Golf Compendium

Did a PGA Tour golfer foresee Bobby Jones' Grand Slam in 1930, and place a bet that paid off huge? He sure did. And did a reporting mistake in the New York Times cause the Internal Revenue Service to come knocking, seeking way more in taxes than the lucky golfer actually owed? That's a popular legend, but one that doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

Bobby Jones shared the U.S. Open tournament record of four wins . He also, at one time, shared the U.S. Open record of four second-place finishes. In other words, Jones was very, very good in the U.S. Open.

In 1930, Bobby Jones won a PGA Tour tournament in Augusta, Georgia. The distant second-place finisher had beaten Jones earlier in the year, and went on to win the first Masters Tournament . This win by Jones, however, was not at Augusta National.

There is a limit on the number of golf clubs a golfer can carry in his or her bag during play. According to the Rules of Golf, that limit is 14. If you are playing a tournament round, a handicap round, or any other round during which you are following the rules, you cannot carry more than 14 golf clubs. But why?

Everyone knows Bobby Jones was the co-founder of Augusta National Golf Club and of The Masters Tournament. And if you know much about Jones, you also know that he retired from competitive golf after claiming the Grand Slam in 1930.

Some things never change. For example, complaining about the pernicious effects of new equipment on golf and, specifically, golf courses. Even Bobby Jones complained. The sainted Jones once proposed that the Haskell ball be rolled back and replaced with ... gutties!

The Bob Jones Award is presented annually by the United States Golf Association and is the USGA's highest award. It is given to an individual "who demonstrates the spirit, personal character and respect for the game exhibited by Jones." That would be Bobby Jones, of course.

The motion picture Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius stars Jim Caviezel as the famous golfer from the 1920s whose early struggles later gave way to what some consider the greatest golf career ever. Some sources claim this movie was the first ever given permission to film on location on The Old Course at St. Andrews.