Hilton was born in
West Kirby and attended
West Buckland School in Devon. In 1892, he won
The Open Championship at
Muirfield, becoming the second amateur to do so. He won again in 1897 at his home club,
Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake. The only other amateurs who have won the Open Championship are
John Ball and
Bobby Jones. Hilton's autobiography
My Golfing Reminiscences was published in 1907. Hilton also won
The Amateur Championship on four occasions, including 1911, when he became the only British player to win the British and
U.S. Amateurs in the same year. Hilton retired with a 99–29 record (77.3%) at The Amateur Championship. From 1905 to 1915, Hilton was a member at Ashford Manor Golf Club in Middlesex (now
Surrey), the club having been incorporated in 1902. In 1912, he played a major part in designing Ferndown Golf Club in Dorset which became an Open Championship qualifying course and one of the top 100 courses in the UK. ==Personal life==