He was the greatest gentleman in golf on the Monterey Peninsula, or anywhere for that matter.
From 1971 to 2006, Jim Langley was the head professional at Cypress Point Club. While gone now—he passed in 2013 at the age of 75—the legacy of the man known as Mr. Langley remains.
A native of Salinas, Langley first gained recognition as a defensive back-up specialist on the Pete Newell led 1959 NCAA champion UC-Berkeley men’s basketball team. But he was also a heck of a golfer.
Following two brief stints on the PGA Tour in the 1960’s, Langley returned to Salinas where he sold insurance and at one point worked as a lettuce loader. In 1971, when he heard that-then Cypress Point head pro and fellow local golf legend Henry Puget was retiring, Langley on a whim applied for the job. He was hired for reasons that Langley himself never exactly knew.
“I remember the man (Charles de Brettville) who hired me,” recalled Langley in a 2006 Monterey Herald interview following his retirement. “He said, ‘Langley, I’m going to take a chance on you.’ That chance was on my side for 34 years. He never told me why he took the chance.”
Prior to his arrival, only three others had held the position of head pro at Cypress Point--inaugural head pro Adrian Wilson in 1928, Jack Morris (1928-1931) and Puget (1931-1971).
“It was luck and chance working for me at the same time,” said Langley, who learned the game alongside other legendary local club pros including Bob Moore, Art Bell and Cotton Kaiser.
There was another time where luck—or fate--played a role in Langley’s life. On November 5, 1987, Langley survived what simply became known as ‘The Accident.’
That night, Langley and then-Cypress Point president Bill Borland were driving north to play in a tournament at San Francisco Golf Club. As the duo got onto the former section of Highway 101 known as ‘Blood Alley’ just south of San Jose, their car ran out of gas due to a defective fuel gauge. As Langley went out to push the car, he was struck by an oncoming vehicle. As a result, he’d lose the use of his right arm.
“It actually was a great experience for me,” said Langley, who was inducted into the California Golf Writers Association Golf Hall of Fame in 2003. “I’ve never looked back at it with any regrets. I’d rather it have been me than someone else. The injury actually helped me in my teaching. There’s more rhythm to the swing and it’s not as much about trying to hit it as hard. You get in a better position, you get better balance. It‘s good for demonstrating.”
During a casual round on his home course with members a few years prior to his retirement, Langley shot 83 at Cypress Point. There was a time when—even with one arm—Langley was known as the best bunker player on the Monterey Peninsula.
While playing basketball at Cal, Langley said he learned a lot from Newell including respect, camaraderie and loyalty. Langley called them traits that “helped me throughout my life.”
It was during the Bears’ 1959 title run that Langley also met his wife Lou, who was a Golden Bears cheerleader.
When Langley retired, Cypress Point bestowed him with an honorary membership. The only other person to receive an honorary membership at the time? Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States.
As CBS announcer Jim Nantz said during Langley’s memorial service, “Jim was the nicest man in the world.”