Course of History
Storied Game of Golf Unites a Broadcaster and a Barrister
Among potential golf pairings, perhaps none could be more passionate about the game than that of Hall of Fame sports broadcaster Jim Nantz and Tallahassee attorney Sid Matthew. While the two men have never met, a visit by Nantz to The Country Club in the Cleveland suburb of Pepper Pike in the summer of 2018 would unite the kindred brethren in an inquiry of compelling interest to both. Following a round at The Country Club, Nantz recalled in an article written for Golf Digest, “I spent some time perusing the numerous artifacts on the walls of the cavernous locker room. Not far from the original matchplay bracket of the 1935 U.S. Amateur played at ‘Country’ was a reproduction of what appeared to be an 18-hole scorecard. “But looking more closely, I saw it wasn’t a scorecard at all, but a list titled, ‘Bobby Jones’s Ideal Course.’”
The list included The Country Club’s 15th hole, a 417-yard par 4, accounting for the display of the list at Pepper Pike. But was it legitimate? Assuming so, where did it originate? And who in the world might validate its authenticity? “I didn’t know Sid, but I totally knew of him before I endeavored to look into this ideal Bobby Jones golf course,” Nantz said in an interview with Tallahassee Magazine. “But I was just an admirer from afar.” “Sid is an amazing guy, sure is, and I feel like the best thing that came out of this rediscovery of the list was that I was able to develop a friendship with Sid and one that I trust I am going to have for the rest of my life.”
story by STEVE BORNHOFT // photograph by ALEX WORKMAN
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July-August 2020
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