Golf books you'd like to see written

[Tommy Williamsen]

I have long hoped that Bill Coore would write one about building some of his courses. I sure would like to know more details about Sand Hills or Friars Head or some of his lesser-known courses like Hidden Creek and Dormie.

[Niall C]

I'd love someone to do a book on Charles Ambrose. He wrote extensively on course design and greenkeeping in UK magazines during the 20's and 30's. He was a gifted artist and as well as his portraits of famous (mostly amateur) golfers of the day he often illustrated his articles with diagrams and sketches of holes or different points of design. He'd often write based on discussions and correspondence with the likes of Tom Simpson or MacKenzie and from memory some times even Colt.


His series called something like Golf in the Landscape is worthy of a book on its own.


Niall 

[Matt Schoolfield]

I know it sounds weird, but I'd be interested in a well researched book about the history of bigotry in clubs. It's all well and good to point out the loud mouthed bigots like Clifford Roberts, or the lawsuits against Pine Valley and the Cal Club for rampant sexism (even while conveniently ignoring this behaviors on any list that might hurt their prestige), but there are more subtle cases, like Cypress Point, which it's quite obvious that something was up, but nobody ever just ran their mouth like Roberts. Truth and reconciliation is the only way forward for our culture, but I think it's safe to say that most just want to write a check and pretend all this never happened. Since I'm going to talk about these clubs with the level of disdain that I do, I'd like to make sure I've done as much research as possible.

[Bernie Bell]

A caddy once told me that he was going to write "How to Hit The Ball Like Player B (Second Attempt)."

[Tim Martin]

I’m not aware of anything chronicling the life and work of Dick Wilson. I know a Dick Wilson Society was started in 2023.

[Cal Carlisle]

I'd like to see the second installment of "Getting to 18". I doubt it happens considering the amount of work the man has.

[Ben Sims]

Golf world badly needs an in-depth golf equipment book. There are concepts in club fitting and club building that are significantly more nebulous to golfers than Redans and surface drainage. Professional fitters shouldn’t be the only ones hanging onto dynamic loft and EI curves.

[Joe Bausch]

Has anyone written a book on the history of the Crump Cup?

[Wayne_Kozun]

The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses Volume 4
(Just kidding Tom)

[Niall C]

I'd like to see the second installment of "Getting to 18". I doubt it happens considering the amount of work the man has.

What about the paperback edition of Volume 1 ? 


Niall

[Scott Szabo]

I'm a bit of a homer, but would love to see a book on the making of Ballyneal.[size=78%]  [/size]

[Tim_Weiman]

I know it sounds weird, but I'd be interested in a well researched book about the history of bigotry in clubs. It's all well and good to point out the loud mouthed bigots like Clifford Roberts, or the lawsuits against Pine Valley and the Cal Club for rampant sexism (even while conveniently ignoring this behaviors on any list that might hurt their prestige), but there are more subtle cases, like Cypress Point, which it's quite obvious that something was up, but nobody ever just ran their mouth like Roberts. Truth and reconciliation is the only way forward for our culture, but I think it's safe to say that most just want to write a check and pretend all this never happened. Since I'm going to talk about these clubs with the level of disdain that I do, I'd like to make sure I've done as much research as possible.

It might be more constructive to wait a few years and examine what Nick Schreiber is able to accomplish with Voorhees College and other HBCUs. FYI, Nick set up a meeting with Voorhees this month inviting OB members to attend. Apparently about 20 members expressed an interest in participating. Based on my exposure to Charlie Sifford, I suspect he would find what Nick is doing as more helpful than worrying about “truth and reconciliation”.


That aside, I think it would be interesting if someone could write about the post WW2 boom in the construction of “Mom and Pops” in Northeast Ohio. None of these courses would be of great interest to golf architecture junkie types, but they have provided great pleasure for middle class working people who golf in this region.

[Matt Schoolfield]

Based on my exposure to Charlie Sifford, I suspect he would find what Nick is doing as more helpful than worrying about “truth and reconciliation”.

I would like to remind everyone here that Pine Valley effectively admitted they had been illegally discriminating against women literally in the last 12 months. Not a single prominent publication published anything about it, much less condemned the club. This isn't some historical artifact. It's a cultural poison that is still actively hurting the game right now. This is exactly why I'd like to see that book published. We don't even know the level at which each club could have done these things intentionally or maliciously, and we won't unless someone is able to ask some tough questions, and unless some people at these clubs are willing to talk about how it happened.

[Ash Towe]

A biography of Tom Watson. He has so many interesting stories to tell.

[Tim_Weiman]

Based on my exposure to Charlie Sifford, I suspect he would find what Nick is doing as more helpful than worrying about “truth and reconciliation”.

I would like to remind everyone here that Pine Valley effectively admitted they had been illegally discriminating against women literally in the last 12 months. Not a single prominent publication published anything about it, much less condemned the club. This isn't some historical artifact. It's a cultural poison that is still actively hurting the game right now. This is exactly why I'd like to see that book published. We don't even know the level at which each club could have done these things intentionally or maliciously, and we won't unless someone is able to ask some tough questions, and unless some people at these clubs are willing to talk about how it happened.

Matt,


Almost all golf clubs and courses in the United States, the UK & Ireland, Australia, Asia and Continental Europe permit women to play, including all three clubs where I am a member.


Are there a very small number of clubs that have discriminated against women in recent years? Yes, there are. It is a very small number, probably less than one percent.


I grew up in New York and my early experiences playing golf were at Pelham Country Club, a club with a strong grumpy old men influence, especially when at came to pace of play. Guess what? Women played just like the men, my mother for example. That was in the 1960s before the late 1960s/early 1970s push for women’s rights.


Ireland is another example of welcoming women playing golf and that is hardly a recent phenomenon. In fact, due to the absence of men during World War 1, women played a critical role in the life of many Irish golf clubs.

[Jeff Schley]

The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses Volume 4
(Just kidding Tom)

Wayne just saw this.  Funny  . A slight ribbing, but TD seems to be so busy I don't think it is soon.  Unless he relies on the 3 amigos to carry the rest of the load for the region.

[Ronald Montesano]

Bigotry in clubs (from employment to admission) would be a ten-volume series. Anyone who thinks otherwise, is incorrect. Gender, Ethnicity, Religion, all have stories to tell.

I would like to see a book written by and about, the diggers and the dozers of 1990-2025 golf courses.
--This could happen

I would like to see a book written about the tribulations of assistant club professionals, as they work their way through the ranks.
--This cannot happen, as no one will publicly tell these stories

I would like to see a book written about the college-owned courses (living and dead) across the USA
--I wanted to do this in the 1980s, when I was in college, but life intervened and that was that.

[Tom_Doak]

The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses Volume 4
(Just kidding Tom)

Wayne just saw this.  Funny  . A slight ribbing, but TD seems to be so busy I don't think it is soon.  Unless he relies on the 3 amigos to carry the rest of the load for the region.

Jeff:


While I have tapped into my co-authors' experience for the latest volumes, all of the writing and organizing and layout is my own, and no, I don't have time to work on that last book right now.


Actually the whole point of resuscitating the franchise was to prod myself to get to all of the places I still wanted to see, before I got too old to do it.  For 2-3 years there, I traveled something like 40-50 extra nights per year to see courses in South America and Asia and the Pacific.


I will finish volume 4 once I've had time to explore the courses I want to see in Europe and Africa -- first and foremost in Portugal and Denmark and Austria and Switzerland and Morocco, and a bunch of random courses here and there.  But I don't expect to have time to make more than one such trip in 2024, and probably not again after that until the fall of 2025 . . . as I have eight new golf courses to complete in that same span.  [That's two in FL, two in TX, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Scotland, and Spain.]

[Wayne_Kozun]

Thanks Tom, I guess this is a really good problem to have.

[Ira Fishman]

I was about to suggest a biography of Calvin Peete, but when I checked the internet machine to see if one had been written, it seems as if one is being published next week.

[John Foley]

I'd love if the mysterious history of Shinnecock saw the light of day!


Also, less Tom Doak golf books because there will be more Tom Doak golf courses is a good thing!

[Greg Hohman]

Good idea for a thread, Tommy.

Many of history’s big shots have played golf, so, if they were on a golf course when [ fill in the blank ], a book about that would interest me and, I will speculate, a readership beyond golf. I am not proposing a book damning them for being on a golf course when whatever happened happened. Perhaps chapters on business, politics, entertainment, arts, royalty, science, etc.

[Tim Martin]

A book that chronicles the changes/enhancements in golf course design construction practices from the end of the Victorian Era through present day would be interesting. Irrigation, drainage, green building and excavation methods have all changed drastically over the subject time period. Employing the steam shovel as an example had a dramatic effect on the process when introduced.

[David Cronan]

I'd love to read an in-depth biography of Joseph Bartholomew, the African-American architect who was born in New Orleans, moved to NY to study golf architecture, and then moved back to New Orleans where he designed several courses in the area. He also had his own construction company. He was born in the 1880's, so he did all of this during an era where society, let alone country clubs, didn't exactly treat "his kind" with open arms.

[Michael Morandi]

Based on my exposure to Charlie Sifford, I suspect he would find what Nick is doing as more helpful than worrying about “truth and reconciliation”.

I would like to remind everyone here that Pine Valley effectively admitted they had been illegally discriminating against women literally in the last 12 months. Not a single prominent publication published anything about it, much less condemned the club. This isn't some historical artifact. It's a cultural poison that is still actively hurting the game right now. This is exactly why I'd like to see that book published. We don't even know the level at which each club could have done these things intentionally or maliciously, and we won't unless someone is able to ask some tough questions, and unless some people at these clubs are willing to talk about how it happened.

I wonder what is said at sororities and exclusive city women’s clubs.


https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2410P0/