To coincide with the 131st Open Championship at Muirfield, Mercat Press is publishing a new edition of Robert Price’s highly acclaimed book, Scotland’s Golf Courses.
Why has Scotland hosted so many glittering golfing occasions and why is it the location for so many legendary courses? What makes Scottish courses the most varied and challenging in the world? Set amid stunning coastal scenery or within the sound of city streets, they are a magnet to lovers of the game.
This golf book explains why. Though packed with up-to-date information, it takes a different approach to the usual tourist guide. Written by a geologist and geographer, who is now an international golf consultant, it is a detailed survey of Scotland’s golfing environment, exploring the unique features and terrain that have created the historic courses we see today. It describes the history and development of distinct types of golf courses: inland courses built over rocky outcrops, parklands and heather moorlands, and seaside courses, including the classic links which will forever be associated with Scotland.
It is not just a matter of heritage, however. The last decade has seen an explosion of golf course design and construction within Scotland. The first edition of Scotland’s Golf Courses described 425 courses. Only a few years later, there are now over 530 golf courses in Scotland, with more being added all the time. Many maintain the extremely high standards set by their predecessors – the recently created PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles will host the Ryder Cup in 2014. The underlying structures of all these courses are analysed in this new edition and the invaluable region-by-region guide lists location, address, length, standard scratch score, cost of a weekday round, date founded and course type.
With colour photographs throughout and maps and diagrams, also in colour, entirely re-drawn for this edition, this is a book for the serious golf enthusiast. It will enable him or her to get the most out of the rich golfing environment and tradition that Scotland provides.
The author, Robert Price, born in Cardiff, has lectured and carried out research in geography and geology at several universities in Scotland, Canada and the USA. Based in Glasgow, he is now a full-time golf consultant working with clients around the world.
Publication date: 18 July 2002
ISBN: 184183 0305
Paperback. 244 pages
Price: £14.99
Mercat Press tom@mercatpress.com