Golf And The American Country Club

In this entertaining cultural history, Moss explores the circumstances that led to the establishment of the country club as an American social institution and its inextricable connection to the ancient, imported game of golf. Moss traces the evolution of country clubs from informal groups of golf-playing friends to "country estates" in the suburbs and eventually into public and private daily-fee courses, corporate country clubs, and gated golfing communities. The book shows how these developments reflect shifts in American values and attitudes toward health and sport, as well as changing social dynamics.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Globe-trotting golfer Tom Coyne has finally come home. And he’s ready to play all of it. After playing hundreds of courses overseas in the birthplace of golf,​ Coyne, the bestselling author of A Course Called Ireland and A Course Called Scotland, returns to his own birthplace and delivers a “heartfelt, rollicking ode to golf…[as he] describes playing golf in every state of the union, including Alaska: 295 courses, 5,182 holes, 1.7 million total yards” (The Wall Street Journal). In the span of one unforgettable year, Coyne crisscrosses the country in search of its greatest golf experience, playing every course to ever host a US Open, along with more than two hundred hidden gems and heavyweights, visiting all fifty states to find a better understanding of his home country and countrymen. Coyne’s journey begins where the US Open and US Amateur got their start, historic Newport Country Club in Rhode Island. As he travels from the oldest and most elite of links to the newest and most democratic, Coyne finagles his way onto coveted first tees (Shinnecock, Oakmont, Chicago GC) between rounds at off-the-map revelations, like ranch golf in Eastern Oregon and homemade golf in the Navajo Nation. He marvels at the golf miracle hidden in the sand hills of Nebraska and plays an unforgettable midnight game under bright sunshine on the summer solstice in Fairbanks, Alaska. More than just a tour of the best golf the United States has to offer, Coyne’s quest connects him with hundreds of American golfers, each from a different background but all with one thing in common: pride in welcoming Coyne to their course. Trading stories and swing tips with caddies, pros, and golf buddies for the day, Coyne adopts the wisdom of one of his hosts in Minnesota: the best courses are the ones you play with the best people. But, in the end, only one stop on Coyne’s journey can be ranked the Great American Golf Course. Throughout his travels, he invites golfers to debate and help shape his criteria for judging the quintessential American course. Should it be charmingly traditional or daringly experimental? An architectural showpiece or a natural wonder? Countless conversations and gut instinct lead him to seek out a course that feels bold and idealistic, welcoming yet imperfect, with a little revolutionary spirit and a damn good hot dog at the turn. He discovers his long-awaited answer in the most unlikely of places. Packed with fascinating tales from American golf history, comic road misadventures, illuminating insights into course design, and many a memorable round with local golfers and celebrity guests alike, A Course Called America is “a delightful, entertaining book even nongolfers can enjoy” (Kirkus Reviews).

This new edition features superb photographs and detailed reviews of America's finest courses A magnificent tour of the greatest golf courses in the United States, this new edition of Planet Golf USA features superb photographs and detailed reviews of America's finest courses. Revised and updated with new reviews and all-new images, it remains the most comprehensive directory ever published on the nation's outstanding golf layouts. Included are reviews of the top 100 courses in the United States, as well as important hidden gems and a number of restored Golden Age masterpieces. Ben Crenshaw, two-time Masters Champion, and his design partner, Bill Coore, contribute an insightful foreword. They are the leading architects in golf, and their courses feature prominently in the book. Completely revised and updated with the best new golf courses in America, Planet Golf USA will provide many hours of essential reading for any active or armchair golfer and is a perfect addition to any golfer's library.

A part of MT III Golf Media's Black Book series of national and regional course guidebooks, this updated fourth edition of The American Private Golf Club Guide is the only guidebook dedicated solely to the nation's private clubs. This volume profiles 1,000 clubs in 49 states which, given the number of multi-course facilities covered, adds up to nearly 1,100 featured courses - with thumbnail profiles included for nearly 500 more. Continuing the series' tradition of providing accurate, detailed and candid assessments of each layout, its profiles range from 150-600 words and include a unique five-star Collectability Rating - a course rating method entirely exclusive to the Black Book. Each profile also offers a full range of ancillary information, from a layout's architectural genesis and contact information to its rating, slope, practice facilities and position in current national/state rankings. Also something of a reference volume for historians and architectural aficionados, The American Private Golf Club Guide is the centerpiece of MT III Golf Media's series of national and regional course guidebooks, and is an indispensable source of information to golfers nationwide.

An inclusive narrative of golf's history and popularity in the United States

Journalist and legal expert Marcia Chambers spent five years interviewing women who have endured discrimination on the golf course. In this book, she exposes the rampant bias that runs through golf, explores why traditional activism doesn't work, and offers winning strategies to help women create positive change.

For golf's true enthusiasts, the game is far more--and far more complex--than a simple hobby, commodity, or slice of the sports industry. It is a physical and mental place to be, a community. It has a history, a hierarchy, laws, a language, and a literature. And in Richard J. Moss, it has a chronicler. From its beginnings in the northeastern United States in the 1880s, golf has seen its popularity, and its fortunes, wax and wane, affected by politics and economics, reflecting tensions between aristocratic and democratic impulses. The Kingdom of Golf in America traces these ups and downs, ins and outs, in the growth of golf as a community. Moss describes the development of the private club and public course and the impact of wealth and the consumer culture on those who play golf and those who watch. He shows that factors like race, gender, technology, suburbanization, and the transformation of the South that shaped the nation also shaped golf. The result is a unique, and uniquely entertaining, work of cultural history that shows us golf as a community whose story resonates far beyond the confines of the course. Purchase the audio edition.

The host and coproducer of the megahit reality show The Apprentice presents a unique collection of golf advice. From Palmer and Player, Mickelson and Vijay to Pat Boone, Stone Phillips, and even Yogi Berra, these players, teachers, businesspeople, and celebrities will help you play better and score lower. Everyone who plays golf has that little nugget of information they turn to on the course. But never before has such an array of golfing advice been pulled together in one place. Donald Trump, himself an avid—and very good—golfer, asked his friends, colleagues, and playing companions to offer thoughts on everything from the mental game to the swing to putting to playing golf the right way. And golfers being what they are, none could resist sharing words of wisdom. So here we find Vijay Singh telling us about playing simply: “You don’t need to get your golf swing by going through video cameras and stuff like that. Just kind of go out there and find yourself.” Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith talks about not overswinging: “Just learn to allow the club to do what it’s supposed to do . . . because the ball is sitting still.” Actor Michael Douglas has a specific routine to slow his tempo—he says his wife’s name, and doesn’t even think of starting to bring the club down until he gets to “Jones.” Taken together, these more than two hundred entries create a unique handbook, covering every aspect of the game—and ranging from the lighthearted to the deadly serious. Donald Trump’s book of advice is certain to take its place next to Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book as the ultimate in golf instruction.