When War Played Through: Golf During World War II

by John Strege

The New York Times bestselling author pays tribute to the golfers who rallied for an Allied victory during World War II—and shows how the Greatest Generation kept golf alive, despite equipment shortages, bombings, and even captivity.

World War II transformed the American home front, and golf was no exception. The world-famous Masters course at Augusta National became a farm to ease food shortages. Ben Hogan and Sam Snead were drafted, and Bobby Jones enlisted. Rubber rationing forced pros and amateurs alike to play with well-worn golf balls—and created a black market for new ones. The 1942 U.S. Open was canceled, replaced by the Hale American Open—whose winner, Ben Hogan, was awarded $1,000 in war bonds—while golfers across the country raised millions of dollars for the war effort.

When War Played Through brings to life these little-known aspects of an endlessly fascinating period in golf’s history. Bestselling golf author John Strege’s narrative extends overseas to captured soldiers in Germany who constructed golf courses in a POW camp and English golfers who devised rules for playing around bomb craters and shrapnel during the Blitz (from the Richmond Gold Club in London: “A player whose stroke is affected by the simultaneous explosion of a bomb may play another ball. Penalty one stroke.”). Many golfers returned home from battle with commendations for valor, finding unmatched solace on the links after a dark time.

When War Played Through is the compelling story how an elite sport became a selfless one—and how golf became, for a nation at war, much more than a game.

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 2005

About the author

John Strege is the author of seven previous books, two of them New York Times bestsellers: "Tiger: A Biography of Tiger Woods" and "18 Holes with Bing: Golf, Life, and Lessons from Dad," co-authored with Bing Crosby’s son Nathaniel Crosby. Strege’s book "When War Played Through: Golf During World War II" won the United States Golf Association’s International Book Award in 2005. He has an active baseball writer for twenty years and has worked for Golf Digest magazine since 1997. He is a Lifetime Honorary Member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and a member of the Golf Writers Association of America. He and his family live in Colorado.

Reviews

[Mike Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some interesting stories and told the story from many perspectives. I was unaware that so many courses and clubs were commandeered for the war effort. Enjoyable read.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, a little dry at times, but still fascinating to learn of the effects of the war on golf, from the best players like Hogan and Snead, to mid amateur and public links champs who served their country and lost the best years of their competitive lives for it.