Stephen Proctor
@SProctorGolf
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Author of "Monarch of the Green" and "The Long Golden Afternoon,” co-host of The Duffer’s Literary Companion, and honorary life member of Askernish Golf Club.
Malabar, FL
Joined April 2019
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Golf news of a different sort. Four years ago, the two public courses I play faced closure. A group of players, including me, formed a nonprofit and got a 3-year contract to prove we could manage them profitably. Today, we signed a 10-year extension — a huge win for public golf.
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How pathetic is it that
@GolfChannel
dumps a women’s major championship for a hit and giggle on the men’s tour? That tells us all we need to know about why the women’s game struggles to get the respect it deserves!
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Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. Yesterday. I had a triple bypass. But I am recovering splendidly, and just now finished walking a lap of the hospital. Off golf until June, but all shall be well and there is writing to be done!
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Back home at beautiful Wittsend Farm. Wee bit worn and haggard, but well enough for a man who had a triple bypass six days ago. This really is a wonderful community, and I thank you all again for your good wishes and support. They have helped sustain me through a tough ordeal.
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First look, Sweetens Cove Golf Club. Oh my, what a place!
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Today I received the very best of news. I arrived at
@AskernishGolf
to learn that I had been made an Honourary Life Member, as the club’s thanks for the work I’m doing to make golfers aware of all the courses along the
@OTMTrail
. I hardly know what to say. Dispatch coming soon.
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How cool is this? My reward for having played all 18 courses on the
@OTMTrail
— one awesome coin for each course. Fabulous as this is, one day it will be even cooler, as the coins will be displayed on the front of a whisky cask. Play the Trail, and collect the coins.
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A bit of personal history. Today marks 40 years of being happily married to the best partner on life’s journey that anyone could hope for. Love you, Mara!
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It’s real now. Just this moment signed a contract with Birlinn Ltd. for my third book, on Joyce Wethered, Glenna Collett and the rise of women’s golf. Red-letter day! 🥃🏴
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No golfer in history — no, not even Sam Snead — had more wins than the great Kathrynne Ann Whitworth,
with 88 victories, six of them majors. She also finished second an astonishing 93 times! Here’s Furman Bishop writing about her in 1982, when she still had five wins to go. RIP.
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All I want for Christmas is to see Old Tom’s name restored to its rightful place above his shop. If I live forever, I will never understand how it came to be taken down in the first place.
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In his time, Old Tom Morris walked the linksland of Scotland in search of sporting golf. Tomorrow, I set off on a journey over that same land in search of Old Tom — Champion Golfer, creator of golf courses, oracle of the game. Follow my trip along the
@OTMTrail
at
#findingtom
.
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Here’s the new Penfold Heritage Sunday Bag. Can’t wait to sling it over my shoulder come morning. Thanks to
@Heritagecricket
for turning me on to this baby. What do we think, golf Twitter?
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Today’s history gem: Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones walk the property that would become Augusta National in search of golf holes.
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Ordinarily I refrain from personal posts here. But I could t resist sharing this image of my first grandchild — Oscar Vincent.
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Played first nine holes since heart surgery this morning with my younger brother, Frank, and his son Luke. Great fun, no pain, but it will clearly be a long road back to descent golf!
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Today, two of my pals announced the launch of the Old Tom Morris Trail, a loop of 18 courses that allows travelers to immerse themselves in the life of golf’s Grand Old Man. Come June I’ll play the full trail and write about the experience. Stay tuned!
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One of the joys of golf on the Old Course is playing with a genuine St Andrews caddie. Here is a group of caddies circa 1910 — the age when amateur Horace Hutchinson sneered at them as ‘feckless, reckless creatures whose only loves are golf and whisky.’
#golfhistory
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Grueling 11 hours on the road home from the indescribably brilliant
@SweetensCove
, but I’d jump in the car again this minute for a chance to play it again. I’ve not played anywhere in America that so reminded me of golf in Scotland. And the members are terrific.
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Happy 202nd birthday to the most important man in the history of golf. 🥃🏴
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It’s time to think about the golfer on your list this season. Why not give the gift of history? This will likely be the last change to buy an inexpensive hardcover copy of The Long Golden Afternoon, which tells the story of golf’s coming of age in the years before the Great War.
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The man who can putt is a match for anyone — Willie Park Jr.
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My view for the next few mornings. Looking forward to some hickory golf in Pinehurst, NC!
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How could I begin this morning other than with a note of sincere thanks for my friend Connor Lewis,
@SHistorians
, who assembled this remarkable set of pre-1900 clubs for me for no other reason than that he is a kind and generous man who loves golf history. What a guy!
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James Braid in his days as the Wise Man of Walton Heath.
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@Top100Rick
Actually the club does not run the course. The St Andrews Links Trust does on behalf of the people of the town, to whom the links belong.
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Raise a wee dram today in memory of Old Willie Park of Musselburgh, who became the first winner of the Open Championship 161 years ago today. He was some golfer, Willie!
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Today’s history gem: the mighty Ted Ray blasting his way out of a bunker.
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@LinksNation
@TheOpen
@AmGolferBlog
@MattGinella
@IHCCGreenkeeper
@jayblasi
@cdpgolf1
@drewharvie
@YoungerGolf
@GeoffShac
@BradleySKlein
@TimGavrich
It’s part of the history of this course — at one time there was quite a bit more of it — and ought never to change. Links golf is different. Don’t let the cancer of “fairness” destroy its unique identity.
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If I could celebrate the coming of the new year anywhere I wanted, I’d be raising a pint at The Canny Man’s in Edinburgh, a discovery that ranks among my highlights of 2022.
@James_McGhee
@BonnieWeeGolf
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Sometimes, when I listen to the incessant whining of modern pro golfers about courses or conditions being ‘unfair,’ I wish there were films of the ancient championships, so they could witness the unspeakable conditions in which those men played on without a word of complaint.
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From the bookshelf: This little volume got me started on the journey to learning more about the art and evolution of golf course design. I found MacKenzie’s 13 principles especially illuminating. Number 10 is my personal favorite, and I wish more golf architects abided by it!
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If I could be anywhere I wanted to be today, I’d be at Dunaverty celebrating the launch of
@JimHHartsell
’s new book, When Revelation Comes. Here’s to a great day, my friend!
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Every writer dreams of moments like this. Deeply honored to be included on this list. My sincere thanks to all of you who have supported my work. 🙏
Announcing the shortlist for the
#SportsBookAwards
'Pinsent Masons Sports Writing Award'
Congratulations and good luck to the nominees!
#SBA23
#ReadingForSport
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2023 was a year of non-stop research. This will year will be the year to sit down and write the story of these two extraordinary players — Joyce Wethered and Glenna Collett — and the way they raised the women’s game to a sublime level during an extraordinary period in history.
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OTD in 2019, my book on Young Tommy was released. Hard to believe it has already been five years! Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read it. 📕🏴🍻
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A wee stop en route to Prestwick on the
@OTMTrail
to play hickories
@ShiskineGolf
. Great 12-hole links, ideal for those ancient weapons. Blessed again with fabulous weather and spectacular views. The ferry over to the Isle of Arran is a a big part of the fun!
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150 years ago this month, Young Tom Morris posted his immortal round of 149 for 36 holes at Prestwick. I explore that round in an article this month in Through the Green. If you haven’t joined the British Golf Collectors Society, you should. It’s quarterly journal is marvelous!
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Twitter pals: I’ve just sent my editor final revisions to the manuscript of my next book, The Long Golden Afternoon. This is the most ambitious undertaking of my writing life, and I’m enormously pleased with how it’s turned out. Can’t wait to share it with all of you come June!
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David Harris, creator of the
@OTMTrail
and one of my favorite people in the world, stopped by the farm to present me with my whisky cask lid and coins for having played all 18 of the courses. Can’t wait to hang this in the Writing Room!
@BonnieWeeGolf
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On this date in 1870, Young Tom Morris carried the Champion’s Belt home to St Andrews, where every star in the town’s golfing firmament celebrated his monumental achievement at Mr Leslie’s Golf Inn.
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You know what is an absolute joy? Tuning into The Amateur Championship and hearing Richard Kaufman say ‘the hole is halved’ or the match is all square. That is music. Everything else is nonsense.
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In the autumn of 1951, Francis Ouimet was given the honor of ‘driving himself in’ as the first American to be chosen as Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. Sam McKinlay, the eloquent correspondent of the Glasgow Herald, was there to record the scene.
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On International Women’s Day, I give you the greatest of women golfers, Joyce Wethered. With a flawless, powerful swing she won five consecutive English Ladies Amateurs and four British Ladies Amateurs. Here she sits for a portrait as captain of Britain’s first Curtis Cup team.
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Not much better than a post round birthday celebration extraordinaire, courtesy of the kind folks
@CullenGC1
!
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On
#World
Book Day, I display with pride the covers of the two books to which I have devoted the past two decades of my life. For those who’ve not read them, together they tell the story of how Scotland’s game spread round the globe in the age before the Great War.
#golfhistory
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Twitter friends, I hope you enjoy the first of my video dispatches from the Old Tom Morris Trail, a report from legendary Macrihanish.
#findingtom
#oldtommorristrail
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Favorite golf quotes: “Driving is an art. Iron play is a science. Putting is an inspiration.” — Horace G. Hutchinson, who is shown here practicing the art on the first tee at St Andrews, with Old Tom looking on.
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Favorite golf quotes: ‘To have played at St Andrews is to have drunk from the fountain head of the game. No player can ever be the same or feel the same again who has played but once at St Andrews’ — Cecil Leitch
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Off this morning to compete in the Winter Park Hickory Classic, so naturally I am channeling the Hickory Master, my friend Boris Lietzow. He runs Jack White’s shop in Gullane and joined me in June for the Gents Open at Cullen. Hoping that fond memory brings good karma today.
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Happy Birthday to Golf’s Grand Old Man — Tom Morris of St Andrews! This house at 6 Pilmour Links is always a place of pilgrimage for me when I’m in the Auld Grey Toon. It is where Tom lived most of his days, and where the immortal Young Tommy died so tragically young.
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@GolfDigest
@JonRahmpga
@PhilMickelson
Phil is not even close to top 10 all time. Besides, actions have consequences and his have indeed tarnished his legacy.
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On this date, in 1851, the first of golf’s immortals was born. Young Tom Morris’s 12-hole score of 47 stood the test of time during Prestwick’s recent celebration of the 150th Open. He will forever be the Monarch of the Green.
#golfhistory
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You didn’t think I’d let the Open at Hoylake pass without a John Ball story, did you? Here it the best explanation I have ever seen of why John Ball was nearly invincible in a match. It is a tale from Robert Hunter’s ‘The Links’ about two friendly rounds he got to play with Ball.
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Where I live in Florida, it’s sadly common to see a golfer play his or her last round, forced to the sideline by the infirmities of age. I’m moved to send them these two excerpts from my favorite Bernard Darwin essay — his opening paragraph and a delightful interior passage.
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Seve Ballesteros cut an imposing figure on the first tee when he made his Masters debut in 1978, having just won his first PGA tournament in Greensboro, NC. Peter Dobereiner captures the scene as Tom Wieskopf watches the budding superstar take a lash at the ball.
#golfwriting
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As I feared, I played poorly in the Winter Park Hickory Classic’s main event, but it turned out to be a winning day anyway when I was gifted this Bobby Jones spoon that had been raffled off. 🙏 Four-club event over 9 holes today in the frigid weather, so hope remains alive!
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Heading out for a little hickory golf at Old Channel Trail, along the shores of Lake Michigan. Couldn’t have a better day for a game.
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In addition to hosting me at his club,
@SHistorians
gifted me this amazing set of pre-1900 clubs. The irons are all by famous St Andrews makers — including Forgan and Stewart. These will be proudly displayed in the Writing Room. One or two may get a test on the links!
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Today’s research gem: the 18th green in the epic playoff for the 1913 U.S. Open Championship. Francis Ouimet kneels far left to line up a putt as Vardon and Ray watch, knowing it is Francis’ day of all days.
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On this day in 1860, a quest began
@PrestwickGC
. Win the Challenge Belt and wear it for a year as Champion Golfer. Win it three times in a row and it is yours for all time. Young Tom Morris was the prodigy destined to end that quest in 1870, at age 19.
#monarchofthegreen
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Thrilled to report that
@BirlinnBooks
has agreed to publish my latest work of narrative golf history. It tells the story of the transformative era that followed the rise of Young Tom Morris — those glorious pre-War years when golf came of age and went global. Coming next summer!
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Got out for nine again this morning — second round on the comeback trail — this time with hickories. Swing was much better. Shaved five strokes from the first nine, which is half decent for an old man playing old clubs. 😉 Just grateful to be back on the course!
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If you happen to be in the Dornoch area tonight, drop by the bookshop at 6 p.m. and listen to my friend
@lornerubenstein
and me discussing the glories of golf in the Highlands and the history of the royal and ancient game.
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Lest we forget the namesake of the trophy Lydia Ko just won, I give you Glenna Collett Vare. She won six US Amateurs, six North & South Amateurs, six Eastern Amateurs, and one Canadian Amateur. One year she won 59 of 60 matches, losing only on a freakish bounce!
#golfhistory
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This morning I head North to the Links at White Lake for my favorite hickory event, the McNabb Cup, on the shores of Lake Michigan. It will be such a joy to play in crisp autumn weather, after this especially scintillating summer in Florida!
#hickorygolf
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This year’s favorite Christmas present: knitted head covers to match my sporty new carry bag from The Endeavor
@SweetensCove
. These are handmade by my lovely daughter,
@Septimusette
. Note how she played off of the bag’s accent colors. ❤️🎄
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In 1894, Willie Park Jr patented one of the most important inventions in golf history, a putter with the blade offset from the shaft. It allowed players to get their hands in front of the ball while putting, improving performance. Nearly all modern putters are made this way.
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For the first time, the USGA has revealed the list of finalist for the Herbert Warren Wind Award. Thrilled to see The Long Golden Afternoon among them. Kudos to the USGA for taking this important step to help authors.
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I never cease to be amazed by how kind golfers can be. I mentioned once here that I wanted a Penfold Heart ball so I could pretend to be 007 in Goldfinger.
@austinjames71
took the trouble to send me one. Thank you so much!
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Today’s history gem: the 1920 U.S. Open at Inverness. Bobby Jones, Ted Ray, Chick Evans, and Harry Vardon.
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The very definition of a good mail day! The DHL truck left behind this President’s Medal, awarded to the best article of the year in Through the Green, journal of the British Golf Collectors Society. Proud to have shared this honor with my friend
@GolfHistoryMike
.
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I’m honored to be a member of a St Andrews based group of historians known as The Literati of the Links. Ordinarily they meet in person, but one in a while there are Zoom meetings that those of us who live outside Scotland can join. Always a joy for me to listen in.
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Today’s history gem: Andra Kirkaldy (left) regaling his friend Clyde Foster with tales of St Andrews atop the iconic Swilcan Bridge.
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A trip to St. Andrews always includes memories for all time. Today I enjoyed the privilege of lunch at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club with my mentor and friend Peter E. Crabtree, co-author of ‘Tom Morris of St Andrews: The Colossus of Golf’, the greatest golf book ever written.
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Favorite golf quotes: In honor of the two match play events going on this weekend — the Varsity Match at Royal Dornoch and the WGC Match Play Championship in Austin —I give you this classic:
‘Score play is no more a game than rifle shooting. — Freddie Tait.
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Today I give thanks for all who read my books, listen to The Duffer’s Literary Companion and follow this account. I appreciate your support more than you can know. 🙏
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On
#WolrdBookDay
, may I humbly suggest that you pick up my two books of golf history — both academically researched but told as tales to make it easy for modern players to learn about the heroes of their own game. The Long Golden Afternoon is coming soon in paperback, as well.
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My friend
@Hannika83
has just given me a tour of the newly renovated displays at the R&A’s World Golf Museum. It’s brilliantly well done. This is a must visit on you next trip to St Andrews.
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For the first Open, Prestwick invited 11 golf clubs to send only “respectable” caddies, and made sure they looked the part by outfitting them with black and green tartan jackets from the Earl of Eglinton. Here’s Old Tom Morris and his successor in Ayrshire, Charlie Hunter.
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First outing today for the gift bag from the
@SweetensCove
member-guest. Suits Florida, no?
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The first of the celebrated golf competitions between the U.S. and Great Britain and Ireland was the Walker Cup, first played more than a century ago. In the heyday of amateur golf, it drew massive crowds, like this one that came to see Bobby Jones at Royal St George’s in 1930.
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Great day of hickory golf in the McNabb Cup at lovely White Lake Golf Club. Net 74, 33 Stableford points. Not good enough to win, I suspect, but very solid for me.
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Lest you think gamesmanship is a modern phenomenon, note this wee bit of advice from Horace Hutchinson’s 1886 book Hints on Golf.
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Had the great pleasure today to play Belleair Country Club’s newly renovated west course, a Donald Ross jewel, with my friend and fellow historian Connor Lewis. It’s the best course I’ve played in Florida — amazing greens, spectacular views.
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During this gift giving season consider Monarch of the Green for the golfers in your life. Not only will they learn about the game’s early history and it’s first superstar, but they will also be prepped to read the sequel coming out next summer — The Long Golden Afternoon.
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Tomorrow, I play in the first of my two annual hickory events — The Winter Park Hickory Classic. So, I’m reading parts of this again for inspiration, as I consider it the best book of instruction for the hickory golfer. I’m in desperate need of help just now. My game is rubbish.
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To all my Twitter friends who celebrate the season . . . 👇
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Recovery from a bypass operation is a long slow road, but at least when I take my wee walks every day there are some beautiful sights to see here at Wittsend Farm. 😊
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It’s fitting that Augusta National should host a women’s amateur event. Long before he dreamed of building the course, a young Bobby Jones competed with and against one of America’s great women golfers, Alexa Sterling, a three-time winner of the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
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Well, well, well. Look what my pal
@LinksRobbie
spied in the window at Toppings, St Andrews. The newly issued paperback of The Long Golden Afternoon. Time to pop into your local bookshop and get yours.
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In 1867, responding to increasing interest from women in golf, Old Tom Morris laid out the Ladies Putting Green, shown here in a scene from its early days. Known today as the Himalayas, it’s a prime attraction in St Andrews and still home to a thriving women’s club.
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Twitter friends: I’m thrilled to report that you can now pre-order my new book, out in June. I’d be extremely grateful to anyone who places an order. Nothing comforts the publisher of a new new book like knowing an audience awaits.
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If Harman goes on to win this tournament It will be living testimony to the old Willie Park maxim that “the man who can putt is a match for anyone.”
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Dispatch No. 16 from the Old Tom Morris Trail — Cruden Bay.
@Crudenbaygolf
@OTMTrail
#findingtom
#oldtommorristrail
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Twitter friends. I consider this invitation an honor, and I know it will be an awful lot of fun. If you are in St Andrews in June, come join us. And don’t be shy. I look forward to meeting any and all golf history lovers in person.
@BirlinnBooks
We are DELIGHTED to welcome
@SProctorGolf
in store on Saturday, 11th June at 6.30pm! Be quick to book your place to discuss his wonderful new book The Long Golden Afternoon. Tickets are £5 and available in store, by calling us on 01334 477893 or DM us here ⛳️
@BirlinnBooks
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