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James Foulis (1870-1928), often known as Jim
Foulis, was a Scotland|Scottish born professional
golfer who won the second U.S. Open Championship
(golf)|U.S. Open Championship.

Foulis was born in the "Home of Golf", St Andrews
in Scotland. His father was foreman at Old Tom
Morris's golf shop and clubmaking business, and
Foulis spent some time working at the shop. In
1895 he travelled to the United States to take up
a job as golf professional at Chicago Golf Club,
which was the first club in the United States to
have an eighteen whole course. He was the first
golf professional in the western States.

Foulis was one of the eleven players who took part
in the first U.S. Open in 1895, and he came third.
The following year he won the tournament at
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island. He was
representing the Chicago Golf Club and he won
$200. He was helped out by the fact that twice
British Open champion Willie Park, Jnr, who would
have been odds-on favourite if he had reached the
United States in time to play, didn't dock in
America until the day after the tounament. The
following year the Open was played at Foulis's
home club, and he finished third. The most notable
aspect of his game was his driving; it is said
that he often drove over three hundred yards using
the relatively primitive clubs of his day. He
continued to compete in the U.S. Open until 1906,
but didn't win again. 

Jim Foulis and his brother Dave ran a golf shop at
the Chicago Golf Club, and were played a
significant part in the evolution of golf
equipment. They invented the bramble patterning
for Coburn Haskell's new rubber coated ball. In
response to the demands of the new ball the
developed the "mashie-niblick", the modern seven
iron, which fell between the traditional mashie
(5-iron) and niblick (9-iron), and patented the
design. Jim Foulis also worked as a golf course
designer from 1996 until his death, designing the
first golf courses in many communities across the
Mid West.

Foulis had four brothers, all of whom also moved
to the United States. Robert and Dave were also
golf professionals, Simpson was a fine amateur
golfer, and John was an expert ballmaker who also
worked as a bookkeeper at Chicago golf from 1901
to his untimely death in 1907. All five brothers
are buried in Wheaton Cemetery, adjacent to
Chicago Golf Club.