The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever

My book for February is The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever by Mark Frost. Holly and Van gave me the book for my birthday when we were in Palm Desert.

Set during the run up to the 1956 Bing Crosby National Pro-Amateur, two multi-millionaire car dealers and power brokers, Eddie Lowery and George Coleman, had a friendly but ego-driven argument. Lowery brags that his two employees—amateur golfers—are so good they could beat any two golfers in the world. His rival, George Coleman, takes the bet.

Taking place at Cypress point, the best-ball match pitted two amateurs against two professions. The players were:

• William Ben Hogan (August 13, 1912 – July 25, 1997) was an American professional golfer widely regarded as one of the greatest ball-strikers and most determined competitors in the history of the sport. Despite a near-fatal car accident in 1949, he staged a legendary comeback to win six of his nine career major championships, including the prestigious "Triple Crown" in 1953. Known for his legendary work ethic and influential swing theory, Hogan retired with 64 PGA Tour victories and a legacy that continues to define the modern golf swing.
• John Byron Nelson Jr. (February 4, 1912 – September 26, 2006) was a legendary American professional golfer who dominated the sport during the 1930s and 1940s, earning the nickname "Lord Byron" for his gentlemanly conduct and smooth, rhythmic swing. He is most famous for his record-breaking 1945 season, in which he won 11 consecutive tournaments and 18 total events, a feat of consistency that remains unmatched in PGA Tour history. After retiring early from full-time competition at age 34 to become a rancher, Nelson transitioned into a revered mentor for future generations and a beloved television broadcaster.
• Kenneth Venturi (May 15, 1931 – May 17, 2013) was a celebrated American amateur and professional golfer and broadcaster best known for his courageous victory at the 1964 U.S. Open, which he won while battling severe heat exhaustion. After chronic hand injuries cut his playing career short with 14 PGA Tour wins, he transitioned into a legendary 35-year career as the lead golf analyst for CBS Sports. Venturi was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013, solidifying his legacy as both a resilient champion and one of the most recognizable voices in the history of the game. Playing as a Collegiate and State Amateur from 1950 to 1956, Venturi turned pro at the end of 1956, shortly after the match.
• Edward Harvie Ward Jr. (December 8, 1925 – September 4, 2004) was a dominant American amateur golfer who became one of only two men to win the U.S. Amateur, British Amateur, and Canadian Amateur titles. He is famously remembered for winning back-to-back U.S. Amateur championships in 1955 and 1956. After a highly successful amateur career and a 1957 fourth-place finish at the Masters, Ward eventually turned professional in 1974 to focus on a distinguished career as a golf instructor.

The book follows the 18-hole round shot-by-shot. Much of the book’s charm comes from its description of Cypress Point, often cited as the most beautiful golf course in the world.

Frost argues that this match was the funeral for the "Amateur Era." His reasons included:

1. The Shift in Power: For decades, the best golfers in the world (like Bobby Jones) were often wealthy amateurs. This match proved that the "pro" circuit was becoming a different breed of athlete entirely.
2. The End of Privacy: This was a private match with no galleries and no cameras. Shortly after, television began broadcasting golf, turning it from a quiet club sport into a massive commercial enterprise.
3. Personal Fallout: The book also covers the aftermath—Harvie Ward’s career was later derailed by a controversial USGA investigation into his amateur status, signaling the end of the "gentlemanly" loophole-filled era.

I enjoyed the book a lot; it is very well written. In addition to the actual match, the book looks at the lifes of all of four of the golfers, development of the sport of golf prior to the late 1950's, the history of the Bing Crosby National Pro-Amateur and Alister Mckenzie as a golf course designer. I particularly enjoyed the sections about Bing Crosby and the history of the Clambake. After reading almost everything on a kindle for the last ten years, this is the second real book that I have read in the last four months.

A footnote. Alister MacKenzie designed or remodeled more than 50 golf courses across four continents (Europe, North America, South America, and Australia). His portfolio is extensive, including: Augusta National Golf Club (USA): Home of The Masters; Cypress Point Club (USA): Located on the Monterey Peninsula, and; Royal Melbourne Golf Club (Australia): Specifically the West Course, which is widely considered the finest in the Southern Hemisphere. The courses that he designed include the Alister MacKenzie Golf Course at Haggin Oaks and Northwood! I need to go back and play these two courses again...