The Legend of Bagger Vance characters

Also known as Junah

First appears in chapter 2

A once-brilliant Savannah golfer and decorated veteran whose experience in the First World War left him estranged from his former life. Years of isolation and self-neglect have buried both his confidence and his effortless game when he is asked to represent the city in an exhibition match.

First appears in chapter 5

A mysterious stranger who offers to caddie for Junah. He speaks of golf as an expression of a deeper, authentic self and guides Junah toward recovering his swing by attending to the field of play rather than forcing control over it.

Also known as Hardy

Appears from the start

The narrator, looking back from old age on the famous match he witnessed as a Savannah boy. His reverence for Junah and fascination with Bagger give him a close view of both the public contest and the private spiritual lesson unfolding inside it.

First appears in chapter 2

Junah's former beloved and the determined daughter of the man who built the Krewe Island golf resort. With the property threatened by the Depression, she devises a high-profile match involving the country's two greatest professional golfers and insists that Savannah provide a local player as well.

Also known as Bobby Jones

First appears in chapter 4

The celebrated amateur champion from Georgia, admired for a technically pure game and gentlemanly conduct. He accepts Adele's invitation to compete at Krewe Island and represents one model of mastery against which Junah must measure his lost ability.

Also known as Walter Hagen

First appears in chapter 4

A charismatic professional champion whose bold play and public confidence contrast with Jones's reserve. He joins the Krewe Island exhibition as one of its star attractions and treats pressure as part of the performance.

First appears in chapter 2

Adele's late father, whose ambitious resort and golf course at Krewe Island became financially vulnerable when the economy collapsed. His legacy leaves Adele responsible for a beautiful property that may be lost unless she can restore public interest in it.