Facebook Pixel Jim Thorpe
Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just

$149.99
 
$74.99/Year

Try GOLD - Free

Jim Thorpe

GOLF VACATIONS
|
August - September 2016

<p>A gambler with a swing straight outta&rsquo; rehab who built dimes and dollars into a distinguished career...</p>

- Gavin Newsham

Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe was one hell of a guy. You name it, he could do it. American football, baseball, basketball, he played the lot. He won Olympic gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 games in Stockholm. He was voted the greatest athlete of the 20th century, held places in innumerable halls of fame and even had a town named after him in Pennsylvania. Imagine, then, growing up with the same name. Those, after all, are pretty cavernous footsteps to follow in.

As a sports fan, and with a surname like his, it was inevitable that one of Elbert Thorpe’s 12 kids would be saddled with the name Jim. Eventually, the honour went to his ninth child, a boy, born on February 1, 1949. “Even today,” says Jim, “guys ask me if he was my uncle or some relative.”

Growing up in a house alongside the eighth fairway at Roxboro Country Club, North Carolina, it was nigh on impossible for Jim Thorpe and his family to not like golf, especially as his dad was the superintendent at the course. All the boys played a bit. One brother, Bill, would be good enough to go through National Qualifying while another, Chuck, played briefly on the PGA Tour and, according to Jim, was the pick of the Thorpe clan. Trouble was, Chuck drank, smoked and chased the ladies with significantly more effort than he ever expended on the range and it would be his downfall. Arnold Palmer summed him up best when he said Chuck was a player with “a million-dollar golf swing and a 10-cent brain”.

If Chuck had a million-dollar swing, then what price Jim Tho

GOLF VACATIONS

This story is from the August - September 2016 edition of GOLF VACATIONS.

Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Already a subscriber?

RECENT STORIES FROM GOLF VACATIONS

GOLF VACATIONS

GOLF VACATIONS

Miguel Angel Jimenez - The Everlasting Mechanic

If nothing else, Miguel Angel Jimenez has epitomised all that represents golf, both as a competitor and a lover of life. At 55, he takes his success from the main European Tour to now the PGA Champions Tour.

time to read

4 mins

October - November 2019

GOLF VACATIONS

GOLF VACATIONS

Darren Clarke - The Jovial Champ

Reaching the age of ‘Champions’, the convivial Darren Clarke remains passionate about golf, and yes, Guinness stout.

time to read

4 mins

October - November 2019

GOLF VACATIONS

Thailand's True Paradise - Chiang Mai

The northern city of Chiang Mai is Thailand's true paradise.

time to read

4 mins

October - November 2019

GOLF VACATIONS

Czech Republic Is A Delightful Combination Of Pilsner, Golf And Spa

Pilsner, golf and spa makes a visit to the Czech Republic a delightful combination that can be experienced over and over again.

time to read

9 mins

October - November 2019

GOLF VACATIONS

GOLF VACATIONS

Clinton Ang Shares Traditional Values, Future Growth And Golf

Clinton Ang, current head of an 81-year-old family business, shares traditional values, future growth and golf.

time to read

6 mins

October - November 2019

GOLF VACATIONS

GOLF VACATIONS

The Ten Best Golfers In Hollywood

Hollywood glitz meets endless rolling fairways in the ultimate list of top celebrity golfers.

time to read

13 mins

October - November 2019

GOLF VACATIONS

GOLF VACATIONS

Pairing Perfection

Diageo recently unveiled two incredibly rare and exceptional whiskies: Brora 40-year-old and Talisker 41-year-old - both under the brand’s Rare & Exceptional range.

time to read

3 mins

October - November 2019

GOLF VACATIONS

GOLF VACATIONS

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller

Introducing the eternal watch of the deep sea.

time to read

3 mins

October - November 2019

GOLF VACATIONS

GOLF VACATIONS

Professor S. Jayakumar Teeing Up Strong

His role in nation building cannot be over-estimated, yet Professor S. Jayakumar, former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore has the benefit of golf to carry him through life in politics and now, simply a life well deserved.

time to read

4 mins

October - November 2019

GOLF VACATIONS

Highland Fling

The recently opened Parahyangan Golf Course outside Bandung, West Java, sets a new standard for this popular region which is about three hours' drive from Jakarta.

time to read

4 mins

October - November 2019

MORE STORIES FROM GOLF VACATIONS

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

Senators push Hegseth for action on Ukraine aid

Bipartisan group seeks updates on money earmarked for Eastern Europe allies.

time to read

2 mins

May 23, 2026

National Enquirer

National Enquirer

GAG ORDER!

Kimmel's pals worry Trump jabs hurt him more than POTUS

time to read

2 mins

June 01, 2026

Newsweek US

Newsweek US

Changing the Count

MLB viewership has surged in 2026, with national broadcasts drawing 44 percent more viewers than last year-the league's strongest showing in nearly a decade. The increase has been widely framed as a comeback. The drivers suggest something more structural.

time to read

1 min

May 29, 2026

Newsweek US

Newsweek US

Where Humans Still Beat Algorithms

Turns out, Al isn't coming for your job; it's coming for your boss' job.

time to read

1 min

May 29, 2026

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

Liberal congressman was a trailblazer for gay rights

Barney Frank, the longtime Democratic congressman and leading liberal who brought new visibility to gay rights and crafted the most significant reforms to the financial system in a generation, has died.

time to read

5 mins

May 21, 2026

Hot Rod

Hot Rod

THE PATH LESS TAKEN

THIS 1969 FORD TORINO SHOWS THAT YOU CAN DO GREAT THINGS IF YOU TAKE A CHANCE ON SOMETHING DIFFERENT

time to read

3 mins

Summer 2026

Hot Rod

Hot Rod

THE NEW OLD SCHOOL

CHUCK PALFI'S RESURRECTED 5.0 MUSTANG IS A REMINDER THAT TIME WAITS FOR NO HOT RODDER

time to read

5 mins

Summer 2026

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

As Colbert goes, a late-night era wanes

The once-vital TV genre may no longer be viable for networks in the streaming age.

time to read

5 mins

May 21, 2026

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

10 memorable moments in Colbert’s ‘Late Show’

In interviews and monologues that were variously lighthearted and serious, he shined.

time to read

7 mins

May 20, 2026

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

THE BARBER WHO SAVED HIS TOWN FROM OBLIVION

When Seligman, Ariz., was in jeopardy, Angel Delgadillo jumped into action.

time to read

2 mins

May 17, 2026