In a world increasingly built on technology, gadgets, luxurious accommodations, and ease of travel Tom Coyne brings readers on a journey that shuns those things (for the most part) in favor of exploring an ancient land and its unique brand of golf. Many golfers dream of traveling to the Emerald Isle to play golf and experience some of its culture, but few, if any, have “played Ireland” the way Coyne did. He turned the island into one large track of courses, each set of nine or eighteen holes part of the overall round rather than its own destination. And he did almost all of it on foot.
Coyne is a skilled writer. In sharing his journey he does a fantastic job of describing experiences in a way that people can relate using unique and engaging analogies, phrases, and the like. As the reader moves through the book, he or she will truly feel a part of the journey with Coyne as he walks the coast of Ireland playing golf, meeting locals in pubs that few have seen or heard of, and dealing with the uniqueness of circumstances in each bed and breakfast that he finds himself in.
Before reading the book I expected it to include detailed descriptions of famous and not-so-famous-but-deserves-to-be-famous Irish golf courses. While Coyne describes some of the courses, he does so without a lot of detail. You won’t find “#1 is a 420 yard dogleg to the right and the best drive is placed on the left side of the fairway for the best angle to avoid the pot bunkers on your approach.” There is virtually none of that, and it’s for the better. Coyne’s book gets to the soul of golf in Ireland and largely leaves strategy and course ratings for another time and publication.
Coyne attributes a quote to Pat Ruddy who he met along his journey that sums up the soul of Irish golf, which the book conveys throughout. Referring to the European Club, which Ruddy designed, Coyne says he “built his club as a place where ‘golf is played for its own sake rather than as a mere adornment of modern and social business life.’”
What you will find is an exploration of what golf means to a country and its culture as well as a study of that culture through a unique and immersive experience. Coyne is well positioned to write this book. An avid American golfer of Irish descent with a history in golf writing, Coyne makes the book about more than just golf in certain places. For example, he and his parents find some potentially long lost relatives in the area where their ancestors lived before immigrating to America. Coyne also describes going on a tour of areas where the Troubles have occurred in Belfast. Coyne’s take on the situation is interesting and an engaging juxtaposition with a golf journey. Finally, Coyne adds historic context throughout the book explaining famous and/or pivotal events in Irish history as he travels through the areas where they occurred in the Republic and Northern Ireland.
Coyne has written a unique book that’s fun to read if you have any interest or experience with Irish golf. If you’ve been to Ireland for golf, this book will likely bring back good memories and provide additional context for what you experienced. If you are a golfer who hasn’t been to Ireland, this book will likely make you wonder when you’ll be able to experience it yourself.