Bobby Jones

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Bobby Jones and Quest for the Grand Slam by Catherine M. Lewis commemorates Jones’ historic achievement. The book features never-before-seen photographs from select private collections and the Story of Golf, a DVD that chronicles the history of the sport and Jones’s role in it.

In 1930, Jones won the Grand Slam of golf by winning the open and amateur championships of the United States and Great Britain in a single year (the British Amateur, the British Open, the U.S. Open, and the U.S. Amateur), which became known as the Grand Slam. Nobody before or since has achieved that distinction.

Tiger Woods came the closest to equaling Jones’ Grand Slam by winning the four championships that currently make up golf’s majors (The Masters and the PGA Championship replaced the U.S. and British Amateurs). However, Woods’ run of four victories bridged the 2000-2001 seasons, and were not in the same calendar year.

Jones’ feat was so mesmerizing that he became regarded the world over as the best golfer ever—even though he wasn’t a professional and played in fewer tournaments than his peers. Instead, he focused on his family and his education—he held degrees from Georgia Tech, Harvard, and attended Emory University Law School before passing the bar. Upon his retirement in 1930, he helped establish what has become one of the most storied golf courses in the world—The Masters at Augusta.

Bobby Jones and the Quest for the Grand Slam examines every aspect of the now mythical 1930 golf season. Lewis reveals Jones’ personal history along with the history of those who helped frame his legacy (like biographer O.B. Keeler) and the events that gave credence to Jones’ awe-inspiring ability (like the Walker Cup matches).

In addition, Lewis chronicles how popularized golf on an international stage in the midst of the Great Depression, even among those who did not consider themselves fans.