JIM REEVES FAN FORUM

Jr the golfer

Posted by Rodney James <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Rodney+James' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on July 20, 2015, 1:11 pm

Just watched Zachary Johnson win the open golf championship. What sort of golfer was jr? Both Mary and jr seemed to be into golf in a big way according to larry's book

Re: Jr the golfer

Posted by Mike Slater <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Mike+Slater' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on July 20, 2015, 3:30 pm, in reply to "Jr the golfer"

Jim did mention in the 30 minute interview with Bill Mack that he liked Golf, but wasn't as good as he wished he could be, because practicing took a lot of time, and he didn't have that because his tour schedule and all.

Re: Jr the golfer

Posted by Jay Perry <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Jay+Perry' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on July 20, 2015, 6:33 pm, in reply to "Re: Jr the golfer"

I have heard that Jim was an above average golfer and Jim did something that I was never able to do - he made a hole-in-one. That story was told by Jimmy C. Newman on one of those cassettes that were part of the Jim Reeves Story that Mary sold when she had the JR Museum in Nashville. As Jimmy relates it happened at the Bluegrass Country Club in Nashville. It had rained heavily and the cup was filled with water. Jim's ball landed directly in the cup and water flew out of the cup when the ball hit it. I just wish I could have been a witness to this event.

Re: Jr the golfer

Posted by Larry Jordan <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Larry+Jordan' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on July 21, 2015, 12:56 am, in reply to "Re: Jr the golfer"

Mary personally told me that story and talked about how pleased Jim was, and showed me a certificate he had gotten from the country club in Nashville where he was playing that day. (I think she was with him).

Jim was so fanatical about golf that one day when it was rainy he called the airport to find out where in the country it was NOT raining, so he could fly there to play!

Re: Jr the golfer

Posted by Jay Perry <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Jay+Perry' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on July 21, 2015, 8:15 am, in reply to "Re: Jr the golfer"

Thanks Larry for confirming that. As Winston Churchill once said, "Golf is a difficult game played with instruments ill-designed for the purpose."

Re: Jr the golfer

Posted by Rodney James <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Rodney+James' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on July 21, 2015, 9:50 am, in reply to "Re: Jr the golfer"

And there is that video clip of jr saying he sings 'am I losing you' to the golf balls.

Re: Jr the golfer

Posted by Paul <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Paul+Bertils' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on July 22, 2015, 3:59 am, in reply to "Re: Jr the golfer"

Full Disclosure.........I am not a golfer and my knowledge of golf is somewhat limited although I occasionally watch the final rounds of some of the major tournaments.!
Having said that I read in Larry's book where Jim's handicap was 8-10.After consulting with a friend who golfs fairly regularly he suggested that would indicate Jim was "good" golfer and that he was on the cusp of being considered a very good golfer.Now the golfers in the group/forum can take over and debate that evaluation of JR's skills in golf. Cheers

Re: Jr the golfer

From everything I've read here, it sounds like Jim was actually a pretty good golfer. Jim did make the comment "...if only I could play it" in one of his interviews when talking about the game, so I guess it just shows that he was never satisfied, and always aimed for perfection, like he did with his music.

Re: Jr the golfer

Posted by Jay Perry <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Jay+Perry' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on July 22, 2015, 8:45 am, in reply to "Re: Jr the golfer"

According to the USGA statistics golfers like Jim with a 10 handicap are ranked in the top 5 % of all players and on the verge of becoming a great player. Of course a lot of hard work, practice and perserverance lie ahead to reach that goal. In addition golf has always been called a "gentleman's game - how appropriate.

Re: Jr the golfer

It's too bad that Jim didn't heed charter pilot Glenn Kemp's advice and merely buy an airplane but let Glenn (and Bill Larson) fly him where he wanted to go.

Jim might have lived a much longer life and died on the golf course after enjoying a successful round with some friends like fellow crooner Bing Crosby did.

Re: Jr the golfer

Another celebrity that died on the course after finishing a round of Golf was former Brooklyn Dodger and NY Mets manager Gil Hodges.

Re: Jr the golfer

Posted by Kenneth Baird <iframe src='https://members3.boardhost.com/jimreeves/info/user=Kenneth+Baird' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on July 29, 2015, 3:07 pm, in reply to "Re: Jr the golfer"

Yes Mary was golfing with Jim the day he scored a hole - in -one. I spoke to Mary about this and asked her if she remembered who was also playing along with Jim and her that day. Mary could not remember but when I said Jimmy C Newman was with them she remembered and said I was correct, he was there. She was also quite pleased when I told her that I had also scored a hole- in - one.

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