A Course Called Scotland
Searching the Home of Golf for the Secret to Its Game
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5.0 • 5 Ratings
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this witty and charming follow-up to A Course Called Ireland, Coyne continues living a golfer's dream by playing every links course in Scotland, golf's birthplace. Approaching 40, the author sets out to play 107 courses across the United Kingdom's northernmost country in 56 days. The itinerary includes St. Andrews, Royal Troon, and Trump International Golf Links Scotland, culminating in a qualifying round for the Open Championship at Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh. Along the way, Coyne experiences the game anew with a memorable cast of characters including Gretchen, a 20-something World Speedgolf Champion who "weighed less than her set of Nike irons... and liked to go around 18 holes in less than an hour;" a 34-year-old newbie named Garth, who despite a handicap of 38.4 still begins each morning proclaiming, "We get to golf today"; and Penn, an almost-septuagenarian fan of Coyne's books who gives the author advice that helps him improve his game. Enthusiasts will revel in Coyne's eloquent narration of his course-by-course adventures, while casual fans might be tempted to pick up their clubs a little more often.
