I Remember Bobby Jones: Personal Memories and Testimonials to Golf's Most Charismatic Grand Slam Champion, as Told by the People Who Knew Him

By Mike Towle

Book Overview

Long before there were Tiger Woods, television, and tournaments with million-dollar purses, Bobby Jones was the most recognized and revered golfer in the world. Memories of Jones continue to burn brightly, as does his indomitable legacy and influence. Nearly thirty years after his death, Jones remains president-in-perpetuity of the Augusta National Golf Club, which he co-founded, the host venue of the annual Masters Golf Tournament. Jones's record stands as a landmark in golf history. By the time he retired from competitive golf in 1930 at the age of twenty-eight, he had won four U.S. Opens, three British Opens, and five U.S. Amateur titles -- all without ever earning a dime for any of his triumphs. Jones's status as the greatest amateur golfer ever was clinched in 1930 when he won the U.S. Open, British Open, U.S. Masters, and British Amateur. That made him the only golfer ever to win all four Grand Slam events in one calendar year. In I REMEMBER BOBBY JONES, dozens of his fellow golfers, journalists, golf industry leaders, friends, relatives, and followers of the game share their favorite memories of him. The portrait is of a man and champion who embodied sportsmanship and brought the words classic and golf together in one phrase.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1581823916
• ISBN13: 9781581823912
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

The unique style and grace of a great competitor

This is one of several volumes in the Cumberland House "I Remember" series. Each is an anthology of reminiscences of those who personally knew the subject, in this instance one of the greatest golfers, Bobby Jones (March 17, 1902 - December 18, 1971). Mike Towle edited the material and contributed brief introductions to each of the five chapters. Although Jones had his flaws, imperfections, and failures, there was also much in his career as well as in his personal life that is commendable. Few other great athletes then or since have combined such a high level of sportsmanship with an equally high level of achievement in competition. For example, during the final playoff of the 1925 U.S. Open as he was preparing to hit the ball, his iron caused a slight movement of the ball. No one else nearby saw it. Nonetheless, Jones called a two-stroke penalty on himself and eventually lost the tournament by one stroke. When he was praised for his gesture, he replied, "You may as well praise a man for not robbing a bank." The United States Golf Association's annual sportsmanship award is named the "Bob Jones Award" in his honor. By the time he retired from competition at age 28, he had won five U.S. amateur championships and one British amateur championship as well as four U.S. Opens and one British Open. Of special note is the fact that, in 1930, he won what were then viewed as the four "majors" and this combination of victories is now referred to as the first "Grand Slam." He co-founded the Augusta National Golf Club and played in the Masters tournament it sponsored each year it was played (from 1934 until 1948) but, ironically, never won a tournament on the course he co-designed with Alistair MacKenzie. Here is a representative selection of brief excerpts from the narrative: Of all the greatest golfers who ever lived, why would Jones be an especially congenial as well as impressive companion during a round of golf? "One, Jones won his thirteen majors in an eight-year stretch before retiring at age twenty-eight; two, he could hit a ball more than three hundred yards with a hickory shaft; three, he loved playing with golfers of all abilities and giving advice when asked; four, he had a good sense of humor; five, he wore knickers; and six, he was well versed in the extracurricular activities of golf often found at the nineteenth hole. Jones was the whole package, and he certainly had to be a fascinating conversationalist with three college degrees under his belt and a law practice, to boot." (Mike Towle, Pages xi-xii) "One of the reasons for Jones's early retirement was the fact that he was inwardly high strung. So much that he regularly would lose ten to fifteen pounds during a championship. So much that his only form of relaxation was to ingest two stiff drinks and soak in a hot tub of water. When a championship was over he would burst into tears without provocation." (Ben Crenshaw, Page 36) "Nervousness? I was nervous going to the first tee in eve