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
Video: The Taylor Labourne Shot Has Copycats
/And why not?
Just when we thought the art of trick shottery was dying, there appears to be a new generation of copycats inspired by Taylor Labourne's gem. With Sportscenter and others running with Taylor's shot, the expected samplers...
Joshua Kelly, aka HoleIn1TrickShots:
Joris Golf representing the younger set...
Max Hilty representing the Gilmore demo...
**Our old* friend Matty was ahead of his time...
@GeoffShac September 2015 and on Vine so you know it's vintage. 👌🏾https://t.co/3xFHdfiFhb
— Matty (@Md_18undapar) October 28, 2016
*13
Video: The Taylor Labourne Trick Shot
/Video: Alvaro Quiros Is Reminded His Plane Is Off
/Video: Our Favorite 18-Month-Old Golfer Swings Everything
/Video: Bryan Bro & Gamecock Still Has The Trick Shot Gift
/Video: 8-Year-Old Girl Takes Out Drone...
/Wes Bryan: Trick Shot Artist A Year Ago, Battlefield Promotion Today
/Adam Stanley at PGATour.com has all the details on Wesley Bryan's incredible 2016 Web.com Tour season concluding with a Digital Ally Open win that is his third of 2016.
That sets him up for a battlefield promotion which gets him in next week's John Deere Classic and the Wyndham, if he chooses. Then it's off to the Web.com Tour playoffs if he chooses, or he can just prepare for putting the tour card he'd already secured to use in September.
His third win of the season came after he hit, what he called, the shot of his life, on the par-3 17th. After he, J.T. Poston and Grayson Murray all made birdies on the par-4 18th, they retreated to the 17th for what turned out to be the final time. Murray missed his chip long, and Poston left his putt short. That set the stage for Bryan, who had left himself about 2 feet for the win.
There was never a doubt.
The promotion no longer carries the weight it once did due to the wraparound schedule change that has the Web.com Tour season starting too late for a three-time winner to get elevated to the big tour for enough starts. However Bryan's accomplishment is inching him up the world ranking and will remind folks of his rise from viral video trick shot artist (with brother and sometimes caddy George), to second stage Web.com Tour school graduate last year, to holding a PGA Tour card in such a short time. Well done Wesley!
Wesley's full bag from his third win, and his Twitter account.
The winning putt at the Digital Ally:
Wesley Bryan birdies the second playoff hole, his third win of the season. pic.twitter.com/ht7rAFvKK9
— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) August 7, 2016
Video: 5-Year-Old Tommy Morrissey's Swing Impersonations
/Hole-in-One, Double In Same Round Files: Mason Nome Edition
/Congrats to University of Texas golf commit Mason Nome (2019), who made an ace and double eagle in the same round. It was John Wooden's feat and that of only a handful of others many decades ago.
Nome posted this scorecard of the round, which also featured a double bogey just a hole after teh two on a par-5. The Golf Gods waste little time setting us straight!
Mason also posted a tremendous trick shot many weeks ago that I hadn't seen...
Video: The Three-Putt One-Putt
/Video: Youthful (16 Months) Passion For The Game!
/Video: 21 And Already Generating Incredible Clubhead Speed
/Video: The Best (Fake) Ty Webb Impersonation Ever
/So many nice touches here, the vertical phone framing, the lack of any jarring cuts and the attempt to sell the shot with shock only after the last putt drops in an apparently 12-inch deep cup.
Still, in an odd way I admire the craftsmanship of the fakeness...