It’s the most wonderful time of the year… The azaleas are in bloom, the familiar music will soon be on repeat, and the soundtrack of birdsong is ready to be piped into the live telecast.
We will hear much about Bobby Jones during The Masters telecast, and deservedly so. But to state the obvious, all of his triumphs pre-dated the tournament, and many of them came on the other side of the Atlantic.
For those looking to walk in the footsteps of Bobby Jones, here’s where you can do so across the pond.
Royal Lytham & St. Annes
In 1926, Bobby Jones came to the 71st hole two strokes behind the lead. He promptly pulled his drive into a sandy waste area, and it seemed that his hopes for the Claret Jug were lost. In miraculous fashion, Jones hit what some have called the finest shot of his career: a mashie-iron to the center of the green. The sight knocked the leader, Al Watrous, off-balance, and all it took was a solid par at the last to give Bobby his first Open Championship.
Today, a plaque marks the famous shot on the 17th, while the mashie hangs in the clubhouse along with a portrait of Jones.
Jim Larkin, PGA and his Fieldstone Golf Club members at Royal Lytham
The Old Course at St. Andrews
Bobby Jones came to The Old Course for the first time in 1921 as a 19-year-old phenom. He left empty-handed and with a lesson in humility which we explain the video below. In contrast, his return in 1930 was a triumphant one, taking home the Amateur Championship en route to the Grand Slam. The crowd swept Jones off the 18th on their shoulders, and later the 10th on The Old Course was renamed in his honor.
“I could take out of my life everything except my experiences in St. Andrews and I would still have a rich, full life.”
Wallasey Golf Club
During his 1930 Grand Slam, the qualifier for The Open Championship was held at Wallasey Golf Club. The club famous for inventing Stableford scoring made a lasting impact on Jones and he was soon named an honorary life member.
To commemorate his visit, a former club captain at Wallasey commissioned a portrait which proudly hangs in the clubhouse. Whether you’ve had the pleasure to visit Wallasey or not, you have no doubt seen the painting.
Bobby was so delighted with the work that he commissioned a copy of his own which hangs at Augusta National and often makes its way into the telecast.
Credit: Wallasey Golf Club
Sunningdale Golf Club
Before his come from behind win at Royal Lytham, Bobby Jones qualified for The Open in 1926 at famed Sunningdale Golf Club outside of London.
It was there that he recorded what some have called the perfect round of golf. A score of 66 comprised of 33 shots, 33 putts, and nothing but 3s and 4s on the card. After the round, Jones famously declared “I wish I could take this course home with me.”
Royal Liverpool Golf Club
In 1921, before his run-in with the Hill Bunker at The Old Course, Bobby Jones joined a team of Americans at Royal Liverpool Golf Club for the first international match of its kind against Great Britain. The Americans were victorious 9-3 in what would come to be known as The Walker Cup.
Nine years later, Jones would return to Hoylake for the third leg of his Grand Slam, taking home the Claret Jug by two strokes over Macdonald Smith. Several items from his visits adorn the clubhouse walls at Royal Liverpool, alongside one of the finest collections of memorabilia in Britain.
Young Bobby seated 2nd from right at Royal Liverpool
For more reading on Bobby Jones across the pond, we suggest this classic piece by Herbert Warren Wind titled “Will Ye No’ Come Back Again?” The article chronicles Bobby’s triumphant return to St. Andrews in 1958 when he was named a Freeman of the City.
Enjoy The Masters!
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