Mike Turnesa was a groundskeeper at the Fairview Country Club in Elmsford, New York. Mike Turnesa had seven sons: Mike, Jr.; Frank; Joe; Phil; Doug; Jim; and Willie. Papa Turnesa taught them how to play golf almost as soon as they were old enough to hold a club.
In time the first six Turnesa boys became professional golfers. Only Willie, the youngest, did not. But Willie was probably as good a golfer as his older brothers. He won the U.S. Amateur championship in 1938 and 1948, and the British Amateur title in 1947.
The other Turnesas won a lot of tournaments. In 1952 brother Jim won the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) title.
From The Giant Book of More Strange But True Sports Stories by Howard Liss. Illustrations by Joe Mathieu.
Liss got the name of the father and the birth order of the sons wrong. The father’s name was Vitale, and Mike was the 4th son, not the 1st (also not a Jr.). There were also 2 daughters, but they didn’t play golf.
Also, Vitale didn’t teach the boys the game. They worked as caddies on the course and taught each other how to play off the course (because their father would chase them off the course as it was for members only). The NYT story has some interesting tidbits.