The fact that the golfing dreams of Jim Dent and his son Joseph intersect in “The Patch” is probably the tastiest part of the story. “The Patch” is what they call Augusta Municipal Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia, which is accessed through an entrance that has only recently been renamed Jim Dent Way.
It is an appropriate tribute to a native son who has called Augusta’s home for most of his life and has contributed powerfully to favoring black people – in that city and across the country. While Jim Dent never won the PGA TOUR like other trail pioneers like Pete Brown and Charlie Sifford did, he established a presence for parts of five decades and inspired generations.
“As a black man, I thank Mr. Dent for what he has done,” said Ira Miller, general manager of Augusta Municipal GC at the Augusta Chronicle. “It paved the way so that I could be in this position. Black people are now in play; not as many as I would like to see on the PGA, but one day he will. It paved the way for all of us. “
Surprisingly, while growing up in Augusta, Dent was unable to play “The Patch” as he was segregated. Dent played golf on Caddy days at the Augusta National and next door at the Augusta Country Club (when he managed to sneak in, that is). But “The Patch” became a minority golfer’s paradise in 1964 and is even more so today.
Although Jim Dent was traveling endlessly from coast to coast in 1964 to pursue his dream of golf, his ties to his hometown are forever. One of his four children from a previous marriage, James Dent, is the professional head of Augusta Municipal and now Joseph Dent is looking for the secret of this game as a caddy at Augusta National and on the Augusta Municipal field.
You can almost see the curl of a beautiful smile on Jim Dent’s face.
“I tell Joseph that it’s a lot of work and even if it’s not paid to practice, every golf ball that’s hitting today is like putting money in the bank,” said the father.
He also said other things to his son. Like what Julius Boros had once told him about the soft hands or the simple advice Sam Snead had to do to avoid “losing a short iron”, or the tips that Gene Littler gave a sensual morning at the Inverrary Country Club.
The good memories begin to percolate, and Jim Dent laughs softly. “I got to meet many great friends and learn from them. If you can’t learn from the best, you can’t learn. “
Growing up and maturing, Joseph Dent embraced his father’s teachings and was nurtured by the love and wisdom of his parents.
“I have known Joseph (and brother Joshua) since Jim and his wife (Willye) adopted them 20 years ago. They are first class children and you know mom and dad raised them well, “said Gary Koch, who can be identified in several ways. An extraordinary former colleague at the University of Florida (national champions in 1973) who won six times on the PGA TOUR, has long been a member of the announced NBC golf team.
But it is his role as chairman of the board of directors of the chapter of The First Tee in Tampa Bay that brings enormous satisfaction. He can talk to the strong support groups, the summer camps, the fact that 80,000 children were introduced to the game of golf at some level last year, many of whom are children or color or low-income families.
In addition, Koch had his foundation which has awarded two $ 10,000 college scholarships to graduates in the past six years. “These are not based on how good you are at golf, but on how good you are in school,” said Koch. “We want them to make sure they stay in the game.”
Koch subscribes to the mantra of the Primo Tee, about teaching core values, giving opportunities and improving access so that black children and low-income families can be part of the future of golf. In many ways, Koch identifies himself with a philosophy that has been to the goodness of the Dent family.
“I’m just paying for it,” Jim Dent once said when he refused to accept lavish praise for providing the funds to buy a house in Brown in Augusta or for adopting three children with Willye when he reached the age when he had retired horizon.
(The couple adopted a newborn girl, Victoria, 24 years ago, then adopted the twins Joseph and Joshua four years later. Joshua, who attends Livingstone College in North Carolina, also loves to play golf.)
“My aunt welcomed me,” Dent explained to Bamberger in that SI story. “All we are doing is the same – paying it forward.”
Having benefited from his father’s gentle soul and hard-earned wisdom, Joseph plays golf passionately. But even so he plays with a deep appreciation for the opportunities that his father has helped to forge.
“I’ve read so many stories about him and while I can only imagine what it was like for him, I know he had to roll with his fists,” said Joseph.
“That’s why I admire him and why he inspires me. He believed in himself. He let his clubs talk. “
Joseph will do the same. Her father’s dream, after all, is her dream now.
