[Matt_Ward]

Had the pleasure in sampling the latest effort from Jim Finegan and it's called, "Where Golf is Great -- The Finest Courses of Scotland and Ireland."

Without question -- a must read for any person either thinking about going across the pond or for those who want to really understand the greatness of the places that Jim speaks about.

The book is 528 pages and weighs almost TEN POUNDS -- the photos from Larry Lembrecht and Tim Thompson give you a sense of being there.

Finegan provides not only a thorough analysis of the top tier layouts but provides an "off the course guide for places to eat, stay and all such other items.

The book is published by Artisan and more info can be had through their Website ... artisanbooks.com

The pub date is this September and I'm sure it will be nothing less than a big time home run.

Kudos to those responsible and to Jim for the kind of passion and love he exhibits. A tour de force in so many ways.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Matt, thanks for the heads up.  I just pre-ordered it on Amazon.  It said the release date is Sept 30.

[RJ_Daley]

Thanks Matt, that is only 3.70 per pound!  What a bargain, I also pre-ordered it and they say it will ship in Oct.  Hopefully, the book will inspire me to get off the dime and get over there to enjoy golf on the old sod.

[JeffTodd]

Like many of us I'm looking forward to Mr. Finegan's latest effort. In the meantime he has a great story in the latest T&L Golf.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/tlgolf/articles/golf-scotland-pure-and-simple

[Matt_Ward]

Gents:

Forgive the gushing but I have to say this book is
C-H-O-K-E-D with details ... Finegan gives an impressive array of choices from hotels, places to eat and other tourist type info beyond the core ingredients dealing with the golf.

The Yellow Pages doesn't provide the kind of info contained in this superb book.

Only downside is that Finegan often fails to adequately differentiate between courses -- too many receive similar superlatives. No doubt Jim's genuine passion for the people and land in Ireland & Scotland is front and center.

Don't want to stand on empty predictions but this book is likely to be the MUST HAVE golf book for 2006.

Simpy grand and best of all the photos by Thompson and Lembrecht make the prose stand out even better.

[Brian_Ewen]

The way I read Matt's words , this is another book just to guide Americans around Scotland and Ireland ? .

If so , I would be really disappointed .

I am a huge fan of 'Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens' because it was one of the few books written about Scottish golf courses that was intelligent , knowledgable and seemed to truly understand the term Hidden Gem .

That most of his articles lately have been about "the finest courses " along with this book , leads me to wonder if I misunderstood Mr Finegan .

What happened ? .  

Brian

[Matt_Ward]

Brian:

If you ever read the book I think you will get a better handle on why I am positive of what it provides.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Matt, Is this book a significant update from his two small books on those countries?

[Darren_Kilfara]

Anyone else here caught momentarily wondering what a sign with the Machrihanish logo was doing on the sixth tee at Dornoch?

[Marty Bonnar]

Anyone else here caught momentarily wondering what a sign with the Machrihanish logo was doing on the sixth tee at Dornoch?

Darren,
even present, as I was, when the Mach photo was taken, I was still a little discombobulated by the photo.
I'm thinking: "I don't recall a hole like that at Mach - was I hallucinating or still a little sea-sick"?

That redan fellow is a sly old fox(y?)...

 
FBD.

[Matt_Ward]

Tiger:

The new book is not an effort in simply cutting and pasting items from past efforts.

It's completely revised in a number of course assessments and the info on the other items -- places, to stay, eat, etc, etc, are all positive contributions although the architectural nuts on this site may think less so.

I like what Jim provides -- his passion is front and center and no doubt he does have a specific insight on what goes in golf in Ireland & Scotland.

[Andy Scanlon]

Anyone else here caught momentarily wondering what a sign with the Machrihanish logo was doing on the sixth tee at Dornoch?

Darren:  I did a double take as well.  

I look forward to the book, espeically since it will be released on a few week before I head to Scotland.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Matt, I met Jim in St. Andrews in September 2001. It was a thrill to say the least. However the next week was a bit of a downer. I really have never disagreed with his views on golf in Scotland or Ireland. I thought his book on England was a notch down but also very good. I will buy it asap.

[Matt_Ward]

Tiger:

The only missing ingredient is that too often Jim eschews the really deep candid comments if particular place is either overrated or simply a waste of time.

You have to read between the lines in his comments in order to get a sense of what is and is not being said.

One of his best comments and rarely said here on GCA -- is that the two par-5's on the back nine has no peer among just about any course in the UK and Ireland. That's the kind of statement I would like to see more of in his writings.

Perspective, given his considerable travels, is something the reader will gain from when provided.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Matt, I too would enjoy a bit more meat as well. However, that is tough to do when playing with the club historian etc. All in all he is one my favorite writers. I wish I had the good fortune to be married to a lady who loved spending their summers as he does.

[John Goodman]

One of his best comments and rarely said here on GCA -- is that the two par-5's on the back nine has no peer among just about any course in the UK and Ireland. That's the kind of statement I would like to see more of in his writings.
 

Matt:  is this just the kind of thing you'd like to see Finnegan opine on, or does he actually make the statement in his new book?  If the latter, to what course is he referring?

John

[Matt_Ward]

John:

Forgive me for leaving the name of the course out. Finegan is referring to Old Head in south Ireland and the two back nine par-5 holes there -- the awesome 12th and the beguiling and majestic 17th.

The narrow-minded hard-to-please crowd that has played Old often pans the course as being "all hat & no cattle." That's far from the case with a number of breathtaking holes there and the 12th and 17th are indeed two of the finest par-5 holes you can play anywhere.

The only thing I would say is a bit on the low side is some real deep thinking critics for those courses that merit it. Jim takes the old school approach -- if you don't have anything good to say then say nothing at all. While that is meritorius from a person standpoint I believe it leaves the reader to guess what is being said when nothing is said in deep detail by him when the circumstances arise.

[Jack_Marr]

I loved playing Old Head. I'd recommend it to anyone. I also loved playing the holes that weren't on the cliffs. My only objection to the course is the setup and the fact that they took something away from the country as a whole.

[Paul_Turner]

Thanks Matt. I wasn't aware of this his new one.

I like Finegan's level of criticism.  It's in the same vein as authors like Peter Allen, Patric Dickinson.  Unlike here, on GCA, where so many try to copy Tom D and The Confidential Guide.

[Tom_Doak]

Paul:

I love Jim Finegan, he is an old friend.  His articles in the old USGA Golf Journal were great stuff.  I have never been bothered by his refusal to criticize too much (relative to my own), but sometimes I think he takes too much time on the holes which aren't so great and you lose focus on the ones which are.

I just got the new book by parcel post yesterday.  It is without question the largest and heaviest book I've ever seen, as it tries to combine all of Jim's thoughts on a vast number of courses complete with photos.  At the moment it is an overwhelming prospect to me.  But I'm sure there is a lot of great stuff inside.

[Matt_Ward]

Gents:

There are quite a few elements in the book in which Jim takes a very clear and insightful approach in his analysis of the different layouts.

I can post a few in the next day or so.

[ChipOat]

Darren:

I did, too and was on my way down the page to say so when I saw your post.

FYI, the bunkers to the left of the 6th green at RDGC are being "softened" and the sand splash is being taken down.

Normally that would annoy me but the L-R cant of that green is pretty severe.

[ForkaB]

Chip

Those bunkers were softened 5+ years ago.  It has diminished the quality of the hole, but we can be assured that the sand will build up again.  Maybe they'll play like they ought to in 2012 or so!

Rich

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