Product Description

This narrative chronicles the birth of the modern game of golf through the story of Harry Vardon and Francis Ouimet. These men, in pursuit of their passion for a sport that had captivated them since childhood, lifted themselves out of their lives of common poverty and broke down rigid social barriers, transforming the game of golf into one of the most widely played sports in the world today. Vardon and Ouimet were two men from different generations and vastly different corners of the world whose lives, unbeknown to them at the time, bore remarkable similarities, setting them on parallel paths that led to their epic battle at Brookline in the 1913 US Open. This collision resulted in the "big bang" that gave rise to the sport of golf as we know it. In this book, Mark Frost tells their story, including along the way over a dozen of the game's seminal figures, within the dramatic framework offered by the 1913 tournament where they finally met, which became one of the most thrilling sports events in history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35273 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 472 pages

Review
**'An extraordinary book.(with) passages that were so convincing they made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up' - The Times **'Mark Frost has done a wonderful job of capturing the moment of golf's awakening in America. His work is thoroughly resear

BEN CRENSHAW, 1999 US Ryder Cup Captain
Mark Frost has done a wonderful job of capturing the moment of golf's awakening in America.

Ken Venturi
[A] great insight into how golf got its start in America, and the man who really introduced it: Francis Ouimet.

Customer Reviews

Fascinating story superbly told
'The Greatest Game Ever Played' is the story of the 1913 US Open Championship which is attributed to igniting the flames in interest in golf in America.
British legend Harry Vardon was at the peak of his powers at that time, yet found rank outsider Francis Ouimet, a US amateur 23 years his junior, to be his fiercest competitor.
Theirs was one of golf's definitive confrontations, pitting local boy against all-conquering hero and Mark Frost's account looks set to be considered one of the sport's conclusive accounts.
Undoubtedly this clash changed world golf forever. We might think now how great it would be if Brits dominated the global game, but the sport would have been much duller without Ouimet's win.
A real eye opener on the birth of a phenomenon in America.

The Greatest Book about the Greatest Game
The Greatest Book about the Greatest Game, September 1, 2003
Reviewer: Geoff Urie from Paisley, Scotland
Having read widely on all aspects of golf, including classics such as A good walk spoiled, Final Rounds, Golf in the Kingdom, Four-iron in my soul, the Legend of Bagger Vance, the Miracle on the 17th Green, To the Linksland and A Duel in the Sun - to name but a few, I can declare that Mark Frost's book "The Greatest Game Ever Played: Vardon, Ouimet and the Birth of Modern Golf" is in my opinion the most informative and entertaining of all. It brings to life a vital chapter in the development of the game both in Britain and the United States. For anyone wishing to learn about how the game of golf was played in the early years this is the book for you.
Harry Vardon is one of the greatest golfers of all time but the general golfing public probably know very little about him and the difficulties he overcame.
Francis Ouimet has always been an obscure name from the past - this book will explain that his standing in world golf was no fluke result.
I thoroughly recommend this book - you will not be disappointed.
For any film makers reading this - If you roll The Natural, Tin Cup and Chariots of Fire together it will not come anywhere near the story of Ouimet versus Vardon !

Utterly compelling
'The Greatest Game Ever Played' is the story of the 1913 US Open Championship which is attributed to igniting the flames in interest in golf in America.
British legend Harry Vardon was at the peak of his powers at that time, yet found rank outsider Francis Ouimet, a US amateur 23 years his junior, to be his fiercest competitor.
Theirs was one of golf's definitive confrontations, pitting local boy against all-conquering hero and Mark Frost's account looks set to be considered one of the sport's conclusive accounts.
Undoubtedly this clash changed world golf forever. We might think now how great it would be if Brits dominated the global game, but the sport would have been much duller without Ouimet's win.
A real eye opener on the birth of a phenomenon in America and a book so beautifully put together you don't have to be a golf fan to enjoy it.