Jewel in the Glen: Gleneagles, Golf and the Ryder Cup

Description

The Ryder Cup is coming home to where it all began; the 40th staging of golf's showpiece event is returning to Gleneagles, Scotland. Tracing the history of the Ryder Cup back to that infamous forerunner match at Gleneagles in 1921, this book intertwines the histories of the coveted prize and of the game of golf at this renowned venue. Through a series of in-depth interviews, an array of national and international celebrities reveal what the Ryder Cup and Gleneagles mean to them while examining the impact that the tournament will have on the local community and the wider Scottish society, culture, and economy. With a foreword from golf's greatest Jack Nicklaus, designer of the Ryder Cup 2014 course - The PGA Centenary, and a hole-by-hole guide by Ryder Cup legend Colin Montgomerie, this volume paints a unique portrait of Gleneagles and Scottish golf as a whole.

Ed Hodge grew up in Perthshire, is a former Gleneagles caddy and employee and has enjoyed a writing relationship with the five-star resort for a number of years. A University of St Andrews modern history graduate with 11 years previous experience as a sports writer in Scotland, Ed is now PR & Media Executive for the Scottish Golf Union. This is his first book. Jack Nicklaus globally regarded as the greatest golfer of all time. Together with fellow American Arnold Palmer and South African Gary Player, known as the "Big Three", he is credited with turning golf into the major spectator sport it has become. Nicklaus was a key driver of change for the Ryder Cup, proposing the inclusion of European players to try to even up the competition after another comfortable win for the US over Great Britain in 1977; his influence will be as keenly felt at Gleneagles in 2014 after designing a number of changes to the PGA Centenary Course, where the battle for the Ryder Cup will be fought.