American Golf in the Great Depression: The Pros Take to the Grapefruit Circuit

This account of professional golf during the Great Depression begins with a look at the ""roaring 1920s"" and how golf developed during this exciting decade. What a contrast to the Depression era in which golf at all levels suffered but survived. The Depression years in general are covered and then the author looks in detail at the professional tour between 1931 and 1940 - from the administrators (those who sold the tour to sponsors, the media and the public) to the many wonderful golfers of this era. Much of this is set against the background of how difficult life was for most Americans at this time. The book then looks briefly at the post-Depression years (when the U.S. entered World War II) and how the top players fared. The author's overall conclusion is that despite the economic difficulties of the era, professional golf survived largely due to the efforts of many players and administrators, not all of whom have been sufficiently recognised by the game and its historians.