Remembering George H.W. Bush through his contributions to golf

12/1/2018 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

George H.W. Bush (USGA/Twitter photo)

The late George H.W. Bush was not only a lover of golf, but a man who made great contributions to the game throughout his life

Golf and the presidency have often gone hand in hand, but for former president George H.W. Bush, who passed away Nov. 30 at the age of 94, it was more than just a game. The Bush family has deep ties to the game, chief among them a direct link to the Walker Cup.

A USGA story highlighted that history this way in explaining how golf played prominently into the Bush family's lineage:

Bush’s grandfather, George Herbert Walker, was the most consequential of all of the Bush golfers. A single-digit handicapper, Walker was president of the USGA in 1920, and as such he had an idea to donate a trophy to an international competition for amateurs. In 1922, the first Walker Cup Match was contested between golfers from the USA and Great Britain and Ireland at National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y. George W. Bush has often quizzed golf partners on the origin of the Walker Cup, enjoying that he could deliver the answer that it was his great-grandfather who was the founder.

Click here to read the USGA’s story in its entirety.

“Golf has meant a lot to me. It means friendship, integrity and character." George H.W. Bush, the son and grandson of USGA presidents, and the 2008 Bob Jones Award winner, carried on his family's strong legacy in the game. https://t.co/mlLJtrvt4E pic.twitter.com/98X9cj0Ass
— USGA (@USGA) December 1, 2018

Bush was the 2008 recipient of the Bob Jones Award, which is bestowed upon someone who displays distinguished sportsmanship and emulates the attitude and spirit of the great amateur Jones.

Bush, who reportedly dove as low as an 11 handicap, made other contributions to the game as the Ambassador of Golf for the Northern Ohio Golf Charities, and an honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup, First Tee and USGA Museum and Archives. He was an honorary PGA member.

We particularly liked his stance on pace of play, summed up this way:

Bush advice to First Tee kids in 2003: "I don't want to see any of you guys when you're learning getting out there plumb-bobbing a 3-foot putt. Get up there and hit it and get on to the next hole."
— Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) December 1, 2018

Golf Digest’s look back at Bush’s legacy in the game, penned by Jim Nantz, can be found here. Golfweek’s article, with contributions from former senior writers James Achenbach and Jeff Rude, is here.

A touching obituary from longtime golf writer Bill Fields can be found here.

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