Our Heroes
Willie Park SeniorWillie Park Senior (1833–1903) is most famous for winning the first Open Championship in 1860, followed up by further wins in 1863, 1866, and 1875.
Like many professionals of the era, he started life as a caddie (at Mussleborough Links). During the heyday of his career, he would be part of some lucrative high-stakes money matches with Old Tom Morris, Allen Robertson, and Willie Dunn. Later in his career, he ran a successful club-building business. |
Old Tom MorrisOld Tom Morris (1821–1908) is affectionately known as The Grand Old Man of Golf. He was born and died in St. Andrews.
Old Tom won the Open Championship in 1861, 1862, 1863, and 1867. His early career was as a caddie and also an apprentice to Allen Robertson (who, at the time, ran St. Andrews Links). He had a successful club/featherie ball manufacturing business and was generally regarded as the best golfer in the world prior to the arrival of Old Tom. Robertson and Morris were a formidable pair in high-stakes foursome matches. Old Tom was a highly successful golf course architect and was a great innovator of new ideas to improve and modernise greenkeeping standards. |
Young Tom MorrisYoung Tom Morris (1851-1875) won his first Open Championship at the age of 17, which made him the youngest winner of a major golf championship (a record that still stands). Young Tom followed up his first win with further wins in 1869, 1870, and 1872.
In 1869, young Tom recorded the first ever hole-in-one (at the 8th hole at Prestwick). After winning the Open Championship for the third time in 1870, it was decided that he should keep the Championship Belt. There was no Open Championship held in 1871, but he won again in 1872. Although the Challenge Belt was not replaced with the now iconic Claret Jug until 1873, Young Tom's name was inscribed onto it to mark his victory in 1872. Young Tom tragically died on Christmas Day in 1875 (some say of a broken heart) a few weeks after losing both his wife and baby during a difficult childbirth. |
Harry VardonHarry Vardon (1870-1937) was born in Jersey, but moved to England to take up several club pro jobs in the north of England.
He won the Open Championship in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, & 1914. He also won the US Open in 1900. His rivalry with James Braid and J H Taylor is legendary, as the "Great Triumvirate" demonstrated worldwide from the 1890's to World War One. He became golf's first international celebrity, visiting the USA and Canada and winning countless exhibition matches. He developed the Vardon Overlapping Grip, which is still popular today. In his latter years, he designed several notable courses and saw out his days as the club pro at South Herts Golf Club. |
James BraidJames Braid's (1870-1950) record
in the Open Championship is truly remarkable, with wins in 1897, 1902, 1904, and 1909. James was the professional at Romford Golf Club from 1896-1904. In 1912, he took up the role of professional at Walton Heath Golf Club and had a successful career as a golf course architect with over 400 golf courses around the world that bear his name. Included in that list are some Essex Golfing Gems: Orsett GC, Colchester GC, West Essex GC , Boyce Hill GC and Romford GC. He also wrote several golf instruction books (sometimes in collaboration with Hary Vardon). |
J H TaylorJ H Taylor (1871-1963) was winner of the Open Championship in 1894, 1895, 1900, 1909, and 1913.
J H Taylor had several prestigious club professional jobs in the South West of England before moving to the London area to take up positions at Royal Wimbledon GC, then on to Royal Mid Surrey GC from 1899 until his retirement in 1946. 1901 saw Taylor co-found (and be the first chairman of) The British Professional Golfers Association. Taylor also designed many golf courses, including the Lower Course at Hainault Forest GC in Essex. |
Walter HagenWalter Hagen's (1892-1969) tally
of eleven major golf tournaments is third in the short list of all-time major winners, behind Jack Nicholas (18) and Tiger Woods (15). Known as "Sir Walter," he is often referred to as "the father of professional golf," as he brought publicity, prestige, big prize money, and lucrative endorsement deals to the sport. Hagen's major championships include The Open Championship in 1922, 1924, 1928 & 1929, The US Open in 1914 & 1919, and The US PGA Championship in 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926 & 1927. Walter captained the US Ryder Cup teams six times and was a very dapper dresser (both on and off the course). Hagen was the first golfer to earn a million dollars in prize money, famously saying, "I never wanted to be a millionaire—just live like one!" Right up to his death, "The Haig" had a lucrative endorsement deal with Wilson Golf Company featuring clubs bearing his name. |
Bobby JonesBobby Jones (1902–1971) was a
lawyer by profession and remained an amateur golfer throughout his playing days. Jones's list of major tournaments makes impressive reading: Open Championship in 1926, 1927 & 1930 US Open Championship in 1923, 1926, 1929 & 1930. British Amateur in 1930. US Amateur in 1924, 1925, 1926, 1928 & 1930. After winning both Open Championships and both Amateur Championships on both sides of the Atlantic in 1930. He retired from competitive golf and concentrated his efforts on the construction of Augusta National Golf Club and the US Masters Tournament (or the Augusta National Invitation Tournament to give it its original name). Jones wrote several bestselling books on how to play golf as well as starring in a series of short films shown in cinemas throughout America (sometimes featuring well-known movie stars that were "struggling with their game"). Jones also had a lucrative endorsement deal with Spalding Golf Company featuring clubs bearing his name, Robert Tyre Jones (including a replica of his famous putter from those historic 1930 tournament wins: The Calamity Jane Putter). |
Gene SarazenGene Sarazen's (1902–1999) early
golfing career was as a caddie, then head professional at several golf courses in the New York area. Gene Sarazen was the first player to win the professional "Grand Slam," winning: Open Championship in 1932, US Open Championship in 1922 & 1923, US PGA Championship in 1922, 1923 & 1933, US Masters in 1935. It is claimed that Gene Sarazen invented the modern Sand Iron by welding solder onto the lower back of the club, building up the flange so it sat lower than the leading edge when soled. The flange, not the leading edge, would contact the sand first and explode sand as the shot was played. |
Albert FrostAlbert Frost was the first professional at the Hainault Forest GC after moving on from Wimbledon Common GC in 1922.
His working day would be from 7am - 11 pm, seven days a week and he would stay at Hainault until his retirement in 1962. His two sons, Eddie and Ron, were his assistants and eventually took over the business. Like most club professionals at the time, he would make his own clubs for the members, teach the members, and oversee the green staff. As so many Essex golfers started their love of golf at Hainault (and with his granddaughter's permission), we have decided to name the trophy for the upcoming ESSEX HICKORY PRO CHALLENGE "The Albert Frost Trophy." |
Sandy LyleSandy has had a superb career, covering from the 1970's to the present day with thirty professional wins around the world.
The highlights of his career have been winning The Open Championship in 1985 and the US Masters in 1988 as well as five Ryder Cup appearances. In recent years Sandy has been a great advocate for the sport of Hickory Golf. He regularly plays the par 3 tournament at the US Masters with hickory shafted clubs and has won The World Hickory Open twice in 2014 and 2016. |
Tad MooreTad is firmly established as a custom golf club designer for some of the best amateur and professional golfers in the world.
He has also designed putters and short game clubs for major manufacturers in the USA. As an amateur golfer Tad won many prestigious golf tournaments in his youth and senior years. In 2000 Tad was one of the founder members of the Society of Hickory Golfers and even into his eighties, he is still winning hickory tournaments. In 2005 Tad introduced a line of hickory shafted clubs similar to the designs of MacGregor and William Gibson of the 1920's. These clubs are available through Tad's own website: www.tadmoore.com |