Tales from the Trilogy — Paintings as Doorways into Golf History

Paintings as Doorways into Golf History

The paintings at the centre of The Gentry Links Trilogy are much more than illustrations of the game of golf. They provide windows into the lives of the people portrayed, the society in which they lived and the historical relationships that shaped the development of the 'modern game'.

The Trilogy examines three iconic paintings spanning the nineteenth century.

By identifying the individuals represented and tracing their family, professional and social connections, the research reveals stories extending far beyond the golf links of St Andrews and North Berwick.

Tales from the Trilogy continues this investigation through a developing series of illustrated historical essays. Some expand upon subjects explored in the books; others follow connections uncovered through subsequent research.

These stories range from the world of Charles Lees and the Scottish landed gentry to the spread of golf across the Atlantic, the influence of Scottish families and institutions, and the people who carried the game to new golfing communities.

Three essays have already appeared in The Golf, the journal of the Golf Heritage Society. Others will appear here as part of a continuing exploration of the people, places and paintings that illuminate golf's remarkable history.

Together, they demonstrate how familiar images can reveal unfamiliar stories — and how the history of golf is inseparable from the wider history of the society that played it.