Who was Travis?

Walter J. Travis was one of the great pioneers of golf in North America.  He came to the United States from Australia as a young man, became a naturalized American citizen, and did not touch a golf club until the Fall of 1896, just a few months before he was 35.  Once he took up the game, he devoted most of his time and energies to a systematic study and practice of golfing skills.  Within a very short period of time, he became a golf competitor to be reckoned with, and in 1900 won the first of his three U.S. Amateur Championships.  That first championship victory launched an amateur golfing career that was unparalleled, and opened doors to his becoming an influential force in golf journalism, turfgrass management, and an esteemed golf course architect.  His story is well-worth telling.  But first, a few pictures, and some caricatures: