Grounds for Golf includes everything a golfer needs to know about golf architecture to improve their enjoyment of courses and their game:

Profiles of famous holes, great courses and master architects; a look at the basics of design and the most prominent styles; insightful looks at design strategy and how to better manage golf architecture, and much, much more.

Grounds for Golf features over 40 illustrations by architect Gil Hanse, along with over 50 photographs highlighted by a 16-page color insert.

Chapter topics range from Schools of Design to Comic Relief to Armchair Design.

There's a little of something for everyone in this book, regardless of playing ability or knowledge of golf architecture.

To a majority of the millions of golfers around the world, the subject of golf course design often seems foreign and intimidating. Yet, the overwhelming reason cited for playing golf an attraction to the beautiful and often ingeniously designed courses where the game is played. Grounds for Golf is distinct from other golf design related books by covering a wide variety of topics in an informative, flowing narrative that will interest all golfers. The text is supplemented with photography, classic anecdotes, famous quotations and informative hole depictions by architect Gil Hanse. Readers will finally have a course design primer that adds to their enjoyment of golf'’s lore while also introducing the fundamentals of golf architecture in an interactive format that helps their own games.

Grounds for Golf opens by covering the basics of design and explains why the bizarre looking home of golf, The Old Course at St. Andrews, is worthy of study. This is followed by an overview of various design philosophies, followed by entertaining summaries of the greatest architects, courses and holes in the history of course design. Several instruction related chapters follow, helping readers to figure out how to read a design, deal with course management difficulties and how to better understand maintenance practices to improve their scoring.

Golf course design has also taken on great interest in recent years as golf’s traditionalists battle to save classic courses in the face of new technology. Grounds for Golf also addresses this issue, making it a timely as well as informative book for the many golfers interested in better understanding the most talked about issue affecting the future of golf. Every golfer is an armchair architect at heart and Grounds for Golf provides a long overdue attempt to tap this large audience of aficionados while helping them better enjoy the game of golf.

Grounds for Golf Reviews:

"I don't know anyone more knowledgeable-or passionate-about golf-course architecture than Geoff Shackelford. His Grounds for Golf is a terrific primer for those who want to know why architecture is an important, but misunderstood, part of the game. And if it helps them play better, well, that's just a nice bonus.”
-James A. Frank, Editor, GOLF Magazine

"Geoff's book is great--in fact, GROUNDS FOR GOLF explains the basics of course architecture better than any other book--ever. But this is no snooze--Shackelford remembers to entertain while he informs."
--Curt Sampson, author of Hogan, The Eternal Summer and Chasing Tiger

"Geoff Shackelford's primer on the fascinating world of course design will help golfers understand and appreciate why some courses succeed in holding their interest while others fail to do so. His work is both insightful and approachable. Readers will never look at a course the same way again."
--Lorne Rubenstein, author of A Season in Dornoch

"Geoff Shackelford's dedicated enthusiasm for the study of golf course architecture comes across beautifully in this lovely book. I highly recommend the book to all golf enthusiasts."
-Peter Oosterhuis, CBS commentator, six-time Ryder Cup player

"Grounds for Golf is a vigorous declaration of Shackelford’'s enthusiasm for “natural” design, and amplifies on his adoration of the masters —Ross, MacKenzie, Tillinghast, Thomas and company. Shackelford also expresses his admiration for a handful of contemporary architects, such as Pete Dye, who are cast as the great tradition's creditable successors. Grounds for Golf will sharpen the arguments over what’'s required to design a great golf course.
-John Strawn, author, Driving the Green