Official Reprimand, Office 0f Lord High Executioner Re: Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen and the Great War

adam,

your third blog post, although entertaining, had nothing to do with the great war. great golfers yes, great war no. your presumption that bobby jones' success was delayed by the war is in fact just wrong. jones did not qualify for his first US Open until the age of 18 in 1920, two years after the war's end. In fact, Jones was touring the US playing golf throughout the great war in order to raise money, and regularly playing in front of large crowds. Thus, couldn't one argue that the great war in fact accelerated bobby jones' growth as a golfer, as it afforded him opportunity to play in front of people and in higher stress situations? At the time the PGA of America, as a fledgling organization, could not afford these opportunities. The Great War in fact allowed a boy of high school age the ability to travel the country bringing golf to the masses, and enhancing his god given ability.


In relation to Walter Hagen, I do not see the connection between America's wartime prosperity and the showboat that was Hagen. True, he was a symbol of excess, but I think you are using this blog improperly. The manner in which you write about Hagen amounts to grandstanding, and therefore has no place in this blog. This blog takes an educated look at the great war, and the events surrounding it. You may think that by invoking the name of Jay Gatsby you are somehow taking an educated approach to relating the tales of excess surrounding Walter Hagen to America's post war accension. You are, however, sorely mistaken. While we are impressed by his gaudy displays at Britain's finer clubs, make no mistake; these stories have no place in this Great War blog.

This is your first and only warning sir. You are on notice.

-Daniel Solomon, Lord High Executioner