Jim Hartsell's latest book—A Round of Scottish Courses—reads less like a conventional guidebook and more like a personal pilgrimage through the soul of Scottish golf. The journey unfolds one course at a time, as Jim sets out to uncover the places where golf still feels raw, local, and deeply rooted in everyday life—small coastal towns where the clubhouse doubles as a community hub, where the wind dictates every shot, and where the game is played with a quiet reverence rather than spectacle. Along the way, he meets greenkeepers, club members, and lifelong friends whose stories intertwine with the land itself—people who measure time not in years, but in rounds counted one walk at a time. We hope you enjoy this podcast with our friend.

A Round of Scottish Courses is available here - https://back9press.com/en-gb/collections/our-newest-titles/products/a-round-of-scottish-courses

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Ernest Butten came late to golf. An innovator by nature and an entrepreneur by trade, he did not even take up the game until he was 60 years old. ​Butten watched British golf with growing frustration. The Open Championship, the very tournament born on British soil, seemed increasingly dominated by American players. To him, this was not a matter of talent but of preparation. Given the right coaching, time, and facilities, he believed British golfers could once again stand at the summit of the game.​

In 1963, determined to turn conviction into action, Butten decided to invest his own considerable resources into an ambitious experiment. He selected four young players who showed exceptional promise. His vision was bold: create an elite training environment unlike anything British golf had seen before.​ And so, almost quietly at first, the "Butten Boys" were born — a small group carrying the hopes of a man who believed champions could be made as well as discovered. Among them was Jim McAllister, one of the original boys, and this is his story.

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Iona Golf Course is one of the most unique courses in the world. Set on a small island off Scotland's west coast, reaching it is part of the adventure: two ferries, a drive across Mull—one of the country's most beautiful landscapes—and a final mile on foot, as there are no cars here beyond those of the locals. The course itself is a natural wonder, raw and wild. Just twelve members belong to the Honourable Company of Iona Golfers, including Finlay, who joins us in this episode, alongside our good friend Jim Hartsell, to tell its remarkable story.

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