Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow

Forty-five years ago this month – a week before the Masters, as it happened – I arrived in the city of Atlanta to start work at The Atlanta-Journal Constitution as one of the youngest writers at the oldest Sunday Magazine in the nation, where Margaret Mitchell had worked when she wrote “Gone with the Wind.”

I hadn’t been on the job more than a day or two when legendary Journal sports editor Furman Bisher, who was preparing to shove off to the Masters, summoned me to his office to say hello and point out that since we were the only North Carolinians in the building, he felt obliged to keep a sharp eye on me lest I embarrass myself and our home state.

“I understand you’re a golfer,” he said at one point.

“Yessir. I brought my clubs.”

Bobby Jones Photo: USGA

Eager to impress this sports-writing legend, I mentioned that I’d also read just about every book written by or about Bobby Jones, and even had a couple vintage Spalding Bobby Jones wedges in my bag.

“Good for you,” barked The Legend. “Maybe I’ll take you out to Eas...