Niblick Golf

The mission of NiblickGolf.com is to provide information on the rich traditions and heritage of the game of golf. We want to look at the foundations of the game by examining both the early courses and the golf pioneers who built them. By studying the past, we can often improve on the present and prepare for the future. NiblickGolf.com offers several avenues for you to explore:

GOLF IN HEAVEN? - Is this possible? If it is, surely it would be like playing golf on the linksland of the British Isles and Ireland … on courses warmed by the sun and cooled by ocean breezes. Courses where you can taste the salt in the wind that blows in off the Firth of Clyde or the Irish Sea. Courses where you might be faced with a blind shot over a grassy dune more than once in a round … a shot that Horace Hutchinson described in 1895 in The Badminton Library: Golf. “The holes were for the most part, out of sight when one took the iron in hand for the approach; for they lay in deep dells among these sandhills, and you lofted over the intervening mountain of sand, and there was all the fascinating excitement, as you climbed to the top of it, of seeing how near to the hole your ball may have happened to roll.”

I was fortunate to make my first trip to Ireland and Scotland in 1989, which was not a happy summer for the links. A severe drought had parched the fairways and greens, providing tons of yardage for drives but making it difficult to stop the ball on the green. Carnoustie was almost not playable and many players asked for their money back at that famous old course. I took seven putts on the first two greens: wind moved the ball back and forth on the cement-like putting surface, giving one the illusion that he had too much to drink the night before. It was a far cry then from the championship status it enjoys today. I played lots of the big ones - Prestwick, Turnberry, Gleneagles, the Old Course, Muirfield, Gullane, Gleneagles, Portmarnock, Royal Dublin, and County Louth. I had the pleasure of playing with members at most of these courses, helping to make the round so much more memorable. I was hooked.

Since that trip, I have traveled to all parts of the British Isles and Ireland, save the east coast of England, which is scheduled for 2006. I've played on over 300 courses, most of which were in Scotland, and have been lucky enough to meet many genuinely wonderful people of these lands. Inspired by my friend, Dr. David Hamilton, the golf historian/author/kidney surgeon of Glasgow, I have written books about my travels and about the courses of these special islands.

OLD TOM MORRIS – THE SOUL OF SCOTTISH GOLF

One of the legends that I have studied is the grandfather of modern golf, Old Tom Morris of St. Andrews, Scotland. Born in 1821, Tom Morris began his golfing career in the feathery ball era. He was one of the few to witness the transition from this expensive ball to the economical gutty and then to the lively-rubber-cored ball at the turn of the century. Old Tom, as he was known to all, was the most influential person in golf in the 1800s. He died accidentally, nearly reaching his 87th birthday in 1908.

His actions shaped not only the courses but also the game as we know it today. In 1865 he began his significant transformation of the Old Course at St. Andrews - a course many people believe simply evolved from nature. He built a new 18th green and excavated the famous "valley of sin.” He also separated the first from the seventeenth green, making two individual greens to form a round of 18 holes. The "St. Andrews standard" became the norm as other newly established golf clubs of the late 1800s began to routinely make either a nine or eighteen hole course.

Old Tom also enlarged the Old Course greens into the now-famous huge double greens by removing whin bushes from the south side of the course. Tom’s method of top dressing greens with sand became his trademark and is still used by most golf course superintendents today. Old Tom's work established the classical alternate route strategy employed by many early golf course architects who studied the Old Course at the turn of the century. These men, notably Harry Colt, Donald Ross, and Alister Mackenzie, spread Morris' influence throughout the world.

But Old Tom was not only a renowned guru of golf course maintenance and design. When he was the professional at Prestwick, his club held the first tournament that soon became known as "The Open." Many Americans refer to this tournament as "The British Open" to distinguish it from the U.S. Open, although its official name is simply "The Open." Old Tom's victories in four Opens established him as one of the best players of his day and his advice was sought by the leading amateurs. His son, known as Young Tom Morris, was even better, winning four Opens, including three in a row, a feat that retired the prize silver belt.

Yet, Tom Morris still had another lesson for us all. He had to endure the most painful blow of all - the death of his champion son, a tragedy that struck him hard. Soon afterwards his wife died and then his other children followed her to the grave, one after the other. But Old Tom did not become bitter, as would have been tempting. Instead, he lived a resolute life of patience and faith, inspiring all those who came to know him.

Even after he retired from his nearly forty years of being in charge of the Old Course in 1903, travelers would come to him for advice and he would be asked to design golf courses throughout the British Isles and Ireland. He was a legend of his time and so loved by all that the entire town of St. Andrews closed down for his funeral in 1908.

In chronicling his life and his golf course designs, I felt almost as if I knew him. What a wonderful man and a wonderful inspiration to those who have to deal with the tragedies of life that happen to us all sooner or later.

My wife and I have been blessed with a wonderful family - five children and an outstanding son-in-law, to whom I will be eternally grateful for taking my little princess off our payroll. That's just a joke. My daughter is now a child-psychologist, specializing in autism, and I am very proud of her, even though she never caught the golf bug. My four sons have played high school golf and have enjoyed the thrill of competition at that level. My youngest merited the tag of first team, all-state Ohio, Division I, thanks to a stellar performance in the 2004 high school championships. But, despite an outstanding high school season, the golf coaches (at colleges he was interested in) did not make him an offer that made him want to continue his golf in college. A pity.

My sons have given me the opportunity to write about our travels. My oldest two, Rob and Jon, traveled with me on trips to the shores of Scotland, and our adventures provided the basis for To the 14th Tee, a book describes the matches and club members we played with on such courses as Turnberry, Lundin Links, Pitlochry, Royal Tarlair, Eyemouth, North Berwick, Brora, Royal Dornoch, The Bridge of Allan, and many others. Next year I will write another journal about the trips my two younger sons and I have taken to the links courses of Ireland. That book will come out in the spring of 2006.

But, even though I've played on many beautiful parkland and moorland courses in the British Isles, the links courses are my favorites. To taste the salt in the breeze, blowing in from the North Sea or the Solway Firth, always invigorates me. Walking down the humpty-dumpty fairways with club members, telling a joke or two, and reveling in the camaraderie of match play seems to me to capture the essence of golf. You can keep your golf carts and costly resort courses, manicured to a fault. Give me a highly spirited match on a rugged links course in Scotland, Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, or Wales and I'll be happy.

My plan is to write some more about these adventures and to share with the reader some of my favorite courses, ones that aren't in the golf magazines or on tour oriented trips. It's there … in those remote, hidden villages, that golf still has heart. … where golf carts are unheard of and where little old ladies carry their own bags (and play as fast as anyone). … where folks sipping a drink in the clubhouse ask you how you played, not what score you shot. In an era when Augusta National sets the standards for grooming a golf course, these little hidden gems set the standard for returning to the roots of golf, where a blind shot or a bad bounce or a bad lie in a bunker might be the norm, rather than the exception. Once I have the time, I'll take you there. In the meantime, enjoy these pages and enjoy our common bond - the wonder of golf. And perhaps we will meet someday … in golf heaven.

BOOKS - To The 14th Tee is a limited edition book which describes the pilgrimage taken by a father and his two sons to Scotland. In two trips, they played on 37 courses, some well known but mostly hidden gems, Scottish courses that are well-kept secrets. Come with them to the golden shores of the Home of Golf; share their excitement at the snow capped peaks of the Boat of Garten, the cliff holes of Eyemouth and Tarlair, and the green glens of Pitlochry.

The Golf Courses of Old Tom Morris is a limited edition book which is the first in-depth study of golf course architecture of the 1800s. The book describes nearly 60 courses designed or altered by Morris. Old Tom, as he was known by all, was the most influential person in golf in the 1800s.

The Links of Wales "Robert Kroeger's book, The Links of Wales, is a delightful golfing trek along the coast of Wales. The book is a combination travel guide, historical reference and accounting of the matches played with local club members. It's an enjoyable read … as well as a hearty education in the heritage and etiquette of golf." Bob Labbance, editor of Turf Magazine and author of The Old Man.

Golf: Scotland's Game - is a lavishly produced book, written and printed by a Scottish golf historian, Dr. David Hamilton. Knowledge of the ancient game has grown tremendously in recent years and Hamilton's book, based on in-depth study of many sources, reveals a fascinating look at the development of the sport of golf.

TRAVEL TO SCOTLAND - Complete Guide to the Golf Courses of Scotland is a unique book in that it emphasizes the lesser known gems of the Kingdom. For golfers dreaming of their trip to the 'Mecca of Golf,' this book is a must. Over 430 Scottish courses are covered as well as the top 25 in England and Ireland.

Across the Pond is another interesting travel guide to courses in the British Isles. The author describes his adventures on these links ...

Custom Itineraries for travel to Scotland can be arranged. I have played on over 300 courses in the British Isles and Ireland and can help you with information about courses you may be thinking about playing. First-hand advice can come in handy.

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER - This is a newsletter for subscribers only. In it we describe two courses (at least one in Scotland) in the British Isles. Tidbits of golf history, golf humor, and a profile of an early historical figure or incident are included. Makes for enjoyable reading and may stimulate your juices to play a course or two in the home of golf.

SUBCRIBERS' PAGE - For a preview of 'hidden gems' and historical profiles, check out this page. Also, subscribers can enter here to view the newsletter.

ANTIQUE GOLF CLUBS/BALLS - Golfers of the early 1900s used these wooden-shafted clubs and mesh-patterned balls. It's fun imagining playing with these beautifully hand-crafted hickories. Great for mounting on the den wall and good conversation pieces.

GOLF TRAVEL/HISTORY CHAT - A forum where your questions about golf history or travel to the British Isles will be answered and your opinions will be listed.