R.I.P. Douglas Smith
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- June
- 17
Golf, and I personally, lost a good friend last night with the passing of Douglas LaRue Smith, the longtime Winged Foot Golf Club historian, at 89.
Smith was Winged Foot’s proudest and most insightful spokesman, an invaluable source of information about the club, its members, and its most celebrated moments. As a golf writer in this area, you could see how it would be important for me to get to know someone like that. And yet what you might not know is how easy it was to enjoy our time together.
Whenever I was working on a story about Winged Foot’s history—particularly last year in the run-up to the U.S. Open—my first call would be to Smith. He would invite me over to the club, and then we’d retreat upstairs to his office in the clubhouse attic, which might be the most impressive collection of golf books and memorabilia outside of any official hall of fame.
At one point last year, I asked Smith if he had an extra copy of “The Massacre at Winged Foot,” Dick Schaap’s infamous account of the 1974 Open. Smith said he had one, which he wanted me to keep. Then he told me the story behind it.
The book, it turns out, had originally belonged to Jim Murray, the famed Pulitzer Prize-winning sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times. When Murray died shortly after the 1997 PGA at Winged Foot, his widow found the copy and sent it to Smith with an inscription. Now Smith was giving it to me, with his own message inside: “To Sam, a great writer and a good friend.”
I cherish that book for all that it signifies. But more importantly, I cherish the time I had getting to know Doug Smith. Golf will miss him. I sure know I will.
This entry was posted
on Sunday, June 17th, 2007 at 10:05 am by Sam Weinman.
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Dear Sam:
I am a Winged Foot member, and have been commissioned to prepare a special memorial issue, in honor of Doug Smith, of the Club’s publication of “Foot Notes,” believed by many to be Doug’s magnum opus. I am working on this project with Dermod Sullivan, Chairman of the Club’s Committee that is responsible for Club history, memorabilia, trophies, displays, etc. Dermod has suggested I contact you to pick your brain on any thoughts you may have about this project, any anecdotes about Doug that you care to share with us, or any other suggestions you may have regarding other potential sources for material about Doug. I read your piece about Doug in the June 17, ‘07 issue, and it is obvious you had a deep affectiojn ad respect for him. I hope you can contribute to our effort. Please contact me at this e-maill address or by phone at 252-457-1013.
Sincerely,
Bill Collins