August 10, 2020 | BY AAGD STAFF
Walk in the shoes of people from golf’s untold and “hidden” past, as this book brings you into their lives and reveals both the destructive and inspiring sides of human nature. The frailties and strengths of men and women are represented equally, allowing one to empathize with their experiences, and consider our own power to do good or bad in this world.
Chronicled is information includes research on the legendary John Shippen, an African American/Native American golfer who competed in several of the early U.S. Opens and believed to be the first negro golfer to play tournament golf in the United States. Also included are African American golfers Pat Ball at the 1928 U.S. Public Links Championship and information on Lucius Bateman, Jimmie DeVoe and Maggie Hathaway.
“I tried to show how their lives were dedicated to golf within the climate of their times—as we all can see now, racism and prejudice are a persistent stain on our nation,” said the author Lyle Slovick to this publication, admitting that he tried to sell the story of Shippen to the USGA for the Open at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, but they weren’t interested. Likewise with the story of Pebble Beach in 2019.”
Slovick is a historian and writer and the author of Trials and Triumphs of Golf’s Greatest Champions & Littlefield in 2016. From 2013-2018 he was a consultant for the United States Golf Association, working on a historical database of all its championships that currently informs Fox Sports and other media in their coverage of the U.S. Open.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Lyle has a B.A. degree from Pacific Lutheran University and an M.A. from George Washington University. A historian and archivist, he lives in Bedminister, New Jersey. Visit his website and blog at http://lyleslovick.wixsite.com/lyleslovick
