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James Braid was born
on this day
(February 6, 1870)
-- THE BEST READING GOLF BOOKS IN THE WORLD --
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He swung with a divine fury and putted like a demon.
Without him, there would not have been a Great Triumvirate. But  James Braid's contributions to golf are not just based on his five British Open victories and his place in history next to Harry Vardon and J.H. Taylor.
He was a man of great character, who was a friend of princes, peers and commoners. He also left behind some of the world's great golf courses and was a pioneer in elevating the status of professional golfers by helping to form the British PGA.
As a golfer, Braid was considered to be a late bloomer. He did not win his first British Open Championship, in 1901 (at the age of 31), until Vardon and Taylor had already won three each.
But once Braid won his first, there was no stopping him. He captured the Open again in 1905, 1906, 1908 and 1910, thus becoming the first man to raise the old claret jug five times.
 The difference between Braid's winning and just finishing among the contenders at the Open was an aluminum-headed putter made by Mills of Sunderland that came into his possession after the 1900 Open at St. Andrews. He had finished sixth in 1896, second in 1897, fifth in 1899 and third in 1900. Once the putts began to fall, Braid began to rise ahead of Vardon and Taylor. In fact, it was Taylor who said, "I have yet to meet the player who could hole the 10-yard putts with greater regularity" than Braid. 
And when Braid won, he won by large margins. At Muirfield in 1901, he began with a drive out of bounds at the first hole, but from there on he played superb golf to defeat Vardon by three strokes and Taylor by four. At St. Andrews in 1905, he sailed to a five-stroke victory over Taylor. At Muirfield in 1906, he triumphed by four strokes over Taylor. His greatest performance came at Prestwick in 1908 when he shot the Open record of 291 to win by eight strokes over Tom Ball. That record stood until Bob Jones broke it by six strokes at St. Andrews in 1927. Braid finished runner-up to Taylor in 1909, but came back the next year at St. Andrews to win his fourth Open in six years, this time by four strokes over Alexander Herd.
In 1912, Braid retired from tournament golf and became a club professional at Walton Heath, where he held that post for 45 years.
Braid, who began playing golf at the age of four in Fife, was the son of a farmer. His farming background later helped him design courses that were well laid out and well drained. Braid designed such lasting treasures as Carnoustie and the King's and Queen's courses at Gleneagles.
Here is a link to a terrific article in Golf Course Architecture that discusses Braid's course design.
Also visit The James Braid Golfing Society, which is dedicated to the memory and spirit of James Braid and "upholds the essential traditions and values of the game and aims to pass them on to future generations."
Bernard Darwin's masterful account of the James Braid story is a must read for all golf enthusiasts.
"James Braid" (1952) by Bernard Darwin is part of the Classics of Golf 69-book Library and is available for only $35 (click here).
Please call (1-800-483-6449) or email with any questions or to order by phone.
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