The 19th Hole

A masterful celebration--in words and vintage photos--of the famous St. Andrews golf course in Scotland, A Wee Nip at the 19th Hole takes an evocative look at the role that caddies have played in shaping this centuries-old game.

The 19th Hole examines the design of many of the world's great golf clubhouses. It's part of the IMAGES series of titles that looks exclusively at world-best practice in architecture. The book is a photographic feast of the often-sumptuous clubhouse fit-outs that accompanies golfing at these illustrious courses. This book is endorsed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, who names author Richard Diedrich in his foreword as possibly the only person he has ever met who truly understands the synergy that must coexist between golf courses and their clubhouses. Nicklaus and Diedrich paired up more than 25 years ago to design many of the world's newest and most prestigious clubs. Many of the world's most established and legendary courses are featured, including the Augusta National Golf Club, the Winged Foot Golf Club and the Congressional Country Club, to name a few. What makes this book outstanding, however, is its presentation of many new clubs that are destined to rank among the world's legendary clubs. These include 40 recently designed and built clubs in the United States that set the standard for designing clubs around the world, which is appropriate when it is considered that more than half of the world's 32,000 golf courses can be found within the United States.

Everybody loves a celebration, and golfers are no exception. It has long been a tradition after a round of golf to gather together and celebrate a win or merely enjoy the company of friends, new and old, with a second round at “the 19th hole,” a slang term used in golf that refers to a pub, bar, or restaurant on or near the golf course. Two Good Rounds is an interna-tional tribute to great golfers and the golf lifestyle, which often includes the enjoyment of drinks. In each chapter, golf writer Elisa Gaudet asks a notable professional golfer the same questions: What is your favorite drink? What is your favorite clubhouse or 19th hole? And what is a special time or memory from a 19th hole? The results yielded a wide array of answers ranging from crazy celebrations after a win to heartfelt memories of childhoods spent playing golf with family and friends. From the Arnold Palmer (½ lemonade, ½ iced tea) to the margarita (the preferred drink of tour star Vijay Singh), drinks and golf are inextricably linked. Two Good Rounds shows you how.

Edited collection of golf columns and golf book reviews

A guide to surviving golf's most important hole, the 19th. How to Par the 19th Hole will make you the Silver Back Alpha Male or the Queen of your foursome no matter how you perform on the course. With over 125 essays on the culture of golf you'll be prepared to hold forth at length when almost any topic arises and maintain your deserved status as the groups leading raconteur.

From the trivial to the arcane to the bizarre to the hilarious to the tragic, Alliss' 19th Hole is a compulsively readable compendium of golf facts, told in the wry voice of the man Golf Digest called the "best golf commentator ever," the legendary Peter Alliss. Marvel at the accomplishments of golfers who have won a revered place in "Alliss' Hall of Fame," shake your head in disbelief at the chaos that ensues "When Good Golfers Go Bad," and relive "The Great Battles of Golf History." Take an armchair expedition to "The World's Ten Greatest Holes," learn "Ten Essential Facts About the Hole in One," and see what happens when the green is subject to "Animal Intrusions." Informed by a deep love of the game and a whimsical eye for detail that will delight and engage anyone who shares his enthusiasm for the game, Alliss' 19th Hole is the perfect book for any duffer who can't get enough links lore.

When Mohamed Noorani writes, he uses the nom de plume of Sandy Parr. Sandy Parr writes mostly on golf. He loves golf, but he is not the typical, ardent, or fanatic golfer who habitually watches the World Golf Ranking. Instead, Sandy spends his time writhing and agonising just to understand why the incorrigible weekend golfers (including him) find it so hard to shave off their handicap. He never pretends that he has the answer, or is even near to it. Nonetheless, he knows from observation that the touring pros are way ahead of the weekend golf nuts, simply because of their prowess in reaching the greens in regulation, their superiority in the delicate chipping and pitching shots, and their confidence in putting. In other words, the pros are superior in everything. This book is a compilation of what Sandy Parr had noted about golf as seen from the eyes of a weekend golfer. Sandy would advise that the easiest shots to shave off your score are found in the short game. Chipping, pitching, and putting don't require tremendous swing speed or physical ability. Plus, they can be practiced in your backyard or living room. Having a reliable tee shot that land in the fairway is important as well. Finding the short grass off the tee is much more important than distance, especially for high handicappers.

Written with the help of golfing poets such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, Charles “Chick” Evans, Grantland Rice and Billy Collins. Laid out as a golf course with Holes (chapters) such as “St. Andrews,” “Agonies and Frustrations,” “Advice,” “Politics and War,” “Links with the Devil” and “The Women’s Game.” Illustrated with pictures, cartoons and photographs. The text and poems include humorous tales, historical dramas and personal accounts that will touch the hearts of golfers universally. Much of the material comes from inaccessible books and magazines published in the U.S., England and Scotland before 1930.