A Course Called Scotland: Searching the Home of Golf for the Secret to Its Game

From Tom Coyne-the author of the New York Times bestselling A Course Called Ireland, hailed as “a joy from start to finish” by The Wall Street Journal-comes the heartfelt and humorous celebration of his quest to play golf on every links course in Scotland, the birthplace of the game he loves.For much of his adult life, bestselling author Tom Coyne has been chasing a golf ball around the globe. When he was in college, studying abroad in London, he entered the lottery for a prized tee time in Scotland, grabbing his clubs and jumping the train to St. Andrews as his friends partied in Amsterdam; later, he golfed the entirety of Ireland’s coastline, chased pros through the mini-tours, and attended grueling Qualifying Schools in Australia, Canada, and Latin America. Yet, as he watched the greats compete, he felt something was missing. Then one day a friend suggested he attempt to play every links course in Scotland, and qualify for the greatest championship in golf.The result is A Course Called Scotland, a hilarious golf and travel adventure throughout the birthplace of the sport and home to some of the oldest and most beloved courses in the world, including St. Andrews, Turnberry, Dornoch, Prestwick, Troon, and Carnoustie. With his signature blend of storytelling, humor, history, and insight, Coyne weaves together his journey to more than 100 legendary links courses in Scotland with compelling threads of golf history and witty insights into the contemporary home of golf. As he journeys Scotland in search of the game’s secrets, he discovers new and old friends, rediscovers the peace and power of the sport, and, most importantly, reaffirms the ultimate connection between the game and the soul. It is a rollicking love letter to Scotland and golf as no one has attempted it before.

Reviews of A Course Called Scotland: Searching the Home of Golf for the Secret to Its Game

Praise for A Course Called Scotland"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 BambergerPraise for A Course Called Ireland"There is no golf trip like an Irish golf trip, and Tom Coyne has risen to meet that road. I look forward to reading this again. Pack it with your sticks." -Bill Murray"Equal parts touching, wry, and hilarious." -The New York Times"Witty and winning…A joy from start to finish." -The Wall Street Journal"Like the country itself, Coyne's book is an affable ramble through a charmed land." -Chicago Tribune"A Course Called Ireland explores the history of the land being traveled and pauses for tales both tall and short, as well as, in this case, for pub songs. Coyne finds plenty of all of the above from Kilkee to Kerry, the long way. Golfers reading this book may wish they'd been walking by Coyne's side." -Boston Globe"A delightful and fun book." -Minneapolis Star-Tribune"A really good read." -The Modesto Bee"Tom Coyne's purely delightful adventure reminds us of why we love this game, with all its quirks, characters, unexpected bends in the road, and small epiphanies. I thoroughly recommend this bittersweet yeoman's tale to any fellow who simply feels the urge to play his way over the horizon." -James Dodson, author of The Range Bucket List"Walking across the face of Ireland with golf clubs, golf shoes, a stout supply of golf balls, and a change of underwear in tow, step after sometimes painful step over a period of four months is so daunting a prospect that the only thing which could possibly justify it is this triumphant book. A Course Called Ireland is knowing, warm, irreverent, funny, profound, compulsively readable, and, rarest of all, original-a book that seeks out and incisively pins down the character and fabric of Ireland today." -James W. Finegan, author of Where Golf is Great"This is the ode to Ireland James Joyce would have written if Joyce had been a compulsive golfer, really funny, and had Tom Coyne's legs. A Course Called Ireland makes you want to bag the mortgage and hit the road, a sack on your back. Coyne's book is an adventure, a pleasure, and a dream." -Michael Bamberger, author of Men in Green