One of the greatest and most beloved golf books ever written is now available on audioââa cause for celebrationâ (The Wall Street Journal)âwith a new introduction by Golf in the Kingdom author Michael Murphy, and a new afterword.
Thirty years (and counting!) after publication, To the Linksland still enthralls readers who pick it up for the first timeâor return to the book for the sheer pleasure of it.
In 1991, Michael Bamberger, a newspaper sportswriter, gave up his apartment, took a leave of absence from his job and his life, and, joined by his newlywed wife, set off to explore the wide world of golf. Bambergerâs first step in this madcap golfing adventure was to become a caddie on the European golf tour, where he encountered the gameâs most dynamic players up close and personal, including golfâs greatest artist, Seve Ballesteros. Crisscrossing the Continent with his bride, Bamberger caddied for a true original, Peter Teravainen, a Yale-educated golfer with a workingmanâs spirit and a knack for making brilliant, on-the-spot observations about the game (âGood shots must come in groups of twoâ). Over the course of one unforgettable year, Bamberger caddied in the national championships of Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, and, finally, Scotland, golfâs ancestral home. Once there, Bamberger fell under the spell of one of golfâs great teachers and thinkers, John Stark.
To the Linksland is the captivating memoir of Bambergerâs golfing pilgrimage/extended honeymoon. From an all-night caddie bus on the back roads of southern Europe to Starkâs secret six-hole course in the Scottish Highlands, Bamberger takes you on a journey into the heart of golf. This thirtieth-anniversary edition of Bambergerâs classic, lyrical tale of discovery is bookended with a new introduction by Michael Murphy and a new afterword by Bamberger. To the Linksland is a âgreat book for your golfing soulâ (Golf Monthly).