Don Cherry was not simply a good golfer who happened to sing. He was not simply a successful singer who happened to play golf. He was remarkably accomplished at both.
As a singer, Don Cherry performed in clubs, cabarets, hotels, and lounges, eventually starring in Las Vegas. As a golfer, he competed in amateur tournaments and later played professionally in PGA Tour events, including major championships and team competitions.
Don Cherry, golfer (photo courtesy NY Times)
Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, Cherry became interested in golf at a very young age. He received his first set of clubs when he was eight and worked as a caddie at the local club while practicing and developing his game. After serving in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, Cherry began his competitive golf career as an amateur. That is where he made his biggest mark.
Cherry won four major amateur championships from 1951 through 1954. He captured back-to-back West Texas Amateur Championships in 1951 and 1952, followed by the Canadian Amateur Championship in 1953. The following year, he won the inaugural Susquehanna Amateur Championship.
His success as an amateur gave Cherry the opportunity to compete in professional golf’s biggest tournaments, including the Masters and U.S. Open. But when Cherry first played in the Masters in 1953, his golf wasn’t the biggest concern. His singing was.
Cherry had been booked to perform at an Augusta, Georgia, nightclub on all four nights of Masters week. Clifford Roberts, the longtime chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, was not pleased. In his 2006 book, Cherry’s Jubilee: Singin’ and Swingin‘, Cherry recalled Roberts telling him, “We never had anyone play in the Masters and sing at a local nightclub at the same time.”
Cherry’s response reflected both his Texas confidence and his sense of humor. “My reply, without being disrespectful and with a little Texas naivete,” he wrote, “was ‘Mr. Roberts, I have looked at the people playing in this tournament and can’t see anyone else who can sing.’” Bobby Jones, the legendary golfer and Roberts’ co-founder at Augusta National, overheard the exchange. Jones told Cherry his response was good—but advised him never to use it again. This time, Cherry got the message: He canceled his singing engagement.
Cherry’s best Masters finish came in 1959, when he tied for 25th. His best finish in a major came the following year at the 1960 U.S. Open, where he tied Ben Hogan for ninth place. Cherry finished four strokes behind champion Arnold Palmer with a 284 total. It was an impressive score, particularly for an amateur. But it was not the low amateur score in the tournament. That distinction belonged to a 20-year-old college student from Ohio State University. His name was Jack Nicklaus, who finished at 282.
Cherry made the cut in nine major championships during his career. He also represented the United States on three Walker Cup teams—in 1953, 1955 and 1961—and played in two Americas Cups, in 1954 and 1960. Then, in 1962, Cherry turned professional.
Interestingly, his nickname was “Pro,” a name his friends had given him during his entertainment career.
Cherry never pursued a full-time PGA Tour career, but he nevertheless made 115 PGA Tour starts between 1948 and 1983. He recorded three career top-10 finishes and claimed to have made 30 holes-in-one.
That would have been enough for one remarkable life. But Cherry had another career. Music.
Don Cherry’s 1955 album (photo courtesy Bob Zwolinski on YouTube)
Cherry got involved in singing as a child, participating in hymn singing at church services when he was about six years old. During high school, he delivered singing telegrams for Western Union.
He began his professional singing career in the 1950s, first as a big-band vocalist and later as a traditional pop singer. He had several Top 40 hits, including two that reached the Top 5. His earliest single, “Thinking of You,” reached No. 4 on the pop charts in 1950. Five years later, “Band of Gold” also reached No. 4.
During the 1960s, Cherry became a familiar television personality, appearing on talk shows and variety programs. He was a frequent guest on The Dean Martin Show and developed a close friendship with Martin. Cherry also became friends with another legendary entertainer, Willie Nelson. During the 1990s and 2000s, Cherry and Nelson recorded several albums together. Among the most notable was Augusta, released in 1995 and centered on Cherry’s connection to the Masters. That friendship brought together two very different musical worlds.
But Cherry’s ability to excel in both golf and music was what made him unique. Sportswriter Dan Jenkins understood that better than most. Jenkins once argued that Jimmy Demaret wasn’t the greatest golfer who could sing and Bing Crosby wasn’t the greatest singer who could play golf. The best of them all, Jenkins believed, was Don Cherry.
That is quite a statement when considering the company Cherry kept.
Cherry died in 2018 at age 94 and left behind a remarkable legacy—one that crossed two worlds that rarely intersect at such a high level. He competed in major golf championships. He played on Walker Cup teams. He won important amateur tournaments. He stood on the same golf courses as legends such as Palmer, Hogan, and Nicklaus. Then he worked at night, singing in clubs, hotels, lounges, and eventually Las Vegas.
Cherry never saw a contradiction between the two. He loved them both. “I could always play golf, and I could always sing,” Cherry once said. “I loved them both.”
Don Cherry didn’t choose between golf and music. He chose both, and excelled. Incredible!
