Bobby Jones is well-known and respected as one of history’s leading golf
teachers of what it means to be a true champion on and off the golf
course.
As a Golf Amateur, Bobby Jones taught us that using proper
etiquette in terms of character, consideration, courtesy, determination,
enthusiasm and form is essential to the game and life. Bobby Jones championed
the true meaning of golf forever in our
minds, and for this we owe him our deepest gratitude.
The following is a message Bobby Jones wrote in April,
1967 regarding the conduct, customs and etiquette of golf at The Masters
Tournament.
"In golf, customs of etiquette and decorum are just as important as
rules governing play. It is appropriate for spectators to applaud
successful strokes in proportion to difficulty but excessive
demonstrations by a player or his partisans are not proper because of
the possible effects upon other competitors."
Most distressing to those who love the game of golf is the applauding or
cheering or misplays or misfortunes of a player. Such occurrences have
been rare at The Masters but we must eliminate them entirely if our
patrons are to continue to merit their reputation as the most
knowledgeable and considerate in the world."
Robert Tyre Jones, Jr.
President in Perpetuity
Augusta National Golf Club
Respectfully, we can all learn from what Bobby Jones meant by this
important statement, as he understood the human complexities and
emotions that the game can evoke when on the golf course. Bobby Jones
called golf
"the
most human of games"
and accurately referred to it is a
"reflection
of life."
The term
"play against Old Man Par"
is one that Bobby Jones repeated
many times throughout his short seven year golfing career.
