'I can't see a book like it being repeated'
Greg, In a remarkable way it was repeated in 2008 when a completely new edition was published, different authors, all new text, a very different selection of courses and completely new course maps. I won't comment subjectively on the book because I was involved in its development from stage 1.
By way of explanation, the 1976 edition that opened our eyes to GCA was a visionary retirement present for a senior member of staff at Mitchell Beazley, the London publishing company that had succeeded admirably with Hugh Johnson's World Atlas of Wine. WAOG was a stable mate. This senior member of staff (whose name I don't know) flew by helicopter over each of the courses included and supervised the photography used to draw the maps.
There were many subsequent editions, new courses were added, the odd one taken away and those who possess any of these editions will have their own views on the merits and demerits of them. I worked on some of them - by no means all - and there were various reasons for making changes, adding new courses and so on.
So when the decision was taken to produce an entirely new World Atlas an opportunity was presented to consider the book afresh in GCA terms. A panel of writers was assembled who steered the choice of courses with the benefit of 30 years' reflection on the development of GCA since 1976. You can argue that certain courses should not be there, or that others were wrongly omitted, but an attempt was made to reassess architects from Tom Morris onwards to Coore and Crenshaw, Doak etc.
In theory the course maps can be altered electronically for subsequent editions, but to the best of my knowledge this has not yet happened, although reprints have taken place.
If someone has a first edition to hand they might like to post the list of courses then included and open it up for comment as to what courses would be included today if the same writers were in charge. Of course, they would have to change a few maps - Burnham and Berrow with its hole played backwards, Cascades with the wrong course illustrated - and what of courses that are these days off the radar: CC of Bogota, Glyfada, Seefeld, La Manga..... Have fun! We did!