Fairways & Getaways: Part III – Walter Hagen’s “Hagen Hoof”

The History

During the summer of 1920, a twenty-eight year old Walter Hagen set off to prepare for his first Open Championship. In doing so, he might have unintentionally completed one of the greatest practice rounds in history. How might one describe this practice round? Unorthodox. According to Walter Hagen, that never crossed his mind as he and Englishman Jim Barnes as they traversed the British coastline.  

“While we were in London for the 1920 British Open, Jim Barnes and I started one morning to play the three links as if they were one. After playing eleven holes on the Deal course, we hopped a fence over to Sandwich and played ten holes there, crossed to Prince’s links and completed all the holes there, coming back to the original starting place. We finished the remainder of the holes on the Sandwich and Deal layouts, ending up on the eighteenth at Deal. Scores? I’ve forgotten. We weren’t trying to break any records. We were just lucky to go that far. We did it for fun.” – Walter Hagen

Royal St. George’s Golf Club. Royal Cinque Golf Club. Prince’s Golf Club. So, the Hagen Hoof was born. 

Those who are familiar with Hagen’s original trek know that there are two renditions: the Hagen Hoof and the Hagen 54.

Members Only

The Hagen Hoof, is an event exclusively for members of the three clubs. Over time it has evolved into a competition among those who belong to the three clubs. The clubs field a small team to compete for the annual “Hagen Hoof” trophy which commemorates Walter Hagen’s trek along the Deal and Sandwich coast. While this unique “members only” event is not open to the public, the formation of the Hagen 54 now allows golfers from all over the world to traverse the British coast and walk in Hagen’s shoes.

“The Hagen Hoof” – No Laying Up

Modern Hagen 54

Conversely, the Hagen 54 is an event for non-members looking to recreate Hagen’s original loop. And while the stakes might not quite match those in the “Hoof”, participants still get to experience links golf at its finest as they traverse the British coast and walk in Hagen’s shoes. Participants will play the same three courses as Hagen (just not in Hagen fashion).

Among the dunes of Royal St. George, golfers experience iconic holes like the par-3 sixth and par-5 fourteenth, at Royal Cinque Port you’ll play what Gary Player called “without a doubt, the finest four consecutive holes on any course in the world,” and the twenty-seven holes of Prince’s provides three distinct styles in links design. There’s something for everyone. 

Logistics

The Hagen 54 will set golfers back about £998 a person (or roughly $1,286). The event provides participants a world class experience that follows what they call the “Hagen Route”. Starting at Prince’s, golfers begin at 6:30am in a shotgun start playing a stableford format. After their round at Prince’s, they shuttle to Royal St. George’s and ultimately finishing their day at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club where a dinner and prizes await them. 

Registration includes the following: three rounds of world class golf, welcome BBQ the day before, takeaway breakfast the day of, on-course catering and refreshments during your rounds, and a post round banquet (which lasts FOUR hours) and prizes for the winners. Participants can also utilize complimentary rounds the day before as well.

But is it worth it? 

Depends on your view on worth. Flights, optional caddies, and having to pay for your own lodging all add additional costs not included in your registration. Compared to our previous Fairways and Getaways entries, it’s comparable in cost and value. Yet, the opportunity to immerse yourself among annals of these clubs and construct your own narrative cannot be understated. Few places in the world provide a true links golf experience and the opportunity to play on a course which hosted an Open Championship are few and far between.

All three clubs are located in the south-east corner of England. Just a short two hours by car from London, and also easily accessible by rail make this one of the easier events to get to. Plus, there’s plenty of pubs to enjoy a pint with the locals and share tales of Open Championships past.

There’s never been a better excuse to visit some of the best courses England has to offer. 

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