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Two Years in St. Andrews: At Home on the 18th Hole |  | Author: George Peper
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
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Seller: bookcloseouts_us
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 445927
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 336
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.4 x 1.2
ISBN: 0743262824
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.3520684129
EAN: 9780743262828
ASIN: 0743262824
Publication Date: May 30, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The Old Course at St. Andrews is to golfers what St. Peter's is to Catholics or the Western Wall is to Jews: hallowed ground, the course every golfer longs to play -- and master. In 1983 George Peper was playing the Old Course when he hit a slice so hideous that he never found the ball. But in looking for it, he came across a For Sale sign on a stone town house alongside the famed eighteenth hole. Two months later he and his wife, Libby, became the proud owners of 9A Gibson Place. In 2003 Peper retired after twenty-five years as the editor in chief of Golf magazine. With the younger of their two sons off to college, the Pepers decided to sell their house in the United States and relocate temporarily to the town house in St. Andrews. And so they left for the land of golf -- and single malt scotch, haggis, bagpipes, television licenses, and accents thicker than a North Sea fog. While Libby struggled with renovating an apartment that for years had been rented to students at the local university, George began his quest to break par on the Old Course. Their new neighbors were friendly, helpful, charmingly eccentric, and always serious about golf. In no time George was welcomed into the local golf crowd, joining the likes of Gordon Murray, the man who knows everyone; Sir Michael Bonallack, Britain's premier amateur golfer of the last century; and Wee Raymond Gatherum, a magnificent shotmaker whose diminutive stature belies his skills. For anyone who has ever dreamed of playing the Old Course -- and what golfer hasn't? -- this book is the next best thing. And for those who have had that privilege, Two Years in St. Andrews will revive old memories and confirm Bobby Jones's tribute, "If I were to set down to play on one golf course for the remainder of my life, I should choose the Old Course at St. Andrews."
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
 Loved every sentence - thanks, George! August 22, 2006
Andy Orrock (Dallas, TX)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I've taken two trips to St. Andrews and can definitely relate to George's Peper's outstanding take on the place. I treasured every sentence of these 299 pages. He's really nailed the spirit of St. Andrews, both the setting and its people. I'm not a mad, keen golfer, and my wife - like Peper's - is disinterested in the sport itself. But - like me - she loves the atmosphere of the place. One of the greatest things in the world is to sit on the steps in front of the 18th green and watch group and group tumble home with big, goofy grins on their faces. It's a fabulous way to spend an early evening.
Peper's character really shows through here. When you read his bio on the backflap, it's only then that you get a sense of the depth of his accomplishments in golf and journalism. The book taken at face value gives you the impression that he sort of tumbled into some of these accomplishments (hello, R&A Competition Committee!) by being at the right place at the right time. While I'm sure luck played a small part, there's also the matter of talent and hard work. First, the guy can flat-out write. He's funny, engaging and perceptive. Second, the guy works hard. At one point, he lets on regarding the assignments he's juggling. He's definitely not slacking over there!
The two other characters worth mentioning:
- Mr. Peper's neighbor Gordon Murray. There's that expression "it's not what you know, it's who you know"...Gordon seems the living embodiment of that and of what Pepard calls "Gordon's three degrees of separation" (none of that six degrees stuff applies here).
- Millie Peper. This Westie charmer is surely the cutest thing on four legs to hit the Old Course in some time.
Contrasts in Golf and Life for Two July 18, 2006
rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
An experienced wordsmith, Peper memoirs his decision to spend two years in their invested real estate lining the sacred 18th at golf's home.
Reminiscent of Rubenstein's excellent book: A Season at Dornoch, former editor of Golf magazine Peper and his wife venture to live in their St. Andrews adventure home.
There is just one great memory after another recalled enjoyably and in adventerous fashion by this pro writer and avid golfer and full of life fellow who exhibits humility while brushing lifes and rounds of golf and drinks with golf elite and St. Andrews citizens.
The differences in culture and golfing are explored, with the Scottish life clearly providing what Peper terms: "a life mulligan." A more purer, innocent, slower, less marketed way of life.
The golf stories are worth the read, especially humorous tale of the H.W. Wind nameplate.
If you love Golf you'll love this Book. August 6, 2007
Frizzante
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This has to be one of the "Gems" of Golf Travel books.
From start of finish I found this book well written, humorous, sophisticated and wonderfully self-effacing. I would like to meet George Peper; I'm sure we would get along very well. Maybe a game on the Old Course would do the trick.
This is a fabulously entertaining tale of George and his wife's move to St. Andrews from an important position in the U.S.A., namely editor of Golf Digest. The story begins with the acquisition of an apartment overlooking the hallowed turf of the 18th Green of the Old Course at St.Andrews, the home of Golf.
George has the extremely good fortune of being a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and sets about using this privilege to good effect. Not only does he become a popular and successful member, he also achieves a long held ambition; playing a round on the Old Course in Par.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have been inspired by his "two years of golf" and long to follow his example by playing the Old Course, at least once.
His fondness for the people of St. Andrews and Scotland in general comes through with a warmth and genuinely felt emotion.
I can not imagine anyone finding this book disappointing. To me it has been a wonderful windfall.
Great, interesting, funny : you live un st. andrews May 15, 2007
Alp Turhan Madanoglu (mexico - city)
Thanks George Peper!!!!:
For one of the best golf books. Its as if I was actually there.
I can`t wait to go to the "OLD COURSE" and expirience the magic you narrated in your book.
The srtucture of the story (expirience)is wonderfull and adictive.
You read the first page and want to keep on reading till you can barely keep your eyes open.
If you love reading and golf this book is a must read.
Wonderfull writing of golf and life in its birthplace July 19, 2007
NostalgiaLover (Florida, USA)
I loved this book. It was the perfect combination of life and golf in golf's birthplace - St Andrews. The writer provided an excellent look into life in the golf club and the village of St Andrews; their people, the culture and the history. Mr Peper writes with an excellent dry witt and makes you feel as if you know him personally. I enjoy books the most when I feel like I can relate to the place and people being written about and the author was very good at doing this. While being a single digit handicap golfer and a past editor of Golf Magazine and traveling in a very select inside group of professional golfers, media personalities and celebrities, Mr. Peper never took himself too seriously as a golfer, a writer or as a person. The more I read this book, the harder it became to put down and the more I looked forward to reading it the next day. It was educational, enlightening and enjoyable.It is a book you can just lean back, put your feet up and enjoy while at any time of day or night. The only thing that bothered me about this book was wondering how the author pronounced his name, Pepper or Peeper so I contacted a writer who interviewed the author for a magazine and was told that it was Pepper and that he was as enjoyable and selfless in person as he seems in his books. I look forward to Mr Peper's next book.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
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