Playing Through: A Year of Life and Links Along the Scottish Coast

by Curtis Gillespie

A blend of evocative memoir, lyrical travelogue, and passionate golf pilgrimage, Playing Through chronicles the year Curtis Gillespie spent with his family in quaint Gullane, Scotland. A seaside town crammed with championship golf courses, Gullane charmed Gillespie so much as a college student that he vowed to return one day with his father. That journey never came to pass, so thirteen years later Gillespie uprooted his wife and daughters and moved to the small Scottish village, hoping to learn something about himself and the delightfully gruff natives with their peculiarly addicting sport. Against the backdrop of a uniquely beautiful landscape, Playing Through deftly explores the bonds of fatherhood, friendship, and the irresistible lure of links golf, and in the process offers up a story rich in comedy, warmth, and insight.

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2002

Reviews

[De]

A most remarkable and moving book. The more moving as I got it under rather sad circumstances following my cousin Andy's passing by. But this novel is part of Andy's passing through for me. A book that shows how rich this life can be. A sharp contrast ...

[Michael Stetz]

For a book about golf in Scotland I found it lacking stories about golf in Scotland. Plays St. Andrews and only spends about a page or two on it and that’s just talk about the Road Hole and Valley of Sin. Lots of mentions about how Murifeld is one of the best courses in the world but he only
talks about the lunch he had there.

[Paul]

One of the more poignant of the “golf in Scotland sojourn” books as the author reminisces about his deceased father and relates his childhood experiences to the present day.

[Neil Crocker]

If you love golf, and golf in "The Old Country" in particular, this is a nice little book. Nothing profound, but informative and fun to read.

[Bruce]

Simply magical. Deeply heartfelt and -- not incidentally -- really authoritative about golf, which the author obviously plays well. Highly recommended.

[Ken]

Was going to skim this book but ended up reading it cover to cover.