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Memories of Bobby Jones
Slam winner's popularity has never died
Last updated Mar. 30 at 07:52 PM
By Ward Clayton
The Life & Times of Bobby Jones is a 298-page book with more
than 330 photographs, 80 of which have never been
published.
The coffee table-style book is the continuation of a
successful recent golf book trend. Three years ago, a large
book on Arnold Palmer sold very well, then last year a book
on Ben Hogan was critically acclaimed. Now, the Jones
book.
``I think, especially with Jones, people are searching for
the original genuine hero,'' said author Sydney L. Matthew,
a Tallahassee, Fla., attorney and noted Jones historian.
``People are starting to appreciate those that lived their
lives that way. They admire Jones because he was somebody
who conquered the world of sports and was a gentleman at the
same time.''
The most startling photos are included in a chapter
entitled, ``Building Augusta National.'' Rare photos of Amen
Corner, shot on the course's opening day in 1933, are used.
They reveal that the tiny green on the par-3 12th was more
than twice as large then and players could see the clubhouse
all the way from the par-5 13th green.
One photo also reveals that Alister MacKenzie, the Augusta
National course designer, attended the opening in 1933. It
has been widely reported that MacKenzie never saw the
finished product, when actually he passed away before the
first tournament, called the First Annual Invitational
Tournament, in 1934.
When writer Herbert Warren Wind, who named Amen Corner in
the 1950s, saw the original photos, his first response was,
``Where did these photos come from?''
Matthew said he has a large group of photos showing the
original Augusta National, all shot by a course photographer
in 1933.
Other unique portions of the book include paintings made of
Jones, a forward by his grandson, Bob Jones IV, photos of
Jones hunting, fishing and playing tennis and a chapter on
O.B. Keeler, the Atlanta newspaperman who recounted Jones'
career. Keeler will be inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall
of Fame in January.
Matthew completed a documentary on Jones' life last year
with the same title. Matthew said he has sold the
documentary to Callaway Golf, which is trying to distribute
it for a network telecast, hopefully close to the 1996
Masters, scheduled for April 11-14.
The book costs $49.95. It is published by Sleeping
Bear Press, which last year published the lost writings of
MacKenzie, The Spirit of St. Andrews.
Chronicle Sports Editor
One of the most expansive books on the life of Augusta
National Golf Club co-founder Bobby Jones has arrived at
bookstores.
CNN/Sports Illustrated, a Time Warner Company and