It has taken Lorne Smith over 40 years to play all 128 courses featured in Frank Pennink’s “Golfer’s Companion” (published in 1962) and he has enjoyed them all.
During that period he has played a total of over 350 courses around the world that have all been captured in his golf diary.
..that Lorne has played in The British Isles and Ireland and he believes there may be about 30 others that he has still to play that may also qualify for the Fine Golf “joy to be alive” badge.
He wanted to publish an update to Pennink’s “Golfer’s Companion” as an extension to his hobby of ‘collecting’ fine golf courses but decided that a website was more fun, being flexible and interactive. He hopes it will provide support to a successful campaign for fine golf.
Lorne’s Fine Trail, which is published with the launching of this website, identifies all the Fine courses by area and initially features a full review of 27 courses. The number reviewed will be gradually increased.
Pennink’s list ammended: We include some new fine courses built since 1962, plus some that Frank Pennink missed. A small number of his choices have been dropped.
It is always difficult to count out courses, as they still give enormous enjoyment to many. I am sure there were good reasons why Pennink included them in 1962 but some, for example Dalmahoy, are too much of a lush slog. Carlisle is pleasant ordinary parkland and though professional tournaments were played at Queens Park in Bournemouth in the 1950s and is beautifully designed on predominantly draining soil and fine grasses, the local authority who own it has ‘let it go’, and so these do not quite justify a full Fine Golf “joy to be alive” badge.
We hope to stimulate others to enjoy the Fine Trail and support the campaign for fine golf.
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