A great new book on English golf

[Philip Gawith]

The newly published Centurions of Golf - 100 English courses celebrating 100 years of golf - by Mike Berners Price is an absolute must have for any self-respecting GCA member.

As the name suggests, he focuses on the 100 English courses which are 100 years old or more. He breaks this into chapters as follows:

Founders and Influencers
Early expansion
London survivors
Open Championship courses
Early seaside links
Room on the Downs
...and on the Clifftops
Early heathland courses
Move onto the Parkland
Early Ryder Cup course
The architects arrive.

Very helpfully he also attaches contact details for all clubs.

I have only skimmed the book but it is replete with many interesting historic photos and is overall a very attractive book with lots of good content.

Forgive me if this book has been discussed before, but i did not see it.

You can see more at www.radialsportspublishing.com

[T_MacWood]

Phillip
This is the first I've heard of it. It sounds very interesting. Thanks.

[Paul_Turner]

Nice find Philip, thanks.  

[Tom Dunne]

I was fortunate to play a quiet round of golf with Mr. Berners-Price at Royal Ashdown Forest last summer. Really nice fellow. I remember him playing some superb golf on the back nine in a soaking rain that absolutely wore me out, and pausing for a hit of Stone's Ginger Wine that the club had set up beneath the trees just off the 13th green.
 
Afterward, he showed me some of the materials he'd been gathering in researching the book. I'm very happy to see that it has now been published.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Philip I don't think it has been discussed here before.  I've hesitated to mention it because...

OK its virtues are clear, he's found an interesting angle to group together  a bunch of disparate clubs that are definitely interesting to us on here.  It's nicely produced with a magazine length article on each.

But... of the clubs I know it's about as accurate and well researched as the average golf magazine article.  E.G. Sean recently posted some pictures of Sutton Coldfield GC and we had a discussion that followed.  In it I pointed out that a careful read of the history they sell in the pro shop indicates that less than a third (from memory) of the course has anything to do with Mackenzie.  In his book he clearly quotes this history  but allows the reader to retain the impression, that the club like to put out, that it's a Mackenzie  course.

I bought my copy from the assistant Pro at New Zealand GC who admitted he didn't have a clue who designed the course.  However in the book (this bit again from memory as I can’t find it) he only credits Simpson with changing 2 holes?

Interesting only as souvenir's for those who've played a few of the courses.

[Tommy Williamsen]

It is also availiable on Amazon

[Philip Gawith]

Tony, fair point - but even if the book lacks some of the detail that is available, it has other compensations. Biggest of all, it draws attention to a lot of courses which are just not on the radar at all. But it also has good historic pictures.

I am a happy owner.