Just off the press last month is the latest title from author Roger McStravick.
In 1879, St Andrews was thriving. The town was becoming what Sir Hugh Lyon Playfair had envisioned back in the 1830s – the Metropolis of Golf.
When the Town Council wanted to allow the owners of houses facing the golf course to build a road from Golf Place to Grannie Clark’s Wynd and beyond, one lone voice resisted – John Paterson.
He was incensed that the Council would even consider allowing a road on the ancient links. To stop them, he took the Town Council to court. The case went all the way to the House of Lords.
After three years of research, Roger, winner of the USGA’s Herbert Warren Wind Book Award and fellow winner of the British Golf Collectors Society’s Murdoch Medal, reveals the full details of the case.
The book contains many fascinating cross examinations from townspeople of the time, so we hear opinions from Old Tom Morris, Jamie Anderson and many others, in their own words, which give us a clear portrait of the evolution of St Andrews links and unravel a few mysteries along the way.
The book is filled with beautiful images throughout, many which are previously unpublished. Most have been carefully retouched to restore them to their original quality.
We produced two editions. There is the leather-bound Subscribers’ Edition, all 50 of which were pre-sold, with all subscribers’ names printed on the front endpaper.
We also printed a soft-back edition of 300, which are selling for £99 each.
Highlighted throughout the book are unique quotes that typify the opposing opinions of the local workers, residents, councillors and golfers, and reveal previous unknown gems of historical and local geographical information, like who actually built Tom Morris’ house in 1830!
The book is now the 14th golf-related book I’ve produced since 2002, when I produced the centenary book for The New Golf Club. This is the sixth book I’ve produced in partnership with Roger.
I’ll leave you with a few more glimpses of the book which, hopefully, will entice you to purchase it, either for yourself or as a Christmas present for someone special.
