Every golfer alive knows that he or she has two ancestral homes: one's own, and Scotland. On her rolling shores the game of golf had its origins, and to walk the links of St. Andrews is to feel at one with the shepherd who decided one day to see how far he could whack a stone with his crook. Most serious golfers will make the pilgrimage to Scotland, to try to hit the Postage Stamp green at Troon, to trace the footsteps of Ben Hogan at Carnoustie, and to brave the challenge of the Road Hole at St. Andrews; all golfers dream of taking such a trip. For the tourist or the dreamer, there can be no better guide than James W. Finegan. A passionate advocate of the game that's played on the links between land and sea, Finegan combines a writer's eye, a historian's knowledge, and a golfer's sense of wonder and apprehension to provide an impossibly ambitious grand tour of golf's native land. In a loop of a thousand miles that begins in Edinburgh and ends across the Firth of Forth in St. Andrews, Finegan covers some sixty courses, visiting the true shrines of the game, the courses that are well known and respected, and the little-known gems you might otherwise pass right by. He shares the history of the courses, both of their creation and of the most famous matches played there; he also writes marvelously about the scenic and strategic charms to be found as you play them yourself. And he provides all the information you need to make your arrangements to do just that -- because, unlike most championship courses in the United States, the great courses of Scotland are available to the public. In addition to his delightful descriptions of the golf to be found there, Finegan gives us his recommendations for places to stay, ranging from the most modest bed-and-breakfast to the most magnificent castle hotel. He describes the pleasures to be found off the beaten track: the spectacular views from a country road, or the ancient cathedral that's worth a stop on the way to the first tee. And because all the travel within the country is done by car, he spells out the actual routes from town to town and course to course. Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens is a book to be read, to be savored, and to be tucked away in your suitcase when you finally undertake the journey of your dreams.

In a loop of a thousand miles that begins in Edinburgh and ends across the Firth of Forth in St. Andrews, Finegan covers some sixty courses, visiting the true shrines of the game, the courses that are well known and respected, and the little-known gems you might otherwise pass right by. He shares the history of the courses, both of their creation and of the most famous matches played there; he also writes marvelously about the scenic and strategic charms to be found as you play them yourself. And he provides all the information you need to make your arrangements to do just that -- because, unlike most championship courses in the United States, the great courses of Scotland are available to the public. In addition to his delightful descriptions of the golf to be found there, Finegan gives us his recommendations for places to stay, ranging from the most modest bed-and-breakfast to the most magnificent castle hotel. He describes the pleasures to be found off the beaten track: the spectacular views from a country road, or the ancient cathedral that's worth a stop on the way to the first tee. And because all the travel within the country is done by car, he spells out the actual routes from town to town and course to course.

Provides descriptions and anecdotes about the greatest golf holes from courses around the world.

Collects writings about golf, including contributions from great writers, humorists, and essayists, including Thomas Boswell and George Plimpton, as well as historic action shots, posters, paintings, and magazine covers.

Fifty More Places to Play Golf Before You Die is the sixth of Chris Santella's popular “Fifty Places” books (more than 250,000 copies in print), and the first to return to golf—the series' most popular subject. In this new book Santella interviews 50 luminaries in the golf world about their favorite courses and experiences. Experts range from seasoned touring professionals (Amy Alcott, Fred Funk) to journalists and photographers (James Dodson, Brian Morgan) to golf course architects (Robert von Hagge, Bob Harrison) to travel specialists (Gordon Dalgleish, Mike Lardner). Old Country favorites like Royal Dornoch and Machrihanish in Scotland are featured, but so are venues far off the linksters' beaten path, like Nirwana, Bali, where the course runs beside rice paddies in the shadow of ancient temples, and China's Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where players tee off at 10,000 feet, at the base of the Himalayas. More than 40 spectacular photos capture the allure of these unforgettable golf destinations.

This guide to the available literature on sports in American culture during the last two decades of the 20th century is a companion to Jack Higg's Sports: A Reference Guide (Greenwood, 1982). The types of individual or team sports included in this volume include those that are viewed as physical contests engaged in for physical, emotional, spiritual, or psychological fulfillment. With a focus on books alone, chapters review the available literature regarding sports and each concludes with a bibliography. Academic journals likely to contain articles on the topics discussed are listed at the end of each chapter. Twelve chapters discuss sports and American history, business and law, education, ethnicity and race, gender, literature, philosophy and religion, popular culture, psychology, science and technology, sociology and world history. This reference and guide to further research will appeal to scholars of popular culture and sports. An index and two appendixes are included, one listing important dates in American sports from 1980 through 2000 and one listing sports halls of fame, museums, periodicals, and websites.

From the author of Paper Lion What happens when a weekend athlete – of average skill at best – joins the professional golf circuit? George Plimpton spent a month of self-imposed torture on the PGA tour to find out, meeting amateurs, pros, caddies, officials, fans and hangers-on along the way. In The Bogey Man we find golf legends, adventurers, stroke-saving theories, superstitions, and other golfing lore, and best of all, Plimpton’s thoughts and experiences – frustrating, humbling and, sometimes, thrilling – from the first tee to the last green.

A caddie since he was twelve and a golfer sporting a 1.8 handicap, Ollie decides to spend his gap year, pre Harvard, in St. Andrews: a town with the U.K.'s highest number of pubs per capita and home to the Old Course, golf's most famous eighteen holes, where he enrolls in the St. Andrews Links Trust caddie trainee program. Initially, the notoriously brusque veteran caddies treat Ollie like a pest. But after a year of waking up at 4:30 A.M. every morning and looping two rounds a day, Ollie earns their grudging respect. A charming coming-of-age memoir.

Experience the glorious game of golf in a whole new way with this ultimate bucket list that spans the globe, for everyone who lives for their nine iron to the fan who loves watching The Masters played on TV. Tired of playing the same eighteen holes every weekend? Then this book is for you. The Golf Bucket List will introduce you to new ways for you to enjoy the game of golf, from the 10 most unique golf experiences you should try, to the 10 knee-knocker tee shots you need to hit, to advice for how to play at the most exclusive U.S golf clubs. As you learn unique facts about the game of golf, get ready to cross off ultimate bucket list items such as: Scoring a tee time at famous U.S. courses like Pebble Beach Attending championships like the Ryder Cup and The Masters Golfing at the world famous St. Andrews Old Course in Scotland Experiencing the world’s longest course across Australia Kicking back and hitting balls at Chelsea Piers in New York City Reading the best paeans to the sport on days you can’t make it to the course And so much more! Whether your golf game is on par with the pros or you’ve only just picked up some clubs, The Golf Bucket List is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the world of golf—and have fun while doing it!

Just as Michael Lewis’s Moneyball captured baseball at a technological turning point, Brett Cyrgalis’s Golf’s Holy War takes us inside golf’s clash between its beloved artistic tradition and its analytic future. The world of golf is at a crossroads. As tech­nological innovations displace traditional philosophies, the golfing community has splintered into two deeply combative factions: the old-school teachers and players who believe in feel, artistry, and imagination, and the technical minded who want to remake the game around data. In Golf’s Holy War, Brett Cyrgalis takes readers inside the heated battle playing out from weekend hackers to PGA Tour pros. At the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, California, golfers clad in full-body sensors target weaknesses in their biomechanics, while others take part in mental exercises designed to test their brain’s psychological resilience. Meanwhile, coaches like Michael Hebron purge golfers of all technical infor­mation, tapping into the power of intuitive physical learning by playing rudimentary games. From historic St. Andrews to manicured Augusta, experimental com­munes in California to corporatized conferences in Orlando, William James to Ben Hogan to theoretical physics, the factions of the spiritual and technical push to redefine the boundaries of the game. And yet what does it say that Tiger Woods has orchestrated one of the greatest comebacks in sports history without the aid of a formal coach? But Golf’s Holy War is more than just a book about golf—it’s a story about modern life and how we are torn between resisting and embracing the changes brought about by the advancements of science and technology. It’s also an exploration of historical legacies, the enriching bonds of education, and the many interpretations of reality.