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)
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
Hogan Tour Turns 25: "The first season"
/Brad Fritsch Cruises To Web.com Tour Q-School Win
/Leading PGA Tour China Money Winner Xin-Jun Zhang Given Six Months For Signing Incorrect Scorecards
/And Then There Were 50 With Priority PGA Tour Status...For Now
/D.A. Points WD's From Web.com Final After Peers Pressure
/Web.com Tour Finals Rules Changed Mid-Season!
/Web.com Tour Medalist Overcomes Opening 75
/Tweaking The WTF And PGA Tour Qualifying
/Commish On WTF: "The players were into it, the fans were into it"
/"The new system is already more of a closed ship than the old q school system and can be seen as an example of the tour protecting its own."
/WTF Declared A Rousing Success...With Tweaks To Come
/Poker Terminology Comes To The WTF!
/Web.com Tour Finals: "Where's the drama?"
/Tough Love: Today's 59 Scare & Q-School's Demise
/I heard from very angry folks today and saw some of the Twitter backlash about the sheer horror of Golf Channel not broadcasting every moment of the Mickelson-Scott-Woods first-round pairing at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
In a nutshell: we've become spoiled. But in the bigger scheme of things, you need to direct your anger toward the PGA Tour for cluttering the schedule with the Web.com Tour finals.
Sure, it would have been nice to have full Mickelson-Scott-Woods coverage from the moment they got out of bed until they signed their cards. And Golf Channel called a tremendous audible by picking up bonus #59watch coverage instead of showing the Web.com Tour Finals from Indiana. (Even though it meant lopping off 30 minutes of the scheduled broadcast.)
But how difficult is it to understand that broadcast schedules are made in advance and Golf Channel has a stacked lineup this week (including an amazing 15-straight hours of live golf coverage Sunday)? And because we've become spoiled, it's easy to forget that televising golf is a massive undertaking. There are just so many hours in the day that a production team can be going full bore.
Then there is the obligation to cover the Web.com finals.
Longtime readers know that I've not been a fan of "calendar-year" schedule concept and creating the Web.com Tour finals in lieu of Q-School. The litany of sound reasons to have kept the prior setup can be rattled off at another time, but let's take note of what's going on today. The lack of attention or interest in those Web.com Tour Finals--how many even knew they were taking place?--is already apparent as the finals try to go up against a PGA Tour playoff event loaded with a super field on TV-friendly courses.
Could there have been a more cringe-worthy moment than Golf Channel signing off from their bonus coverage showing huge galleries and big stars to an empty golf course in Indiana?
So if you are outraged about only three hours of Deutsche Bank Championship coverage today--deep breaths first--direct your ire at those who have made the PGA Tour a year-round schedule, necessitating the end of Q-School and the ushering in of the ill-timed Web.com Tour finals that are clogging up an already full television schedule.