Once Upon a September

About the Book

In September of 1951 Saucon Valley Country Club hosted its first USGA championship – the 51st U.S. Amateur. The book chronicles this ground breaking event in club history. In the book you will meet the patriarch of Saucon Valley, Eugene Grace, president of industry giant Bethlehem Steel Corporation and devoted amateur golfer. You will learn how a chance meeting at the Pinehurst resort in 1909 laid the foundation for the creation of one of the greatest private country clubs in America. Robin McCool takes you back to a time when amateur golf was king, and the personalities were bigger than life. You will meet all the great players who came to Saucon Valley to compete for the coveted Havemeyer Trophy – Frank Stranahan, Harvie Ward, Ken Venturi, Dick Chapman, Jim McHale and Charlie Coe, to name a few. You will witness Billy Maxwell, a young college student from Texas, rise up from among these giants of the game to capture amateur golf’s most treasured prize.

About the Author

Robin McCool lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with his wife Carolyn and has been a member of Saucon Valley Country Club since 1986. He has won a record 33 championships at Saucon Valley, and has also competed in 15 USGA national championships, including three U.S. Amateurs. This is his first book.