As far as the pre '20 books are concerned, this is definitely an on-going gap filling exercise.  I suppose that over those 30+ years I've done pretty well and some might even say that I am as complete as anyone on this side of the Atlantic.  This satisfies my 'squirrel mentality' (you've either got it or you haven't and I'm not sure if it's a good or a bad thing!).  I have to admit that many of these books have never been read ('instructionals' of any age are of little or no interest) and many might only have been 'looked at'.  The great thing is that I just love old books, even down to the smell of them!

I collect antiquarian books with only a reference to golf and these, over more recent years, have created more and more interest.  They run from the Black Acts of 1566 through to 1850.  The latter is a self-imposed limit because, after this date, there are just too many of them and, in my mind, are not early enough to be deemed antiquarian.  There is no bibliography of such books and one day, I might try and produce one.  This would, amongst other things, identify the exact location of the golf reference, often only the single word or phrase, within the book.  I still have the massive, four volume 'Records of the University of Glasgow' (1854) and have not yet traced the golf reference!  (If I had stuck to my pre 1850 rule, I would have saved myself a lot of time and space!

'Chronicles of Golf 1457 to 1857', by the Johnston’s, provides a wonderful antiquarian bibliography and demonstrates what a hugely valuable source of reference these early mentions of golf have on the study of the early history of the game.  It is an essential and core source of information.

The design of books has always been, and continues to be, hugely important to me.  Robert Clark started it in 1875 (isn't it amazing that his 'Golf: A Royal and Ancient Game' is considered the first 'hard back' golf book?) and, dare I say it, concludes with Walton Heath's Centenary History 'Heather and Heaven', which was the first club history ever to win the USGA's prestigious 2003 International Book Award.  Having master-minded this publication, I have to declare a vested interest in this achievement!  The club had both a great story to tell and a great author, Phil Pilley to write it, but I wanted the whole book to be an object of beauty with every double page spread being an art form in itself.  Thanks to full-time book designer, Geoffrey Wadsley and the printers Ian Allan, I think we achieved this.

I have a particular interest in the early records of the game and have a near complete collection of early handbooks and annuals, with the notable exception of Macarthur's Golfer's Annual of 1869-1870.  This book has eluded me over all these years (not that there can be too many around to find), as have a few of the earliest editions of the Golfers Handbook (those of 1899, 1900, 1901 and 1903 to be precise!).  Knowing of my interest in such books, Bob Grant of Grant Books, asked me to contribute the chapter on Handbooks and Annuals in his 'Aspects of Collecting Golf Books' (1996). Listing, and successfully identifying, 11 editions of Forgan's Golfing Handbook was, I believe, the best piece of original research within my chapter.

Handbooks and Annuals serve as the best record of the game and are a vital aid for any keen student of the game.  It is a blessing that the Royal and Ancient G.C. continue to publish the Golfer's Handbook.  Without their intervention, I am sure this longest ever published record book would have ceased to exist.

The books that I have collected, and which have been published after my 'cut off date' of 1920 reflect my own particular interests.  They include books concerned with the history of the game, but I'm careful to avoid 'pot boilers' which appear every year at Christmas time!  Also, I am keen to buy those books that deal with the history of individual clubs.  My aim, in this department, is to collect every U.K. club history.  Whereas I do not know how many golf books there are in my library, largely because I've never counted or catalogued them from number one, I have listed my club histories from number one and have around 1200 in all.  Acquiring these has involved a lot of determination, as they are all published privately.  In tracking them down, one has had to make direct contact with the Clubs concerned - Centenary years being a particularly fruitful period!

I will also buy certain carefully chosen autobiographies / biographies and books on golf course architecture, although I now find myself being more selective in this latter category. I explain to people that 10 or 15 years ago one could have owned the complete golf architecture library, nearly all of which would have been published pre-war, and all one would have needed was no more than a foot or two of book shelves to house them.  Now they would need the complete bookcase!

Finally, there are those books written by the great authors such as Darwin and Longhurst and, much more recently, books concerning the whole golf-collecting world.

In connection with this final category, there was nothing available to help me when I started my new hobby and I still remember the excitement, in the early 70's, of discovering Joe Murdoch's bibliography, 'The Library of Golf' (1968).  Until this discovery, I had no idea of what there was to be found!  Indeed, it served as some sort of inspiration, as indeed, did Joe himself, who I was lucky enough to get to know well over the years.  Joe always said that I was the only person who had ever queried any entry in his book.

This concerned Clark's 1875 edition of his 'Golf: A Royal and Ancient Game'.  Joe listed it as being limited to 200 copies.  There is no limitation printed within the book and, even 30 years ago, I felt that I had seen the great majority of these 200 copies and needed to point this out to Joe!  He said that he would not have included this unless he had seen some documentary evidence and that one day he would advise me of this source.  I continued to remind him over the ensuing years that this information had never been forthcoming.

Many years later, at the sale of his library at the Pacific Book Auction Galleries in June 1998, I was fortunate enough to acquire Joe's copy of the Special Presentation edition of this book, dedicated to John Murray Jr. Esq., of the Edinburgh publishing firm of that name.  The remarkable provenance of this book runs back through the library of not only Murdoch, but also those of Probst and Clapcott.  Knowing that I had purchased this volume, the golf book seller, Rhod McEwan, provided me with a copy of the letter which Probst had written Murdoch in October 1961, offering him the book and explaining, "There are 2 Presentation Signed copies (10 in the edition)...I am keeping one. The other is available at $15.  Same (large size) and identical with the numbered edition of 25.  There are two of a smaller edition. I am keeping one, but is a special of around 200 in the edition - $8. (sic.)"

With the greatest respect to Probst, he was wrong in referring to the 'Large Size' as being limited to 25.  We know that that should have been 50.  Likewise, he was wrong in stating that the 'Smaller Edition' was around 200. We have all seen more than that over the years.  We don't know whether he was right or wrong in saying that the Presentation Edition was limited to 10 copies.  The jury is still out over that one!

However, what it did clear up between Joe and me was where he got the information from concerning the limitation of 200 and which, subsequently, appeared in his book. Joe and I both found it amusing that I should finally be the one who supplied him with this information, which he had so long promised to me!  The letter that acknowledged this was his last one he wrote to me.

Finally, whilst still with Robert Clark's seminal golf book, I have tucked in to my copy of the small sized edition, a letter from the compiler, on his company's headed notepaper and dated December 11th 1874 to his friend Skelton, asking him to look at this draft copy and, particularly, "to comment on the Preface for one".

I only refer to the above because it highlights one of the delights of book collecting.  People tuck things in to books and there is always a chance of your being the person who finds it, as was the case with this letter.  Years after buying it, I discovered that the bookseller, from whom I had bought the book, did not know of the existence of this letter and the price, therefore, had not reflected its existence.  That made it even sweeter!

Signed and or inscribed copies of books are also a delight. One never knows what has been written by whom or to whom in any book.  Two examples of this in my library are Harry Vardon giving a copy of his best selling 'How to Play Golf' to James Braid with the inscription, "To my great friend of the links but enemies (sic.) on the golf links - With Harry Vardon's compliments."  Also, there is Tom Morris receiving a copy of the magnificent Newman's 'The Official Golf Guide of the United States and Canada' (1899) from William Agnew Paton, a Governor of the St Andrews Golf Club of New York with the inscription, 'To Tom Morris with compliments of The St Andrews Golf Club of New York, U.S.A. - See page 229'.  This page showed the entry for the St Andrews Club, with the added handwritten comment by Mr. Paton, 'The St. Andrews Club course is primarily for the use of its members and their invited guests. The tournament 'business' is not encouraged as it interferes too greatly with golfing for golf's sake.’  And to think that they were worried by the 'tournament business' in 1899!

Dust jackets or dust wrappers are another source of increasing interest. After all, they were never meant to be kept.  They were there just to keep the book clean prior to purchase.  My earliest dust wrapper comes with Walter Simpson's 'Art of Golf' (1887).  This book is in unusually good condition, thanks to the dust jacket.  It is also inscribed and signed by the author.  When Joe Murdoch saw it, he said that he didn't even know they had wrappers in 1888!  I also have the first trade edition of Clark's book (1893) in a perfect jacket.

It is the dust jackets from the 20's and 30's that have tempted me to disregard my pre 1920 rule.  Some of these are highly decorative and reflect the artistic style of the day.  For instance, try and find Moon's 'Golf From A New Angle' (1934) or Leigh-Bennett's 'Errant Golfer' (1929) and you will understand my weakness for such things!

Whilst my library is the most important part of my collection, I also have extensive collections of early post cards, cigarette cards, ephemera, endless vintage 'bits and pieces' and original artwork from the illustrators of the early 19th century.  I have tried to recreate a Victorian Gentleman's Library, so these items, housed as they are in display cases and covering the walls that are not taken up by bookcases, compliment the display of the books. A number of bronzes add to the atmosphere, as do two glass cases, displaying stuffed birds unfortunately killed by the flight of golf balls!  I am pleased to be a member of The Private Libraries Association, as well as The Ephemera Society.

Whilst I try and keep categories of books shelved together, if possible (size often dictates otherwise), the display of my books is, to me, an art form in itself.  Joe Murdoch, who did not work on these lines, was most complementary about it.  I like them lined up, in descending height order, like toy soldiers!  This would never work in a reference library, which, of course, has to put those awful numbers on the spine, thereby destroying the aesthetic quality of the book. Displaying books artistically might not make finding them any easier, but in a private library, the owner will be the only one with that problem!

Finally, there are the James Braid clubs, some hung from the walls, and others stuffed in leather bags.  He was the Professional at my home club, Walton Heath, and I play, full time, with hickory-shafted clubs either made and or sold by him.  One was always brought up to support the local Pro!

Collecting golf books and memorabilia has, in turn, made me even more interested in its actual history.  Apart from this general interest, my particular interests concern my own club, Walton Heath and its creator, one of the early golf course architects, Herbert Fowler.  The defunct clubs of South London are also of interest, in particular Clapham Common G.C., which is now being kept alive with play on Mitcham Common.  After all, it is the third oldest London club after Blackheath and Wimbledon and one of which I am proud to be a member.

Further afield, I have a passionate interest in the defunct Royal Isle of Wight G.C. at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight.  Started in 1882, and at one time thought to become the governing body of golf, it finally closed in the early 60's.  The 9-hole layout, covering just 37 acres and christened the 'Cat's Cradle' by Darwin, due to its many crossing points, is now owned by the National Trust and is still clearly identifiable.  I have a large collection of memorabilia concerning the Club, including Charles Jacobs' portrait of the 1894 Captain, H.R.H. Prince Henry of Battenberg, and also a wealth of research material, ready for the publication of a club history. As well as my own material, I have inherited all the material from Ray Gossage (one of the five who founded the British Golf Collectors Society) and Robin Gems, who were both working on a history of the club before their respective deaths (which is, perhaps, a hint to me not to make the same mistake!).

There's always more to be done, but I'm proud to have been a long time member (Member No. 184) and one time Director of the Golf Collectors and one of the five who started the British Golf Collectors Society in 1987.  These Societies have spread the golf history gospel and will continue to do so in the future, just as the R & A and the USGA will in a bigger context.

In conclusion, I am sure that those of us who are lucky enough to have an appreciation of the history of the game have a duty to share this and pass on the message to the next generation.  It is a great deal easier for us to accept the rules and etiquette of the game, if we have an appreciation of what has gone before.

Philip A. Truett

12 Spencer Road

South Croydon

Surrey

CR2 7EH