What to Read Before Your Golf Trip Across the Pond

A Few Favorite Books and Resources to Pass the Countdown

Daniel Jones

September 15, 2025

6 Minute Read

For golfers headed across the pond, the stretch between planning and departure often feels like the longest part of the journey. The tee times are booked. The flight confirmations have arrived. Bags are half-packed in your mind.

So now what?

With the major planning decisions behind you, it’s a perfect time to dive deeper. Not into logistics, but into the stories, history, and personality of the places you’re about to visit. That’s where the right book—or podcast or film—can do more than pass the time. It can add meaning to the journey ahead.

That’s exactly what we explored in Episode 66 of Golf & the Good Life. Between the two of us, Connor and I rounded up our favorite books and other reads for golfers stuck “Between Now & Then.” That slow but exciting countdown from confirmation to takeoff.

Before You Read Anything Else...

If your trip is already booked and you haven’t read your itinerary or proposal, start there. It sounds obvious – and maybe even a little tongue and cheek – but it helps everything else fall into place. From your reading list to vital departure details.

For Frequent Inspiration

The Golfer's Journal

I've said this several times on our podcast, but it bears repeating: If you don't subscribe to The Golfer's Journal, you really should. It's the gold standard in golf journalism today. The photography, stories, and production all set a very high bar. And nearly every quarterly issue includes a piece from across the pond. It's not your average golf magazine, because it isn't one.

For Lovers of Golf History

The Long Golden Afternoon by Stephen Proctor

A beautifully researched deep-dive into golf’s formative years, particularly the era between 1864 and 1914. If names like John Ball or Freddie Tait only vaguely ring a bell, this book will fill in those details and tug on the heartstrings in the process. Especially insightful if you’re traveling to Royal Liverpool or other historic English clubs.

Tom Morris of St Andrews: The Colossus of Golf by David Malcolm and Peter Crabtree

The most in-depth Old Tom biography out there. From his early days with Allan Robertson to his influence on Prestwick and The Open, this one covers it all. If you're visiting St Andrews or Prestwick, it’s essential reading.

Tommy's Honour by Kevin Cook

A more approachable companion to the biography above. Focuses on Young Tom’s meteoric rise and the family’s place in golf history. It’s also been made into a movie, if you’d prefer to watch instead.

If You're Headed to St. Andrews (Or wish you were)

Searching in St. Andrews by Sean Zak

During The Open in 2022, golf writer Sean Zak rented a flat in St Andrews and lived there for the summer. What followed was part journal, part travelogue, and entirely relatable if you’ve ever dreamed of doing the same.

St Andrews: In the Footsteps of Old Tom Morris by Roger McStravick

This one’s a serious deep dive. Produced by a local historian, it includes incredible photography, maps, and plenty of details most visitors never learn. It’s not light – in weight or price – this collector's item is worth the investment.

An American Caddie in St Andrews by Oliver Horovitz

A fun, easy read about the author’s experience as a student and caddie in town. Equal parts humor and heart. Uncle Ken alone is worth the price of admission.

For the Armchair Traveler

The Tom Coyne Trio

Three of the most widely read golf travel books in recent years. In A Course Called Ireland, Tom Coyne walks the entire coastline, playing nearly every links course. In A Course Called Scotland, he puts away the walking shoes but still covers an impressive number of stops. Finally, A Course Called America offers a nice capstone here at home. All three are great for dreaming—and even better if those stops are on your itinerary.

The James Finegan Trio

Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens, Emerald Fairways and Foam Flecked Seas, and All Courses Great and Small are three great books by James Finegan about Scotland, Ireland, and England respectively. While they're 15-20 years old at this point, the detailed descriptions stand the test of time.

For the Architecture Buff

The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses – Volume 1: Great Britain & Ireland by Tom Doak

Another collector's item that carries a price tag to match, Doak reviews nearly every noteworthy course across GB&I with a mix of sharp insight and sharper opinions. Some of the ratings are bound to spark debate, but if your trip is on the calendar, it’s fun to look up what he says about the stops on your list.

Golf Architecture by Alister MacKenzie

This insightful book gets right to the heart of Alister MacKenzie's views on golf course architecture. If you’ve ever walked off a course and wondered why it felt so enjoyable, this book gives you the language—and the eye—to understand it.

Some Essays on Golf-Course Architecture by Harry Colt and C.H. Alison

Harry Colt is another important name, particularly for travelers headed to courses in England. A little more academic, but still full of valuable perspective.