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
Fantastic flashback clip from the European Tour social getting us ready for pro golf’s return to the glorious Walton Heath, host of the 2018 British Masters hosted by Justin Rose.
Lee Trevino…
View this post on Instagram🎞 From the #BritishMasters archives. That Lee Trevino low cut 👏🏻
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There is no sound and the Claret Jug ceremony is set in the middle of the footage, but it's still fun to look at the swings, the clothes, the caddies and especially Royal Lytham & St Annes, host of this week's Women's British Open. (Here are the coverage times.)
Note the bunkering at Lytham then--more sand faced--than the sod wall, typical links style you'll see this week.
I've just finished reliving the 1999 Open at Carnoustie through Curt Sampson's book on the week, and the rebroadcast of that wacky final round is set for Wednesday, July 11 on Golf Channel.
But Monday night's documentary premiere figures to be just as compelling given the trailer:
MorningRead.com's Gary Van Sickle provides some fun memories while reminding us of bad news we already know: nothing lasts forever on PGA Tour.
As two towns integral to men's pro golf prepare to lose events or become less significant in the 2019 schedule--Akron and Houston namely--Van Sickle says this is the history of the PGA Tour, where even the once-vaunted Western Open teetered and is now barely recognizable.
He also reminds us that someone in Tour headquarters signed off on Cialis as a title sponsor.
History is nice, but our memories often are nearly as short as our modern gnat-sized attention spans. Remember the Western Open? It was a cornerstone of the PGA Tour lineup for decades. Butler National Golf Club, the tournament’s long-time Chicago-area home, was considered a beast by Tour players. The event was seen as being just a notch below a major championship during the 1980s.
Today, the Western Open is long gone, having hit a low point – in my eyes, anyway – when Cialis, an erectile-dysfunction drug, became the title sponsor for a few embarrassing years. Imagine being a female tournament volunteer and having to wear a big Cialis logo on your shirt.
The PGA of America, longtime holders of the Probst Library featuring an incredible collection of golf books and historic materials, has donated the collection to the USGA Museum.
From the press release:
The Probst Library was developed by South Bend, Indiana-based golf collector Colonel R. Otto Probst, whose passion for the game was kindled in the early 1920s with the acquisition of his first golf artifact. Topics explored through the wide-ranging collection include golf instruction, golf club histories, architecture, equipment, fiction, women in golf, travel, humor, literature and poetry. Several pieces explore Scottish history and its relationship to golf.
“The Probst Collection adds depth and richness to the USGA’s library, providing incredible insight into the game’s cultural and historic evolution,” said Rand Jerris, USGA senior managing director of Public Services. “We are grateful to Colonel Probst and the PGA for cultivating this treasure trove of information, which we can immediately share with fans who love and play the game worldwide.”
Probst (1896-1986) began his collection in 1923 and went on to acquire numerous items from renowned collectors through his life, including Cecil Hopkinson and C.B. Clapcott. In 1938, Justice Earle F. Tilley, a USGA Museum Committee member, endowed his golf library to Probst .
Which is all a good reminder for those interested in golf history and in Far Hills, or just searching from home...
Today, the USGA Library is the world’s foremost repository for the game’s history. Books and periodicals in more than 20 languages cover all aspects of the game. Other areas of collecting include sheet music, dissertations, scrapbooks and over 30,000 scorecards from golf clubs worldwide. The Library also contains the personal papers of some of the game’s greatest personalities (including Bob Jones and Walter Travis) and is home to the USGA/PGA African-American Archive of Golf History. The complete library catalog, containing more than 70,000 volumes, can be accessed online at usga.org or in person.
Golf Channel's Jaime Diaz explains what has happened to the vaunted CBS Golf Classic series, an early and important part of growing the game in the early days of often cited by golfers of a certain age.
There is no more historic clubhouse in America and certainly no club housing a more important collection of historic memorabilia than NGLA's.
So as we await word on the extent of damage--most reports seem to suggest firefighters kept the fire from spreading beyond a kitchen, an upstairs patio and the "birdcage" dining area added in 1916--we can only hope all of C.B. Macdonald's treasures and Jarvis Hunt's clubhouse design were not permanently damaged.
A 27East story seems to be the most complete in terms of details and some images.
A few fire photos followed by some clubhouse interior shots that capture the grandeur of this American treasure...
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Mike Barnes of the Hollywood Reporter looks at Wilshire Country Club's rich history as the club prepares to host this week's inaugural HUGEL-JTBC L.A. Open this week.
We also discussed Wilshire today on Morning Drive.
A vintage Tiger Woods shot Saturday at Bay Hill. He trails Henrik Stenson by five heading into Sunday's 2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational finale, Dan Kilbridge reports. A fantastic leaderboard should make for a great last day.
The tractor belonging to Arnold Palmer's dad was brought down from Latrobe and parked at Bay Hill this week to commemorate the influence of his father.
Saturday was Bobby Jones' birthday. The USGA posted some images of the amateur golfing great.
The Masters has begun their social media efforts earlier than normal and feature this look at the club's co-founders.
16 days until #themasters, created by co-Founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts. #cominginapril
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Kudos to author Roger McStravick for continuing his fine work on behalf of all things St. Andrews by crowdfunding an effort to erect a headstone for three-time Open Champion Jamie Anderson and father Auld Daw Anderson, former Old Course greenkeeper and later, ginger beer seller.
Auld Daw is also credited with helping shape the Old Course design during his stint.
Jamie died poor and while buried in the St. Andrews alongside his father, is deserving of proper recognition.
I've made a small contribution and hope you will too!
Here's the link.
A few of my recent photos from the cemetery, including Old and Young Tom Morris's restored headstone/monument and Allan Robertson's gravesite.
Really great work here by Jonathan Wall of PGATour.com to revisit the story of Calamity Jane and clarify the history of Bobby Jones' beloved putter. (The Tour Championship winner receives a replica.)
Besides explaining what the putter with 8 degrees of loft meant to Jones, Wall's piece includes a fun Q&A with Jones historian Sid Matthew at the end.
A teaser related to a Jones reunion with Jane in 1936:
Jones eventually walked away from competition at 28, on the heels of his historic victory at the 1930 U.S. Open that completed the then-Grand Slam that also included wins that year at the U.S. and British Amateurs and the Open Championship. In the years that followed, Calamity Jane would fade into the distance, but from time to time, Jones would reunite with his old friend and the sparks would fly.
As golf writer Bill Fields noted in a Golf Digest story on the famed putter, Jones brought the putter out of retirement at the 1936 Masters and promptly shot 64 at Augusta National with just 25 putts.
"It's just like an old friend now," Jones told The New York Times back then. "The ball kept going up to the cup and acting as though it had eyes."
The 1976 Open Championship was won by Johnny Miller, and as he recounted for Golfweek, it was a memorable weekend battle with Seve Ballesteros.
This short piece on the '76 Open is mostly about Seve but includes some great footage of Johnny and Seve's epic recovery on 18. Their battle is at the heart of next week's "Summer of '76" documentary airing on Golf Channel.
This longer piece by Scott Murray just appeared at The Guardian's site and reminds us what a wild week this was:
The Shark tired to a final round 77 but gave us a thrill when contending for the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
As the championship prepares to return there nine years after that exciting week, this seems like a nice opportunity to catch up with winner Padraig Harrington and T3 finisher Greg Norman.
Padraig Harrington is tied for the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open lead. Yes, he's got an interesting swing and finish these days, but he's as lovable, driven and zany as ever. But he's found a place of contentment, something he addressed after the round (Nick Rodger's report for the Herald.)
Underrated in @padraig_h's swing is the left* foot off the ground on the backswing. The follow-through is Gentle Gilmore @AAMScottishOpen pic.twitter.com/NcHOVo8oYu
— Geoff Shackelford (@GeoffShac) July 14, 2017
Greg Norman vacations regularly, injures himself constantly and likes to keep his clothes off on Instagram.
To kick off the countdown to Birkdale '17, this Open footage from the past shows us 24-year-old Peter Thomson posing for the Claret Jug, one of five victories.
This Sky Sports piece is a nice wrap-up of Thomson's win.
A few things to note about the course: exposed sand in the dunes, the galleries going where they please (apparently), and how stark the difference between fairway and green cuts.
There's also a brief glimpse of putting master Bobby Locke. Enjoy!
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
