Royal North Devon - New Club History Book

[Scott Macpherson]

It has been very difficult to find any books on the history of this wonderful club – but that has just changed. In the last couple of months the club has published a new book entitled 'The Royal North Devon Golf Club 1864-2014'. It is written by Robert Fowler who started at the club as a caddy and has ended up as the 2015 Club President, and whom, along he way, was the Club Secretary for a number of years. Given his history with the club, nobody is better placed to review the history and evolution of the club.

It is a portrait shaped book with 255 pages and lots of plans and photos. I have just received my copy and am looking forward to reading it. Certainly it will be a good reference book, and having met Robert while he was in the midst of his research, I can assure readers that he has put an enormous of amount of time into capturing the essence of the old and influential English golf club.

The book has a limited run – mine is number 223 of 500 copies. Those interested in buying a copy should contact the golf club directly.

Scott

[Mark Bourgeois]

It is a fantastic book and deserves consideration for the USGA book award. Fowler lays out very clearly the architectural history and evolution of the course, including Herbert Fowler's considerable changes.

Those who think the course's architecture is ancient or somehow "evolved" accidentally will be corrected. This is Fowler's course, and a modern design it is, different enough that it encouraged some to write complaint letters to The Times (IIRC in response to Darwin's glowing reviews).

EDIT: as an example of the research, once upon a time there was a GCA.com thread asking why the 16th was named "Punch Bowl." The question was a good one as the green is not a punchbowl green.

This thread appears to be the victim of the Great Stalinist Purge of 2015? Regardless, if the original poster is out there, your answer is: because Tom Morris's original 16th green apparently was a punchbowl green. Fowler created the current green and hole -- located in a different site altogether from Morris's -- but for some reason the club ported over the original name.

[Ally Mcintosh]

It is a fantastic book and deserves consideration for the USGA book award. Fowler lays out very clearly the architectural history and evolution of the course, including Herbert Fowler's considerable changes.

Those who think the course's architecture is ancient or somehow "evolved" accidentally will be corrected. This is Fowler's course, and a modern design it is, different enough that it encouraged some to write complaint letters to The Times (IIRC in response to Darwin's glowing reviews).

EDIT: as an example of the research, once upon a time there was a GCA.com thread asking why the 16th was named "Punch Bowl." The question was a good one as the green is not a punchbowl green.

This thread appears to be the victim of the Great Stalinist Purge of 2015? Regardless, if the original poster is out there, your answer is: because Tom Morris's original 16th green apparently was a punchbowl green. Fowler created the current green and hole -- located in a different site altogether from Morris's -- but for some reason the club ported over the original name.

Must get to RND. I am positive it's my type of a course.

Relating to something Mark says above (but unrelated to this thread), I've just started a campaign at Portmarnock to get the old, traditional names of the holes back on the scorecard and made more prominent elsewhere. Trouble is the 12th is called 'Punch Bowl' and is also no longer a representation of one (the blind green having been raised in the 20's, most likely on the advice of Colt). Would you change the name? Would you maybe call it 'Old Punch Bowl' instead?

[John Mayhugh]

Definitely interested in seeing this.  Hope they will ship to the states.  Thanks for the heads-up.

[Niall C]

Ally

Perhaps if they called it Reverse Punchbowl then it might invoke the past while at the same time perhaps describing what's there ? 

Niall