I’M IN SEATTLE FOR the holidays. We flew in on Christmas night from Charlotte, fortunate to avoid the snow storm that was bearing down on parts of the Southeast. My brother-in-law, our gracious host, has already gifted me with two things I can use: a Starbucks gift card (I really needed a strong cup of java this morning) and a golf history book titled Golf’s Golden Age: Robert T. Jones, Jr. and the Legendary Players of the ‘10s, ‘20s, and ‘30s.Written by Museum and Archives Director Rand Jerris, the book is published by the USGA in partnership with National Geographic. It has the look and feel of a coffee table book, with mini profiles and classic photographs of the men who shaped amateur and professional golf in the early 20th century. So now I can brush up on Ted Ray, “Wild” Bill Melhorn, Denny Shute and many others.
On Thursday, this armchair golfer may see action on the course. We have a tee time at Chambers Bay, site of this year’s U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open. My game could not be more rusty. I haven’t played since late summer. Nor do I have my clubs, or spikes, for that matter. I will play with a borrowed set of clubs and a pair of running shoes. It makes no difference. I will get to see the course so many people have been talking about.
−The Armchair Golfer
