A Course Called America: Fifty States, Five Thousand Fairways, and the Search for the Great American Golf Course
Book by Tom Coyne
DETAILS
Publisher : Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster (May 25, 2021) Language : English Hardcover : 416 pages ISBN-10 : 1982128054 ISBN-13 : 978-1982128050 Item Weight : 1.32 pounds Dimensions : 6.13 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches Best Sellers Rank: #4,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Golf Biographies (Books) #3 in Travel Writing Reference #4 in Golf (Books) , 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 author of A Course Called Ireland and A Course Called Scotland , returns to his own birthplace and delivers a rollicking love letter to golf in the United States. 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 an epic narrative travelogue brimming with heart and soul. Read more
REVIEW
Following books A Course Called Ireland/Scotland, Coyne opted for the same formula for the USA. Here, he's just trying to find the quintessential American course by playing in all 50 states. While there are plenty of interesting anecdotes and insights into particular courses, the tale devolves into a race around the country for the sake of reaching all 50. Many courses get barely a paragraph. Not sure he ever picked the course he was looking for, unless it was a 12-holer a guy built in his large "backyard". This is Coyne's 4th book. You get a real view of his personal development. The last part of the book where he plays what is likely a final round with his father is quite touching. It's clear Tom was trying to live up to his father's expectations. Golf was their bond. By now though we know Tom was a privileged Irish-Catholic who despite his Notre Dame pedigree at this point is a typical East Coast liberal, as he himself notes. Maybe not what his dad (naval office, wealthy stockbroker) aspired for his youngest sone. As a liberal, he's constantly at odds with the exclusive nature of many American course (particularly East Coast). It gets a bit preachy at times. Not sure if his wife Allyson is real for all the BS she's put up with him since Paper Tiger.
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