"The Art Of Golf Design"

[Daniel_Wexler]

I am currently holding a copy of Mike Miller and Geoff's new book "The Art Of Golf Design" and believe me, it's one that you're all going to want.

Granted, I am hardly an unbiased source (if for no other reason than my TINY sidebar contribution) but having seen the vast majority of Mike's work in person, I am impressed with how well these many paintings have reproduced within the book.

And Geoff's new essays (mixed nicely with material from Max Behr, H.S. Colt, Robert Hunter, Bernard Darwin, etc.) add to the book's worth substantially.

The total value of the included artwork falls in the hundreds of thousands, so consider the book a steal at $65.

DW

[TEPaul]

Where's the place to get it? I gotta get me one! I saw a couple of previews of the writing a while ago and it was great stuff! Hell, I'd pay $65 for a single paragraph from Max Behr anyway--the man and his writing were awesome. You think it's nuts to pay $65 for a single paragraph of Max Behr, don't you? Not really--it would take about one minute to read and about three years to really figure out but when you do then you're really in business!

[Geoff_Shackelford]

Daniel,
Thanks for the nice words, though you are a bit biased as the only living sidebar contributor.

Tom,
The Behr sidebars are excerpts of his long but brilliant articles. I have sent in its entirety for Ran to post under "In My Opinion." It's a tough one to get through, but as you said, well worth the reward. I just re-read it and there are some epic statements about design, art and golf. If it's well received, I'll send in the others. I felt bad editing them into extremely abridged versions, but we needed pages to show off Mike's paintings, which is the soul of the book.
Geoff

[Dave Maberry]

Tom,

The book is available at www.sleepingbearpress.com  along with a few bargains for $0.01(talked about on another post.) I ordered mine yesterday.

[Josh_Taylor]

For all those wanting to get The Art of Design, Amzon.com are selling it for $45.50, not the suggested price of $65 that the publishers, sleeping bear press, are selling it for.

[Slag_Bandoon]

Mike Ventola compiled an art book about two years ago called:

Fine Art of America's Fairways.

Has anyone here seen it and is it available anywhere?  I believe it might have been self published so distribution was probably quite limited.

[Dave Maberry]

Slag,
I have seen "Fine Art of America's Fairways" at Barnes and Noble. It is also available with custom covers at various courses(Pasatiempo, Pinehurst).
You could try 888-249-7710, I don't know if publisher is still selling. This is from a flyer I picked up a few years ago about this book.

Good Luck

[Paul_Daley]

Geoff:

Well done on producing yet another beaut golf book. Pleasingly, it appears the topic is inexhaustable, and if anything, with world tensions rising as they are, perhaps the golf readership market can increase yet again.

Keep burning that midnight oil!

[Ran Morrissett]

I just received my handsome copy and what a treat!

I could look at Mike's rendition of 13 at Cypress all day long - not only does he highlight the naturalness of the hole but  also its strategic merit with the diagonal carry.

I also really liked the back to back paintings of 7 at Pebble Beach, seperated by 7 decades. I showed both paintings to my wife (a non-golfer) and she immediately said "Why did they ruin it?" What a lady I've got!  

Also, Bob Jones' quote by the Westward Ho! painting is priceless and perfectly sums up the appeal of links vs. inland golf.

The text is full of gems - Darwin's writing on the need to dare hazards is essentially at the heart of good golf architecture.

Can't wait to get stuck into this one and congratulations to Mike and Geoff and Sleeping Bear for an exceptional effort!

[brad_miller]

Ran, did you get a special addition, Amazon.com shows it not yet in print??

[Geoff_Shackelford]

Paul and Ran,
Thanks and I'll pass along your kind remarks to Mike. I had a feeling you might like that Jones quote, it fits nicely with the unpredictable nature of #5 at Westward Ho! I It's one of Jones' all time best remarks on American golf v. links golf, and I love the slightly cynical tone! Ran, your wife is quite right, Mike's paintings do a nice job highlighting the difference between Pebble circa 1929 versus today...it is ruined, in some sense anyway.  

Brad,
The book just started shipping, so Amazon should update it's information any day now.
Geoff

[Ran Morrissett]

Now that I am starting to read it, my one problem with it is its title: it should have been "Progress Dearly Bought"!

Mike's paintings that capture the spirit of the holes in the 1920-1930s coupled with Geoff's selected essays present a very powerful message on the evolution of golf course architecture.

[Jeff_Mingay]

I just received my own copy! I'm totally mesmerized by it... and I haven't even started reading.

The presentation of the book is very, very well done. It's extremely attractive.

Mike's paintings are absolutely amazing... I only hope Geoff's writing properly compliments them  

[THuckaby2]

I suppose to compete with amazon, sleepingbear is offering a deal where if you buy this they'll send you Masters of the Links free.

I am ashamed to admit I don't yet have the latter...

Given I was going to buy both of these books anyway at some point, this was a MUST DO NOW for me.

Check it out....
http://www.sleepingbearpress.com/detail.asp?isbn=1%2D886947%2D30%2D9&ref=972G

TH

[Russell L.]

I brought this book home to read through the comments and view the beautiful paintings again and lo and behold, my wife takes a hold of the book. She wouldn't give it up for an hour afterwhich she remarked that she now understands my golf jones. Inspiring us fanatics is easy. Inspiring her is a miracle. Thanks Geoff and Mike!

[Harry SIms]

200 years from now everyone will be talking about the great Dye and Fazio courses and how we are ruining the game trying to build a course without real grass.

[T_MacWood]

Harry
You're probably right and at the rate Fazio is 'restoring' courses, that book will contain the very same courses that Miller/Shackelford profiled in their book.

[Geoff_Shackelford]

Ran,
Yes, the hope of gently pointing out the lack of progress in design and the general lack of artistry in today's courses, did not turn out to be so subtle. At least there is Sand Hills, which puts most of modern design to shame. Two of Mike's best efforts are the 17th and 7th hole paintings from there, I suspect the strength of the subject material brought out so many rich colors!

Jeff,
Hey, reading's not for everyone, so take it slow.  

Russell,
That's one of the best compliments I've ever heard, I'll pass it along to Mike. I've noticed women (golfer or nongolfer) tend to be more fascinated by Mike's paintings than men, and that after seeing his landscapes, women become more understanding of why so many of us are fascinated by golf architecture. I'm sure there are many Freudian reasons for this, but it's great to hear she's been converted.

Harry,
Eloquently stated.  
Geoff

[brad_miller]

Just recieved my copy from Amazon, the art work is wonderful, and Geoff's writing is great. (finished the first 2 essays). Will spend more time and come up with my 5 favorite paintings, anyone ready to post theirs?
What happened to the great painting of #1 at CPC? My understanding is the oringinal is in Geoff's lucky hands

[John_Sheehan]

Geoff S-
Just got my copy late last week. Amazing. Thanks so much for a terrific book, and for digging up those wonderful essays by one of my personal heroes, Max Behr.  

[Paul Turner]

The painting of Sunningdale New's 5th is awesome, it must have been based on that stunning photo in Geoff's Golden Age book.  

[Geoff_Shackelford]

Brad,
Thanks for the kind remarks,I'll pass them along to Mike. I would love to read your list of five favorite Miller's. One of my all time favorites did not print particularly well in the book, #17 at Cypress. In person, it's stunning. Some others that I have enjoyed took on a new life for me seeing them in the book, particularly #4 at Baltimore, #9 at Pinehurst, and Ran's Crest Hole at Westward Ho! The painting looking back on #1 and clubhouse at Cypress is in my, uh, collection (1 of 2) waiting for a frame. It was painted after the book had been laid out, as was a stunning new view of Cypress looking over the property above #13.

John,
Thanks, glad to hear you are enjoying the "abridged" Max Behr sidebars. I do wonder if he was also the author of the anonymous essays in back, but I think he would have signed his name if they were his.

Paul,
Our biggest regret with the Golden Age was not including the Sunningdale painting even though it was based on the photo in the same chapter. Some people are uncomfortable with the concept of Mike painting from an old photo, but I think that painting is a perfect example of how he is able to bring a historic photograph to life, demonstrating how dramatic some of the old holes must have looked and felt to the golfers.
Thanks!
Geoff

[Khris Januzik]

Just another "thanks" for good literature, good art and a great combination. The essays and side bars are some of my favorites. the art work drives the point home for those of us who have never "been there".

[TEPaul]

I've just finished reading "The Art of Golf Design" in minute detail and it is certainly one of the finest done on the subject of classic/strategic architecture, its evolution, it's problems and solutions.

I would say if this book was required reading for green committees across America these golf courses would be far better understood, maintained and probably restored because of it.

Miller's art is just beautiful and the architectural artistry and strategies of the holes definitely shines through. Shackelford's writing style is great, as usual, and the logic in his essays is superb.

In an unusual twist for Geoff he even coins an extremely politically correct term for questionable architecture---"strategically challenged".

[brad_miller]

Geoff, give me little time, I'm now half way through, although I did look at all the paitings first. Side by side prints of #7 at PB would be nice! Top contenders seem to be: #13 CPC 1929, #11 Merion 1997,#9 Pinehurst 1935, #10 WF 1927, #7 PV HHA 1927,# 13 PV 1935, anyone of the SH paintings, but I've yet to play along with Sunningdale #5.

Ran, I can just see the CC locker room-grill room with pictures of the land before, during and after construction in bw, and a scaled down collection of all of Mikes prints on the wall. Further a few of Geoff's essays to further the education of the CC's members quests and dogs!