Francis Ouimet 
Game of Golf 

Francis Ouimet (1893-1967) was an unknown twenty-year-old amateur when he upset famed British golfers Harry Vardon and Ted Ray to win the 1913 U.S. Open. That spectacular victory at The Country Club (TCC) made him America’s first golf hero, drew new fans to the sport, and forever altered the image of golf as a stuffy, rich man’s game dominated by British and Scottish players.In this engaging memoir, first published in 1932, Ouimet reminisces about his life in golf and gives sage advice on playing the game. He vividly chronicles the boyhood he spent at his modest home across the street from The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. With charm and wit he recalls how he scavenged for golf balls and clubs, learned to play on a homemade, three-hole course in his backyard, and sneaked onto The Country Club’s fairways to practice in the early morning hours. He recounts his caddying years, starting at age nine, the early amateur competitions, and the momentous 1913 U.S. Open tournament on his neighborhood course.Legendary is the story of Ouimet and his caddy, Eddie Lowery. Ouimet refused an experienced TCC member’s offer to carry his clubs during the 1913 playoff in favor of the ten-year-old boy.Ouimet’s illustrious amateur career journeys across the fairways of Hoylake, St. Andrews, Garden City, and Pebble Beach, and concludes with his victory in the 1931 U.S. National Amateur at Beverly Hills in Chicago.Brimming with exciting matches and great players such as Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, these humble reminiscences of the working-class kid who changed the game of golf will inspire golf enthusiasts and general readers alike.