Golf Architecture books

[RDecker]

Just celebrated my b-day and have a few dollars to spend on a new book.  I'm looking for a recommendation on a title or two and a recommendation on a good website to browse.  Appreciate any ideas you folks may have.

[Patrick Kiser]

http://www.abebooks.com/

[Melvyn Morrow]

A real golfing story, well of an early golf course designer before the word Archicture was used relating to gplf

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tommys-Honour-Extraordinary-Founding-Father/dp/0007217277

Next time you play North Berwick remember the book.

Melvyn

[Mac Plumart]

Tom Morris the Colossus of Golf is a pretty amazing golf book, but not neccessarily an architecture book.

Scotland's Gift has some unbelievably great architecture sections, but isn't soley devoted to architecture.

Golf Architecture in America (Thomas), Golf Architecture (Mackenzie), and The Links (Hunter) are invaluable architecture books.  IMO.

Rough Meditations is a good overview of golf and architecture.

The World Atlas of Golf, Planet Golf, Planet Golf USA, and The Confidential Guide are fun books to read and look over.

[David Kelly]

http://valuablebook.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/st-andrews-golf-books-the-complete-list/

[Jason Topp]

This feature interview with Dan Wexler includes many terrific suggestions:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/daniel-wexler-february-2004/

[Scott Stambaugh]

Paul Daley's Golf Architecture- A Worldwide Perspective series of books (five of them now) are all great reads.

Scott

[Howard Riefs]

Another great GCA thread with 'top 10' lists of golf architecture books:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49058.0.html

[Brent Carlson]

All of the suggestions are solid books.  My personal favorite is George Thomas' Golf Architecture in America.  His insights are particularly good IMO.  The book reads as an instruction guide for GCA.

[Tom MacWood]

A real golfing story, well of an early golf course designer before the word Archicture was used relating to gplf

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tommys-Honour-Extraordinary-Founding-Father/dp/0007217277

Next time you play North Berwick remember the book.

Melvyn

Melvyn
Do you consider this book fiction, non-fiction or some other category?

I'd recommend Doak's 'Anatomy of a Golf Course' and Shackelford's 'Golden Age of Golf Design.'

[Melvyn Morrow]

Tom

As a researcher you should be able to answer your own question.

My opinion it’s a good book, great read, certainly if intending to travel to Scotland for some golf.

Kevin, I believed did the story justice, but as you know there is no substitute to research.

RD, Perhaps a little more information on what type of architecture would result in more titles/authors, rather than just an open subject covering circa 150 years.

Melvyn

[Colin Macqueen]

RD,
While browsing through a second-hand bookshop some 25 years ago I came across Robert Hunter's "The Links"; Mac Plumart has already mentioned this book.  This was my first introduction to golf course architecture and I was hooked. The book because it is written 85 years ago provided me with a terrific sense of golf course architecture's history and progression. I think it is a wonderful book to have to have in your library.

I know you can get this title from The Classics of Golf - The Finest Golf Literature and they are on the web under www.classicsofgolf.com..  This group also have many other excellent books on golf;  architecture, characters, anthologies and history.

Cheers Colin

[Tom MacWood]

Tom

As a researcher you should be able to answer your own question.

My opinion it’s a good book, great read, certainly if intending to travel to Scotland for some golf.

Kevin, I believed did the story justice, but as you know there is no substitute to research.

RD, Perhaps a little more information on what type of architecture would result in more titles/authors, rather than just an open subject covering circa 150 years.

Melvyn

Melvyn
Throughout the book the author included fictitious dialogue between OTM, Tommy and others, which I found disconcerting. At least I assume it was ficitious since these people have been dead for over 100 years, and I assume no one was recording their conversations. Hence the question is the book fiction, non-fiction or some other category.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Tom

As a researcher you should be able to answer your own question.

My opinion it’s a good book, great read, certainly if intending to travel to Scotland for some golf.

Kevin, I believed did the story justice, but as you know there is no substitute to research.

RD, Perhaps a little more information on what type of architecture would result in more titles/authors, rather than just an open subject covering circa 150 years.

Melvyn

Melvyn
Throughout the book the author included fictitious dialogue between OTM, Tommy and others, which I found disconcerting. At least I assume it was ficitious since these people have been dead for over 100 years, and I assume no one was recording their conversations. Hence the question is the book fiction, non-fiction or some other category.

Tom,

I think it's pretty obvious that the book is a mix of fiction and non-fiction. I also found it a bit disconcerting at the beginning, but once I realised that the book was written in this format, I accepted it for what it is, and found it a good read.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I would have recommended my planned book "Everything You Wanted to Know About Golf Course Architecture, but Were Afraid to Ask" but it has changed its title to "Everything I Wanted to Write About Golf Course Architecture, but Couldn't Find a Publisher"

[George Pazin]

I don't know if Matt has published A Man's Got To Know His Limitations: Ruminations On Golf And Thai Food..., so I'd just go to Paul Daley's site and order one of his books. The series Scott recommends is excellent; somewhat overlooked is his book called Favorite Holes By Design - found here http://www.fullswinggolf.com.au/index_general.asp?menuid=070.030. It is a compilation of essays on specific holes by various architects. I think some of the posters on this site are even featured...