Philip Young
Published: 2005
Total Pages: 370
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Those who love the game of golf are continually fascinated by the courses that have been designed by the great architects of what has come to be known as the Golden Age of Course Design. They are especially intrigued by the man who might be the greatest of them all, Albert Warren Tillinghast.Tilly the Terror, whose courses the last of which were designed almost seventy years ago, even in our day are considered among the finest and sternest tests and are the sites of numerous national and major championships, are unique works of art created by a master's genius. Yet he was far more than a man who designed golf courses.Tillinghast the man has been largely an unknown and misunderstood genius over the years. So many golfers have stood on a tee and looked out at the hole unfolding before their eyes and been in awe of what they see, a work of art that demands and challenges them in ways no other course has before, for they are playing a Tillinghast golf course. Frustrating and fun, its inherent beauty and difficulty mix together to create an experience that brings them back to play it over and over, regardless of score. His courses are what golf is all about.Imagine what it would be like to be able to get inside his mind, to be able to know what he was thinking and seeing and to understand why his thoughts and philosophies of design were so different and greater than his contemporaries, and remain so till this day.In this story of the man, Philip Young has accomplished what no other writer has done or even attempted until now, the first true biography of a golf course architect. The numerous photographs and drawings of his golf courses and individual holes serve as mere backdrops to the story of his life. From Pardon Tillinghast arriving in Providence in 1645 on down to the death of Tilly's beloved wife Lillian in 1952, some ten years after his own passing, we see the boy grow into the man despite the battles against depression, alcohol and his many early life failures that he waged in public and the privacy of his own thoughts.A complicated man who battled numerous inner demons, it was his father and his trips to St. Andrews in the 1890's where he developed a unique relationship with Old Tom Morris that led to his designing golf courses and finding his purpose in life.He became a man who everyone wanted to be around and know. From Thomas Edison to Rosalind Russell, politicians, sport figures and the most common of men, he treated all alike and enjoyed their company. For these and many other reasons, this book will be enjoyed by all who love a good story whether they can swing a golf club or not.He was a man unafraid of any challenge, from building a golf course on the side of a mountain that everyone else said couldn't be done to touring America and consulting for any PGA Professional who wanted his services in the twilight of his life, he was unstoppable until that morning in 1942 when his heart finally gave out.His life provides lessons for many and this story a delightful read for all. I hope you enjoy it!Philip Young, August 2005.