For golf lovers who don't consider it a real vacation if they have to leave their clubs behind, stock your shelves with Golf Monthly's special collection of three guide books to golfing in the British Isles and two in the US. Published by Beacon Books, this series of Golfing Gems offers readers a connoisseur's guide to the links of Scotland, Ireland, England/Wales, Florida, and the Carolinas.
Every golfer dreams of making a pilgrimage to the British Isles, and it sometimes seems as though every golfer is in fact making that pilgrimage, especially when you're trying to book a tee time. The legendary courses of Scotland and Ireland are magnificent shrines, but their fame has obscured the greatness of the golf to be found all across the landscape of England and Wales. From the heathland in the north and center to the linksland on the coasts, England and Wales present an extraordinary variety of great golf experiences. In All Courses Great and Small, James W. Finegan treats the reader to a countries-wide survey of these golfing delights -- some famous, like the Open Championship venues of Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham & St. Annes, and Royal St. George's; some well known, like Sunningdale, Wentworth, and The Belfry; and some gems that have long been hidden in plain sight, like The Addington (in suburban London) or Southport & Ainsdale (not ten minutes from Royal Birkdale). There are as many outstanding courses in England and Wales as there are in Scotland and Ireland combined, a shocking fact that is easily explained: While Scotland has 5.2 million people and 550 golf courses, and Ireland has 3.5 million people and 400 courses, England and Wales have 50 million people and more than 2,000 courses. Finegan provides a charming guide to the courses and the towns, the inns and the eateries to be found along the way. He highlights the best of the not quite four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire; gives advice about lunch after your round at Sandwich; raises a cup of grog at Gog Magog; and tackles the playing and pronouncing problems posed by Pwllheli. He gives full due to the best-known places such as Rye, Wentworth, Hoylake, and the royals, but he also declares such lesser-known treasures as St. Enodoc, Silloth-on-Solway, Southerndown, and Pennard to be every bit as worthy of your time and attention. His books on the courses of Scotland and Ireland, Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens and Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas, have become invaluable companions to thousands of travelers; All Courses Great and Small is an irresistible and even more essential addition to the touring golfer's shelf and suitcase.
Golf in Scotland: Hidden Gems II (the updated and revised "Hidden Gems II: Scotland and Wales") provides playing notes and course details, including notes for women players, on 95 of Scotland's "Hidden Gems" courses (24 new to this edition) and 27 Welsh courses (6 new to this edition); recommendations for more than 200 pubs, restaurants, and tearooms; recommendations for more than 100 B&Bs or Guest Houses in Scotland and Wales; and dozens of the best attractions in Scotland and Wales for for non-golfing days. Others say the Joneses, ..".tell it like it is. Thank you." (R.N. Bailey, Sec. Colvend GC) and "Course descriptions are very good." (Reviewer of Golf in Scotland). Authors Bob and Anne Jones are retired educators who began traveling to the British Isles in 2000. Bob has authored or co-authored five books on public speaking and debate and numerous articles for magazines on sled dog racing, backpacking, Scottish history, and golf. For two years he wrote a column for Historic Scotland Magazine. This is their fifth golf guide (Scotland, Wales, Ireland). In 2011 Bob published a book of travel vignettes, "Ten Years of Travel in Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales."
Seaside links courses offer golfers unmatched challenges and enchanting scenery. And while they can be found in many parts of the world, the links of the British Isles are the most famous in their class. Donald Steel takes readers on a tour of seventy-five spectacular greens along windswept beaches and sheer cliffs of Britain and Ireland. These links prove true the old belief that courses are for expanding a player's abilities, rather than defining and confining them as in so many other sports. Steel offers up destinations like St. Andrews, Royal St. George's, and Formby, Ballybunion, and Muirfield among the seaside playing fields that have been the home to championship tournaments and amateur aspirations. With scorecards, maps, color photos, and helpful hints for most holes, this guide is an essential reference tool for the traveling golfer. It tells the history of the courses it covers and provides information on the designers who built them and the pros who have set their records. Brian Morgan's stunning photography handsomely captures the majestic layout of the courses. From the deceptive lengths to the treacherous traps, his visual log of the courses prepares golfers for the beauty and challenges that await them. His award-winning and world-renowned pictures have appeared in golf journals on both sides of the Atlantic and in several exhibitions.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * “One of the best golf books this century.” —Golf Digest Tom Coyne’s A Course Called Scotland is a heartfelt and humorous celebration of his quest to play golf on every links course in Scotland, the birthplace of the game he loves. For much of his adult life, bestselling author Tom Coyne has been chasing a golf ball around the globe. When he was in college, studying abroad in London, he entered the lottery for a prized tee time in Scotland, grabbing his clubs and jumping the train to St. Andrews as his friends partied in Amsterdam; later, he golfed the entirety of Ireland’s coastline, chased pros through the mini-tours, and attended grueling Qualifying Schools in Australia, Canada, and Latin America. Yet, as he watched the greats compete, he felt something was missing. Then one day a friend suggested he attempt to play every links course in Scotland and qualify for the greatest championship in golf. The result is A Course Called Scotland, “a fast-moving, insightful, often funny travelogue encompassing the width of much of the British Isles” (GolfWeek), including St. Andrews, Turnberry, Dornoch, Prestwick, Troon, and Carnoustie. With his signature blend of storytelling, humor, history, and insight, Coyne weaves together his “witty and charming” (Publishers Weekly) journey to more than 100 legendary courses in Scotland with compelling threads of golf history and insights into the contemporary home of golf. As he journeys Scotland in search of the game’s secrets, he discovers new and old friends, rediscovers the peace and power of the sport, and, most importantly, reaffirms the ultimate connection between the game and the soul. It is “a must-read” (Golf Advisor) rollicking love letter to Scotland and golf as no one has attempted it before.
For golf lovers who don't consider it a real vacation if they have to leave their clubs behind, stock your shelves with Golf Monthly's special collection of guide books to golfing in the British Isles. Published by Beacon Books, Golfing Gems offers readers a selection of the finest courses in Scotland, Ireland, England/Wales. Includes: -- High-quality photographs and descriptions of the best courses -- Up-to-date information supplied by each club -- An extensive editorial feature on the resort -- Clear directions on how to get there -- Cards of each course featured -- Hotels recommended by the host club
Golf Monthly, has commissioned this quality book, which will be the first comprehensive guide to the golf resorts of Britain and Ireland. Following the huge growth in golf holidays, it became apparent that the market was poorly served for those people looking to take a break or vacation in hotels with their own courses. Each entry in this stylish publication was provided without cost to the hotels, many of whom added more extensive promotions consisting of color photographs of the course and hotel, and a commentary on the facilities they offer, together with essential information for the visitor including local places of interest. Golfing Breaks joins the stable of golf guides published by Beacon Books that include the Golfing Gems series, giving the bookseller a range of distinguished publications to cover this increasingly important market.
Over a million residents and overseas visitors take golfing vacations in England and Wales each year, where they choose from an wide variety of golf courses. This guide details the courses based on seven regions, describing the key characteristics of each area, including where to stay, eat and visit. From supreme challenges such as Royal Birkdale, Sunningdale and Wentworth to sporting seaside links, Golfer's Guide to England and Wales will become an indispensable glove-compartment companion for all vacationing golfers.
