"tom paul, as far as club histories go, is this a worthy effort?"
JamesS:
Well, let me give you a very definitive quotation answer on that:
"Anything is worth what someone is willing to pay for it."
Oh, or do you mean is there a lot of good stuff in the book? Yes there is---on the course, on the history and evolution of the island, on the interesting beginning and evolution of the club---sort of a sister to Mountain Lake Club with same landplanner (Olmstead), architect (Raynor) and developer (Ruth), and a number of other good things as well as a pretty good hole by hole, some on Raynor, an article by George Bahto etc.
I think the book was written and to press, though, before the most momentous thing ever to happen to Fishers Island occured---even more momentous than the incredible Hurricane of '38 that did the same thing in one day to that island that could be done by 100,000 chainsaws over a year---that being leveling about every tree on the island.
The event I refer to which unfortunately post-dates the history book and is more momentous even than that hurricane is of course the arrival at Fishers Island Golf Club of the great Donnie Beck!! The only man in the history of golf superintendency who can tie his on-course firm and fast application almost exactly to the various volumes of fish he might catch in one year! When his green chariman asked him for firm and fast conditions, Donnie replied;
"Well, how fast do you want it? Do you want it a 500 fish a year F&F, a 750 fish a year, or a 1000 fish a year firm and fast?"