Golf Books for Christmas

[Bill_McBride]

Mackenzie- golf architecture
Peper- two yrs in st andrews
shaclkeford- cypress pt club
wodehouse- golf omnibus

Pretty scary, I have all those books in my library too!

But have you seen the PBS "Jeeves" episode when Bertie loses his first round match in the annual Drones Club tournament to a twit who has a device on his shaft that buzzes when it's time to start the downswing?  Could be the funniest golf video of all time!     Bertie's first tee shot is a duck hook that fells a waiter with a tray full of champagne glasses outside the party tent nearby!  Even Jeeves' caddying skills can't save Bertie in that match.

Bill,

I think it was in "The Clicking of Cuthbert" where I remember he had a conversation with  a Russian emigre. There was a tournament or bet where the Russian won umpteen million rubles or something or other and Wodehouse, in his inimitable manner explained, "That's something like seventeen shillings and sixpence."

In that one sentence, one got the idea that Pelham G. thought that the world had better believe that the pound and the English were by far the most important commodities around.

Bob

My favorite all time Wodehouse quote on golf was about the fellow in the club championship who was badly thrown off his game when he was distracted by the noise of butterfly wings fluttering in the adjacent meadow!  Or so the Oldest Living Member described the ensuing debacle.

[Mike Hendren]

Bob,

Copies of The Clicking of Cutberth and The Heart of a Goof have been gathering dust on my bookshelf for a decade.  Do you recommend I read them and if so, may I call on  you for unknown word definitions and  confusing cultural references?

Mike

[Mike Nuzzo]

I give the books.

I gave Rihc Goodale's Old Course Experience to my father to commerate our trip this past year.
I also gave him Philip Young's Bethpage Black - where my father first took me to a great course when I was a youngster.

I also love giving away copies of Paul Daley's Golf Architecture Vol III - for obvious reasons.

Cheers

[Bob_Huntley]

Bob,

Copies of The Clicking of Cutberth and The Heart of a Goof have been gathering dust on my bookshelf for a decade.  Do you recommend I read them and if so, may I call on  you for unknown word definitions and  confusing cultural references?

Mike

quote author=Bogey_Hendren link=board=1;threadid=27269;start=0#msg516633 date=1167154050]
Bob,

Copies of The Clicking of Cutberth and The Heart of a Goof have been gathering dust on my bookshelf for a decade.  Do you recommend I read them and if so, may I call on  you for unknown word definitions and  confusing cultural references?

Mike

Mike,

Get out the books, sit in your favorite chair with a beverage of choice and chuckle at will.

His books speak of a very different time and place from that which we now live in. The only worries that his subject's seem to have is the loss of 'the most beautiful girl in the world' or 'slow play.'

Bob

[Paul Payne]

I beleive the "Foozle" is one of the most apt descriptions ever penned.

[Michael Dugger]

The family knows me well, giving $125 in the form of an Amazon gift certificate.  In the past few years I have acquired The Links (Hunter), Modern GCA in America (G.C. Thomas) and Nicklaus' big coffee table number.

I was right on the cusp of ordering up Forrest's book, Routing the Golf Course, and The Evangelist of Golf, by Bahto.

And then I changed my mind.  I don't know what this means for my love of gca............but I ordered up some new Under Armour.  If you haven't checked this stuff out, fellas, it is awesome gear.  Of course I ordered a golf shirt and some under layers for those cold and windy days in Bandon!

[Jason Blasberg]

Where Golf is Great

[Matthew Hunt]

I got "The Evolution of the Links at The Royal County Down" by Richard Latham from Santa Claus

I also got two copies from two different people of the ultimate Guide of golf .

[Mike Hendren]

Following Mr. Huntley's advice, I sat down with Wodehouse's The Clicking of Cuthbert yesterday afternoon.  Did not put it down until finished last night.  What a delightful read and great means of post-holiday decompression.  

Mike

[Joel_Stewart]

I received the History of Sharp Park.  Excellent book.

http://www.amazon.com/Alister-MacKenzies-Legacy-Public-Sharp/dp/1320190170

[Todd Melrose]

Architectural side of golf by Wethered & Simpson... Classics of golf edition, which is really well made. Very excited to get this one!

[jeffwarne]

I'm the kind who takes pictures and they remain on the phone and nowhere else-mainly because I'm such a technical, unorganized lazaphope.

Last year i took a trip with my son to Wales and England for the Open and Senior Open Championship.
Both my son and I took representative pictures at The Open (discreetly ), the scenic drives, the courses,each other on the course including him making a par off the beach at Borth, the signs, clubhouses, hotels, Senior Open, the ocean etc.
My wife went through them with me months ago-I thought just because she was curious or simply humoring me.

On Christmas day I opened a book that followed perfectly our journey from airport to airport-with an incredible amount of pictures and events I had nearly forgotten about-all perfectly labeled-in order.
It was a whirlwind journey I'm only now beginning to appreciate, and having it in a permanent chronological book is something I will cherish forever.
I've gotten (and purchased ) a lot of great books for Christmas, but this one takes the cake.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Gave my son the brand new, hot off the presses history of Royal North Devon, issued in commemoration of their sesquicentennial. So far it is excellent. This is Fowler's course; people who think of its history and origins as akin to TOC's are mistaken. But that is credit to the excellence of Fowler's design.

[Joe_Tucholski]

...
On Christmas day I opened a book that followed perfectly our journey from airport to airport-with an incredible amount of pictures and events I had nearly forgotten about-all perfectly labeled-in order.
...

Jeff the customized bound picture books are a really cool thing.  With digital photos, I don't have a single photo album.  As a kid I used to love going to my grandparents house and looking through the photo albums whenever the entire extended family gathered for holidays.  That book, I'm sure, is something everyone in your family will appreciate.

[jeffwarne]

...
On Christmas day I opened a book that followed perfectly our journey from airport to airport-with an incredible amount of pictures and events I had nearly forgotten about-all perfectly labeled-in order.
...

Jeff the customized bound picture books are a really cool thing.  With digital photos, I don't have a single photo album.  As a kid I used to love going to my grandparents house and looking through the photo albums whenever the entire extended family gathered for holidays.  That book, I'm sure, is something everyone in your family will appreciate.

Joe,
We have a member who does this every year for our Jr. Club Championship.
has no kids-spends the entire day capturing pictures of every kid including multiple candid, action, and group/family shots then puts it all together in a book for each participant family-I have all prominently displayed proudly in my office.
Photo albums are cool as well-but these books are a bit more permanent.

[Howard Riefs]

I told a few of my wife's aunts to buy the new Confidential Guide for their GB&I golf-obsessed husbands. Quite a hit.

"She even got it autographed! Now she knows to buy me the next volume and the one after that..."

[DFarron]

Jenna unexpectedly got me Geoff Shackeford's "The Future of Golf".

She said she read some of it in the bookstore and it sounded like something I would appreciate.

It's a really nice feeling to know I'm with the right woman.  

You are with the right woman lol...mine got me "How To Perfect Your Golf Swing" by Jimmy Ballard, which has been out of print since 1999.

[David_Tepper]

Today www.bookoutlet.com is selling all their books 30% off their already deeply discounted prices. The golf books on offer cover a wide variety, including George Peper's True Links, James Finengan's Scotland: Where Golf Is Great, Golf Courses of the U.S. Open and the World Atlas of Golf. 

http://bookoutlet.com/Store/Browse/_/N-1852/Ne-349/No-0

[Dan Moore]

Looking forward to cracking open "Crump's Dream" which my Philly based daughter  and son in law finagled for me.  Thanks Guys!!

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Read on eBooks, "A Life in Golf," by and about Peter Thomson.   Probably the best golf book I read in 2014, but Gil Capps' book about the 75 Masters was a close second.

[Sean_A]

I received Golf's Royal Clubs for Christmas; its quite good.

I also received Dont's For Golfers by Sandy Green  1925.  One interesting observation under Bunkered;  "If you keep your nerve, the bunker is often much less formidable than the rough."  Bah hum bug to the notion that in the old days sand was a "real" hazard.

Ciao

[James Boon]

I too received Golf's Royal Clubs for Christmas and agree with you Sean, that its quite good from my flicking through so far. I did though notice that the aerial graphic for Royal Porthcawl shows the old 12th green rather than the new one. I seem to be cursed with the ability to spot such things but cant proof read or check my own work for toffee!

I also got Faldo/Norman by Andy Farrell but havent read it yet as I'm too busy trying to finish The Making of The Return of the Jedi... 

[Niall C]

Read on eBooks, "A Life in Golf," by and about Peter Thomson.   Probably the best golf book I read in 2014, but Gil Capps' book about the 75 Masters was a close second.

Lynn

I once had the pleasure of meeting Peter Thomson and found him a charming old fashioned gentleman. I'm not sure I've seen his autobiography but following your recommendation I shall now be keeping an eye out.

Niall

[Tim Martin]

I got the Confidential Guide which is interesting to compare to the original especially with the opinions of the new contributors. Certainly looking forward to the US edition.

[Doug Bolls]

Just finished reading Geoff Shackleford's "The Good Doctor Returns" - a fun read about how Alister MacKenzie would view todays architecture and how he would approach designing/building a new golf course.
Reading that novel motivated me to pick "The Spirit of St. Andrews" by MacKenzie off the shelf.  I have had this book since last Christmas, but have ignored it thinking it would be dated and hard to read.  I am only on pg 24, but have been enchanted by the Doctor's requirements for a "successful Golf Architect" and his comment:

 "This axiom that no bunker is unfair wherever it is placed is the guiding principle of all golf architects"

Interesting reading, indeed.

db