Letter from Gene Sarazen

[cardoustie]

A friend of mine was gifted a ton of old golf books 5 years ago.   The previous owner had gotten boxes of them from an estate sale 15 or so years back

 

Yesterday, he opened a book on top Canadian courses, to read what was said about our club when it opened approx. 30 years ago, and this letter fell out

 

Thought it would be a great share before The Masters

 

i thought it was great as it references the club used for his albatross

 

 

[Gsea]

Thats so cool, probably worth a penny or two. 

[Soloman1]

So what is this? People used to use their hand and some dark stick to scratch out words on paper?
This is a fake.Everybody knows he would have typed on his phone and send a text, right?

He used some app to make it look like that old style handwriting stuff people did back during the middle ages.

[b.helts]

What’s the word before “4 wood, 1935 -“?

 

That is an awesome find!!

 

“shot heard ‘round the world”

[DArnie]

7 minutes ago, b.helts said:

What’s the word before “4 wood, 1935 -“?

 

That is an awesome find!!

 

“shot heard ‘round the world”

no. in reference to #

[b.helts]

Just now, DArnie said:

no. in reference to #

Thank you!!  That makes sense. I thought it was “no” but couldn’t get any context that worked in my mind. 
 

that works! You da man!

[Dr. Block]

Love the stationary. A more civilized time for sure. 
 

Thanks for sharing that with us. 

Edited November 7, 2020 by Dr. Block

[b.helts]

Ol’ Gene had himself a pretty nice spot on the beach, looks like!!

 

 

[milesgiles]

First Open I went to, 93 at Royal St Georges. As Norman was getting presented, Sarazen comes out and says what a great tournament it was (he had won in 32 next door at Princes). Totally charming guy, great idea to invite him (must have been the last time he made the trip)

 

gets forgotten about too much, invented the sand wedge, Mr Albatross, grand slam..

[ghostrider]

I remember seeing interviews with him on Golf Channel. He lived a great life. Loved one of his quotes about the double eagle. He said he had been introduced as Mr Double Eagle so many times that people might think he was an Indian chief.

[cardoustie]

He’s really great in those old Shell WWOG vids on YouTube 

[Hawkeye77]

Ace on the Postage Stamp to close out playing in The Open - fairy tale stuff.

[bscinstnct]

7 hours ago, b.helts said:

Ol’ Gene had himself a pretty nice spot on the beach, looks like!!

 

 

 

Wow, he actually died in May 1999 at 97 years old so this was written in just a couple of months before he passed away

 

here is the building that is there now, wonder if it’s the same...

 

 

 

[puttfordoux]

14 hours ago, Soloman1 said:

So what is this? People used to use their hand and some dark stick to scratch out words on paper?
This is a fake.Everybody knows he would have typed on his phone and send a text, right?

He used some app to make it look like that old style handwriting stuff people did back during the middle ages.

You're confusing Sarazen with Louis Oosthuizen...

[Soloman1]

2 minutes ago, puttfordoux said:

You're confusing Sarazen with Louis Oosthuizen...

You're just showing off because you can spell his name. 😎

[caniac6]

4 hours ago, Soloman1 said:

You're just showing off because you can spell his name. 😎

I can spell Sarazen, too.

[pga43]

7 hours ago, bscinstnct said:

 

Wow, he actually died in May 1999 at 97 years old so this was written in just a couple of months before he passed away

 

here is the building that is there now, wonder if it’s the same...

 

 

 

 

The year on the letter looks like 1977 to me.

 

Greg

[bscinstnct]

20 minutes ago, pga43 said:

 

The year on the letter looks like 1977 to me.

 

Greg

Egads!

 

You are correct! 
 

 

 

 

 

But here he is in 99 at 97 years old. God Bless, amazing!

 

https://www.liveabout.com/honorary-starters-at-the-masters-1564632

 

 

Edited November 7, 2020 by bscinstnct

[bladehunter]

Super cool.   As a history lover , things like this are beyond valuable in my opinion.  
 

reminds me of the boxes of roled up grade blueprints we found of my grandfathers after he died.  He worked shaping tees and greens for several architects.  Tom Jackson being one.  Several of the blueprints have handwritten notes in the margin  referencing conversations with Jackson on slight changes while building.  Not worth much in reality. Worth a ton in forms of historical context because it’s shows first hand accounts of how something came to be.  
 

great stuff and thanks again for sharing ! 

Edited November 8, 2020 by bladehunter

[milesgiles]

9 hours ago, bladehunter said:

Super cool.   As a history lover , things like this are beyond valuable in my opinion.  
 

reminds me of the boxes of roled up grade blueprints we found of my grandfathers after he died.  He worked shaping tees and greens for several architects.  Tom Jackson being one.  Several of the blueprints have handwritten notes in the margin  referencing conversations with Jackson on slight changes while building.  Not worth much in reality. Worth a ton in forms of historical context because it’s shows first hand accounts of how something came to be.  
 

great stuff and thanks again for sharing ! 

 

The anti roll backers probably don’t appreciate stuff like this

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i said it 

[bladehunter]

1 hour ago, milesgiles said:

 

The anti roll backers probably don’t appreciate stuff like this

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i said it 

Lol.  Agreed. 

[MattyO1984]

Is this how the world worked before the internet? You didn’t know the answer to something so you wrote a letter to the person asking them?

[jobin]

How far did Gene hit that famous Augusta shot with the 4 wood, and was he using a wound balata or a gutty ball?

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

19 minutes ago, jobin said:

How far did Gene hit that famous Augusta shot with the 4 wood, and was he using a wound balata or a gutty ball?

It wouldn't have been a gutty, and I don't think balata was in use then. Some iteration of the Haskell wound ball?

Incidentally, I've read that back then, the water in front of the 15th was narrower, more of a creek than a pond. I've also read that the reason it was called "The shot heard around the world" was because the news was carried by radio broadcasts (not TV), but I'm not sure about the veracity of that.

 

Edit: for what it's worth, Wikipedia says it was a 235-yard shot, but I'm pretty sure that's what I remember years ago in a book, so maybe it's accurate. 

Edited November 9, 2020 by No_Catchy_Nickname

[gvogel]

5 hours ago, jobin said:

How far did Gene hit that famous Augusta shot with the 4 wood, and was he using a wound balata or a gutty ball?

Wound balata.  The Haskell wound rubber with balata cover was developed in around 1903 or 1904, a year or two after Bobby Jones was born.

 

Players like Harry Vardon were the last to play the guttie. 

[jobin]

Another Sarazen trivial: was Gene the shortest Masters winner? 

 

My dad lived on Marco Island for many years but never mentioned meeting or playing golf with Gene Sarazen. 

[cardoustie]

Woosnam?

[Hawkeye77]

35 minutes ago, cardoustie said:

Woosnam?

 

Has to be, with Sarazen just behind him about 1 1/2 inches taller.  

[jobin]

Whilst you are thinking of Woozie, who was the tallest Masters winner?

[App Alum]

George Archer