History of West Texas and other money games?

[aleph]

I like reading Dan Jenkins' fictionalized accounts and anecdotes of the money games he grew up playing, seeing or otherwise hearing about. Are there any other writers, articles, forum posts or books out there on this subject (ie. money games/golf gambling)?

[teevons]

2 great books on golf and money games, Titanic Thompson and Mysterious Montague

[BIG STU]

Drive For Show and putt for dough memoirs of a golf hustler by Leon Crump--- I have ties to that book in fact my old man is in that book and our home course. I know Leon well I grew up around him and many of the stories in the book I was a eye witness to including a couple of Alvin C Thomas ones aka "Titanic Thompson"

 

There was also an article on the internet a few years back about golf gambling on the Grand Strand specifically the North Myrtle Beach area in the late 60s early 70s and yes my old man was in on that crowd too

[gsea33]

Drive For Show and putt for dough memoirs of a golf hustler by Leon Crump--- I have ties to that book in fact my old man is in that book and our home course. I know Leon well I grew up around him and many of the stories in the book I was a eye witness to including a couple of Alvin C Thomas ones aka "Titanic Thompson"

 

There was also an article on the internet a few years back about golf gambling on the Grand Strand specifically the North Myrtle Beach area in the late 60s early 70s and yes my old man was in on that crowd too

 

Picked up the book used based on your recommendation. Great stories and a good read. Thanks

[BIG STU]

Drive For Show and putt for dough memoirs of a golf hustler by Leon Crump--- I have ties to that book in fact my old man is in that book and our home course. I know Leon well I grew up around him and many of the stories in the book I was a eye witness to including a couple of Alvin C Thomas ones aka "Titanic Thompson"

 

There was also an article on the internet a few years back about golf gambling on the Grand Strand specifically the North Myrtle Beach area in the late 60s early 70s and yes my old man was in on that crowd too

 

Picked up the book used based on your recommendation. Great stories and a good read. Thanks

Bet you can pick up on my Dad in the book. His name and mine are the same just think Big Stu. The guy Catfish in the book who went to the US Open with Leon his brother Kenny (now deceased) is the man that instilled in me the love for Macgregor clubs. My course I grew up at is mentioned a lot it is the one with the lighted par 3. And yes as Leon told it "my old man made his share of dumb Word not allowed bets" One was the famed cross country golf bet when he bought it off of Catfish.

[gsea33]

Drive For Show and putt for dough memoirs of a golf hustler by Leon Crump--- I have ties to that book in fact my old man is in that book and our home course. I know Leon well I grew up around him and many of the stories in the book I was a eye witness to including a couple of Alvin C Thomas ones aka "Titanic Thompson"

 

There was also an article on the internet a few years back about golf gambling on the Grand Strand specifically the North Myrtle Beach area in the late 60s early 70s and yes my old man was in on that crowd too

 

Picked up the book used based on your recommendation. Great stories and a good read. Thanks

Bet you can pick up on my Dad in the book. His name and mine are the same just think Big Stu. The guy Catfish in the book who went to the US Open with Leon his brother Kenny (now deceased) is the man that instilled in me the love for Macgregor clubs. My course I grew up at is mentioned a lot it is the one with the lighted par 3. And yes as Leon told it "my old man made his share of dumb Word not allowed bets" One was the famed cross country golf bet when he bought it off of Catfish.

Big Stu

Yeah think I figured out who your old man was. Great stuff back then, boy have things changed. You need to put down your own stories on paper. Know many who would help u out if you were ever interested. Jeff Garlin would play you in the movie.

[Low Numbers]

My Dad traveled with Titanic Thompson when he was young. A man named Tex Consauber (Or something like that) introduced them. My Dad basically played for money every day all over. Started me doing it as soon as I could break par. He has so many stories you never get bored hearing them.

[gsea33]

My Dad traveled with Titanic Thompson when he was young. A man named Tex Consauber (Or something like that) introduced them. My Dad basically played for money every day all over. Started me doing it as soon as I could break par. He has so many stories you never get bored hearing them.

 

Lets hear some pard....live for these stories.

[teevons]

My Dad traveled with Titanic Thompson when he was young. A man named Tex Consauber (Or something like that) introduced them. My Dad basically played for money every day all over. Started me doing it as soon as I could break par. He has so many stories you never get bored hearing them.

Probably Tex Consolver famous Wichita Kansas golfer, golf course named after him there, over 7300 yards from the tips

[aleph]

Drive For Show and putt for dough memoirs of a golf hustler by Leon Crump--- I have ties to that book in fact my old man is in that book and our home course. I know Leon well I grew up around him and many of the stories in the book I was a eye witness to including a couple of Alvin C Thomas ones aka "Titanic Thompson"

 

There was also an article on the internet a few years back about golf gambling on the Grand Strand specifically the North Myrtle Beach area in the late 60s early 70s and yes my old man was in on that crowd too

 

I picked the Leon Crump book up off Ebay today. Do you have a link or any names to search for the article you mentioned?

[84425]

I picked up the Leon Crump book and the Magnificent Montague based on the recommendations in this thread, Enjoyed both of them. Thanks!

[BIG STU]

Drive For Show and putt for dough memoirs of a golf hustler by Leon Crump--- I have ties to that book in fact my old man is in that book and our home course. I know Leon well I grew up around him and many of the stories in the book I was a eye witness to including a couple of Alvin C Thomas ones aka "Titanic Thompson"

 

There was also an article on the internet a few years back about golf gambling on the Grand Strand specifically the North Myrtle Beach area in the late 60s early 70s and yes my old man was in on that crowd too

 

I picked the Leon Crump book up off Ebay today. Do you have a link or any names to search for the article you mentioned?

Did you figure out who my old man was in the book? I guess you used the clues in post #5

[aleph]

Had to reorder it from a new seller, hasn't arrived yet. I forgot my order was refunded a day after I bought it the first time. Will let you know.

[mocokid]

> @"BIG STU" said:

> Drive For Show and putt for dough memoirs of a golf hustler by Leon Crump--- I have ties to that book in fact my old man is in that book and our home course. I know Leon well I grew up around him and many of the stories in the book I was a eye witness to including a couple of Alvin C Thomas ones aka "Titanic Thompson"

>

>

>

> There was also an article on the internet a few years back about golf gambling on the Grand Strand specifically the North Myrtle Beach area in the late 60s early 70s and yes my old man was in on that crowd too

 

I'm just reading this book right now, Stu are all of those stories really true? What a wild era. I remember playing a course owned by the Heafners one time around 1980, when I was dropping my bro off at UNCC, I guess that was Eastwood that they owned? Sorry to read Vance died in 2012, relatively young.

[BIG STU]

> @mocokid said:

> > @"BIG STU" said:

> > Drive For Show and putt for dough memoirs of a golf hustler by Leon Crump--- I have ties to that book in fact my old man is in that book and our home course. I know Leon well I grew up around him and many of the stories in the book I was a eye witness to including a couple of Alvin C Thomas ones aka "Titanic Thompson"

> >

> >

> >

> > There was also an article on the internet a few years back about golf gambling on the Grand Strand specifically the North Myrtle Beach area in the late 60s early 70s and yes my old man was in on that crowd too

>

> I'm just reading this book right now, Stu are all of those stories really true? What a wild era. I remember playing a course owned by the Heafners one time around 1980, when I was dropping my bro off at UNCC, I guess that was Eastwood that they owned? Sorry to read Vance died in 2012, relatively young.

 

Yep it was Eastwood---- If you are reading the book you may have figured out who my old man is because he is in it---- Also the course I grew up at was Paradise Valley---- Yep Vance died too early he was the Pro / GM at Prestonwood in Cary NC where they play one of the senior tour events in the fall----- Yep a lot of those stories were True and I was an eyewitness to a lot of them as a kid----- Hint just think Stu because that is short for my real first name and my old man's was the same--- Yeah we were real tight with Leon he and my old man were in the bird dog business together and he ate at our house many a time in fact I have a couple of his old clubs still. The guy "Catfish" in the book his brother Kenny was the man that got me hooked on Macgregor clubs. He was a City Firefighter by trade and sadly passed from cancer back in the 80s. I have a Ironmaster putter he gave me back in 72 and for 6 weeks I was invincible with that thing. I still have that putter and it is put up I also named it "Kenny". Kenny loved FC-4000 Macs and today everytime I pick one up or hit it I think of Kenny. I guess I was closer to Kenny than any of the other guys---- Yeah a lot of memories in that book and the greatest thing is I witnessed a lot of them first hand. Kenny was a first class Macgregor club ho. Sometimes when I look at my stash of Macs I think Kenny would be proud

[aleph]

I was flipping through this again and I finally figured out who your dad was, Stu. I think his first name was only mentioned once.

That was a bad deal on buying the action in that bet but I've made dumb bets where I have everything to lose and nothing to gain too (usually when drinking).

[BIG STU]

> @aleph said:

> I was flipping through this again and I finally figured out who your dad was, Stu. I think his first name was only mentioned once.

> That was a bad deal on buying the action in that bet but I've made dumb bets where I have everything to lose and nothing to gain too (usually when drinking).

 

Yep you got it he is the one who made the dumb bet--- He is mentioned a few other times by his last name which he went by. He was one of those guys that would bet on anything. I have seen those guys sit on the porch of the clubhouse on a rainy day and bet what make or color of car would come up US 29 next. I can tell you another bet he lost one rainy day. He was talking about climbing trees when he was a kid and said when he was 12 years old he could have went up the telephone pole outside. A voice from the back said he would bet $100 he could do it now. My old man in his standard form said you're on. This guy was not one of the regular gamblers either. My old man flipped a $100 bill on the counter and the guy produced $95 in small bills mostly 5s and 10s . My old man said good enough you can owe me $5. The guy told him give me 3 minutes and went to his car and propped the trunk producing a set of climbing spikes. My old man said good enough you got me and would not let him climb the pole in the rain and handed him all the money. Come to find out this guy was a lineman for the local power company and had gotten off work early and stopped by for a hot dog and a Coke before going home---- That did not bother the old man one iota next bet please. And for him it did not matter if it was $1 or $1000--- He was at the drag races one day betting with the regular railbird crowd for $1 a race.

BTW he never drank alcohol but basically he was a prescription pill addict in his 50s and 60s. He got off all that mess and lived to the ripe old age of 82

[mocokid]

Great stuff Stu, loving the book. SO Leon mentions 2 US Open champions were taken for a few $$, by him, BUT does not give their names back in 1997 the time the book was published. SO you are they?

[BIG STU]

Moco---- Raymond Floyd I know darn sure of ---- And I am not sure but I think the other may have been Curtis Strange---- I know both were in our parts from time to time. Curtis and Allen's dad before he passed on was a friend of my old man.

[mocokid]

Thanks Stu, Floyd I would have guessed, Strange makes sense given your connection.