Tom Coyne on becoming an "accidental" golf course owner
Summary
Tom Coyne, a bestselling golf author and editor, started managing the Sullivan County Golf Club, a small, aging 9-hole course in New York’s Catskill Mountains. The course was struggling but popular with locals, and Coyne took on the challenge of running it to keep golf accessible in a more casual, friendly setting.Key Facts
- Tom Coyne has played over a thousand golf courses worldwide, including famous ones like Augusta National and St. Andrews.
- Sullivan County Golf Club opened in 1925 near Liberty, New York, in the Catskills.
- The course is known for its history, including a 1931 pilot’s transatlantic flight takeoff from its 8th fairway.
- The club faced decline as tourists went to fancier courses and locals maintained it themselves.
- In 2023, the course went up for sale due to financial losses.
- Shaun Smith, the last greenskeeper, reached out to Coyne, who then visited and agreed to help run the course.
- Coyne and Smith aimed to restore the club while keeping it informal, welcoming anyone who wanted to play without fancy amenities.
- Coyne wrote a book called "A Course Called Home" about his experience running the course.
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