1 - No ropes. You walk right next to the players. You're not watching, you're playing.

2 - Fan-friendly. Small, well-behaved crowd. Little traffic, great sight lines, and you'd go play a round with any of the patrons.

3 - Meet the parents. It's easy to spot them - they are in agony - and chatting seems to help. Getting a photo op with the players is also a piece of cake. 

4 - Role models. The players are courteous, having fun, sincerely applaud great shots, and warmly congratulate the winner.  

5 - Who's your caddy. A 14 year-old brother was the caddy of one finalist, and the beaten semifinalist friend was the caddy of the other.  

6- Shorts. They're young enough to wear them well, and it sets the perfect tone.

The Country Club gallery + 

California Open slideshow + 

King James IV becomes an outlaw golfer in 1502. Was this just an archaic law that no one obeyed any more? Why was golf outlawed in the first place? Why is this interesting, let alone relevant?    

Read more @ blog post 1 +

Tom Morris returned to become the head pro at St. Andrews in 1865. He previously worked there for sixteen years starting as a young teenager, but then left for the next fourteen. Why did he leave? What brought him back? What had he been doing since? Was there something General MacArthur in his return, or Andy Defresne?        

Read more @ blog post 3 +

Francis wins the play-off by 5 on Sept 20, 1913. 3 other Francis facts:

1 - His win was less of a fluke since he was playing very well:  he had just won the 1913 MA Amateur, went to the quarters in the 1913 US Amateur (losing to the eventual winner), and won the 1914 US Amateur. 

2 - His second and last US Amateur win was in 1931, the year after Bobby Jones retired. He lost 3 times in the semis to Bobby in the '20s. The 17 years is the longest gap between major wins for any player.  See second photo left.

3 - He was the first American elected to be captain of the R&A golf club in 1951. See third photo left.   

The Country Club gallery + 

6 reasons to love the US Amateur + 

Old Tom plays in his 31st Open in 1895. Were they just being polite to let him keep playing at 73? Or was something else driving him to keep going? Did Young Tom and his wife's sudden death in 1875 have something to do with it? 

Read more @ blog post 5 +

Vardon is one stroke down to Ouimet coming to the 17th in the 1913 US Open play-off. His tee shot finds this bunker, and he has to hit out sideways. He cards a bogey 5 to Francis' birdie 3. He then cards a double on 18 to lose by 5 strokes.

The Country Club gallery + 

Photos & quotes +