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Uneven Lies
The Heroic Story of African-Americans in Golf
By Pete McDaniel
The American Golfer, 2000
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The cover has a nice foursome shot of boxer Joe Louis, the patron saint of the black golf pros denied access to the tour. The Brown Bomber is standing alongside two of the men who could've been their sport's Jackie Robinson. Ted Rhodes and Bill Spiller never really got their shot beyond the United Golf Association, although Spiller once tied Hogan in the 1948 LA Open with an opening-round 68. The dapper Rhodes, nicknamed 'Rags,' served as Joe's personal pro. He also alternately dominated the black circuit. He finished 21st out of a field of 66 that year at Riviera.
Instead they ended up the equivalent of the Negro Leagues' best, in this case, golfers whose only mistake was timing; they came too soon. Their fights were more personally tragic: "Private Wars, Private Battles." For them, there was no Branch Rickey. Aside from a few malcontents in the press box, not much was made of their exclusion; nothing as cut and dried as baseball's painful but liberating act. In golf, changes would come much more slowly - and later, after their best years were behind them - through the courts, trickling down, continuing to this day, with the exception of one outstanding starburst in Tiger, with only occasional flashes, a Calvin Peete here, a Renee Powell there. After all, Charlie Sifford never did "qualify" for the Masters. He's not even in the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, and to this day on the inside, that spanking new hall of honor in St. Augustine remains lily white. The advent of carts, too, hurt; they virtually cut off the one established - and accepted - avenue for African-Americans to learn golf, and to appreciate and to love it, as caddies.
A more symbolic depiction of the pain inflicted by Article III, Section I of the PGA of America's constitution, the notorious "Caucasian-only clause," is a close-up photo of Spiller. It's enlarged, one of many in this superlative retrospective of events that may one day, when the tours are as desegregated as other sports, be seen as antiquated as the Underground Railroad.
Spiller apparently died an embittered man. The photo captured him in his golfing prime with his head in his hand. He's dressed, ready to play golf. Nice sweater, slacks, checkered tam. It's the 1952 San Diego Open. He's sitting on a bench, towel protecting his trousers. His bag is between his knees. In front of him is a golf tournament that he had hoped to play in but could not. Actually, Joe Louis was the first African-American to play in a sanctioned PGA Tour event, that same tournament. A decent enough golfer, and obviously a celebrity, Louis posed no threat to the field. It's a far-away look in Bill Spiller's eyes that tells the story. It says as much about discrimination as those grainy photos of water fountains with 'whites only' signs.
Important as the story of the pros and the rescinding of the venal clause, the author, a Golf Digest senior writer, casts a wide net with an inquisitive and upbeat perspective. There are what he calls the "Shadow People," those who served the game in some way, behind the scenes. Frank Campbell, the longtime steward at Augusta National, tells us about his wine selection when Tiger won the Masters in 1997, including a Chateau Mouton Rothschild, 1975, Tiger's birth year. ("As host," he says, "we wanted to do something special for him.") There's Herman Mitchell, and Donald Ross's longtime caddie, and the Wake Robins, an all-black, women's golf club, dating back to 1937.
There are other books on the subject. This is far and away the best and many interesting chapters remain to be written. It can only get better. The author contends that the day is not far off when minorities will be fully represented in golf's upper echelons, including the tours. It's significant, too, that Tiger often acknowledges those who paved the way, and it's a testament to him and to his father. Those struggling with finding their own place in golf will be able to pick up this book and appreciate a rich heritage. It's an older story than we know: Those who just wanted an opportunity to play and who understood, under difficult circumstances, that golf has in it an inherent beauty that transcends barriers, including race. Their stories make compelling, and often inspiring reading.
Rating: Whip-Cracker * * * *
Duly Noted - Edition I - Shouting at Amen Corner
Duly Noted - Edition II - Precision Putting
Duly Noted - Edition III - In the Women's Clubhouse
Duly Noted - Edition IV - Royal and Ancient
Duly Noted - Edition V - Into the Bear Pit
Duly Noted - Edition VI - The Biography of Walter J. Travis
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