Will make a great christmas present for yourself.
This email arrived this morning.
Little to add except that Tait really was one of the most loved figures in Golf and in fact Low's book was the first golfing biography. If anything Mr Palmer undersells his subject, and all he achieved before he was 20?. There is a fine portrait of him in the main room of the R&A with a copy of Low's book on display in the cabinet underneath.
THE FREDERICK GUTHRIE TAIT GOLF DIARIES
Compiled by COLIN PALMER
__________
Freddie Tait was one of the greatest golfers of his era, winning the Amateur Championship in 1896 and 1898. He was a fierce rival to the other great amateur champions John Ball and Harold Hilton, as well as mixing it in The Open Championship, with the great professionals, such as; Harry Vardon, James Braid and J.H.Taylor. Tragically killed at the age of 30 during the Boer War in 1900, Lieutenant Tait was adored and admired by all that knew of him, particularly in his homeland of Scotland. Indeed, I would doubt that even Bobby Jones, in his prime, had a following as popular as Freddie enjoyed in the late 1890's.
The book, compiled by Colin Palmer, a respected golf historian and long standing member of The US and British Golf Collectors’ Societies, has every extract from Freddie’s four golfing diaries and many extracts from his personal diaries. The diaries were all hand written by Freddie and start from 1886 when he was a 16 year old youth, looking to make an impression in the game and end with a diary entry on the very day that he was fatally shot, on 7th February 1900. Freddie makes reference to his Open Championship appearances, his Amateur Championship triumphs, record breaking rounds at St. Andrews and Carnoustie, matches against Tom Morris, Willie Park, Hilton, Ball etc. All in all a fascinating journey through the golfing life of a man who holds an important place in the history of the game.
The first biography of Freddie, F.G.Tait A Record, was written in 1900 by John Low. Low made reference to the contents of some of Freddie’s diaries, but these recordings only listed his entries commencing from 1896. This book gives a far more comprehensive picture of Freddie’s golfing life and is a vital source of information for the golf historian.
Available from December 2009, The Frederick Guthrie Tait Golfing Diaries will be released in advance of the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews. It is only right that Freddie’s name should be celebrated amongst the other great champions. He has cemented an important position in the history of golf at St. Andrews.
Including photographs, never before published and comprising 150 pages, it will be printed on 130gsm artic paper in two signed and numbered Subscribers’ Limited Edition formats, either: loose leaf, in a special folder, ready for personal custom binding - £24; or bound with cloth covered boards and dust jacket - £39. Both formats will carry the name of all subscribers as each individual wishes.
To order a copy and ensure that your name appears as a subscriber, please email Colin Palmer at colinpalmer1@ntlworld.com or telephone +44 (0) 7919337002