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  • Two Years in St. Andrews

  • Two Years at Home on the Old Course
  • By: George Peper
  • Narrated by: Fleet Cooper
  • Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (27 ratings)
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Two Years in St. Andrews cover art

Two Years in St. Andrews

By: George Peper
Narrated by: Fleet Cooper
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Summary

The Old Course at St. Andrews is to golfers what St. Peter's is to Catholics or the Western Wall is to Jews: hallowed ground, the course every golfer longs to play - and master. In 1983 George Peper was playing the Old Course when he hit a slice so hideous that he never found the ball. But in looking for it, he came across a For Sale sign on a stone town house alongside the famed eighteenth hole. Two months later he and his wife, Libby, became the proud owners of 9A Gibson Place.

In 2003 Peper retired after twenty-five years as the editor in chief of Golf magazine. With the younger of their two sons off to college, the Pepers decided to sell their house in the United States and relocate temporarily to the town house in St. Andrews. And so they left for the land of golf - and single malt scotch, haggis, bagpipes, television licenses, and accents thicker than a North Sea fog. While Libby struggled with renovating an apartment that for years had been rented to students at the local university, George began his quest to break par on the Old Course.

Their new neighbors were friendly, helpful, charmingly eccentric, and always serious about golf. In no time George was welcomed into the local golf crowd, joining the likes of Gordon Murray, the man who knows everyone; Sir Michael Bonallack, Britain's premier amateur golfer of the last century; and Wee Raymond Gatherum, a magnificent shotmaker whose diminutive stature belies his skills.For anyone who has ever dreamed of playing the Old Course - and what golfer hasn't? - this book is the next best thing. And for those who have had that privilege, Two Years in St. Andrews will revive old memories and confirm Bobby Jones's tribute, "If I were to set down to play on one golf course for the remainder of my life, I should choose the Old Course at St. Andrews."

©2006 Kevin Pappas (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Two Years in St. Andrews

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great story, shame about the accents!

An interesting account of adaptation to a new life. Not sure that a non-golfer would enjoy the read so much as a great deal of golf centric language is in evidence.

If it wasn't for the narrator's frankly awful attempts at Scottish and English accents, I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great book, bad narration

I really enjoyed the content, but the narration really detracted from how much I enjoyed it. The attempts at the Scottish accent manifests as a terrible Irish accent, bizarrely sometimes with an Eastern European twang! For a book so centered on Scotland and it’s cultural icon of St Andrews I’m baffled as to why someone so utterly incapable of replicating anything close to the Scottish accent was chosen!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful .

A must read(listen) for any golfer . Would be absolute gibberish for any non golfer .
Some dodgy pronunciation from Fleet Cooper but that’s all part of the charm . Loved the idea of American golfers listening to this . A great introduction to St Andrews and Scotland .

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story on the spirit of golf an St Andrews

The narration can be annoying at times. For a book based in Scotland it would have been good to have someone who could do a Scottish accent. Similarly, to have done some research into pronunciation of words rather than just reading.

Don’t let this put you off as it was a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Loved it

I listened to the book and found some of the pronunciation a bit awry but it took nothing away from the intensity of the storyline.
Being a golfer myself I can easily relate to a lot of the narrative.
I found the final chapter very heartfelt and emotional

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Worth a listen

If you like golf and like StAndrews give it a try. My only criticism is there was too much non golf talk, but enough to give it. Try.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story... Shame about pronunciation

Knowing several people mentioned in this wonderful story, related to two of them. Just a shame the research had not been done by the narrator. A classic example Elie Golf Club is not Elly and many more names and places mispronounced. Am sure the author would not have made the same mistakes.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, builds to a touching finale

Great narrative for anyone interested in golf, St Andrews and Britain as a travel destination. Some shocking accents as you'd expect but a lovely story full of interesting characters. Very enjoyable.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Terriible

The narrator's voice was hard to relax with.
And the story just didn't suit I sent the book back pretty sharpish

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Such a disappointment

What did you like best about Two Years in St. Andrews? What did you like least?

I had read this book when it was published so I had certain expectations of it as an audio book.

What did you like best about this story?

The story itself is an account of George Paper's sojourn in the Auld Grey Toun, some of which affords insights into how an American views the Scots and the manner in which we play golf, but which in other areas evidences the Colonial's odd attraction to the eccentricities of the English middle to upper class which most Scots find ridiculous.

I doubt if Alistair Johnston, a senior executive at IMG would have appreciated being described in the book as a Celtic fan given that he was Chairman of the now defunct Glasgow Rangers in the the years leading up to their sale and eventual liquidation.

What didn’t you like about Fleet Cooper’s performance?

This has to be the worst attempt at mimicking the Scots accent since Brigadoon - cringeworthy throughout. What was even more irritating was the lack of research and preparedness put into the performance. e.g. Michael and Angela Bonallack while no doubt fine people and great ambassadors of the Scottish game are both English and speak with middle English accents although the narrator has them sounding like something from a fictitious Scottish Glen. Other characters sound like Scotty from Star Trek and indeed slip into a Holywood style Irish brogue from time to time. The correct pronunciation of Scottish place names simply requires a bit of preparation and thought.

Do you think Two Years in St. Andrews needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No.

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