Walter Hagen was a bomber on the course and a bon vivant off of it. Born to a humble home in upstate New York, he came to golf through caddying and went on to earn great riches as a pro in an era when amateurs ruled the game.
“I never wanted to be a millionaire,” Hagen once said. “I just wanted to live like one.”
He did.
Dashing and assertive, with a taste for flamboyant fashions, Hagen sometimes arrived on the first tee in a tuxedo, just to lend the impression he’d been up all night. He struck endorsement deals with equipment-makers and toured the country in a chauffeured Cadillac, playing hundreds of exhibition matches that helped popularize the game across the United States. When he died in 1969 at the age of 76, one of his pallbearers was Arnold Palmer — fitting company for golf’s first great showman.
Hagen knew how to have a good time. He also knew how to bear down. His tally of 11 major championships ranks third all-time, behind only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. He had a knack for mixing business and pleasure, and a pithy way of summing up his outlook on life: “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”
One of his most memorable flower-smelling moments came in 1920, when Hagen was in England for the Open Championship. On a lark, he and fellow pro Jim Barnes decided to turn three Open venues into a single adventure. Starting at Royal Cinque Ports, they played 11 holes, hopped a fence to Royal St. George’s for another 10, then crossed to Prince’s for the balance before looping back to their starting point.
That carefree escapade has since been formalized into an annual event known as The Hagen 54, a tribute to golf’s original entertainer. The 2026 edition begins Wednesday, July 22, with optional golf at either Prince’s or Royal Cinque Ports, followed by a welcome reception at Cinque Ports that evening. The main event tees off early Thursday morning with a shotgun start — 54 holes played consecutively across all three courses, with caddies, catering, and refreshments along the way. Entry is about $1,300 per person, or $5,300 for a fourball.
Simon Holt, co-host of the Destination Golf podcast, took part in the 2025 installment of the event — you can watch the video in the player above or hear more about Holt’s day in this podcast (also linked below).
Three seaside links, 54 holes, and one timeless reminder from the Haig himself: enjoy the ride.
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