Just finished the book - what a great read. Wasn’t making much progress with reading, so bought the audiobook and finished it in two days
Loved the depth of focus for not just golf, but also the people Tom came into contact with. It was also great seeing some areas where our paths crossed. Golf’s a small world.
It was cool to see Mr. Ford welcome people to the US Open this morning and have a little background on him because of the book
Unfortunately I’m stuck at work and am not able to see it, but that is awesome.
Does everyone’s copy have this typo on page 247? Big fan of finding things like this in final prints
I found three in the first 150 pages and I agree, it’s kinda cool
And yet I suspect @TomCoyne would be less thrilled at such discoveries
Just got my copy of this finally for Father’s Day. Very excited to start it today!!!
Yeah it’s a bummer but hey it’s proof you have a first edition! It has since been repaired. There’s another one somewhere but I’m not saying where…
I didn’t find any typos in the audio book… I was happy to hear you read the epilogue. It was a nice touch.
Finished the book last week and just finished my Goodreads review:
Well done @TomCoyne - I really enjoyed it and I think it’s a real credit to read your writing and not care much at all about how you shoot or who wins the match (though i know you do!). Your knack for finding a unique story to tell about each course or playing partner makes it a fun, entertaining journey.
This quote in particular made me laugh - and then I about spit my drink out laughing when I read the ensuing encounter!
First tees no longer made me nervous, but somehow rangers still did.
A couple of other notable highlights, without spoiling anything: The mention of the Veterans Golf Association was so powerful and made me want to learn more about the organization. I also really loved how you explored your relationship with your father and how he started in golf. My grandpa also picked up golf in the Navy, and your epilogue was a wonderful way to end it. Thank you for writing!
Great review!
My copy has just arrived! Perfect timing for going off on annual leave next week.
Loved the book. Couldn’t help but smile throughout.
@TomCoyne one thing that struck me as a takeaway from the end/epilogue that just seemed so fitting was how full circle everything seemed to come. I’m sure it was purely a happy accident, but it just seemed so perfect that the place that started your dad’s golf journey, and subsequently your own, over the interim half-century had in essence morphed into a very similar place to what you ultimately found as the Great American course. Obviously its not in a backyard, or maybe in essence it is in the Navy’s backyard, but both places in my eyes prove the point that golf is about more than 18 greens and tee boxes, that its just as much about community, and how important places like that can be for starting people’s journey into golf. Just couldn’t help but chuckle at the parallels my mind was drawing between the two places as I finished the book, and how sometimes the world just seems to work like that.
Unrelated to the prior comment, I was catching some flack from the family and the wife while reading the book, like “yeah, he’s reading some book about golf courses…such a dork…”
Once I framed the book as imagine Anthony Bourdain being hooked on golf and travelling the US exploring it, was I able to get a little understanding for why I was reading it…other than just being a huge golf nerd.
Didn’t hurt that I was also able to point out to my wife/family that the book was on the NY Times best seller list and the author was quoting one friend while bestowing another friend(s)’ course with the title of the Great American golf course.
Anyways, thanks for coming to my tedx talk.
Part 3 today! Allegedly with @sundaybag
Any possibility of a Q&A portion from us readers here on the final installment? I’m sure you’ll have touched on just about every thing, but you might get a few decent ones that haven’t been broached.
Great minds! Let’s do it—add any questions here and I’ll do my best to get to as many as possible for Ep. 4
Hell Yeah. Awesome…
I’m not sure if this is too “personal” of a question, but I’m really curious about the costs of the whole project and if there was any pre project funding from the publisher, etc. Was it all out of pocket? Free rounds, etc.? . Really just a macro level look at how it was all put together from a financial standpoint.
Awesome to hear @sundaybag on the pod! Haven’t picked up ACCA yet (waiting on the paperback) but stoked that a piece of the Refuge gets celebrated in in!
My question for @TomCoyne is:
While writing, did you feel there was a disproportionate amount of information/opinions on courses you played on social media versus course opinions that made the book? Is there anything about individual courses that you wanted to include but didn’t make the book?
Obviously you can’t spend too much time on one place when you’re literally playing 300 courses…
I asked Tom (on Twitter) this while he was doing it, which is this – As someone who is no longer in the prime of his youth, how do you consistently play 36/day, day after day?
His answer was something about “massages!” but I’d love to hear more. As someone about his age, I can’t imagine how sore I’d be and would love to hear what that experience is like. (Even when he’s NOT walking around the perimeter of a country.)
