A Course Called America: Fifty States, Five Thousand Fairways, and the Search for the Great American Golf Course (Thorndike Press Large Print Nonfiction)

Review\n"A Course Called America is an unequivocal pleasure. Tom Coyne gives a fresh perspective on many places I've been, and I had to pause a number of times to relish the way he reflects on what he encounters--the people, the history, and the humor. Here is a soulful and thoroughly entertaining journey that will give people a sense of what golf means to so many of our friends who love the game."
--Ben Crenshaw, two-time Masters Champion
"A Course Called America is a discovery of our country, our culture, our people and the diverse ways we come to the game of golf. As a golf course architect, I thought I would love the descriptions of the courses he discovered, and looked forward to finding out which would be crowned the Great American Golf Course. I quickly realized that the stars of this book are not the courses, but the people playing them. I became enthralled with the varied experiences of golf, the camaraderie, the matches. Tom Coyne is a wonderful storyteller, and the stories that unfold across this vast landscape called America--some laugh out loud funny, and some stirringly poignant--get to the soul of our game and the heart of our nation."
--Gil Hanse, renowned golf course architect
"As Tom uses his gift for storytelling to chronicle his journey through some of America's best golf courses, you'll find yourself remembering why you first fell in love with the game. A Course Called America is a beautifully woven together story that is somehow hilarious and moving all at once, and paints a vivid picture of all that golf in America has to offer."
--Stacy Lewis, two-time major champion
"In A Course Called America, Tom Coyne sets out to discover what makes a great American golf course. Well, I'll tell you what makes a great American golf book--Coyne, an ambitious itinerary, and his eye for what's special on and off the course. This result is exceptional--a big, sweeping adventure, as endearing as it is sprawling, and a fitting tribute to American golf."
--Phil Landes, aka "Big Randy" from No Laying Up
"This book is one for the ages . . . May be the best of [Coyne's books] . . . While Coyne searches for the perfect American golf course, what he actually discovers is how golf can build a bridge of harmony between people of different races, religions, and cultures."
--Les Schupak, The Met Golfer
"Besides oozing with rich golf history and lore, Coyne's heartfelt anecdotes about people he meets and the joys of companionship are appealing. . . . This is a delightful, entertaining book even nongolfers can enjoy."
--Kirkus Reviews
"An entertaining blend of travelogue, memoir, and sports writing . . . Golf nuts will be tantalized by the glimpses of America's premier courses, while those looking to book an epic post-pandemic golf trip will find plenty of inspiration."
--Publishers Weekly\nPRAISE FOR A COURSE CALLED SCOTLAND:
"One of the best golf books this century."
--Golf Digest
"Tom Coyne has a knack for setting impossible tasks for himself. . . . Mr. Coyne is back at it again with A Course Called Scotland. This time he avails himself of cars, planes, and ferries, but the task he sets is no less preposterous: to play 107 courses in 56 days. . . . Readers who enjoyed Mr. Coyne's rollicking Irish book will be interested to learn how their fearless travel guide has fared in the intervening years. . . . There's no less wit in the writing--British weather forecasts, he concludes, are 'as useful as ashtrays on motorbikes'--and almost as many well-rendered characters, both locals he meets and friends and readers who join him along the way. . . . All the famous courses are here: St. Andrews, Dornoch, Turnberry, Carnoustie. But even seasoned golf travelers will be unfamiliar with many of the courses Mr. Coyne finds. He tees it up where nature carved holes that no architect would dream of, where 12 holes instead of 18 suit the members just fine, and where munching sheep, not mowers, keep the fairway grass short. Does he discover the secret