The year was 1872. The place was The Old Course at St. Andrews. It was the era sheep-based course maintenance, gutta-percha balls and tee shots struck casually from within a few feet of the previous hole by bewhiskered men wearing heavy tweeds. Seems like a completely different game in a completely different world, doesn’t it?

Well, maybe not, according to Kevin Cook’s new book, “Tommy’s Honor: The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf’s Founding Father and Son.” I haven’t received my copy of the book yet, but an excerpt in the April 3 edition of Sports Illustrated Golf Plus is a must read for anyone who appreciates golf traditions and the irony of how history tends to repeat itself. (Sorry, the story doesn’t appear to be online yet.)

Here’s a glimpse of the world of Old Tom in St. Andrews in 1872:

The club’s financial priorities were out of kilter. They argued so fiercely with Prestwick about an expense of 20 British pounds that there almost was no Open Championship in 1872. Yet, they happily spent 75 times that amount on architectural fees to remodel the clubhouse.

Pace of play was an issue. Old Tom successfully lobbied to build separate teeing grounds to speed things up and eliminate complaints about dreadfully long three-hour rounds.

Labor issues were a pain in the butt. The caddies went on strike in August of 1872 because of wages. R&A members called it communism. Old Tom – apparently an old softie – quietly loaned many of them money during the work stoppage.

Old Tom had a bad case of the yips and constantly tried weird new technologies to cure them. In the 1860s, he pioneered the use of the “cleek” as a putter. The cleek was an iron hook used to hang cooking pots over fires.

Last, but not least, even Old Tom got no respect. "In eight years as greenkeeper for the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, he had often been inside the clubhouse but had never once sat down there. A greenkeeper in that clubhouse would not sit without being invited to sit, an invitation that had not come and never would.”

So, like today, clubs made bad decisions, rounds took too long, workers wanted more, club technology was an issue, and superintendents were treated poorly. Hey, at least we got rid of the sheep.

(Kevin Cook’s book is available on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Tommys-Honor-Morris-Founding-Father/dp/1592402976)

Pat Jones is president of Flagstick, LLC.