All Courses Great And Small: A Golfer's Pilgrimage to England and Wales
- Book Review,
by James W. Finegan
From Publishers Weekly
The author of books about golf in Scotland and Ireland swings his way across the best courses in England and Wales in this ode to the sport by one of its most impassioned fans. From links bordering the sea, to heathland courses in the English countryside, to those on London's outskirts, Finegan, whose age has upped his handicap but not his enthusiasm, meets up with local club members to showcase each course for his readers. His descriptions range from the evocative ("Distinguishing the course are the complex and silken-swift greens and...the bunkers, which are variously shaped and exquisitely sited, the sand often flashed up the face, the lip sometimes a thin swooping line") to the technical ("Even from the medal tees, the course measures only 6,200 yards; par is 70...There are eight strong holes here, six of them in a row...This series includes a pair of excellent par threes, the short one a knob-to-knob beauty...plus a quartet of rigorous two-shotters"). Finegan charts over 100 courses, "taking them as they fall on the map, with little regard for their pedigree," and in doing so he shares information about courses' architects and owners (The Addington's old-fashioned and charmingly dictatorial Mrs. Moira Fabes being a colorful example of the latter), tidbits of course history, vignettes from the lives of the folks he tees off with and helpful information about food and lodging. For true golf lovers, this one's an ace. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
This third installment in Finegan's Golfer's Pilgrimage series finds the author on the trail of more undiscovered links in Great Britain. His first two volumes, Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens and Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas (both 1996), covered the golfing world's twin Meccas, Scotland and Ireland. This time he turns to less-heralded England and Wales but finds a succession of mouth-wateringly beautiful courses, most of which possess the added attraction of not being overrun with hordes of Americans. What makes this series particularly valuable is Finegan's focus on average golfers who prefer to play from the white (shorter) tees and for whom length is not the measure of a great golf hole. In a chatty, conversational style, Finegan takes us from course to course with enticing hole-by-hole descriptions and practical notes on tourist attractions and places to stay and eat. Unlike many accounts of idyllic summers spent on the links of Scotland by low-handicappers with high incomes (or expense accounts), Finegan's proposed tours seem nicely manageable for mid-range players and earners. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
Tom Doak Golf architect and author of The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses England has always been the most underrated of golfing destinations...until now. Through years of experience, Jim Finegan has identified the best unknown courses and best individual holes, and found us the best rooms in town. In fact, he's done everything but pay our greens fees and buy us a drink at the 19th hole! Follow in his footsteps, on the golf course or on the printed page, and enjoy the greatest variety of golf courses anywhere in the world.
Book Description
Every golfer dreams of making a pilgrimage to the British Isles, and it sometimes seems as though every golfer is in fact making that pilgrimage, especially when you're trying to book a tee time. The legendary courses of Scotland and Ireland are magnificent shrines, but their fame has obscured the greatness of the golf to be found all across the landscape of England and Wales. From the heathland in the north and center to the linksland on the coasts, England and Wales present an extraordinary variety of great golf experiences. In All Courses Great and Small, James W. Finegan treats the reader to a countries-wide survey of these golfing delights -- some famous, like the Open Championship venues of Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham & St. Annes, and Royal St. George's; some well known, like Sunningdale, Wentworth, and The Belfry; and some gems that have long been hidden in plain sight, like The Addington (in suburban London) or Southport & Ainsdale (not ten minutes from Royal Birkdale). There are as many outstanding courses in England and Wales as there are in Scotland and Ireland combined, a shocking fact that is easily explained: While Scotland has 5.2 million people and 550 golf courses, and Ireland has 3.5 million people and 400 courses, England and Wales have 50 million people and more than 2,000 courses. Finegan provides a charming guide to the courses and the towns, the inns and the eateries to be found along the way. He highlights the best of the not quite four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire; gives advice about lunch after your round at Sandwich; raises a cup of grog at Gog Magog; and tackles the playing and pronouncing problems posed by Pwllheli. He gives full due to the best-known places such as Rye, Wentworth, Hoylake, and the royals, but he also declares such lesser-known treasures as St. Enodoc, Silloth-on-Solway, Southerndown, and Pennard to be every bit as worthy of your time and attention. His books on the courses of Scotland and Ireland, Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens and Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas, have become invaluable companions to thousands of travelers; All Courses Great and Small is an irresistible and even more essential addition to the touring golfer's shelf and suitcase.
About the Author
James W. Finegan is the author of five books, including Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens and Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas. He lives in Villanova, Pennsylvania, when he is not traveling across the Atlantic Ocean with his golf clubs in tow.
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