A Round of Scottish Courses

PRE-ORDER. SHIPS IN MARCH.

As a young boy growing up in Alabama, Jim Hartsell became fascinated with Scottish links golf while watching the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry—the legendary Duel in the Sun between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. Then 17 years later in 1994, Jim made his first trip to Scotland to play all the famous links with his father. The ultimate revelation of that initial visit, however, was not the great Open venues, but a few days spent in the village of Machrihanish near the Mull of Kintyre. Inspired to travel to the remote peninsula by Michael Bamberger’s classic book To the Linksland, that week changed the course of his life. During a break from playing the mythical links of Machrihanish, a friendly B&B host convinced him to visit nearby Dunaverty Golf Club—setting off a 30-year obsession with visiting and studying the lesser-known outposts of traditional Scottish golf.

A Round of Scottish Courses celebrates Hartsell’s 18 favorite courses in the sublime country where golf began. From the Highlands to the Outer Hebrides, from the Kingdom of Fife to the magical island of Arran, the experiences of this lifelong journey are as important as the golf. A Round of Scottish Courses celebrates the kind and giving Scottish people, the stunning, otherworldly landscapes, and the wonders of a post-round bowl of Scotch Broth. It is a loving paean to Scotland, its great links, and the traditional community golf that still exists in the hidden corners of an ancient land.

"As essential a guide for the golfing visitor to Scotland as Bamberger's To the Linksland and Finegan's Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens. A Round of Scottish Courses is a love story, a faerie-tale romance, an architect's insight into course design and an assessment of playability (and soup) by a very good, very hungry golfer. Infused with soul and spirit, it's a delight and destined to be a classic." 
—Tom Morton, author of Hell’s Golfer and Holy Waters

"Millport & Wick. A stock brokerage from Trading Places? No—Jim Hartsell discoveries in his splendid A Round of Scottish Courses! The wonders never cease. Thank yee, Jim. "
—Michael Bamberger, author of To The Linksland and Men in Green

“There’s simply nobody I’d rather have to guide me around Scotland than Jim Hartsell. He sees and experiences the game the same way I do, as a means to explore places away from home and to meet and connect with great people along the way. And all the while I relish his attention to detail, how he interweaves the history of a place, and makes me feel like I’m there right alongside him step for step. So whether you’ve been to Scotland many times before or look forward to going one day soon, A Round of Scottish Courses is the perfect resource to transport you to the magical Scottish links.” 
—Phil Landes (Big Randy), No Laying Up

“Jim has a special knack for finding the places that stick with you long after you've visited. His curiosity leads readers to places that aren't readily apparent from a guide or a rankings list or even a map. And these places aren't novelties - instead, they're the very heartbeat of golf. It's impossible to read one of Jim's books and not feel more attached to the game and a sense of wanderlust for the places he's made a lifetime of seeking out.” 
—Todd Schuster (Tron Carter), No Laying Up

"Through his earnestness, knowledge, passion and curiosity, Jim continues to make me fall in love with places I've never even been. The breadth of this book allows his years of Scottish travel to be on full display and is sure to introduce you to a few new bucket list spots."
—DJ Piehowski, No Laying Up