James Braid
Golf Library
18 Greatest Scottish Golf Holes
We love golf books at Monarchs House. We especially love golf books set in Scotland.
If you have been to the house, you know that our drawing room book collection attests to this. As a result, we are often asked for our suggestions on starting a library related to golf here in Scotland. We waited long enough. Here are our suggestions.
If you wanted to start a library of golf books that would remind you of your trip to Scotland, you should start with the classics:
Scotland’s Gift: Golf by Charles B. MacDonald – MacDonald left America to visit his grandfather in Scotland at age 16 and thought the game of golf “stupid & silly.” Then his grandfather brought young Charles to St Andrews and changed everything. Scotland’s Gift is an epoch piece by America’s first professional and one of its greatest course architects.
The Great Triumvirate: Taylor, Braid and Vardon
James Braid by Bernard Darwin – Darwin, England’s best golf writer, tells the story of James Braid, part of the triumvirate with Harry Vardon and J.H. Taylor, who elevated the game of golf from Scottish curiosity to the nation’s most popular sporting endeavor. You can see Braid’s architectural work in the layout of the championship course at Carnoustie.
The Spirit of St Andrews by Dr. Alister MacKenzie (our personal favourite) – If you ever wondered about the psychology of course design, this book is for you. Dr. Mac, architect of Augusta, Crystal Downs, Cypress Point and others, was also a consulting architect for the Old Course. MacKenzie writes about the Old Course, what makes a great hole, the golf swing and the rules. His musings are as relevant today as when he shared them back in the 30s.
We would also include these contemporary gems:
Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy – This is usually the first book a visitor to St Andrews reads if they want to embrace the “spirituality” of golf in the Kingdom of Fife. Slide into the pew and meet Shivas Irons, the mystical and charismatic golf professional of Burningbush Golf Club. After reading Golf in the Kingdom, you will be convinced that golf possesses deeper mysteries beyond that of a mere pastime.
To the Linksland, a Golfing Adventure by Michael Bamberger – While Murphy found golfing nirvana on the east coast, Bamberger found it on Scotland’s southwest coast at Machrihanish. One will be mesmerized by Bamberger’s search for the perfect swing and all it entails.
Two Years in St Andrews: At Home on the 18th Hole by George Peper – Monarchs House exists because 8 friends wanted a home at the home of golf as did George Peper. The difference is he wrote about it with poignancy, humour and warmth.
If you like coffee table books we have 3 suggestions for you:
Where Golf Is Great: The Finest Courses of Scotland and Ireland by James W. Finnegan – This is a wonderful book that works like an elegant guided tour of the glorious links of Scotland and Ireland.
Scottish Golf Links: A Photographer’s Journey by Ian MacFarlane Lowe – This is an exhilarating pictorial of 50+ Scottish courses by St Andrews own, the inestimable Mr MacFarlane Lowe. Another St Andrean, David Joy, provides the historical observations and notes. Brilliant photography!
The last book is something rather special and very exclusive:
18 Greatest Scottish Golf Holes by Gene Brooks, Craig Morrison and Andrew Ross – This strictly limited edition (3000 copies) book is a bespoke offering that makes you feel like you are lost in the memory of Scotland’s greatest holes. It is beautifully printed and bound befitting the glorious John Kernick photography and illustrations by Siobhan Royer-Hardy. The book’s treatment of the Old Course’s Road Hole further renders the layout indelible in your mind’s eye. You will imagine the route you took and better still, the ideal path to par.
Monarchs House is pleased to be selected as a retailer of 18 Greatest Scottish Golf Holes. This is an incredibly beautiful remembrance of one’s trip to Scotland. It is equally perfect for anyone who dreams of a golf trip to Scotland. You can find it on our coffee table at Monarchs but should you want more information about purchasing this treasure, you can email us on info@monarchshouse.com and we would be happy to put this lovely book in your hands.
Old Course Tee Times
Everyone who journeys to Scotland for golf, whether for the 1st time or the 50th time, is keen on playing the Old Course in St. Andrews. And who can blame them. It is the ultimate golf destination for the golf aficionado. This is the home of golf and a place where you can play a circuit that has regularly hosted the (British) Open Championship since Tom Kidd won there in 1873. Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and James Braid have each won the Open twice in St Andrews. Palmer won two Open Championships in a row but a life regret was that neither win took place at the Old Course. Bobby Jones won there as an amateur in 1927 and remarked later:
…although I have played it many, many times, its charm for me increases with every round. The more I study the Old Course, the more I love it, and the more I love it, the more I study it.
This is the charm of the Old Course. The average golfer can walk in the footsteps of the great and near great. While you cannot take a swing at a 95 mile an hour fastball at Yankee Stadium or volley for serve at Wimbledon, the Old Course is open to the rich and poor, men and women, young and old. It is one of the reasons why everyone wants to play there at least once. For first time players, there is nothing like the feeling that washes over you as you stand on the first tee preparing to strike your inaugural shot on the Old Course. (Oddly, professionals will tell you that they feel the same “giddiness,” awe and sense of history.)
Since Scotland is all about the democratization of golf, the administrators of the Old Course (The Links Trust) implemented a system that gives everyone a fair and equitable opportunity to get a tee time. While your chances improve if you are local St Andrean, a member of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club (or another club in town), a resident of the county or serving at the military base in neighboring Leuchars, everyone is subject to a lottery of sorts. If for example, you submit your group’s name on the first Wednesday in September for the previous year you wish to play, that grouping goes in a bucket for a drawing at near year end. Also, there is a daily lottery, or ballot, for next day play. You submit your request by 2 P.M. the day before play. If you are a single or twosome, get up early to visit the starter. He will tell you if there’s any chance of playing. Your odds are very good but likely will require a wait. A quick note, don’t bother trying to grease the skids with the starters. It’s more likely to set you back. If money is no object and you positively must play the Old Course, call the Old Course Experience. They will get you on the course but prepare for great expense. Lastly, your concierge or General Manager sometimes has slots that he or she may be able to help you with but prepare for a hit or miss experience.
Good luck in your quest to play the Old Course. If you arrive in Scotland with a flexible itinerary, there is a good chance that you can get a slot. If you don’t…there are eleven other courses in town and 65 other championship courses within an hour ride. Try again the next day. This is where a stay at Monarchs House will help.
