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Concerning Golf by John Laing Low
The Complete Golfer by Harry Vardon
Golf for Beginners by Guy Campbell, and
The World of Golf by Garden Smith
All these books are available for loan - please contact me.
Originally published in 1896. The first book on the game written by a professional and one of the first to look at the game in a theoretical way. It argues sensibly for the strategic approach, as the only practical way to cater for the diverse ability of golfers.
Originally published in 1903. Low muses initially on the nature of golf as a static ball game, with problems of considered aforethought rather than the instinctive co-ordinated hand and eye reaction to a moving ball. Then he rips straight into the big controversy of the day: Gutty versus Haskell.
An historic golfing volume, originally published in 1905. The author, Harry Vardon, was the best golfer of his day, six-time British Open Champion (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914), 1900 U.S. Open Champion, and a force in golf for over thirty years.
As Vardon says: ‘So far as the instructional part of the book is concerned, I may say that, while I have had the needs of the novice constantly in mind, and have endeavoured to the best of my ability to put him on the right road to success, I have also presented the full fruits of my experience in regard to the fine points of the game, so that what I have written may be of advantage to improving golfers of all degrees of skill.’
This is an original copy, published in 1922.As well as the usual chapters on technique, Major Campbell includes a summary of the principles of “course construction” and on managing a club.
Originally published in 1898. The introduction states: ‘This book is not a manual of instruction. A man can no more be taught to play golf by a book, than he can be made virtuous by Act of Parliament. But "the world of golf" is wide, and it is hoped that the following chapters may be found to contain some matters of golfing interest not yet dealt with, and to suggest some new points of view. If, in this way, the book can be regarded as a slight contribution to the cause of golf, the Author, who owes the game much, will be completely satisfied.’
