Bernard Darwin

[Bill Gayne]

While working the dog this morning, I gave some thought to Darwin's "Golf Courses of the British Isles" and the question as to why anybody still reads this book and why it was republished in 1988? Much of the information about the courses themselves has changed with several of the courses NLE. So it's not very useful as a course guide. The obvious answer being is that the literary quality of the writing is timeless and the book has been transformed from a course guide to historical record of how golf was played in the British Isles at the beginning of the last century.

What course guides today are written with a high level of literary quality and will be able to make a transition into a historical record as to how the game was experienced at the beginning of the current century? Also in year 2100 be worthy of republishing.

The only book author that I could think of is James Finegan and his series of books on golf courses of the British Isles. In this sense, I view Finegan's books as really a historical sequel to Darwin's book.

If you enjoy reading Darwin's "Golf Courses of the British Isles," I suggest a subsequent reading of Finegan's book as they are of very high literary quality and to lesser extent serves as a contemporary course guide.

Hopefully in 2080-2100, a similar author will be writing with the same prose and style about the golf courses of the British Isles. And golf enthusiast will still be reading the timeless work of Darwin and Finegan.

[BCrosby]

I've always been diappointed in Darwin's writing on architecture. Compared to Darwin's contemporaries (Hunter, Thomas, CBM, and MacK) he doesn't seem to have much to say about architecture, per se. He talks a lot about courses, less about design.

Darwin could write circles around those guys, but they were a lot more focused than he was on architecture.

Darwin's best stuff, imho, is when he is thinking out loud about the travails of playing the game, competing against friends and the frustrations of hitting a golf ball. These  are "essais" in the spirit of Montaigne's Essais. There is a remarkable candor about them. They are the pieces I come back to.

That stuff is magical, but the rest of Darwin has not aged very well for me.

I want to read his bio of James Braid. I've heard it is very good.

Bob  
 

[paul cowley]

gotcha Willie   .

[T_MacWood]

Bob
In my estimation Darwin wrote more about architecture (not counting his essays on specific golf courses) and architects than all those you mentioned combined. Fifty odd years of two weekly columns+ produced a hell of a lot of material and touched on a number of architectural eras and wide range of architectural subjects. Throw in his course critiques, and it really is stagering.

I never could have written my essays on Alison and Simpson without Darwin's help.

[Kyle Harris]

I saw and picked up a paperback copy of Bernard Darwin "On Golf" in Barnes and Noble... this seemed to be a fairly decent start.

The hardcover edition was cheap, too, but I'm not big on Hardcover with a paperback option.

[Agman]

Kyle --
    The hardcover may have been *inexpensive*, but I assure you it wasn't cheap.

js

[Marty Bonnar]

My copy of 'The Golf Courses of the British Isles' was also purchased on eBay. The inside cover is inscribed :

'To dear Grandaddy,
Happy Father's Day,
1988

with love-
Sarah, John, William
and
Chip and Sally'

I always wonder why poor Chip and Sally are relegated to a secondary status....

FBD

PS If anyone at GCA can prove they are one of the aforementioned family (esp. Chip or Sally), I'd be happy to return the book!

[Marty Bonnar]

Sean,
I had rather suspected this was an archetypal American family.

I can't remember a Brit ever using the word, 'Grandaddy' (in my head, I hear this spoken by Sarah in a deep, Southern drawl) and very few, if any, subjects of Her Majesty are called 'Chip' (at least to their faces!)

As I remember it, I think this was also a trans-atlantic purchase...

FBD.