball, Joe Montana in football, Michael Jordan in basketball, Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson in boxing, Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Hull in hockey.

For pool players, the heroes may be Willie Mosconi, Jackie Gleason, and Paul Newman.

Despite the grim, tragic portrayal of pool-hall politics in the classic 1961 Hollywood film “The Hustler,” many pool enthusiasts to this day are inspired by the characters “Fast Eddie” Felson (Newman) and Minnesota Fats (Gleason). The film sparked a resurgence in the popularity of pool. Did you know that pool champion Mosconi made a cameo appearance as Willie, who held the stakes for Eddie’s and Fats’ games? And did you know that Gleason was so skilled at the game that all of his shots in the film were his own?

Fast forward half a century to today to the Sun City Cue Club, whose members have taken “hustling” out of the sport and put in “relaxed fun.”

“Pool to us is recreational fun and a way to socialize and meet people,” says Chuck Volpi, Secretary-Treasurer of the club. “The sport is minimally competitive; we don’t hold tournaments or make a big deal out of who is winning or losing.”

When Del Webb constructed the Millgrove Woodshop on Sun City Blvd., it installed two pool tables in an adjacent room for casual use by residents. Activity was slow at first but picked up in recent years. In 2009, Rich McBride, Clark Jones, and Volpi led a movement to form a Charter group so that a schedule for club activities could be set up and equipment such as chalk and cue sticks could be purchased.

Jones is the group’s first president, and the group turns the woodshop room into a modern-day senior-level pool hall at specific hours on weekdays.

“We play mostly eight-ball and sometimes nine-ball Monday through Friday from 2-4 p.m., Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to noon, and on Monday evenings from 7-9 p.m.,” Volpi said. “The rest of the time, residents can come and play anytime.”

He said eight-ball, the classic “eight ball in the corner pocket” game, is today the most popular game played on a pool table. The game is as much a spectator sport as it is a participating one. Some guys come to just sit on stools, like in the old pool halls, and watch others play. Members typically play against many different opponents, and there’s a lot of “I’ll play the winner” challenges going on.

Volpi said he plays almost every day. “I was playing for two hours up there just before this interview,” he said. “I scheduled the time so I could finish playing when I wanted to.”

The club now has 85 members who pay $10 dues annually. “We don’t hold meetings, so members mostly pay me their dues by mail or when they come to play,” Volpi said. “We have an annual picnic where we invite spouses and friends.”

He also said a big part of the club’s activities is teaching.

“We have some guys who are real experts, and some who are learning. Some of the top guys spend time working with the beginners to help them enjoy the game. We have a few guys in their 80s who are very good. Volpi also believes the sport is easy but effective exercise. “You stand, sit, lean over, and use a lot of hand-eye coordination,” he said. “I always preach about how the game is good for your body and mind.”

Fast Eddie and Minnesota Fats might not find Sun City’s game lucrative, but they no doubt would have enjoyed the camaraderie.

Rack ‘em up, Chuck.

---

---