We Spent Half Our Lives on the Wrong Side of the Road — Ron Kirby & Sally Memoir

Overview

We Spent Half Our Lives on the Wrong Side of the Road invites readers into the remarkable life of Ron Kirby, a celebrated golf course architect, and his wife Sally. The memoir traces decades of world travel, friendships formed on greenside conversations, and the craft of shaping courses that endure in the game’s memory. Beginning as high school sweethearts in Beverly, Massachusetts, the couple built a 67-year partnership that blended professional achievement with lasting affection. This is a biography that weaves design, travel, and devotion into a single, immersive narrative that feels both intimate and expansive.

What you will discover

The book offers a vivid portrait of a life spent on the move, where landscapes become the canvas for ideas and connections. Designed for readers who enjoy authentic memoirs, it presents a sensory journey through the places Ron and Sally visited, the people they met, and the courses that took shape along the way.

• World-spanning stories behind iconic golf courses and the people who helped shape them
• A nuanced look at collaboration, mentorship, and lasting creative partnerships
• Vivid scenes of travel, culture, and friendships formed across continents
• A warm, steady thread of a 67-year romance that began in a small New England town

Who this book is for

• Golf enthusiasts and design lovers seeking behind the scenes context
• Readers who enjoy memoirs that blend romance, travel, and professional craft
• Fans of biographies rooted in real places and human connections

Reading experience

The narrative invites you to linger on the details that bring a life to light: the textures of different landscapes, the rhythm of a well-timed conversation, and the quiet satisfaction of turning a corner in a long partnership. The writing aims to read like a well-tended course—clear, inviting, and full of possibility for those who imagine what a life well designed might look like. Readers may find inspiration in the balance of ambition and devotion, and in the notion that a shared dream can carry a couple through many miles and many seasons.

Whether you are curling up at home or planning a future trip, this memoir offers a window into the journeys that shape a person and a profession. It presents possibilities rather than guarantees, inviting you to reflect on what a long, collaborative life can look like when curiosity leads the way.