I Remember Bobby Jones: Personal Memories of and Testimonials to Golf's Most Charismatic Grand Slam Champion as Told by the People Who Knew Hi (I Remember Series) Review

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I Remember Bobby Jones: Personal Memories of and Testimonials to Golf's Most Charismatic Grand Slam Champion as Told by the People Who Knew Hi (I Remember Series) Review
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 every round or every match I played in competition...My knees would be knocking, I was so unsure of what might happen on the first tee. I often wondered if people could see or hear them. If I had worn plus fours (a la Sarazen) they could not have seen them but they might have heard them. I think they were playing `Dixie' by the time I put the tee in the ground. After that first tee, it was done with." (Jones to John Doerr, CBS-TV executive, Pages 48-49)
"The feel of the [Masters] tournament was premised on the fact that Booby Jones was there, as was Magnolia Avenue and a little clubhouse that was the center of everything that took place - just a nice little building. You were assigned a caddie and then you went to play. The course was a lot different then because of all the minor and major changes that they have made to it since. Jones was the master of ceremonies. There was already a nostalgia build in to the tournament because the name Jones was so big. That helped get it started. Then add to the fact Clifford Roberts [co-founder of Augusta National Golf Club] was such a perfectionist." (Byron Nelson, Page 71)
"One thing about Jones was that he would let his clubs do his talking for him. But he was not a great, outgoing figure like a Walter Hagen or a Sam Snead. He was a quiet, gentlemanly Southern player. But I understand that as a youngster he had been a brat. He was so good at such a young age that, so I've been told, during one of his matches Bobby threw his tam -o'-shanter (golf cap) down and stomped on it. And some great British professional he was playing with pushed him aside and said, `Young man, why don't you let me do that. I can do a much better job of it.' And he tore the cap all to pieces and I think it was because of that incident that Jones never threw any tantrums on the golf course again. During his playing days as a grownup, Jones emerged as the epitome of sportsmanship." (Paul Runyan, Pages 128-129)
In 1948, Jones was diagnosed with syringomyelia, a disorder during which a cyst forms within the spinal cord. It expands and elongates over time, destroying the center of the cord. For about the last 20 years of his life, he suffered progressively more severe pain as well as paralysis that eventually restricted him to a wheelchair. "Twice I had the thrill of having Jones ask me to lend him my good right arm. The first time was at the funeral of his good friend, Grantland Rice. Bob was an honorary pallbearer, one of many. He had come to New York for the funeral, even though his crippling illness already hindered his walk unattended. That he asked my help in walking up the aisle thrilled me." (Doerr, Pages 163-164)
Of course, it is impossible to know how successful Jones would be if he were competing today, and with today's equipment, nor is it possible to know how well Tiger Woods would have played if he were competing in the 1920's and 1930's. My guess (only a guess) is that great athletes such as they would be successful in any era, if not dominant. That said, wouldn't it be a special treat for those of us who love golf to see them in the last twosome, teeing off in the final round of the Masters tournament?
Those interested in a more comprehensive discussion of Jones's life and career are encouraged to check out Ron Rapoport's The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf, Mark Frost's The Grand Slam: Bobby Jones, America, and the Story of Golf, Rand Jerris' Golf's Golden Age: Bobby Jones and the Legendary Players of the 10's, 20's and 30's, and Bobby Jones on Golf by Robert Tyre Jones.I Remember Bobby Jones: Personal Memories of and Testimonials to Golf's Most Charismatic Grand Slam Champion as Told by the People Who Knew Hi (I Remember Series) OverviewThe indomitable golfer and successful businessman, BobbyJones, is remembered--in their own words--by dozens of fellow golfers,journalists, golf industry leaders, friends, relatives, and followersof the game.

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