American Golf in the Great Depression

This account of professional golf during the Great Depression begins with a look at the “roaring 1920s” and how the game 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 professional tour between 1931 and 1940 is examined in detail—the administrators (those who sold the tour to sponsors, the media and the public) and the many wonderful golfers. Much of this is set against the background of how difficult life was for most Americans. The book looks briefly at the post–Depression years (when the U.S. entered World War II) and how the top players fared.
Despite the economic difficulties of the era, professional golf survived—largely due to the efforts of players and administrators, not all of whom have been sufficiently recognized by the game and its historians.

Kevin Kenny is a retired university lecturer who lives in Dublin Ireland.

Kevin Kenny
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 200
Bibliographic Info: 46 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7812-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1501-1
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments viii

Foreword by Marty Kavanaugh 1

Preface 3

Introduction 5

1. The Great Depression and Its Impact 15

2. The Golfing Czars: Bob Harlow and Fred Corcoran 32

3. The Tour 1931–1935 41

4. The Tour 1936–1940 89

Epilogue 151

Biographical Notes on Players 159

Chapter Notes 181

Bibliography 187

Index 189

“very detailed and documented”—Golf Today.