There’s a lot of little known facts about Bobby Jones that may elude some people.
The amazing golf sensation has been an inspiration for players the world over. Just knowing something about his biography sparks motivation in the game.
While Jones only spent a short time playing professional golf, those years were dynamic years for everyone involved.
The gentleman from Georgia was well known on the golf scene from 1923 to 1929, winning, during the time, 9 major championships.
He retired from the world of professional golf in 1930 at the tender age of 28.
The future golfer was born to Clara and Robert Jones in Atlanta on March 17, 1902 and died in Atlanta on December 18, 1971.
Jones became the first man to achieve the distinctive golf Grand Slam in a single year, winning our major tournaments during the period.
Little Known Fact #1 – The Brooklyn Dodgers Offered Jones a Contract
Jones was a standout baseball player and the Brooklyn Dodgers thought so too, offering Jones a contract to pay for the professional baseball team.
However, Bobby’s father discouraged his son from accepting the agreement, veering him toward the study of law instead.
Later, Jones became a respected lawyer, representing Coca-Cola as one of his clients.
Little Known Fact #2 – Jones Was Sickly as a Child
When he was a child, or until the time he was 5 years old, Jones, who was small in stature, and was often sick. His older sibling, William Bailey Jones, died at 3 months of age.Â
The first golf shots Bobby made were in his front yard on East Lake Country Club, a mere six miles from the center of Atlanta.
In 1908, East Lake was touted as a summer holiday retreat and was home to 150,000 residents.Â
Little Known Fact #3 – Bobby Won His First Golf Championship at 6 Years Old
Bobby was only 6 years old when he won a six-hole championship round at East Lake – his rival being Alexa Stirling.
East Lake is now the home of the PGA Tour Championship.
After this win, it didn’t take Bobby long to prove his genius on the links.
More about Jones’ Championship Wins
When Bobby was 9, he became East Lake’s junior champion. By age 10, he had shot a 90 for 18 holes, and tallied an 80 and 70 at the ages of 11 and 12, respectively.
When Bobby Jones was 14 years old, he was declared the winner of Georgia’s Amateur Championship.
At that time, he was driving the ball 250 yards.
That in itself is amazing, as we are talking about golf balls and equipment used in 1916.
That year featured rubber golf balls with unforgettable names, such as the Black Domino and Zome Zodiac.Â
Jones played when golf clubs were made of wood, not steel or graphite, and the wedge had not been designed.
He frequently played golf in a dress shirt, tie, and plus fours, which were baggy golf knickers that extended below the knee.
Jones also played in his first U.S. Amateur championship, at 14 years old, at the Merion Cricket Club (now called the Merion Golf Club).
This event became an integral part of Jones’ history, as he was the youngest player in the field, reaching the third round of match play while capturing attention from the golfing community.
During his early  years of playing golf, Jones often lashed out with anger – showing he had a strong passion for the game and really wanted to win.
However, he also had to learn to control his behavior if he wanted to win championships. When he learned to control his temper, he began his winning streak.
When Jones was 21 years of age, he became the U.S. Open Champion.
He played 31 championships and came in first or second more than half of the time. During this  period, he lost about 14  pounds, resulting from stress and anxiety.
Little Fact #4 – Jones Was a High School or College Student During Most of His Golfing Years.
During Jones’ 13 years of competitive play, he was a high school or college student during nine of those years.
He played 52 golf tournaments during the period, or about 4 per year, winning 23 of the challenges.Â
One of Jones’ good friends was O.B. Keeler, a noted Atlanta sports writer who coined the term, “Grand Slam.”
Keeler  attended all 31 of Bobby’s championship games.
Together, the duo traveled 150,000 miles by boat and train.
Little Known Fact #5 – Jones Had Names for His Putter and Driver
Jones named his Scottish made putter, Calamity Jane, which was manufactured before 1900.
It became the most famous putter in the golf world.
Calamity Jane was in Jones’ golf bag during most of his wins.
The golfer had two versions of  the putter, one of which is now on display at the USGA headquarters and the other, which can be seen at Augusta National.
Bobby even named his driver, Jeannie Deans.
Names seemed to be appropriate at the time, as clubs were not numbered like they are today. During those times, a 9 iron was called a niblick and a 4 iron was a jigger. Y
ou called a wood a spoon and a 6 iron a spade mashie.
Bonnie Bobby
The people in Scotland liked Bobby Jones so much they referred to him as their Bonnie Bobby. He won the British Amateur and British Open at the famous St. Andrews golf course.
He also won the hearts of the Scottish  people – so much so they gave him a key to the city. The only other person from the U.S. who was accorded the honor was Benjamin Franklin.
