His creations may lack the country-club trappings of the Jack Nicklaus-designed English Turn, where the Compaq Classic of New Orleans was staged last weekend. But 20 years ago, Joe Bartholomew gained the distinction of having a course named after him, to mark his architectural achievements in the New Orleans area.
Born there on August 1st, 1881, Bartholomew once covered the local, Audubon stretch in 62 strokes; had some rousing battles with Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen and became one of the wealthiest men in his native city. And he was black.
After Scotland's Freddie McLeod captured the US Open in 1908, he was appointed professional at the Audubon club where he hired Bartholomew as his assistant. Before long, they were engaged in a series of finely balanced, head-to-head matches in which "I beat Mr McLeod and he beat me".
Even more remarkable in the context of the deep south, was that officials of the Metairie Golf Club chose him to build their proposed new course on the outskirts of New Orleans in 1922. So as to prepare him for the task, wealthy club member, H T Cottam, persuaded colleagues to send him to Long Island, New York for further training and experience.
So it was that the New Orleans black man learned the intricacies of building greens, shaping fairways and moulding bunkers. Armed with this knowledge, he constructed small-scale plasticine models for later use in developing the Metairie course.
Often working at night to avoid the inquisitive eyes of potential competitors, Bartholomew caused unease among some clubs about his progress on what was an expensive project. Eventually, they demanded to see the site, which was inaccessible by car.
On arrival there by horse-drawn wagon, they were stunned by what had been quietly accomplished. Indeed a particularly vocal critic was so impressed that he recommended an increase in Bartholomew's salary. In the event, he remained at the course for a few years after it opened, teaching, club-making and generally advising the members. But because of the colour of his skin, he couldn't play on the course he had built.
Later, he designed and built the City Park No 1 course, where the Greater New Orleans Open Invitational was launched in 1938. Regarded by that stage as one of the area's leading architects, he was also responsible for the City Park No 2 course and the Pontchartain Park layout, along with several courses in other areas of Louisiana and in neighbouring Mississippi.
Yet in each instance the situation remained the same: he could build but he couldn't play. Finally, disgusted with the prejudice against black golfers, he constructed a seven-hole course exclusively for their use on a property he owned in Harahan, Louisiana.
A modest, mild-mannered man noted for his charity, he continued to play golf into his 80s, stopping only in the last two years of his life when his health began to fail. In recognition of his achievements, he became the first black man to be inducted into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame.
But the ultimate accolade came on July 2nd, 1979, almost eight years after his death. That was when, more than 20 years after it had been originally opened as a nine-hole, segregated facility, Pontchartrain was officially renamed the Joseph M Bartholomew Snr Municipal Golf Course.
"It is a pity we cannot get a seniors circuit going as part of the European Tour." Christy O'Connor Snr in his 1985 autobiography.
Four months from his 50th birthday, honours are piling up for Tom Watson. While preparing for his role as the millennium captain of Ballybunion GC, the five-time British Open champion has accepted an invitation to become an honorary member of the Royal and Ancient.
Whatever about the Ballybunion post, he may find that the R and A distinction is not quite as simple as it seems. For instance, he could be called upon to represent the club in their various, annual matches. Far-fetched? He should check with another five-time Open winner.
According to secretary Sir Michael Bonallack, the R and A team list for a fixture with St Andrews University last year, included a certain P Thomson. And in a level match, the student drawn opposite him in the order, was stunned to discover on the first tee of the Old Course that his opponent was none other than the illustrious Australian named Peter, who has a home in St Andrews.
With the return of the Open to Carnoustie in July, it seems that Watson is now being honoured because of his victory on its last staging there, in 1975. He is the 12th honorary member of the R and A. The other 11 are: the Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of York, Duke of Kent, former US President George Bush, Kel Nagle, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen, Thomson and Roberto de Vicenzo.
Apart from inter-club matches, their activities are largely centred on the series of Spring and Autumn medals, in April and September.
Junior golfers are being offered a special incentive for attending the Ulster Bank-sponsored Irish Amateur Open Strokeplay Championship at Royal Dublin this weekend. Through a co-sponsorship deal by the GUI and McGuirk's Golf, they could win themselves a set of clubs - bag and all.
All that's required is that they be under 18 years and complete an entry form. They don't even have to be members of a club, or have a handicap. Which sounds like a splendid exercise in promoting the game.
When the brakes failed on a turbo-prop plane en route from Naples, Florida to Orlando in July 1993, the passengers were instructed to take up crash positions. Among them was Gene Sarazen who, in recounting the incident to me later that month, gave one of his disarming smiles and said gently: "I was ready." Six years on, his Maker eventually called him last Thursday.
Later in that conversation, he mused: "At 91, you go to a tournament and you don't see anybody you know. They're all gone; all the old friends. And you think `Geez, what the hell am I doing here?' He expressed similar views to Mark O'Meara, when they met at Augusta National last month, where they shared lockers in the champions' locker-room.
Sarazen may have felt the world had long since begun to pass him by. But he was wrong. Those who had the privilege of meeting him in his grand old age, came away wonderfully enriched. What Hollywood describes as star quality, Sarazen had in abundance. There was a glow about him that would light up a room.
Though I have since seen him fulfil his role as an honorary starter of the US Masters, the last time I spoke to him was at breakfast in October 1996 at Chateau Elan, where he was attending the Sarazen World Open as guest of his great friend, Donald Panoz. My lasting memory of that occasion was the way the hotel staff delightedly fussed about him.
Charming, witty and extremely likeable, he will be greatly missed.
Michael Jordan has been coming to terms with some of the crucial differences between golf and the game which made him one of the world's wealthiest sportsmen. Imparting a bit of fatherly advice to Arnold Palmer's 11-year-old grandson, he said recently: "Basketball is good. You get good money and guaranteed contracts. But in golf, you've got to earn it."
He went on to point out how he had successfully perfected all the right skills in basketball. At golf, however, he was prepared to concede that despite an impressively fluid and powerful swing, it was a game he couldn't hope to perfect. "You can lose it as quickly as you get it," he said. Which would find no argument, even among the game's leading exponents.
This Day In Golf History . . . . On May 15th, 1983, Nick Faldo shot a second successive 66 to win top prize of £13,330 in the Martini International at Wilmslow. It was the second of what proved to be three victories in a row, culminating in the Care Care event at Sand Moor a week later.
In that season, Faldo captured a total of five tournaments to set a new money-winning record of £389,073 and in 64 competitive rounds, had a stroke-average of 69.03. All of which emphasises the bravery of his decision two years later, when he embarked on a major swing change with coach, David Leadbetter.
Teaser: When starting a hole, a player, in making his first stroke, just touched the ball and it fell off the tee. He picked up the ball, re-teed it and played out the hole. What is the ruling?
Answer: When the player made a stroke, the ball was in play. When he then lifted the ball, he was in breach of Rule 18-2a and incurred a penalty stroke. When he failed to replace the ball on the spot where it came to rest after being knocked off the tee, he incurred a penalty of loss of hole in matchplay or a total of two strokes in strokeplay.
