Sir Walter: Walter Hagen and the Invention of Professional Golf

by Tom Clavin

Last year Aurum published the definitive biography of one of the all-time greats of the game of Ben Hogan. Now it has the authoritative life of perhaps the only man to rival Hogan apart from Jack Walter Hagen. During the golden age of sport in the 1920s, Walter Hagen was to golf what Babe Ruth was to baseball. He was the first professional golfer to make his living from playing the game rather than teaching it. He won eleven majors - a record surpassed only by Nicklaus. He was influential in founding the Ryder Cup, and was the first golfer to top $1 million in career earnings - equivalent to a massive $40 million today. But where Ben Hogan was impassive, austere, reticent, seen as something of a golf-machine, Hagen was a larger-than-life energetic, witty, a man who travelled by limousine, loved to party - and sent a second limo just to transport his clothes, which were of course the finest. When he sailed the Atlantic to play in Europe he threw parties that lasted days. Both James Dodson's Hogan biography and Mark Frost's historical books on Harry Vardon and the making of golf have confirmed a market for serious, substantial works about the game. Sir Walter will tap into that same market, and should get widely reviewed.

Genres: Sports, Biography

Hardcover

First published February 8, 2005

About the author

Tom Clavin is the author/coauthor of eleven books. His most recent is That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas.

His articles have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Family Circle, Men's Journal, Parade, Reader's Digest, and others.

He was a contributing reporter for the New York Times for fifteen years.

Reviews

[Mahlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great biography of the man who helped popularize professional golf in America in the 20s and practically invented the life of the touring pro. Hagen eventually won 11 majors, 3rd all time behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. He is also 8th on the all-time PGA tour winners list with 45. Hagan was particularly adept and matchplay winning the PGA championship five times.

[Kellen Quigley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of Walter Hagen is going to be interesting no matter who writes it, but I think Clavin did an excellent job of pooling his resources and arranging his interviews to make a compelling and entertaining underdog, rags-to-riches, all-American hero adventure story of this sports biography.

[Richard Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful account of the greatest personality in 20th century golf. Excellent descriptions of the Haig's many triumphs and colorful exploits off the golf course. His years away from the game after retirement are sensitively portrayed. The subtitle's "Invention of Professional Golf" says it all. As Gene Sarazen said, "Every professional golfer who stretches a check between his fingers owes an enormous debt to Hagen." This is a must read for anyone who has any interest into how the game itself achieved tremendous popularity in the 1920's as well as the development of 'the Tour.'

[Paul Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Hagen’s own autobiography which was a bit too self-congratulatory. This one nails it. A combination of the early history of pro golf and the stories of a man with almost unshakeable self confidence with charm to spare. His majors record stands up against anybody’s bearing in mind that not all the majors existed in his day and his US Open wins straddled WW1. Stop and smell the flowers, and read this book.

[Brad Broadfoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your a golf lover a must read.