What to read on a flight to Scotland

[John Mayhugh]

On a recent thread, a prolific poster talked about not having enough time to read certain GCA books.  He's fortunate enough to be heading to Scotland shortly (according to a different thread), so I was wondering - what would be the best book for him to take along? 

I came to the conclusion that Shackelford's Lines of Charm makes a perfect choice.  Concepts are expressed in the voices of all the great golden age architects.  Very thought provoking while also easy to read, put down, and pick back up as you travel.  Plus reading the thoughts of these guys naturally makes you more interested in where the quotes came from.  One of the most approachable books on GCA I've seen.

Any better ideas?



 

[David_Tepper]

Not very GCA-related, but I would highly recommend Michael Bamberger's "To the Linksland," Lorne Rubenstein's "A Season In Dornoch" and Andrew Greig's "Preferred Lies."

[Phil McDade]

I'd recommend the book I did read on my flight to Scotland -- Herbert Warren Wind's "Following Through," a collection of his essays.

[Chuck Brown]

You'll want a small-sized book or two on the airplane.

Two suggestions:
"Masters of the Links" edited by Geoff Shackelford

and

"The Mystery of Golf" by Arnold Haultain

[Jim Franklin]

Sleep on the way there and read on the way back. You will be happy for the suggestion.

[David Stamm]

John, Lines of Charm is an excellent recommendation. I would nominate the master, Bernard Darwin, and with the trip in mind, Golf Courses of the British Isles. If reading this doesn't get you excited about what lies across the sea, then there is something wrong with you.

[John Mayhugh]

Thanks for the comments.  Again my goal is to recommend a single book on GCA for someone who doesn't have time to read on the topic. 

[Marty Bonnar]

Thanks for the comments.  Again my goal is to recommend a single book on GCA for someone who doesn't have time to read on the topic.

Ideal for the 'someone' who doesn't have time to read on the topic (and what kind of eedjit is that???) is 'my personal favourite'.

I give you:



The Seagrams Guide to Strategic Golf. 36 pages of sheer genius. Taught me everything I know....

FBD.

[Melvyn Morrow]

John

As you will be playing a lot of golf why not read either of these non fiction stories

The Compassionate Country by Kenny McAskill

                                  OR

All you need to know about a Boycott by F.B Eye

Melvyn

[Carl Johnson]

Sleep on the way there and read on the way back. You will be happy for the suggestion.

Ditto, assuming you're flying over on a night flight, and assuming you have the ability to sleep on a plane (aided by a business or first class ticket).

[Mike Hendren]

The Heart of a Goof and/or The Clicking of Cuthburt by P. G. Wodehouse.  

[Bill_McBride]

The Heart of a Goof and/or The Clicking of Cuthburt by P. G. Wodehouse.  

Funny story, I was in the crowd at Royal County Down at the 2007 Walker Cup and met the Secretary of Royal Portrush.  We had a nice chat and somehow the subject of Wodehouse came up.  I recalled the distraction of the butterfly wings in an adjacent meadow and we had a nice giggle about that one (The Clicking of Cuthbert).

I think a great book to read en route to Scotland would be Tommy's Honour, about Old and Young Tom Morris.  You'd be in a proper mood on arrival.  Rich Goodale's Experience the Old Course too, I think.

[Michael Whitaker]

Tommy's Honour: The Extraordinary Story of Golf's Founding Father and Son

Overview:
The definitive account of golf's pioneering father and son, Old and Young Tom Morris - the master teacher and the brilliant pupil who rose to challenge his mentor's supremacy. Two men from one household with ambitions that made them devoted partners as well as ardent foes.

You can purchase a hardback copy on bookcloseouts.com for $5.99:

http://www.bookcloseouts.com/default.asp?Ntk1=Default&Ntt1=honour&Ntx1=matchall&Nsl=0&Ix=12&R=9780007217274B&Rt=25&Nty1=1

[Steve Salmen]

In 2005, I re read Bob Rotella's "Golf is not a Game of Perfect" on the flight to Glasgow.  Eight hours after landing, I completed my best round of golf ever. 

[Larry_Keltto]

James Finegan's wonderful Scotland book, "Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens"

[Kevin Pallier]

John, Lines of Charm is an excellent recommendation. I would nominate the master, Bernard Darwin, and with the trip in mind, Golf Courses of the British Isles. If reading this doesn't get you excited about what lies across the sea, then there is something wrong with you.

+1 to David's suggestion

[Wayne_Kozun]

Sleep on the way there and read on the way back. You will be happy for the suggestion.

I second this - that's what I plan to do on my trip in a few weeks - or at least sleep on the flight to LHR and get to EDI in the late morning and go straight to the golf course.

[Eric Smith]

John,

Lines of Charm is an excellent choice. Are you going to recommend the book to Anthony personally or are you hoping he'll see this before he goes to Scotland in a couple weeks?  He did fly out on another trip this morning so he may not see the thread.

I'll loan him my copy of Shack's book as well as Spirit, though he has told me on multiple occasions that he looks forward to getting some uninterrupted sleep when he flies so I don't know that he'll take them along.

Let's make him an audio book, with different gcaers reading a chapter at a time. You first!

[Keith Phillips]

I second Larry's suggestion - Finegan's books are classics and must-reads for a golfers tour of Scotland (and Ireland and England for that matter)

[John Mayhugh]

John,

Lines of Charm is an excellent choice. Are you going to recommend the book to Anthony personally or are you hoping he'll see this before he goes to Scotland in a couple weeks?  He did fly out on another trip this morning so he may not see the thread.

I'll loan him my copy of Shack's book as well as Spirit, though he has told me on multiple occasions that he looks forward to getting some uninterrupted sleep when he flies so I don't know that he'll take them along.

Let's make him an audio book, with different gcaers reading a chapter at a time. You first!

And just when I was afraid no one knew what I was talking about!  Obviously subtlety is not my strong suit.

For those who don't follow, Anthony Gray is the prolific poster I was referring to.
In a thread he started about CBM & Old Tom, he implied that he didn't have time to read books on golf architecture.
My idea was to recommend a single book on the subject that would be well worth his time to read while traveling. 
Since it can be tough to concentrate when flying or in airports, I thought Lines of Charm would be a good choice.

So while I appreciate all of the other book recommendations, what about books on the subject of golf course architecture?  What is a must-read that is also good to travel with?

Eric, if you can loan him Shack's book, that would be great.  I think he might actually like it.  Even if he sleeps all the way through each flight, there is plenty of waiting in airport time as well.

[David Stamm]

John,

Lines of Charm is an excellent choice. Are you going to recommend the book to Anthony personally or are you hoping he'll see this before he goes to Scotland in a couple weeks?  He did fly out on another trip this morning so he may not see the thread.

I'll loan him my copy of Shack's book as well as Spirit, though he has told me on multiple occasions that he looks forward to getting some uninterrupted sleep when he flies so I don't know that he'll take them along.

Let's make him an audio book, with different gcaers reading a chapter at a time. You first!

And just when I was afraid no one knew what I was talking about!  Obviously subtlety is not my strong suit.

For those who don't follow, Anthony Gray is the prolific poster I was referring to.
In a thread he started about CBM & Old Tom, he implied that he didn't have time to read books on golf architecture.
My idea was to recommend a single book on the subject that would be well worth his time to read while traveling. 
Since it can be tough to concentrate when flying or in airports, I thought Lines of Charm would be a good choice.

So while I appreciate all of the other book recommendations, what about books on the subject of golf course architecture?  What is a must-read that is also good to travel with?

Eric, if you can loan him Shack's book, that would be great.  I think he might actually like it.  Even if he sleeps all the way through each flight, there is plenty of waiting in airport time as well.

John, if we are talking strictly arch, you know which one he should read.

[ward peyronnin]

F.( Freddy) G. Tait

The original golf biography of a larger than life figure at the turn of the last century cut down in the Boer War. Highly recommend

[Jason Topp]

James Finegan's wonderful Scotland book, "Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens"

I really liked this book as a read along to preview the course I was playing that day or to review afterwards to see how my reactions matched with Mr. Finegan's.  On the flight over, I would go with Tom Doak's Anatomy of a Golf Course in part because it discusses many of the courses he will be playing and is a much more entertaining read from cover to cover.

[Tony_Muldoon]

I suggest you try and get hold of a copy or two of The Scotsman and the Daily Record to prepare you for this foreign country.

To see if you've adequately prepared try this quiz.

SCOTTISH MODERN MATHEMATICS PAPER 2009 DRAFT HIGHER GRADE MODERN MATHEMATICS PAPER 2009 HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL

GLASGOW REGION

Name...........................................

Nickname.......................................

Gang Name....................................

1. Shuggie has bought half a kilo of cocaine for large. He wants to make 300% on the deal and still pay Mad Malky his 10% protection money. How much must he charge for a gram?

2. Wee Davie reckons he'll get £42.50 extra Marriage Allowance a week if he ties the knot with Fat Alice. Even if he steals the ring, the wedding will cost him £587. And he'll have to start buying two fish suppers at £3.95 each every night instead of one. How long will it be before Davie wishes he'd stayed single?

3. When Rangers play Celtic, their fans sing The Sash every 10 minutes when they're winning and every 15 minutes when they're losing. How many times did they sing it at last season's CIS Cup Final?

4. Joey and Davie stole a 1999 green Toyota 1600GL with 35,000 on the clock - and got a grand for it. How much more would they have got if it had been metallic silver, done 29,000 miles and had low profile tyres?

5. Jake the Flake and Fingers got grassed up for dealing speed. The Flake got 18 months but Fingers got 3 years. How many more previous convictions did Fingers have?

EXTRA CREDIT: Who was Fingers' Brief?

EDINBURGH / BORDERS REGION

Name..........................................

Rugby Club..................................

Daddy's Company.........................

1. Gavin has a spare ticket for Julian Clary at The Festival Fringe. But Benji and Adrian BOTH want to go with him. How long does he cry before giving them the tickets?

2. Half of Peter's friends say that they went to school with Ewan McGregor. Another third say they were Gordon Brown's flat mate at University. A sixth say that their dad played rugby with Tony Blair's dad and the rest say Sean Connery was their milkman. Only one is telling the truth, so how many friends does Peter have?

3. Todd wants to be a lawyer, but is as thick as Edinburgh Castle . His daddy is a Freemason and a QC. How long before Todd becomes the Lord Advocate?

4. Tamsin's Personal Trainer charges £250 a week, but has sex with her whenever she wants it. Jasmin's Life Coach charges £50 a week but has refused all sexual advances. Which one of the women weighs 19 stone?

5. Princes Street is 2467 yards long. On average, there is someone begging for money every 195 yards. You walk at 3.1 miles an hour. How long will it take if you tell them all to sod off and work for a living?

 

HIGHLANDS REGION

Name..................................

Glen.....................................

Clan .................................

1. After Hector's death, Archie has to pay Death Duty on Glenbogle. With 25,000 acres, Archie must pay £1.76 for the first 15,000 acres and 90p per acre for the remainder, including VAT. How many people actually give a toss?

2. An Afro-American called Zachary Obisanjo Kokobobo asks a Tartan Shop in Inverness if he has any Scottish Genealogy. How long does it take to flog him full Highland dress and matching kilts for his wife and 10 kids?

3. If an Aberdeen supporter laid every sheep in Grampian Region end to end, how many people would be surprised?

4. If you caught a Loch Ness Monster 115 feet long and each foot weighed 27lbs, how much money would you make by selling your exclusive story and pictures?

Sorry, question 5 has been delayed by heavy snowfall and will be here as soon as the Cockbridge-Tomintoul road re-opens in the spring!

 



Enjoy your visit.

[Bill_McBride]

I suggest you try and get hold of a copy or two of The Scotsman and the Daily Record to prepare you for this foreign country.

To see if you've adequately prepared try this quiz.

SCOTTISH MODERN MATHEMATICS PAPER 2009 DRAFT HIGHER GRADE MODERN MATHEMATICS PAPER 2009 HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL

GLASGOW REGION

Name...........................................

Nickname.......................................

Gang Name....................................

1. Shuggie has bought half a kilo of cocaine for large. He wants to make 300% on the deal and still pay Mad Malky his 10% protection money. How much must he charge for a gram?

2. Wee Davie reckons he'll get £42.50 extra Marriage Allowance a week if he ties the knot with Fat Alice. Even if he steals the ring, the wedding will cost him £587. And he'll have to start buying two fish suppers at £3.95 each every night instead of one. How long will it be before Davie wishes he'd stayed single?

3. When Rangers play Celtic, their fans sing The Sash every 10 minutes when they're winning and every 15 minutes when they're losing. How many times did they sing it at last season's CIS Cup Final?

4. Joey and Davie stole a 1999 green Toyota 1600GL with 35,000 on the clock - and got a grand for it. How much more would they have got if it had been metallic silver, done 29,000 miles and had low profile tyres?

5. Jake the Flake and Fingers got grassed up for dealing speed. The Flake got 18 months but Fingers got 3 years. How many more previous convictions did Fingers have?

EXTRA CREDIT: Who was Fingers' Brief?

EDINBURGH / BORDERS REGION

Name..........................................

Rugby Club..................................

Daddy's Company.........................

1. Gavin has a spare ticket for Julian Clary at The Festival Fringe. But Benji and Adrian BOTH want to go with him. How long does he cry before giving them the tickets?

2. Half of Peter's friends say that they went to school with Ewan McGregor. Another third say they were Gordon Brown's flat mate at University. A sixth say that their dad played rugby with Tony Blair's dad and the rest say Sean Connery was their milkman. Only one is telling the truth, so how many friends does Peter have?

3. Todd wants to be a lawyer, but is as thick as Edinburgh Castle . His daddy is a Freemason and a QC. How long before Todd becomes the Lord Advocate?

4. Tamsin's Personal Trainer charges £250 a week, but has sex with her whenever she wants it. Jasmin's Life Coach charges £50 a week but has refused all sexual advances. Which one of the women weighs 19 stone?

5. Princes Street is 2467 yards long. On average, there is someone begging for money every 195 yards. You walk at 3.1 miles an hour. How long will it take if you tell them all to sod off and work for a living?

 

HIGHLANDS REGION

Name..................................

Glen.....................................

Clan .................................

1. After Hector's death, Archie has to pay Death Duty on Glenbogle. With 25,000 acres, Archie must pay £1.76 for the first 15,000 acres and 90p per acre for the remainder, including VAT. How many people actually give a toss?

2. An Afro-American called Zachary Obisanjo Kokobobo asks a Tartan Shop in Inverness if he has any Scottish Genealogy. How long does it take to flog him full Highland dress and matching kilts for his wife and 10 kids?

3. If an Aberdeen supporter laid every sheep in Grampian Region end to end, how many people would be surprised?

4. If you caught a Loch Ness Monster 115 feet long and each foot weighed 27lbs, how much money would you make by selling your exclusive story and pictures?

Sorry, question 5 has been delayed by heavy snowfall and will be here as soon as the Cockbridge-Tomintoul road re-opens in the spring!

Enjoy your visit.

Tony, I'm pretty sure Rumpole was Fingers' brief.  I have no clue about the rest.  Two great nations divided by a common language.

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