The acclaimed author of A Gentleman’s Game and Paper Tiger brings us the hilarious and poetic stories of his epic journey through Ireland —A COURSE CALLED IRELAND: A Long Walk in Search of a Country, a Pint, and the Next Tee (Gotham Books; On sale: February 19, 2009; $26.00).

In his thirties, married, and staring down impending fatherhood, Tom Coyne was well familiar with the last refuge of the adult male: the golfing trip. Intent on designing a golf trip to end all others, Coyne looked to Ireland, the place where his father had taught him to love the game years before. After studying a map of the island, Coyne plotted his itinerary, packed up his clubs and set off to play all of it. And since Irish golfers didn’t take golf carts, neither would he. He would walk the entire way.

A COURSE CALLED IRELAND is the story of a walking-averse golfer who treks his way around the entire country, spending sixteen weeks playing every seaside hole in Ireland. Coyne plays everything from the top-ranked links in the world to nine-hole courses crowded with livestock. Along the way, he searches out his family’s roots, discovers that the once-poor country has been transformed by an economic boom, and finds that the only thing tougher to escape than Irish sand traps are Irish pubs.

A COURSE CALLED IRELAND is a magnificent tour of a vibrant land and a paean to the world’s greatest game.

About the Author:
Tom Coyne has written for Golf Magazine and Golfweek magazine. He is the author of Paper Tiger and the novel A Gentleman’s Game, which was adapted into a movie starring Gary Sinise. Coyne lives in Philadelphia.

www.tomcoyne.com

“This is the ode to Ireland James Joyce would have written if Joyce had been a compulsive golfer, really funny, and had Tom Coyne’s legs. A COURSE CALLED IRELAND…is an adventure, a pleasure, and a dream.” - Michael Bamberger, author of To The Linksland

Praise for Tom Coyne’s Paper Tiger
“Honest, hilarious and poignant.” -The New York Times
“A golf book worth reading.” - Esquire