A heartfelt, rollicking ode to golf . . . Coyne describes playing golf in every state of the union, including Alaska: 295 courses, 5,182 holes, 1.7 million total yards. Along the way, he dives deep into the essence of the game—its joys, its agonies and addictions, its hold on golfers’ souls. But most of what you’ll remember after putting the book down are the people he encounters, in all their great American diversity and passion.”
—John Paul Newport, The Wall Street Journal
“A Course Called America is an unequivocal pleasure. Tom Coyne gives a fresh perspective on many places I've been, and I had to pause a number of times to relish the way he reflects on what he encounters—the people, the history, and the humor. Here is a soulful and thoroughly entertaining journey that will give people a sense of what golf means to so many of our friends who love the game.”
—Ben Crenshaw, two-time Masters Champion
“A Course Called America is a discovery of our country, our culture, our people and the diverse ways we come to the game of golf. As a golf course architect, I thought I would love the descriptions of the courses he discovered, and looked forward to finding out which would be crowned the Great American Golf Course. I quickly realized that the stars of this book are not the courses, but the people playing them. I became enthralled with the varied experiences of golf, the camaraderie, the matches. Tom Coyne is a wonderful storyteller, and the stories that unfold across this vast landscape called America—some laugh out loud funny, and some stirringly poignant—get to the soul of our game and the heart of our nation.”
—Gil Hanse, renowned golf course architect
“As Tom uses his gift for storytelling to chronicle his journey through some of America’s best golf courses, you’ll find yourself remembering why you first fell in love with the game. A Course Called America is a beautifully woven together story that is somehow hilarious and moving all at once, and paints a vivid picture of all that golf in America has to offer.”
—Stacy Lewis, two-time major champion
“In A Course Called America, Tom Coyne sets out to discover what makes a great American golf course. Well, I'll tell you what makes a great American golf book—Coyne, an ambitious itinerary, and his eye for what's special on and off the course. This result is exceptional—a big, sweeping adventure, as endearing as it is sprawling, and a fitting tribute to American golf.”
—Phil Landes, aka "Big Randy" from No Laying Up
“This book is one for the ages . . . May be the best of [Coyne’s books] . . . While Coyne searches for the perfect American golf course, what he actually discovers is how golf can build a bridge of harmony between people of different races, religions, and cultures.”
—Les Schupak, The Met Golfer
"Besides oozing with rich golf history and lore, Coyne’s heartfelt anecdotes about people he meets and the joys of companionship are appealing. . . . This is a delightful, entertaining book even nongolfers can enjoy."
—Kirkus Reviews
“An entertaining blend of travelogue, memoir, and sports writing . . . Golf nuts will be tantalized by the glimpses of America’s premier courses, while those looking to book an epic post-pandemic golf trip will find plenty of inspiration.”
—Publishers Weekly
PRAISE FOR A COURSE CALLED SCOTLAND:
“One of the best golf books this century.”
—Golf Digest
“Tom Coyne has a knack for setting impossible tasks for himself. . . . Mr. Coyne is back at it again with A Course Called Scotland. This time he avails himself of cars, planes, and ferries, but the task he sets is no less preposterous: to play 107 courses in 56 days. . . . Readers who enjoyed Mr. Coyne’s rollicking Irish book will be interested to learn how their fearless travel guide has fared in the intervening years. . . . There’s no less wit in the writing—British weather forecasts, he concludes, are ‘as useful as ashtrays on motorbikes’—and almost as many well-rendered characters, both locals he meets and friends and readers who join him along the way. . . . All the famous courses are here: St. Andrews, Dornoch, Turnberry, Carnoustie. But even seasoned golf travelers will be unfamiliar with many of the courses Mr. Coyne finds. He tees it up where nature carved holes that no architect would dream of, where 12 holes instead of 18 suit the members just fine, and where munching sheep, not mowers, keep the fairway grass short. Does he discover the secret to the game? He finds several, including, most practically, ‘never, ever give up.’ ”
—John Paul Newport, The Wall Street Journal
“They said it couldn’t be done—that he’d never be able to top Ireland. But with Scotland, he did it. Damn you, Tom Coyne!”
—Michael Bamberger, author of Men in Green
“A fast-moving, insightful, often funny travelogue encompassing the width of much of the British Isles . . . One of the reasons A Course Called Scotland works so well is because Coyne extended an offhanded invitation to listeners of a radio show to join him in Scotland. . . . The eclectic cast of characters who pop up throughout the story underscore the deep connections forged through travel.”
—Golfweek
“Coyne has a wonderful way of making the reader feel a part of the quest. You experience his trials and tribulations as well as the sense of wonder and awe that comes with playing golf in Scotland.”
—Chicago Tribune
“There is a purity in the Scots’ game that isn’t about manicured greens or a ball’s ‘spin rate.’ Coyne admires their ‘homemade’ swings that merely focus on getting the golf ball around the course and in the hole. He becomes convinced that perfection is an illusion, though a powerful one. He slowly accepts his limitations, one day at a time, swing after swing.”
—Bloomberg
“Tom Coyne’s much-anticipated follow-up to his fun book A Course Called Ireland lived up to my high expectations. Who wouldn’t be jealous of Coyne’s adventures getting to play every links in Scotland? He mixes well his commentary on the courses with the historical significance of each place he visits. This is a must-read.”
—Golf Advisor
“The author entertains us with accounts of foul weather, fair friends (one of whom got hit in the face with a drive), and astonishing courses, some dating back centuries. . . . Golfers and golf-o-philes will gobble this down.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“In this witty and charming follow-up to A Course Called Ireland, Coyne continues living a golfer’s dream by playing every links course in Scotland, golf’s birthplace. . . . Enthusiasts will revel in Coyne’s eloquent narration of his course-by-course adventures, while casual fans might be tempted to pick up their clubs a little more often.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Fighting through physical exhaustion, self-doubt, homesickness and spates of nasty weather, Coyne knocks out 111 full or partial rounds on 107 courses, sometimes three rounds a day, in his search for the ‘secret’ of great golf. It’s no secret that his passion for the game (and life) shows through on every page, and we get to follow his every step through modern golf’s birthplace.”
—Golf Tips Magazine
“News of a new tale by Tom Coyne is always reason to celebrate—assuming you love golf, irresistible storytelling, a cast of colorful characters and a poignant journey through the birthplace of the game. Lots of us share Tom’s Mitty-dream of running away to the great links lands and the lesser known coastal gems of Scotland. But he’s masterfully accomplished the feat with his charming pilgrimage around the game’s Holy Land that unfolds as smoothly as a fine single malt. Coyne's trademark wit, humor, unerring ear for the locals, and deep knowledge of the game are on full display, rendering this a poetic journey you won’t soon forget.”
—James Dodson, author of Final Rounds
2021-02-16
Hitting balls across America, state by state.
Sportswriter Coyne’s latest completes a trilogy of travelogues begun with golf courses in Ireland and Scotland. His goal was to play golf in every state in two-to-three week stretches for a year, in search of the mythical “Great American Golf Course.” Besides oozing with rich golf history and lore, Coyne’s heartfelt anecdotes about people he meets and the joys of companionship are appealing. After getting his wife’s permission, creating a beginning itinerary and securing tee times, Coyne began his adventure near his home, at “Dad’s home course of LuLu, a curiously named and underrated Donald Ross [course] outside of Philadelphia that was founded by a group of Shriners back in 1912.” Next up was the historic Newport Country Club. Seeking the benevolence of friends (he has many), the author gained access to America’s most exclusive courses. On Long Island, he visited the grave of C.B. Macdonald, who designed the course he had just played: the National Golf Links of America (“It was easy to appreciate its holes as perhaps golf’s most fascinating ensemble, in both shape and style”). Coyne played Bethpage Black two weeks after it hosted the PGA Championship. In Washington state, the author played Meadow Park with classic hickory-shafted clubs and enjoyed the greens at Chambers Bay, “smooth as poker tables.” On a remote southern strip of Oregon’s seaside cliffs, he took on Bandon Dunes, a “true hold-my-calls experience,” and he completed a round at Chena Bend, a central Alaska military base course, at 1 a.m. Playing Nebraska’s Sand Hills felt like “sailing a vast sea of grassy swells.” From Hawaii to a dusty Navajo Nation course in northern Arizona, Coyne tallied 300 rounds over 294 courses. A good player, his average score was an impressive 6 over par. Although bumpy to start, once underway, the narrative settles into a smooth, welcoming flow.
Even if you just thumb through, this is a delightful, entertaining book even nongolfers can enjoy.
