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Golf Digest, Dec, 1999

Golf writ large

Golf Digest LIBRARY

New offerings capture golf on a grand scale

Golf's grandeur often loses its impact when reduced to book size. Fortunately, the game has probably been the subject of more coffee- table books than any other. Our man Cliff Schrock weighs in on the year's best big books. As he says, leafing through these editions is the next-best thing to being there.

Legendary Golf Clubs of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland, Anthony Edgeworth and John de St. Jorre, Edgeworth Editions, $65, 312 pages

In four nongolf books, photographer Edgeworth showed an amazing feel for a subject's traditions. He brings that same touch to golf, having spent more than a year compiling a stunning collection of 258 photographs that captures the spirit of "gentleman's golf" in golf's birthland. (Order by phone, 877-360-GOLF or via www.greatgolfcourses.com.)

The Golden Age of Golf Design, Geoff Shackelford, Sleeping Bear Press, $65, 211 pages

Many of America's greatest courses were built prior to 1937, when designers and workers shaped courses with nearly their bare hands. Their efforts resulted in courses that are now golf's version of cherished heirlooms. Using vintage photos, this admirable book describes the philosophies and practices of these classic architects.

St. Andrews and the Open Championship, David Joy and Iain Macfarlane Lowe, Sleeping Bear Press, $45, 224 pages

Each time the Old Course is host to the Open Championship, a new batch of St. Andrews books comes out. Despite the numerous volumes, however, this book has elevated itself as "the official history" and contains beautiful photography by Lowe, St. Andrews' official photographer. Joy is a third-generation resident of St. Andrews who writes with authority.

Pebble Beach Golf Links: The Official History, Neal Hotelling and Joann Dost, Sleeping Bear Press, $45, 224 pages

A good book on Pebble Beach is generally a can't-miss endeavor. This one has a substantial collection of historical and new photos, detailing course history from professionals to celebrities. (The three Sleeping Bear books can be ordered by phone, 800-487-2323, or via www.sleepingbearpress.com.)

Spectacular Golf, text by David Gould, Golf Digest/ Hugh Lauter Levin Assoc., $75, 132 pages

The subtitle is "The courses, people and stories that make the game great." This 12- by 16-inch book showcases dozens of venues and describes how much of golf's history is from golfers being inspired by a course and its surroundings. Several of the 100-plus photos are foldouts that open to more than three feet wide. (Order via www.hlla.com.)