The only course that will remain difficult under all conditions will be one that is designed and kept for golf of a stereotyped, monotonous character, and this makes a most uninteresting proposition. BOBBY JONES

Available via Amazon (US): Golf Architecture For Normal People

Barnes And Noble (online and in stores)

Amazon Australia

Bookshop.org option to support local independent bookstores.

Reviews:

"Golf Architecture for Normal People . . . should be required reading for those who are not ashamed to admit they know little about the subject, and for those who think they do . . . . Golf course architecture geeks have trouble slimming their thoughts down to bite-sized chunks, but Shackelford has achieved a remarkable success here." —Independent (Ireland)

"From the relative newcomer who’s slowly getting hooked to those that have played the game for most of their lives and think they know a thing or two, Golf Architecture for Normal People provides a solid and sober perspective that will help everyone recognize why some golf courses are worth playing more than once while a single trip around others is all you’re ever likely to want or need." —Links Magazine.

“It’s a wonderful book. An easy read that arrives just in time for your summer reading list. If you’ve never thought about how an appreciation for course design could heighten your enjoyment of the game, you must check this out.”—The Peterborough Examiner

"As in his prior publications, in his newest book Shackelford shows a deep appreciation for what can be done to create a golf course that appeals to the broadest possible golfing audience…Shackelford’s prose is succinct, often witty, and accessible."—Cape Gazette

"Author, blogger and golf architecture expert Geoff Shackelford, who helped Gil Hanse design Rustic Canyon and restore 2023 U.S. Open host Los Angeles Country Club, taps into his passion by creating a guide that helps every golfer understand the nuances of course design. Published by Tatra Press, the 164-page hardcover book is a must-read for every golfer to better understand the game they love." —Golf Pass

"Shackelford provides an informative picture [and]...sprinkles in history lessons about those who planted the game's architectural roots, defines common terms and helps you hone your eyes when it comes to identifying some of the tricks of the trade."—FORE Magazine

"This new book does a great job demystifying golf course design ideas for average players, but can also be a beneficial read fro PGA Professionals and other golf course employees to get a better understanding of their home courses." —PGA Magazine

“Shackelford will guide the reader to an enriching understanding of design. Consider it a primer on the fascinating subject of course architecture. If you don’t know what a template hole is, or a Biarritz, or a Redan, or a Punchbowl, you will be gently educated, and perhaps enjoy playing a course with any of these holes that much more. There’s a lot here, packed into 160 pages.” LORNE RUBENSTEIN, ScoreGolf

December 30, 2007

2007

December 30, 2007/ Geoff Shackelford

The wealth of important news, the stories crying out for heckling and most of all, the holiday laziness on my part translated to no posts remembering 2007's highlights and lowlights.

Should you desire to relive the year, monthly archives are here for your enjoyment. And never hesistate to use the site search feature if you are looking for an old post. Both can be found in the lefthand column.

Tomorrow I'll warn you about things to look for in 2008, including video diaries, a new book in the works and a preview of hoped-for web site content. But for now I'd like to thank you all for your active participation both in the comments sections and via email. I could not do the site without all of the reader contributions, so thanks for the enlightening comments, wry observations and spell-checking.

And please keep the comments, story links and photos coming.

Traffic this year easily doubled 2006's and grew steadily each month except in August when you were hopefully out enjoying the summer sun. Though I don't know much else about my readership, these browser and operating stats might be of some slight interest to demographics types. (My sympathies to the Vista users and pray that Macs arrive on your doorstep soon...the Internet looks so much better on an Apple!)

BROWSERS ACCESSING GEOFFSHACKELFORD.com
E6   35.07%
Gecko(Firefox) 19.61%
IE7 19.39%
Unknown 15.81%
Safari 6.82%
IE5   0.83%
Opera9   0.57%

OPERATING SYSTEM % ACCESSING GEOFFSHACKELFORD.com
WinXP   61.01%
Unknown   16.1%
MacOSX    10.52%
Win2000   5.14%
WinVista    2.31%
Win98     2.14%
Win2003    1.06%
Linux     0.53%
WinNT    0.31%
Win    0.23%
Win95   0.18%

So with that vital information shared, I thank you for a great 2007 and look forward to an even more enjoyable new year.

Geoff

Geoff Shackelford

Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning Drive, is co-host of The Ringer's ShackHouse is the author of eleven books.

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Thanks to @collin_morikawa for capping off a great week in style with the lowest final 36 holes in major history, and to the @pga and @pgatour for putting on a safe, well orchestrated week in tough circumstances. Nice of @stephencurry30 to stop by fo

@rorymcilroy, 15th fairway, 2020 @pgachampionship @tpchardingpark. Hoganesque!

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