Stephen Proctor

Delighted to receive this wonderful review of Matchless in The Golf, journal of The Golf Heritage Society in the U.S. 🙏

Bernard Darwin, the soldier, from his April 1916 column in Golf Illustrated entitled “Our Foreign Letter” and written from the military base at Aldershot during the Great War.

Breaking news: My third work of narrative golf history — Matchless — is now available for pre-order. It’s available everywhere on Amazon, but I prefer you order in the U.S. from Barnes and Noble online or in the U.K. from bookshop.org, as I am a big fan of bookstores.

Back to my favorite pastime — rummaging through wartime issues of Golf Illustrated in preparation for writing an article for @thelinksdiary — when what should I stumble across but a full page print of one of my heroes, John Henry Taylor, golf’s Indispensable Man!

It’s a faded old photo — but still a treasure. My father, my son and me playing farm golf at Wittsend. I miss my dad terribly, but am proud to see that my son has become a wonderful father himself. Happy Father’s Day everyone!

Chris was a truly wonderful guest.

Here’s mad. An actual phone call from my boss days after a blizzard covered our region in 2 feet of snow: “Hey I found a place to play” Where? “Virginia Beach.” That’s 4 hours drive one way! “I know. I’ll pick you up at six, we tee off at 11, you’ll be kissing your wife at 9!”

Quotable: Wyatt Earp on his friend Doc Holliday.

What a way to wake up — finding a gift of two sporty flat caps from my pal @JimHHartsell — the Bard of Western Scotland!

Quotable: Prescient words from the great Jimmy Demaret in Charles Price’s Golfer-at-Large, up next on The Duffer’s Literary Companion.

Announcement: The release of the next episode of The Duffer’s Literary Companion is being delayed a week — until Friday May 9 — as @JimHHartsell has been traveling in Scotland and I’ve been hosting pals from The Sun. Charles Price will be worth waiting for, I promise.

I’m preparing to host old golf pals from The Baltimore Sun. One was the photo editor, and thus a sly dog with technology. He just sent this photoshopped image, which I could not resist sharing. 😂

Golf in the Kingdom Podcast Episode · The Duffer’s Literary Companion · 04/04/2025 · 1h 41m

I don’t think we’ve ever had more fun discussing a book. Listen in!

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Thrilled to see the municipal golf project that has been my passion in retirement features in Golf Course Industry Magazine.

Bravo Sandra!!

Back at my happy place in Jersey City — an art collector’s rental flat known as the Norton House. These were among the new treasures that awaited. Another treasure, Skyway Golf Course, is on tap tomorrow.

Teacher of The Great Glenna.

Isn’t that always so! A third of the way through, Kidnapped now. What a thrill ride!

Indeed it is a shame!

One more wee wander down the rabbit hole and I will have experienced the bulk of this man’s literary genius. One thing is certain even before I begin. A new name has been added to the list of my favorite writers. ✍️

This one was a ton of fun!

Naturally, I could not resist Darwin’s take on my current literary obsession with Robert Louis Stevenson. Enjoy!

The complete absence of having to search for your ball. 👌

And further down the rabbit hole I go . . .

I see golf in your future!

🙏

My editor at Birlinn has now read Matchless, and I’ve addressed his queries, so it’s on to publication later this year. Fun facts: Only one golfer — John Ball Jr — has won more Amateurs than Glenna Collett. Joyce Wethered played 166 matches lifetime and won 152 of them. 🤯

I’m a bit down the rabbit hole on Mr Stevenson, I freely admit, but I’ve come to realize that the most brilliant thing he’s ever done might well be thus children’s classic.

A Course Called Ireland with Tom Coyne Podcast Episode · The Duffer’s Literary Companion · 02/14/2025 · 1h 40m

Trust me, this one is worth having waited for. Enjoy!

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I love the way The Fried Egg and others are reinventing golf media, so I always enjoy a chance to join in their conversation. Give this a listen.