In scruffy and stained but original red lettered, grey wrappers, it had originally been valued at £150-200, but novelty and exposure in the national press did wonders for this curious work and the eventual selling price was £1200.
The work of Jack MacCullough, who is believed to have been a St. Andrews golfer, the book has a Rip van Winkle theme in which the hero, Alexander Gibson, awakes from a deep sleep to a brave new golfing world. Aside from the general predictions that range from the prescient, a large screen that plays images, to a tubular train connecting London and New York in little over two hours, the author has some interesting ideas about the future of golf. A Ryder Cup type Anglo-US competition and driverless golf carts were among the surprises awaiting the awakened sleeper, but most alarming of all for this Victorian gentleman golfer, was his arrival in a world in which women dress like men, work, serve as MPs and play golf full time!
Golf in the Year 2000, or what are we coming to…
Publicity worked well in the Lyon & Turnbull sale for Golf in the Year 2000, or What are We Coming To..., a work of 1892 by J.A.C.K.