From Facebook Stories to a Lifelong Dream: Bob Hrad Celebrates Golf, Family, and Faith in Confessions of a Country Club Shoeshine Boy

United States, 25th Jul 2026 - What began as a series of short stories shared with fellow golf enthusiasts on Facebook has become the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. In Confessions of a Country Club Shoeshine Boy: Memories from a Neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, retired educator Bob Hrad transforms more than seventy years of memories into a heartfelt memoir that celebrates golf, family, faith, and the enduring friendships forged on and around the golf course.

The inspiration for the book came unexpectedly. Over the course of three months, Hrad posted 87 stories in the popular Facebook community Golf Jokes and Stories. Readers from around the world quickly responded with overwhelming encouragement, insisting that these memories deserved a permanent home.

Five years later, those stories have become a captivating memoir spanning the years from age seven to seventy-nine, taking readers on what Hrad calls "the golf cart ride of a lifetime."

Raised in a close-knit Irish Catholic neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Hrad grew up in a family of nine children where hard work, faith, and community were everyday values. His mother's job at local country clubs introduced him to a world that would shape the rest of his life. Beginning as a young caddie and later working as a shoeshine boy, busboy, and country club employee, Hrad discovered that golf offered far more than a game. It became a classroom for life.

"I've always believed that golf teaches much more than a good swing," says Hrad. "It teaches responsibility, humility, perseverance, and respect for people from every walk of life."

Unlike traditional golf books that focus on professional tournaments or championship victories, Confessions of a Country Club Shoeshine Boy shines a spotlight on people rarely recognized. You’ll meet caddies, locker room attendants, car parkers, waitresses, golf professionals, bartenders, office personnel, security guards, club managers, and countless unforgettable personalities whose dedication kept country clubs running behind the scenes. In the front of the house, Hrad’s regard for dozens of country club members is evidenced throughout. 

Although golf provides the backdrop, the book reaches far beyond sports. Themes of faith, gratitude, service, loyalty, mentorship, and legacy resonate throughout every chapter, making the memoir appealing to golfers and non-golfers alike.

Whether you're a golfer, a former caddie, a country club member, or simply someone who appreciates heartfelt stories about family, friendship, and growing up, Confessions of a Country Club Shoeshine Boy offers a nostalgic journey that reminds readers why ordinary lives often tell the most extraordinary stories.

The book is available through Amazon and other major book retailers.

About the Author

Bob Hrad is a retired physical education teacher and public-school administrator from Chicago's South Side. Married, the father of five children and grandfather of ten, he spent much of his life working at golf and country clubs while building a career in education. His experiences as a caddie, shoeshine boy, busboy, golfer, teacher, husband, father, and storyteller inspired Confessions of a Country Club Shoeshine Boy, a book five years in the making. Originally inspired by the enthusiastic global response to his 87 stories posted in the Facebook group Golf Jokes and Stories, the book fulfills a lifelong dream of preserving the memories that shaped his remarkable journey.

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