Bobby Jones was born March 17, 1902. He was without a doubt the greatest amateur golfer ever, with five US Amateur titles and one British amateur. That’s to go along with four US Open and three British Open titles—all as an amateur.

For more, I recommend this book:

The Grand Slam: Bobby Jones, America, and the Story of Golf

And this video: Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius (Special Edition)

It’s the birthday of George Washington, our first and greatest president. I’ve read dozens of books on the man and the Revolutionary Period and each time I come to admire him more. Here’s a photo from my visit to Mount Vernon this past summer.

By now, everyone who follows golf knows that Bill Haas has won the marathon Bob Hope Classic—an event that his father Jay won 22 years ago. That makes them just the eighth father son duo to win in professional golf. The others: (Old) Tom Morris Sr. and (Young) Tom Morris Jr. ; Willie Park, and Willie Park Jr. ; Joe Kirkwood Sr. and Joe Kirkwood Jr. ; Jack Burke Sr. and Jack Burke Jr.; Clayton Heafner and Vance Heafner;  Julius Boros and Guy Boros; Al Geiberger and Brent Geiberger.

Most of the names should be familiar to golf fans. Here’s a synopsis:

Old Tom won the Open Championship in 1861, 1862, 1864 and 1867. Young Tom won the Open Championship in 1868, 1869, 1870 and 1872, before dying tragically young at age 24.

Willie Park, Sr. won the Open Championship in 1860 (the first), 1863, 1866 and 1875. Willie Park, Jr. won in 1887 and 1889.

Joe Kirkwood was an Australian with 16 professional victories in the 1920s and 1930s. Joe Kirkwood, Jr. , won Milwaukee’s Blue Ribbon Open in 1951.

Clayton Heafner has seven PGA Tour victories spanning the 1930s, 40s and 50s. His son, Vance Heafner, won the 1981 Walt Disney World National Team Championship with playing partner Mike Holland.

Jack Burke, Jr. had 16 wins from 1950 to 1963, including the 1956 Masters and PGA Championship. Jack Burke, Sr. won the 1941 Senior PGA Championship.

Julius Boros has 24 professional wins, including the 1952 and 1963 US Open, and the 1968 PGA Championship. Son Guy Boros won the 1996 Greater Vancouver Open.

Al Geiberger, Mr. 59, had 29 wins including the 1966 PGA Championship. Brent Geiberger has won twice on tour.

To be sure, not all of these guys were PGA Tour winners. There was no PGA Tour for the Morrises or Parks. But they were all professional winners.

I just finished watching a History Channel show called “The Worst Jobs In History,” which takes a particular time period, and details some of the smelliest, most dangerous, unsanitary jobs of the day. This time, the episode detailed the early 19th century, with positions such as paint maker (all that lead is really unhealthy), steeplejack (repairing church steeples sans safety equipment) and ... golf ball maker.

The featherie of yore was composed of several pieces of leather, stitched together and stuffed with boiled chicken feathers. Aside from the finger numbing work of sewing tiny stitches on small strips of leather, the worst part of the job apparently was the smell of boiled feathers. The host demonstrated that a top hat full of feathers, once boiled, could be stuffed into the ball. Once the surface was dry, the ball then would be rolled by hand in (presumably) lead based paint.

The supply of the balls apparently never met demand.

I played a few shots with a featherie once, and thought it wasn’t that bad a ball, at least for chipping and wedge shots. I didn’t get to try a full swing, but I’m sure that it wouldn’t go very far.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I think this is worth reading:

George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;—for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our sasety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;—and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;—to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington