Golf at St. Andrews [Hardcover]

Keith Mackie (Author), Jack Nicklaus (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 1995

Known and revered by golfers everywhere, St. Andrews was formed by members of the Kingdom of Fife in 1754. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club stages the Open Championship annually and is responsible for the rules of golf throughout the world in conjunction with the United States Golf Association. Golf at St. Andrews, including never-before-seen photographs, is an interesting and detailed survey of the Old Course and an account of its rise as the Home of Golf. Author Keith Mackie begins by discussing Open Championships from 1873 to 1990, giving amusing anecdotes of the lives of players from Old Tom Morris to Jack Nicklaus, who wrote the foreword. Mackie then handles the subject of equipment; as golf equipment and the upkeep of courses has changed, so has the shape of the swing and the flight of the ball. Of course, Mackie presents the famous events at St. Andrews such as the Amateur Championships, the Walker Cup International between Britain and America, and the PGA Championship. He also includes a chapter on the management of the links: the fascinating details of the maintenance of the Old Course as well as advice on how to secure a start time. With Golf at St. Andrews, your introduction to the world's most famous course will be complete.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Formed by members of the Kingdom of Fife in 1754, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club stages the Open Championship annually and is responsible for the rules of golf throughout the world in conjunction with the United States Golf Association. Including never-before-seen photographs, Golf at St. Andrews is a lively examination of the Old Course and its rise as the Home of Golf.

Author Keith Mackie covers the history of the most famous golf course in the world, discussing Open Championships from 1873 to 1990 and gives amusing anecdotes of the lives of players from Old Tom Morris to Jack Nicklaus.

He deftly handles the subject of equipmentas golf equipment and the upkeep of courses has changed, so has the shape of the swing and the flight of the ball. The reader will find a hole-by-hole survey of the Old Course and how it should be approached, as well as the way great golfers down through the centuries have played.

Mackie outlines the New Course, the Jubilee Course, and the Eden Course, including the history and general character of the other main courses. And in addition to telling readers about other golf facilities, he relates the history of caddies, who "have been scurrilous, comic and tragic," often all three in one day.

Of course, readers learn about the famous events at St. Andrews such as the Amateur Championships, the Walker Cup International between Britain and America, and the PGA Championship. And importantly, Mackie includes a chapter on the management of the links: the fascinating details of the maintenance of the Old Course as well as advice on how to secure a start time. With Golf at St. Andrews, your introduction to the world's most famous course will be complete.

Keith Mackie's ancestors were of the old, established St. Andrews family of clubmakers and professionals. He is the former editor of Golf World in Britain and Europe and the author of several golf books. -- From the Publisher

About the Author

Keith Mackie's ancestors were of the old, established St. Andrews family of clubmakers and professionals. He is the former editor of Golf World in Britain and Europe and the author of The Guiness Book of Golf, Golf: A Way of Life, and The Majors series on British Open Championship courses.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing (May 31, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565541294
• ISBN-13: 978-1565541290
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,342,299 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No substitute for being there but close., March 15, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Golf at St. Andrews (Hardcover)

If you yearn to play there someday, this would appear to be an excellent
introduction. Each hole is described in detail and the history is clearly
recited. The book also describes the several other courses (beyond the Old Course)
that they might try to shuffle you off to. One of them (the NEW Course) is older
than all but 2 or 3 courses in this country. One of the most enjoyable
golf books I've read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars get ready for the old course, February 12, 2002

By 

michael f kuhn (lincoln park, mi United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Golf at St. Andrews (Hardcover)

if you want to get the real feel, this is the book.. old and new.great course descriptions of all holes and how to play them which i will do on apr 4th. all the trivia and little known facts. amaze your friends astound your buddies. this is all you need.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Preview, April 25, 2011

By 

StevenAK "StevenAK" (Pittsburgh, PA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Golf at St. Andrews (Hardcover)

Great book to read before you go to St. Andrews. Will give you good background and make a trip to the Old Course and the area even more special.