What ever happend to Sleeping Bear Press/Clock Tower Press?

[Wayne_Kozun]

I am sorry if this was covered in the forum before but I couldn't find it with a search:

What ever happened to Sleeping Bear Press?  I found a story on the web saying that they sold their sports business to Clock Tower Press but the web site for Clock Tower Press seems dead.  Does that mean that this library of golf books is now dead?

[wsmorrison]

Wayne,

Clock Tower's staff went to Ann Arbor Media Group.  Some are still there, I believe.  They've published some excellent books but I believe the golf architecture market is pretty well saturated and there was one pretty big economic failure that makes publishers a bit gun shy on the genre.

Most of the golf books by Sleeping Bear, Clock Tower and Ann Arbor can be found on Amazon, eBay, Alibris and other booksellers and at attractive prices.

Happy holidays.  See you after the thaw?

[Wayne_Kozun]

Thanks Wayne - I have been keeping a look out for some of the books on Amazon, etc. but they are sometimes rather expensive.

I will definitely see you in the spring.

[ed_getka]

Wayne,
   What books are you looking for? I may be able to help.

[JohnV]

Wayne,

Check out http://www.abebooks.com/ as well as the others that people mentioned.  They are middlemen for many used book dealers around the country.  I've found most of the books I've looked for there over the last few years at good prices.

[Ken Moum]

These folks always have a nice assortment of golf books, and often some GCA books, at great prices.

http://www.hamiltonbook.com

Right now they have "Tommy's Honor" for $6, which I found to be a heck of a good read.

They also have Missing Links, Lost Links, Lines of Charm and Book of Golfers.

Ken

[Pete_Pittock]

Wayne,
It is now Wiley/Clock Tower Press.

http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-130122.html

[Brad Klein]

well, not quite.

Sleeping Bear Press went out of business in 2002 or so, very complicated story involving publisher Brain Lewis. His staff had already been splitting off, and some of them started up Ann Arbor Press/Sports Media Group, with a number of titles in golf, turf and architecture. But Clock Tower, a new company out of the southeast Michigan area, also came along and bought out much of the Sleeping Bear stock of architecture and reissued it all under its own name for 2002-2004 (that's when I worked for them as golf acquisitions editor). Tough business, and Clock Tower shut down in late 2005, with about half of their golf & turf titles bought up by Wiley Press out of Hoboken, N.J. I don't have complete list of their books, but they picked up, among others, my Ross volume and "Rough Mediations" as well as the Hurdzan volumes.

[Mark_Fine]

Wiley published our book.  It was an original Wiley publication and not part of Sleeping Bear Press.  As most here know, it is very difficult to get a golf architecture book published.  Wiley still gets a fair number of requests but like Brad said, it's a tough business.  

[Pete_Pittock]

I stand corrected Brad. That was the only link I had. But if you go to http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-WILEY2_SEARCH_RESULT.html?query=golf
you will find all Wiley books with 'golf' as the keyword search. It has links to 'turf management' and 'landscape design'.

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

I've been lookin for a book, in the vein of Donald Steel's Classic Links of England, Wales, etc.", that features the heathland courses around London (i.e. Walton Heath, Sunningdale, etc.).  Or, one that covers the inland courses of the UK as opposed to the links.  Does anyone know of such a book?

[Mark_Fine]

Wayne W,
That book by Steel was always one of may favorites.  I must have purchased 100+ copies over the years as it was my book of choice to give out as gifts to clubs I had visited.  I now give out a different one    

I can't think of a title that is just the inland courses but I'll give it some more thought.
Mark

[Pete_Pittock]

Wayne,
You might try Grant Books http://www.grantbooks.co.uk/beta/index.php

[Bill Gayne]

I've bought some books from Classics of Golf. Never a problem.

http://shop.classicsofgolf.com/servlet/StoreFront

[Sean_A]

I've been lookin for a book, in the vein of Donald Steel's Classic Links of England, Wales, etc.", that features the heathland courses around London (i.e. Walton Heath, Sunningdale, etc.).  Or, one that covers the inland courses of the UK as opposed to the links.  Does anyone know of such a book?

Wayne

There is a title out there which includes many British inland courses, some of which are relatively unknown.  I had a peek through the copy and wasn't terribly impressed.  I think Philip Gawith and/or Tony Muldoon has a copy.  Perhaps they will pipe up with the title or you could IM them.

BTW Grant Books has gone by the wayside.  He sold out to another firm and concentrates on publication (many of which are bery well done).  Its another old time well known dealer down the pan.  

Ciao

[Tony_Muldoon]

Sean the co Grant Books sold out to went under (Green Umbrella who also published the DVD/Video’s of old Opens.)  Someone has brought their stock and they wrote to me.  I circled several items and my wife asked what it was.  Haven't seen the list since!


The book I think Sean is referring to is Centurions of Golf.  I was initially skeptical as it reads like a collection of Magazine articles.  It's not always terribly strong on the development of the Architecture of a course.  However Philip was right to praise it on here. In those brief articles he does get most of the important/interesting things right about some very interesting courses/clubs, and it's a great selection that he's got together.  I have changed my position on this and would give it a (qualified) recommendation.  IT does in clue Links courses and the photography is not that impressive.

Finegan has written description of nearly all the best courses in his book on England and Wales.  “All Courses Great & Small”.  I wonder if there will be a follow up to “Where Golf is Great” as that only covered Ireland and Scotland, with excellent pictures.

[Clyde Johnston]

A source for used books is http://www.half.com which is owned by Ebay. They have many of the books on golf design but probably none of the rare ones.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Wayne,
   What books are you looking for? I may be able to help.

How about The Toronto Terror?

p.s. Three Waynes in one thread.  That must be a record!

[Pete_Pittock]

Wayne K,
The cheapest price I can find is at Amazon, about $70. Being sold there and elsewhere up to $150. Original price was $35.

[Tyler Kearns]

How about The Toronto Terror?

Wayne,

I thought the Stanley Thompson Society was selling it, but they are not. They are contemplating issuing a soft cover version of the book if enough interest exists, so feel free to add your name to that list. I'd try abebooks.com periodically.

TK