Confidential Guide for sale £220

[Mike_Cirba]

Ryan and Kyle,

I simply think you guys don't have the perspective to understand the world prior to a couple of these books, as well as Confidential Guide.   There's nothing wrong with that, you didn't live through it.   It's like trying to understand pop music pre-and post Sgt. Pepper's...someone can tell you it was important and revolutionary, but unless you were there prior and through it and afterwards you can't really, really know.

And Yes, some wonderful golf-architectural theory books were out there across the ages.

However, a critical examination of Applied Theory of courses across the planet was not...not until the Confidential Guide.

To compare Tillinghast's US tour of courses during to the Depression to Doak's worldwide travels to study the game's best courses across the globe is apples and oranges.  They were for vastly different purposes and had vastly different results.

Ryan, if you can be the defensive, smart-alecky precocious brat in your responses to me on an ongoing basis, then I guess I'll risk coming across as patronizing, scolding, and direct, and I apologize to Kyle for making the point so abruptly because he makes his points without being disagreeable and doesn't deserve getting caught in the crossfire.

I truly think Tom Doak would get a kick out of both of your attempts to tweak the nose of power and would have likely done it himself before he became older and wiser.  I realize by doing so you are trying to show your own intellectual independence and prowess but you're ultimately showing your own lack of experience and perspective (and in the case of one of Ryan, probably some lack of good professional judgement, as well).

Have a great day! 

[Adrian_Stiff]

This sort of thread is sooooo inappropriate....you are on here trying to make a profit from Tom Doak's work and he will get no compensation.  Tom is a valuable member of this forum...please give him the respect he has earned and deserves.

Sincerely,

Bart

Bart- I was merely alerting people to the fact this popular and difficult to find book was available for a reasonable price. I don't think there is any intention of disrespect for Tom Doak, it's no ones fault that the book commands several times its original cover price. Old golf auctions is a useful place for old books btw.

[brad_miller]

Mike is spot on:

Tom's book was truly groundbreaking (clearly of less general cultural importance), much like the beginning of rock and roll, the New York school of art later followed by pop art. It stood out like a sore thumb, he could and did go out on a limb. It was different. Today such a book might not seem so out there, but 10-12 years ago it was. All of us would love and updated version but this would not change what the little red book followed by the two SBP editions were at the time. I still have 2 friends that buy them as gifts.

[Ryan Farrow]

Mike,

......You know I'm gonna do that.




The weather here is sweeeet!

[Mike_Cirba]

Mike,

......You know I'm gonna do that.




The weather here is sweeeet!

Ryan,

You almost make me root for the Cardinals.....almost. 

But, I do have to say..

Go Steelers!! 

[Kyle Harris]

Mike,

I'll concede the groundbreaking point regarding The Confidential Guide, however, very simply put, a lot of the analysis is not very good or is rooted in a somewhat myopic view. The attempts at humor within are, at best, contrived and obviously designed to make the review stand out. He included Hershey East even though he could only drive around the perimeter, and then makes a non-too-subtle jab about the reason why he wasn't able to walk around. 

You mention Sgt. Pepper, but really, that was the follow up to the real breakthrough album, Revolver. Tom has yet to publish a follow up of that calibre, but he did write Anatomy of a Golf Course which I feel is both superb and superior in content to The Confidential Guide. I would appreciate Tom's comment more if he were to follow up on some his initial thoughts in The Confidential Guide and provide some form of continuum as to why his opinions may have changed.

Since the Doak Scale is designed to be a regionally comparative scale, how can it work without a comprehensive understanding of what that region has to offer? If I'm driving two hours to play somewhere, I don't want to have to worry about the opportunity cost.

You'll have to excuse Ryan, however, with the relative success of his sports teams of late, and the fact that he around some of the most attractive Co-eds in the world out there at Arizona State, I think he's feeling a bit too big for his britches.

[C. Squier]

As someone who has bought a CG at today's high prices, I'd be the first to ask Tom to reprint the book and deflate the price that it's going for. 

[Mark Chaplin]

This sort of thread is sooooo inappropriate....you are on here trying to make a profit from Tom Doak's work and he will get no compensation.

Bart - your argument doesn't stack up, in the unlikely event of buying a car and selling it for a profit I do not pay a portion of the profits to the maker, just as the authour will not compensate me if their book goes down in value rather than up.

In purchased a CD in the UK for £35 not knowing I had purchased a bargain, I enjoy the book and it's a great reference tool. I'm sure Mr Doak knows another run would sell out but he appears to chose not to do so, we have to respect his decision.

Those who begged and purchased a rare book from Mr Doak only to sell it for a profit should hang their heads in shame.