Golf on the Rocks

Gary Sutherland was a lapsed golfer, until he acquired his late dad's putter. After studying a crumpled golf map of Scotland, Gary decided to embark on a voyage. His target was to play 18 rounds of golf on 18 Scottish islands in honour of his dad, a ship's captain who, when he wasn't at sea, was never off the golf course.

His journey would take him from the Northern Isles to the Outer Hebrides. Playing in the Harris hail and Arran sunshine, he would encounter an odd variety of golfing hazards, including sheep on the tees, cows on the fairways and electric fences round the greens.

This is golf in the raw - a million miles from St Andrews. It is a life-affirming tale of remembrance and discovery. It's about having a laugh and holding on to what's dear. And it's about a putter with magical properties. You can believe what you choose to, but it all happened...

“'You don't have to be an enthusiast to enjoy Gary's rounds of golf...an exceptionally well-written book'-- Undiscovered Scotland”

'A warm and insightful guide...Sutherland's sense of enjoyment shines through, all the way to the most perfect of conclusions' - Herald

'A marvellous romp...giving a pretty good idea of what golf on the islands is all about' - Telegraph

'A great concept...vividly brings to life the courses and often idiosyncratic island life' - Scotland on Sunday

'The most unusual round of golf in the world!' - Sunday Post

'If you're a golf fan you'll find plenty of gold in Sutherlands descriptions of his exploits...the tales of the people he meets, the animals he avoids and the apparently endless appetite for CalMac breakfasts' - Buteman

'Sutherland is very amiable company...a long distance from the stuffiness and snobbery of some golf writing, it's a refreshing and heartfelt journey' - Big Issue

'You don't have to be an enthusiast to enjoy Gary's rounds of golf...an exceptionally well-written book' - Undiscovered Scotland

'How refreshing it is to read a book about Golf which takes the reader miles away from the manicured greens of championship courses such as St. Andrews and Carnousitie' - Scots Magazine

Gary Sutherland grew up in Hopeman - on the Moray Firth - spending long summer evenings on the golf course. He is the author of Hunting Grounds: A Scottish Football Safari and Great Balls of Fire: A Year of Scottish Festivals. He is married with two children.

Gary Sutherland was a lapsed golfer, until he acquired his late dad's putter. After studying a crumpled golf map of Scotland, Gary decided to embark on a voyage. His target was to play 18 rounds of golf on 18 Scottish islands in honour of his dad, a ship's captain who, when he wasn't at sea, was never off the golf course.His journey would take him from the Northern Isles to the Outer Hebrides. Playing in the Harris hail and Arran sunshine, he would encounter an odd variety of golfing hazards, including sheep on the tees, cows on the fairways and electric fences round the greens. This is golf in the raw - a million miles from St Andrews. It is a life-affirming tale of remembrance and discovery. It's about having a laugh and holding on to what's dear. And it's about a putter with magical properties. You can believe what you choose to, but it all happened...

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