"Over the years I have vainly searched Waterstone’s bookshelves for precisely this - of the modern golf books, only Andrew Greig’s Preferred Lies came close. Grass Routes and now, Common Grounds, are exactly what I was looking for – the broader connection that golf has with life, landscape, and the arts. Richard’s stories are a delight – the journeys and the words speak to the heart"
Robin Down, author of "Golf in the Wild" volumes 1&2
"This is delightful book limited to a first edition of 1,000 at this stage...I could easily list the courses from the chapter headings but will not do so to avoid spoiling the pleasure of the reader discovering these delights themselves. Each venue has its own chapter making the writings so much easier to digest and enjoy. I have found myself revisiting it since my first read and these repeat readings have provided me with as much joy as those I felt at the initial review"
Andrew Picken, Golfshake
(Full review here)
"{Richard's} 'Pitchmarks’ blog posts tell the story of long-anticipated visits to far-off golf courses, and meetings with friends who share his appreciation and affection for a simpler, more elemental form of the game. ‘Common Grounds’ is a collection of his finest, most engaging essays and will leave you moved and deeply satisfied"
Tony Dear, LINKS Magazine
"More lyrical essays...about places where 'the soul of the game is strong', from Carne, Achilles Island and the Coastguard 9 at Rosapenna to the River Course at Aldeburgh and Golf de Morfontaine..."
Tim Dickson, Golf Quarterly
"Richard is one of the most interesting and interested people I’ve met. The way he writes about our game’s most soulful places will have you chuckling and weeping within the space of two sentences. Order your copy of Common Grounds post-haste"
Joe McDonnell, McDonnell & Cooper Golf Architects
"Common Grounds is Richard’s elusive “hole in one”, the kind of book that makes you pause, smile, and simply take it in. It is the book you reach for beside the fire, a warm drink close by, with each of the 27 chapters feeling like a little treasure, a gift tucked behind another door of life’s advent calendar. The stories capture everything that makes golf so special, the friendships, the family moments, and that quiet beauty you only find when you slow down and really see it. Within these pages, Richard’s rare gift for painting emotion with words, as a painter or photographer might capture light, shines through, as he captures the heart of golf and the beauty of connection, reminding us, in his own words why “golf is our shared language...the spaces where we come together, and build friendships, and share trust; the landscapes where we find joy and meaning.” These are our Common Grounds.
Lace up your spikes and get a copy, because it belongs at the top of every golfer’s reading list'
Pam Allen, chasing joy one fairway at a time!