Spalding Dots

Rating: 10/10 (5 December 2000)

Those golf balls were in existance in 1931, when the movie is set. They were Spalding "Dots," the same ball with which Bobby Jones won his grand slam. They were very exact on every aspect of historical context. Under today's rules, the Matt Damon character would have had to replace the ball to its original position after it moved and take the stroke penalty. But, that rule did not come into effect until the 60s. They only had to take the penalty. They did all the research and did it right. The only thing they couldn't hide were the "Pete Dye mounding" on the holes they filmed at Colleton River Plantation and here on Kiawah (where, in addition to their specially constructed 18th hole, scenes were filmed on #2 fairway, #9 green, by the 9th hole on the Turtle Point course and the 11th hole at Cougar Point (the Jack Lemmon scenes).