More than 70 years after winning the Grand Slam and more than 30 years after his death, golf's greatest ambassador, Bobby Jones, is going Hollywood.

On April 30, Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius, a biography of Jones' early life and career, will be released theatrically. The movie, which stars Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, Frequency, The Thin Red Line), Claire Forlani (Meet Joe Black, The Rock) and Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, O Lucky Man!), is the result of nearly 15 years of baby steps by producer Kim Dawson.

Mr. Dawson said that from the outset, he had little interest in making a golf movie. He said the sport Jones is best remembered for was only a fraction of what made Jones the man an interesting film challenge.

"When I started this, I really only knew about Bobby Jones the golfer," he said. "But then, as I read the biographies and began to interview his family, I discovered a very different man, a man respected not for his skill on the golf course but for his respect for his fellow man."

Before work on the film could begin in earnest, Mr. Dawson approached the Jones family for its blessing and assistance. He said securing their cooperation was essential.

"We knew that in order to do this properly, we would have to engage the Jones estate," he said. "I mean, we could have done an unauthorized biography, but that wouldn't have done well in the golf or film community. It was incumbent upon me to engage them, and keep them, as our partners. Because of that, we were able to gain access to the legacy of Bob Jones."

Rowdy Herrington, who wrote and directed Stroke of Genius, said the Jones family blessing proved to be the key to many essential locations. The production shot extensively at the East Lake Country Club in Atlanta, Mr. Jones's home course, and were the first film units allowed to shoot on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland and at Augusta National Golf Club.

''There were just so many moments, moments when I was struck by how lucky we were," he said. "The first of those moments was when we were told that yes, we would be able to shoot on the Old Course."

The challenge, Mr. Herrington said, was finding some sort of conflict, some dramatic friction to propel the story. He said nobody would be interested in seeing a movie about a good man, well-loved by all who knew him, doing good things.

''The thing is, for drama there has to be conflict, and this was not a controversial character," he said. "So what I did was look at the arc of character. I looked at how he developed these gifts and the pressure these gifts put on him. The truth is, when you have a character as rich and complex as Bobby Jones, there's always going to be an opportunity for drama."

When casting for the role of Bobby Jones began, Mr. Dawson said they were seeking a skilled actor who was also a good golfer. The role eventually went to Jim Caviezel, who had almost no golfing experience.

"I actually read the script to play (Jones rival) Walter Hagen," Mr. Caviezel said. "I had just finished The Passion and really was only looking for a couple weeks' work. But it was a great script, so I called the producer and asked who was playing Bobby Jones. I stuck it out there. I said I'd play Bobby Jones if they wanted me."

Mr. Caviezel said he was interested in the questions raised by the character.

''That's what struck me about this guy - the questions of why," he said. "He retired from golf at 28. Why? He could have had the world on a plate and turned it down. Why? They are questions that don't calculate, and I wanted to know the answers. That was the challenge."

Because Mr. Caviezel knew little about the mechanics of golf, and was left-handed to boot, instructors were brought in to teach the actor to mimic Mr. Jones's distinctive swing. He said their patience, and the existing footage of Mr. Jones playing, were invaluable.

''I watched a lot of footage," he said. "Any footage that was shot, I watched - again and again. And still there were things that, to this day, I just could not do. For instance, I could not go into my back swing and keep that left arm straight. I also could never get that big Jones hip turn, either."

Mr. McDowell, who plays Atlanta journalist and Jones mentor O.B. Keeler, said that taking certain liberties is often part of the filmmaking process.

''When making a film, you do take poetic license," he said. "For instance, I didn't do a lot of research beyond learning that Keeler was a writer and broadcaster. What I saw as important was that he was a friend and mentor to Bobby Jones and, in an era before the phenomenon of television, was the man who followed Bobby Jones and saw it all."

Mr. McDowell, a respected screen veteran, said it was Mr. Dawson's approach to making a movie about Bobby Jones the man and not Bobby Jones the golfer that attracted him to the film.

"Who wants to see a golf film?" he said with a laugh. "I'd rather watch the Masters. This is a film that just happens to have the world of golf in the 1920s as its background. It's the human drama and the personalities that make it wonderful."

Golf, Mr. Dawson said, is the perfect metaphor for life, and that's the reason he believe the movie works.

''I think we've made a movie that says something," he said. "Is it a movie for golfers? Certainly. Yes. But it's also a movie for people interested in a man overcoming personal difficulties and demons. It's a movie, I guess, about embracing life."

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com