Golf in Texas, Amateur and Professional, Had No More Devoted
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Jack Agness Texas Golf Hall of Fame -1- Golf in Texas, amateur and professional, had no more devoted or enduring advocate than Jack Agness, who covered the sport for The Houston Post for more than a decade and played daily for nearly 50 years. Jack’s golf writing career began in the heyday of Fort Worth natives Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, and West Virginia’s Sam Snead; flourished during the rise of Houston favorites Jimmy Demaret and Jackie Burke, and continued through the eras of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. He played with and wrote about Demaret and Burke. He covered the aces of the University of Houston’s legendary teams, including but not limited to Fred Couples, Steve Elkington, Kermit Zarley, John Mahaffey, Blaine McAllister, Billy Ray Brown and player turned broadcaster Jim Nantz. With his gentle and personal writing style, Agness was a favorite of the Cougar’s colorful coach, Dave Williams, whose teams won a staggering run of 16 national titles, from 1956 to 1985. As a competitor, Jack was, like most writers, noted more for his enthusiasm than his skills. He was part of a unique foursome of Post staffers who hit the links almost every day regardless of weather. He was joined by Jack Gallagher, the paper’s angry columnist, Tom Davison, the silky writer who preceded Agness on the golf beat, and L. R. (Goldie) Goldman, the assistant sports editor and senior desk man. All were golf addicts, but it was Agness who first eased out of Goldman the fact that his father fought in the Civil War. Although not exactly golf related, the distinction was worth pondering. This was in the 1960’s; the Civil War had been waged 100 years earlier. Goldie’s father had been a 14-year old drummer boy. Goldie lived into his 90s. Jack’s stories were often warm and detailed. Few golf writers were more liked by the players they wrote about and the readers they informed. – Mickey Herskowitz. .