Crenshaw, Strange & Wind (& McPhee)

[Dave McCollum]

Dan, of course I bucked up for the New Yorker digital subscription to read your Wind link.  Then once there, after some irritating troubles getting the damn access to work, thought I ought to see what David Owen was up to, so down that rabbit hole I went.  Instantaneous creation of a “someday” list that I suppose I owe you an appreciative tip of the hat for nudging me to read some better golf writing.  I will, but I’ll pay more attention to your posts here as it seems we like some of the same stuff.  A vague memory that you’re a writer yourself took me a step further to see some of your work, but that ran afoul of my lifelong undiagnosed ADHD.  Do you have your own blog/archive?  IM me if that’s better.  I won’t be a pest as I’ve basically ignored you for years and am not likely to change.

[Dan Kelly]

A vague memory that you’re a writer yourself took me a step further to see some of your work, but that ran afoul of my lifelong undiagnosed ADHD.  Do you have your own blog/archive?  IM me if that’s better.  I won’t be a pest as I’ve basically ignored you for years and am not likely to change.

Dave --


I'm more of an editor than a writer, in truth, though I'm a writer, too -- usually in minimalist quantities.


When I left the St. Paul Pioneer Press, I took with me the "column" I had created there and turned it into my own blog. You can find it here: BBonward.com. (The Twitter account: twitter.com/bbonward.)


I invite you and everyone else to read it, subscribe to it, and contribute to it. Some of my very favorite writers and photographers do.


Anything goes, except for political matters -- sufficiently batted about everywhere else.


Dan

[BCrosby]

Dan -


Great topic.


John McPhee lives in Princeton, NJ. One of his neighbors and good friends is Ran Jerris of the USGA.


I agree that David Owen should be included.  His book on ANGC is quite good. I have enjoyed his shorter pieces in GD and longer pieces in The New Yorker over the years. (Not sure how much he still writes on golf.)


O. B. Keeler should be on Plimpton's list. Keeler was much more than just a beat writer who covered Bobby Jones.


Finally, Pat Ward Thomas was slightly younger than Darwin, which is perhaps why he is often over-looked. Much under-appreciated. He could be passionate about the game and golf courses in ways few dare to be today. His stuff should be sought out.


Bob


 

[John Crowley]

If only McPhee could have been a golfer.....

r

Actually, he was (is?) a golfer (there is a John McPhee at Beacon Hill CC in Middletown, NJ, with a high single digit handicap, which could be he) and has written about the game.


You will find links (no pun intended!) to a couple of his golf pieces here: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/7-new-yorker-stories-about-gol


Another, here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/07/01/the-orange-trapper


The first link will take you also to a couple of pieces by David Owen, a very versatile writer who has had many fine moments as a golf writer.

Dan,
The Orange Trapper has me hooked on McPhee.
Long ago I woke to Wodehouse and the Golf Omnibus.
Thanks for the post.
J

[Dave McCollum]

An editor.  Now there’s a rare and endangered job in this Net-centric age (and a great loss).  It was a fine day for golf here today.  Instead, I read a couple more Wind pieces.  You are so right we’ll never again see a writer given the space to ramble on about something as insignificant as golf.  Thanks again.

And Bob, David Owen still writes about golf, although my trip down the rabbit hole wandered through his archives at the New Yorker.  I laughed out loud more than a few times.  For some reason—no doubt a GD piece—I didn’t stumble onto his piece about playing on some amateur tour with a pharmacist partner and the two of them “researched”  just exactly how much alcohol is the proper dose to benefit golfers.  Very funny.  Owen quit drinking and so have I, but since I serve it daily to golfers, it comes to mind fairly often.  Like discussing golf architecture, best to just say nothing.