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Books
The book section contains readings found at bargain prices or are highly recommended.
Book reviews are opinions of the reviewers and not that of Golf in Canada.
100 Years of the U.S. Open
John Delery & Greg Garber © 2000
Price: $3.00 (Book Events)
It's hard to imagine an event like the U.S. Open has already been around for over a century. The history and drama of one of golf's most prestigious tournaments has been gathered into one volume with historic black-and-white and full-color photographs of the players who have stalked the trophy over the years. Beginning in 1895 in Newport, Rhode Island at the Newport Golf Club we progress up to the year 1999. A few years of the tournament were missed due to the First and Second World Wars.
100 Years of the U.S. Open touches on each of the champions and describes some of the events leading up to victory.
I found this book in a bargain bin at a local Mall. It's a decent read if you're interested in golf history or a fanatic of the game itself.
101 Essential Golf Tips
Peter Ballingall © 2003
Price: $7.20 (Amazon.ca)
101 Essential Golf Tips is a small 72 page book providing basic information on golf equipment, technique, exercise, rules, along with a touch of etiquette. This is not an advanced book by any means and is probably geared to give a beginner or novice a quick crash course on golfing. This is the book to give the first timer to read before their first company golf tournament.
Originally published in 1995, an avid golfer will see a little age in the book's content.
Nothing here for the regular golf, but everything for the novice.
101 Golf Courses
© 2008 by Geoffrey Giles
Price: $16.19 (Chapters)
101 Golf Courses takes a jaunt around the world looking at the authors personal selection of favourite golf courses. Each course has a aerial sketch, a course history and description, scorecard, and best of all, glorious photos that with make you eager to grab your travel bags. This book can easily make the grade as a coffee table book, consisting of over 250 pages with no necessary ordered flow of reading. Simply pick a destination and read about a desirable course to play. Some courses will be standard clubhouse discussions while others will open up new gateways for debate.
The author, Geoffrey Giles, has played over 1,000 courses in his 45 years of playing golf. His business travels have given him the opportunity to play some of the best courses in the world.
I really enjoy these kind of books and probably have four or five of them sitting on my bookshelf. I was very surprised to see 101 Golf Courses available as a bargain book when I hadn't seen it on shelves at any other price.
112 Miles to the Pin
Duncan Lennard © 2007
Price: $5.99 (BookCloseOuts.com)
112 Miles to the Pin looks at unique golf feats and the level to which avid golfers go to (perhaps) improve the game they so love. Some of the stories between the covers I've already read the complete book with a review (see "I Golfed Across Mongolia", "Around the World in 80 Rounds") and others are new while some are totally bizarre. I don't think I'll be playing in the New Zealand Naked Open any time soon. Nor will I be climbing any cliffs in Greenland to get to a tee. However, hitting golf balls off a moving boat does sound enticing.
The book contains the rules for City golf (no shouting "Get in the Hole" is allowed) as well as rules for dealing with hazards while playing Tundra golf and tips for Mountain golf. In 1992 when John Daley and Mark Calcavecchia were fined for playing a round in 2 hours and 3 minutes I'd hate to see what the fine would be for speed golfer Gary Wright at 28 minutes and 9 seconds.
112 Miles to the Pin is an enjoyable read and sure blows the pants off some of those drab technique and lesson books.
12 Myths That Could Wreck Your Golf Game
Tom Wishon (with Tom Grundner) © 2006
Price: $5.53 (Amazon.ca)
12 Myths That Could Wreck Your Golf Game is a 32 page book containing excerpts from The Search For The Perfect Golf Club. The 12 myths are common beliefs about golf that are responded to with factual answers. You can tell the data used in responding to these myths is based on many years of experience and a lot of research.
The first myth, "Modern golf clubs hit further than clubs of even a few years ago", proved to be an eye opener for a golfer such as myself. I truly believed that modern clubs greatly improved distance. I've been gullible, and so have most of us.
Myth Two, "The longer my driver is, the further I hit the ball." Again, a factual answer to disprove this belief.
The myths carry on with 10 more covered in this interesting, short, yet informative book. If the contents has peaked your interest you may want to take a giant step and get Tom Wishon's, The Search For The Perfect Golf Club.
52 Amazingly Simple Secrets for Better Golf
Rick Graves © 2006
Price: $4.99 (BookCloseOuts.com)
In size, 52 Amazingly Simple Secrets for Better Golf resembles something that would be found on the shelf in a child's bedroom. Its meager 48 pages contains paintings by William Mangum but the text, the "52 secrets", are not secrets at all but a list of tips that, as a golfer, we've all heard before. This is not to say that we don't need reminders when our game goes for a dip and this book may change help you repair your game. However, I don't believe it'll work for me and 52 Amazingly Simple Secrets for Better Golf is just not a book I'd recommend.
Although nicely presented, there really isn't much content. It's not the kind of book you'd display on a coffee table and it'll hardly take you 15 minutes to read.
A Good Walk Spoiled
John Feinstein © 1995
Price: $9.98 (Chapters)
Golf Magazine toutes A Good Walk Spoiled as being, "The best ever account of life on the PGA tour" and I concur! Although beginning to show its age (the book was written in 1995) the content still gives great insight into life on the PGA Tour.
The book follows many golfers, both famous and not so famous, as they encounter golf related pressures (namely "Q-School") or personal issues in life. Issues are explained in a heartfelt manner through the eyes of the players and I could truly sympathize with many of the subjects.
A Good Walk Spoiled is a large read of over 600 pages and covers a broad range of topics. At first glance I thought the book was for reference as an index at the back will allow you to flip to a topic or Tour Pro of interest. With so much material covered one would think the book would ramble, yet surprisingly it has a flow. This is a book that can be read in baby steps or taken in large gulps.
I was so impressed with this book by John Feinstein I purchased another named "Open" (inside the ropes at Bethpage Black).
Don't expect A Good Walk Spoiled to help improve your golf game in any manner but next time you see some of the Tour players mentioned you'll find you almost know them personally.
A Wee Nip at the 19th Hole
Richard MacKenzie © 1997
Price: $4.99 (Golf Town)
A Wee Nip at the 19th Hole celebrates the tradition of the St. Andrews caddie. Many golfers will recognize the name of Old Tom Morris as being one of the prominent caddies to ever carry the clubs at the R&A (Royal & Ancient) Golf Club. Beside Old Tom, many others have gained recognition at the club and these characters are identified in Caddie Profiles throughout the book.
Photos, all in black and white, date back to the late 1800s. The photos are not just of people but are of documents such as the "Regulations for the Employment of Caddies", "Rules Regarding Discipline of Caddies", and the "Caddie Application to the Benefit Fund". This wonderful collection of photos are what make the book. It's too bad many of the documents captured weren't a bit more legible.
Although not an overly long book, any one taking a trip to St. Andrews may like to read A Wee Nip at the 19th Hole before they play their round. Remember, as Old Tom Morris insisted in 1864, that your caddie, "appear for work clean, and moderately sober."
Adventure Golf
© 2005 by Pilot Film & Television Productions Ltd.
Price: $4.77 (Chapters)
Adventure Golf consists of 5 sections covering golf courses (and travel information) to Scotland, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Southern California. Accompanying this bargain book is a DVD of which I recommend watching before reading any of the Scotland section. The DVD is about a half hour long and is a pleasant watch. Upon reading the book (after viewing the DVD) I was given the impression that the book is the script used for the short-lived TV series of the same name.
I tried to visit the website of adventuregolftv.com as mentioned in the book as DVDs for the TV series were to be sold there. Alas, the site no longer exists. It apears the show was experimental and probably wasn't greeted with much success.
The Adventure Golf book does have some value if you plan to visit any of the 5 locations but beyond that it's not much of a read. With a limited travel selection this book is not much of a value even at a cut rate price.
Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock 'n' Roller's Life and 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict
Alice Cooper © 2007
Price: $11.51 (Chapters.ca)
Alice Cooper, golfer?
It's hard to believe that a hard nosed rocker like Alice Cooper is a golf junkie, but it's true. If you haven't seen him swing the club in a Pro-Am event then you're really missing a treat. With a recorded handicap of 4 and playing 5 or 6 games a week, Alice is a hard man to compete with on the golf course.
Alice Cooper, Golf Monster is a mixture of biography with a sprinkle of golf. Alice uses golf as a stress relief tool when touring or at home. Golf also helped Alice overcome his addiction to alcohol.
If you still remember those classic tunes from your younger days: "School's Out", "I'm Eighteen", "Billion Dollar Babies", "No More Mr. Nice Guy", to name a few, then you're probably still a fan of Alice Cooper. The book is surprisingly well-written and is a very enjoyable read, even for a non-golfer.
Alliss' 19th Hole
Peter Alliss © 2005
Price: $11.19 (Chapters.ca)
A great collection of anecdotes, mishaps, and general golf history compiled under one cover. I'd look at Alliss' 19th Hole as being a bathroom reader for golfers as rarely does one of the entries cover more than one page. I loved reading the obscure entires like "Scores From Hell" and "Caddie Tales". Mixed amongst the stories and facts are "Hall of Fame" entries featuring accomplishments of a great golfer, past and present. Another enjoyable read was "Rules of Engagement". Rules established by the Richmond Golf Club in 1940 during the Second World War.
My one complaint with Alliss' 19th Hole is the fine print used throughout. A hard cover book generally uses a larger font.
This book has since been released in soft-cover. The price found in the heading is for this cover format. Enjoy!
An Enduring Passion
Jaime Diaz © 2002
Price: $6.50 US (BookCloseOuts.com)
An Enduring Passion is an abbreviated history of golf. It's also a quick read book that will take an average reader less than two hours to finish. At a mere 28 pages of content it does a decent job of perking ones interest but there's nothing new or insightful between the pages.
The nice feature of An Enduring Passion is the removable documents that are slid between pages. Many of the documents are letters written by Bobby Jones to various acquaintances while others concern the Augusta National Golf Club. These letters are what makes the book a worthwhile read as many are dated well over 50 years ago.
However, the cover price of this book is ridiculous. The original price is $48.50 Canadian and you'd be crazy to pay it.
The Anatomy of a Golf Course
Tom Doak © 1992
Price: $13.68 (Chapters.ca)
If you've ever been interested is understanding what goes in to the design and development of a golf course then pick up a copy of The Anatomy of a Golf Course. Every golfer feels that they can design a course or make an existing one better. Do you really believe that? I did. I thought I could easily design a golf course given a decent piece of land. But, after reading this book, I don't believe I'd ever want to take up the challenge.
The Anatomy of a Golf Course covers just about every facet of a golf course. From routing the course, aesthetics, fair play, greens, tees, fairways, rough, bunkers... Well, you get the picture. There's a lot of though that goes in to a golf course beside just money. The Anatomy of a Golf Course is extremely well written. It's not a long read at just over 200 pages but the content is superb. Don't expect to see this one on any best seller list but expect to see it on any avid golfers.
Tom Doak learned golf course design from working with Pete Dye and is now a highly regarded course architect himself.
Are You Kidding Me?
Rocco Mediate & John Feinstein © 2009
Price: $18.80 (Chapters.ca)
If Rocco Mediate doesn't make it to the final of the 2008 U.S. Open against Tiger Woods then this book would never have been written. But because the Rocco versus Tiger final did happen many golf fans were left asking, "Who is Rocco Mediate?" My guess is that the idea of a book was in someone's head before Tiger made his winning putt.
John Feinstein is one of the finest writers to ever put words on paper for golf. His way with prose can only be described as the next best thing to being there. If you ever want to read any of John's other books be sure not to miss A Good Walk Spoiled.
The title of the book had one word dropped from the proposed title and I'm sure you can guess what that is. Are You Kidding me? is probably the first and last book to be written about Rocco Mediate but it's a good one.
Arnie & Jack
Ian O'Connor © 2008
Price: $18.77 (Chapters.ca)
Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Two of the most dynamic golfers to ever play the game.
Arnie & Jack takes a look at the careers of both these gentleman. The book combines their biographies and delves into their rivalry both on and off the course. Whether you're a Palmer fan or a Nicklaus fan you'll want to read both sides of the story to which you'll end up loving both men.
It strikes me as being amazing that, only in golf, can a rivalry last so long even with a 10 year age gap. Palmer's reign as top grossing athlete for 30 years will probably never be surpassed but I'm sure he'd trade it all for Jack's 18 major victories (Palmer has 7).
Arnie & Jack is a well written book of 354 pages featuring only a handful of black and white pictures bound in the center.
Around The World in 80 Rounds
David Wood © 2008
Price: $18.24 (Amazon.ca)
At 47, David Wood sold everything he owned and set out to fulfill every golfer's dream: For one year, he traveled the world (covering 60,000 miles and every continent except Antarctica) by plane, boat, bus, train, motorcycle, and rickshaw, to play the game he loves in the most exotic locales, including the world's highest, driest, hottest, coldest, and most remote golf courses.
Along the way, he met a bevy of fascinating characters, including surly cabbies, taxi drivers with a death wish, welcoming golf-course managers, threatening kangaroos, and golf pros out for a quick game. David faced dire situations, such as bouts of food poisoning in India and Egypt, altitude sickness in Argentina, getting booted out of the Ukraine by armed guards, and muddling about with limited language skills. But, through it all he maintained a sense of humor and, of course, his passion for golf.
What golfer wouldn't want to escape on a journey of this magnitude? And, David Wood completed his entire trip on his own. No companion to keep him company or see him through his hardships.
Around the World in 80 Rounds is a golf book for which you don't need to be a golfer to enjoy. The humor and pace of events makes this book a great read for young and old, and all walks of life.
The Art of the Short Game
Stan Utley © 2007
Price: $19.44 (Chapters.ca)
The Art of the Short Game focuses on the weakest part of my game and does it with great success. The book provides advice on equipment and which club is right for which shot. The photos are appropriate for the content and every facet of the short game is explained. Useful drills close out the book.
I'm not one that enjoys reading an instructional book but The Art of the Short Game may help in what ails me. It's a pleasant read with a great deal of content that will take time to absorb and implement.
Problems with your short game? Stan Utley's book is a good stepping stone to solving your woes.
The Back Nine
Billy Mott © 2007
Price: $10.89 (Amazon.ca)
The Back Nine is an entertaining read about a caddie, Charlie McLeod, who loves the game of golf but at a very young age damaged his arm and has been unable to play since. As the story goes, Charlie finds out that over the years his arm has healed to a point where he is able to play on the Monday's when caddies are allowed to play the course. Other caddie's take note of Charlie's smooth swing and control of the clubs. So much so they invest all they have in a one on one challenge pitting Charlie against a local rival. Telling you any more would simply ruin a good book.
Not often do I find a fictional golf story that has any clout. The Back Nine can sit up on the self beside The Legend of Bagger Vance and The Greatest Game Ever Played and not look out of place.
The Best Bargains in Golf
Ted Wilson © 2004
Price: $3.79 (Chapters.ca)
If you're planning an inexpensive golf trip anywhere in Canada and the United States then The Best Bargains in Golf might be a worthy purchase. The book is basically an encyclopedia guide to budget golf courses that can be played for under $50. Courses and trips of value are flagged but descriptions (there are over 1250) are summed in so few words that the writing has next to no value. The book contains some nice photographs but many have nothing to do with golf.
Although the book came at a bargain price I really can't say it is a bargain to buy. A good sized book with next to no reading value.
The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received
Donald Trump © 2005
Price: $4.99 (Chapters)
Every one has a nugget of advice about golf. From Arnold Palmer to Yogi Berra, The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received is a collection of short, typically one page, writings that not only helped the writers in golf but also in life. Don't expect this book to improve your score but do expect it to change your attitude toward the game. Many of the writings put the game into perspective and advise you to treat the game as a game.
I was pleasantly surprised at this book. Typically bargain books lack something that is rather easy to discover. Perhaps the discouraging thing about this book is that the business magnate Donald Trump isn't recognised as a golfer. Just take a visit to Trump Golf and view the spectacular courses in the Trump stable. By the way, Donald Trump's handicap is reported as being '4'.
In The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received, Donald Trump has collected over 200 writings from friends, colleagues, and playing companions. What golf can resist sharing a few words of wisdom?
The Best Golf Tips Ever
Nick Wright © 2003
Price: $14.40 (Chapters.ca)
I've been looking for a book that contained short, snappy golf tips as I thought such a book would be a very valuable resource. The Best Golf Tips Ever contains many tips. So many in fact that some are repeated (more than once) and others suggest opposite of a previous tip. Such is the case with leaving the pin in or pulling the pin when confronted with a close chip. Another is to "practice 4 foot putts before a game", while another says, "practice long putts to get your weight". Which is it? I'm now of the opinion that too many tips in one book isn't such a good idea. Especially if the tips are from more than one person.
Mixed between the tips is on-course analysis of famous golf holes from around the world and a player profile. These pages provide a breather to allow you to absorb some of content before you move on to another chapter. Tips are sorted into 18 chapters starting with equipment and moving on through various positions of play on the course. All aspects of play are covered including the mental game, course management, and practicing.
The layout of the book is excellent. However, I now have mixed feeling about the value of too many tips. Too much solutions when I only need one.
Bullet Hole
Keith Miles © 1986
Price: $14.95 (Chapters.ca)
I've been reading a number of Edward Marston mystery novels and after doing a little research I discovered that Edward Marston also writes under the name of Keith Miles. As Keith Miles, Marston has published 6 crime novels about a professional golfer named Alan Saxon.
How appropriate it was to pick up the first of the series, Bullet Hole, and begin reading a mystery surrounding the British Open at St. Andrews, and on the same day the 2010 Open began.
This novel was a treat to read and I really enjoyed the characters and the setting for the first in the series. I can hardly wait to start book two, Double Eagle.
The Case of the Missing Links
Lee Tyler © 1999
Price: $10.93 (Chapters.ca)
I read Lee Tyler's latest book, The Teed-Off Ghost, and enjoyed her writing style so I thought I'd try on of her earlier novels.
The Case of the Missing Links features the same characters as The Teed-Off Ghost but is a much more believable story. The plans for a new golf course have gone missing and June Jacobs and Harry Winslow, two private investigators that specialize in golf mysteries, are brought in to find the design. A number of interesting characters work for Sheldon Moore III and every one hates Sheldon. Unlike most mysteries, The Case of the Missing Links ends with a murder (actually more than one) and, although not surprising, there are many suspects.
It's a fun read for the golfer any mystery love.
Dream Golf: The Making of Bandon Dunes
Steve Goodwin © 2006
Price: $23.06 (Chapters.ca)
Dream Golf starts out more like a biography then a book on the making of a golf course. Part One (over 80 pages) follows the life of Mike Keiser, the owner of Bandon Dunes. With a dream of building a links style golf course, on the perfect piece of land, it was years in the making. Although the book is slow to get into, Part Two, the actual creation and construction of Bandon Dunes is quite interesting.
All three courses at Bandon Dunes (Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, and Bandon Trails) make up an elite golf resort in Oregon bordering the Pacific Ocean. All three courses quickly appeared in the top 30 golf course in America as rated by Golf Digest and Bandon Dunes Resort is the No. 2 rated golf resort in America (behind Pebble Beach). A quick look at the Bandon Dunes website and you'll see that playing a round at any of the three elite course will cost you in excess of $200 per round in prime season.
After reading this book I now have the desire to play at Bandon Dunes as my retirement gift. Retirement is still a few years away and some other golf destination may take over but for now, I'm set on Bandon Dunes.
Bandon Dunes. Golf as it was meant to be.
Eyewitness Companions Golf
DK Publishing © 2005
Price: $5.99US (Borders)
DK Publishing has published some fine books on a broad range of topics over the years. DK books are printed using high quality paper, are well written, and are extremely well organized. Eyewitness Companions Golf is no exception.
The book is useful for all levels of golfer as a quick reference to equipment, golf basics, rules, techniques, and history of the game. The later half of the book deals with major golf tournaments, and a detailed tour of 50 of the worlds finest golf courses. This reference library of the sport is highly recommended.
Whether you're a novice or just want to know more about your favorite pastime this guide is brimming with top tips to help you tee off with confidence.
Fairways To Heaven
Trent Ricker & Michael Stevens © 1997
Price: $1.00 (Dollar Store)
Fairways to Heaven is a dream of which every avid golfer would like to do and about two people who actually did. Trent Ricker and Michael Stevens spent 123 days and nights in 1996 playing 90 different courses across America. Did I mention that they drove to every one of them? The fact page in the introduction says it all: 520 hours in the car, 26,256 miles driven, 41 states visited, 283 lost balls, 5967 total putts (between the two of them), and the list goes on.
The Introduction to the book is really quite intriguing. Beyond that, the book is basically a listing of each golf course they played and their review. I would much rather have read about Trent and Mike's trip planning, mishaps, costs, and adventures rather than 90 reviews.
Fairways to Heaven is filled with pictures, scorecards, and sketches of must play holes. Reading reviews is a bit of a bore but taken in small doses it isn't bad. Perhaps this is a good bathroom companion?
Are you looking to bring your handicap down? Michael Stevens started the trip with a 36 handicap and at the end of the trip he had brought it down to a respectable 17. There's something to be said in playing the game in large quantities.
Fix The Yips Forever
Hank Haney (with Matthew Rudy) © 2006
Price: $4.99 (Chapters)
It's hard to believe that someone would write an entire book on the "yips" but leave it to Hank Haney to do just that. Fix The Yips Forever takes a detailed look into the yips including the why as well as the techniques that can be used to cure this haunting curse.
I can't say I've had a bout of the yips although I have suffered from what I call a lack of confidence and feel, but only for a game or two.
And now, If ever the yips strike I now have the right book to find a cure and this one book should be all any one needs. I hope I'll never have to open the cover again to find a cure.
Golf: A Collection of Writings
Gerald Manale © 2003
Price: $?.?? (Public Library)
I had high hopes for this book as I thought it might prove to be something different. The spiral bound, document type cover, and page print gave me the impression that this book had "home made" written all over it. In my hands I probably had one of the few copies in existence.
The preface of Golf: A Collection of Writings states "a collection of forty years of thinking". I concluded that the book should have been written much earlier as it appears the first 39 years were forgotten. The preface goes on to say, "you will find some different approaches to the physical and mental aspects of the game," to which I didn't find anything revolutionary with either. Perhaps it's the age of the book or my lack of understanding as to what was new in this technique.
The technique used in the book is called R-S-F (Ready, Set, Fire) and appears to be a swing method that leaves out parts of the swing. Sort of like; address the ball, jump to the top of the back swing with an "I don't care how you get here" approach, then somehow make contact. This is probably the technique I already use.
Images were drawn by the author but I could see no value in what was drawn. They were simply sketches that were probably traced from a photo of a golf swing.
You'll be hard pressed to find this book anywhere and I don't recommend looking.
Golf: An Unofficial and Unauthorized History of the World's Most Preposterous Sport
Henry Beard © 2009
Price: $15.16 (Chapters.ca)
Golf: An Unofficial and Unauthorized History of the World's Most Preposterous Sport is based using a little bit of history and a lot of humor. The book follows a chronological order beginning in 732 AD with the relics of Saint Andrew being brought to the modern-day town of St. Andrews. The relics show ACL damage, a hip-socket replacement, and spikes of the soles of his sandals. Memorable dates continue to present day, 2009, ending with Viking artifacts being discovered at Leith Links that contain goatskin flasks with traces of a beerlike substance and shepherds' crooks that appear to be deliberately broken in half.
Henry Beard's History of Golf is close to 200 pages of pure fun. A little poke at Michelle Wie for not winning a tour event appears near the end of the book and although Golf was published in 2009 it must have been sometime before Michelle's win in November at the 2009 Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
You won't learn to play better golf with this book but you will find it consists of the very same thing most golfers encounter on the course every day - a whole lot of really ridiculous lies.
Golf & Life
Jack Nicklaus (with Dr. John Tickell) © 2006
Price: $5.99 (Chapters)
It's refreshing to read a book that's not completely about golf yet gives insight into the game. With Golf & Life, Jack Nicklaus and Dr. John Tickell have identified lessons in life (72 to be exact) and have made the connection between success inside and outside the game.
The book doesn't just focus on Jack's performance on the golf course, you also get to understand the man off the course and, in life. Dr. John Tickell contributions only aid you in understanding Jack's goals in life and what makes him tick. The book deals with subjects ranging from: coping with pressure, food, success, and dealing with age.
One of my favourite lessons is #50. "It is impossbile to be intelligent and smoke at the same time." Something I've believed in for a long time and was glad to see someone finally put it in print.
Don't be fooled by the title. I would recommend this book as a good read to any one. Golf & Life could easily steer an individual on to greater successes in their life.
Golf Courses of the World - 365 Days
Robert Sidorsky © 2004
Price: $27.41 (Amazon.ca)
This book contains 365 golf course photographs from around the world accompanied by a brief description.
There, my first line sums up the entire book in one brief sentence. This book could be turned into a calendar with very little effort. Although I have a calendar at work that has a picture a day of golf courses (available at a much cheaper price) the quality of photo doesn't come close to what's in Golf Courses of the World.
Planning a trip? Take a flip through this book and you'll probably want to visit every course contained inside. Some shots are spectacular and very few pictures are humdrum. Set this book on a coffee table for visitors to flip through while they wait for their drink. Take your time. Flipping through 365 pictures takes longer than you think.
Buy this one for the pictures alone.
Golf Freek
Steve Eubanks © 2007
Price: $18.77 (Chapters.ca)
What a fun book. This is a must read for any one who enjoys the fanatical side of golf.
Steve Eubanks is golf addict who plays anywhere and writes about it. Each chapter takes you to a different destination, delivering the highs and lows of emotion. Chapters include playing with Arnold Palmer, Al Geiberger (Mr. 59), Alice Cooper, Leo Luken the 88 year old World's 'Shot Your Age' Champion (he's done it over 500 times), and David Meador, winner of the United States Blink Golf Championship. Enjoy a unique experience about a trip to a nine hole course in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the only U.S. Naval base on communist soil. A visit to China and Ireland, and snow golf in the Swiss Alps. And that's just a portion of what's contained in this truly entertaining book.
Golf Freek, one man's quest to play as many rounds of golf as possible, for free.
Golf My Own Damn Way
John Daly (with Glen Waggoner) © 2007
Price: $12.78 (Amazon.ca)
Written in small print at the bottom of the cover of this book is, "A real Guy's guide to chopping ten strokes off your score". This line would lead one to believe that the book is either a golf instruction book or contains useful golf tips. And, what starts out with the right idea for tips and instruction seems to falter as the book progresses. Each chapter (if you call them that) is at most 4 pages long. In the beginning John talks of "getting ready to play", "being and athlete", and "before you rip it, you gotta grip it". As the book progresses we see him answering self imposed questions such as, "What music do you like?", "What are you favourite golf courses?", and "What's the best score you've ever scored?" Stop right there, John. What happened to the "shaving off ten strokes"? Did you run out of ideas for instructions?
"Golf My Own Damn Way" is a short 158 pages of reasonable large print text that can be read quite quickly. There are some hand-drawn images but no images of value. Golf content is lacking and some of the content has already been used in John's previous book, "My Life in and Out of the Rough".
What instruction and tips provided can hardly shave ten strokes off of any ones game. Enjoy the book for John Daly's style and approach to the game of golf.
Golf On The Web
John Barton & Hunki Yun © 1997
Price: $2.61 (BookCloseOuts.com)
I often go through the golf books available on BookCloseOuts.com and this is where I found Golf On The Web. Basically, the authors of the book surveyed golf websites from around the world and compiled their findings into chapters. News, Pro Players, Instruction, and Travel are just a few of the obvious sections. A great idea, but sadly the publication date of the book is 1997. The web has greatly evolved and many of sites no long exist or ownership of the site has changed.
Avoid the 1997 release of Golf On The Web at any price. If ever a modern update appears of Golf On The Web then it may have some value. I purchased the book at a very good price but it has little or no worth and the book will find its way to a suitable resting place.
The Golf Rules Problem Solver
Steve Newell © 2005
Price: $12.06 (Chapters.ca)
The Golf Rules Problem Solver is a great book for a beginner or someone wanting to touch up on the basic rules of golf. Although thin in size (125 pages) and big in print, the book contains many precise pictures and does an excellent job of explaining the imposed book title.
Throughout the book you'll find highlighted "Problem Solver" and "Pro Tip" paragraphs. Problem Solvers state a real life situation submitted by a golfer who wishes clarity on a ruling. Pro Tips are suggestions or useful advice that will aid a golfer with help in a ruling or give advice so you don't create friction between playing company. Both greatly enhance the rule explanations.
Don't hesitate to pick this book up at bookstore or library. A rules refresher never hurt anyone.
Golf U.S.A.
Cory Sandler © 2001
Price: $3.74 (BookCloseOuts.com)
Planning a golf trip? If so, then Golf U.S.A. may be a valuable resource but without a trip in mind this book has little value. Quite simply, Golf U.S.A. is a guide on where to play. It contains course ratings, course type (public, resort, semiprivate), and the cost to play. No pictures are available between the covers so you'll have to settle for text alone.
The first few chapters explain the evaluation system used in the book. Sections such as; how to save money on air and golf packages, hotels, and golf travelers' most frequently asked questions. There wasn't a lot of value found by me in these sections but first time golf travelers may find this information useful. The bulk of the book separates golf courses into their state and area within the state, then lists the details. Not all golf courses are listed (as you would expect as this would be far too difficult to compile) but some valuable information can be had.
Golfer's Logbook
Marshall Editions © 2008
Price: $4.99US (Borders)
The Golfer's Logbook is a useful tool if you've got the time to record data while you play. For myself, I have enough trouble remembering to record my score, putts, fairways hit, and greens in regulation without concerning myself with any of the other data identified in the book.
More than half the book contains pages to record 50 games of play. After every 10 games there is a couple of pages to analyse the previous 10. The latter half of the logbook offers "Fault fixer" advice. These tips are the standard things found in most fundamental golf books.
The discount purchase price should be the actual cover price as content is lacking. When log pages are repeated so often the time to produce such a book is minimal. The Golfer's Logbook would best be printed with a softcover rather then the hardcover to keep the price down.
One final note; a few times the book mentions the Stableford method of scoring but nowhere does it explain the method. Although it can easily be found with an Internet search I believe many new golfers will not have any idea what the Stableford method is.
Golfing With Your Eyes Closed
Erin Macy & Tiffany Wilding-White © 2009
Price: $15.29 (Amazon.ca)
Golfing With Your Eyes Closed, not literally speaking, but through enforcing your golf swing with imagery, focus, and other mental techniques. I rather doubt this book will be of much benefit to the average, fun-loving golfer but for someone who competes or has a competitive instinct then this book can reap benefits. The book contains no photos but has a lot of examples and written exercises where you can assess your current state of mind, establish your goals, master your shortfalls, and other personal objectives. Golfing With Your Eyes Closed is well written and well though out. Don't expect to improve your golf swing as the book is focusing on what's between your ears. The nine chapters (holes 1 to 9) will progress you through steps in helping you learn what mental techniques will work for you.
The title and cover of this book will probably deter many prospective buyers. Viewing a blindfolded golfer will confuse a reader into thinking they're going to have to practice with their eyes closed. The title of the book enforces this same thought. Although the title is appropriate once you know the subject matter, I can't help but think the title and cover were a poor selection for sales.
Golf's Greatest Practical Jokes
Chris Rodell © 2006
Price: $2.99 (Borders)
Are you looking for a way to get even with your golfing buddies? If you are, then I probably wouldn't be recommending Golf's Greatest Practical Jokes. Although the book does come with a few standard novelty gags (exploding golf ball, flat-top tees, and ball markers) there isn't much substance to make the book a buy even at a bargain cover price.
The book itself is a mere 93 pages and only the first 30 are worth reading. The first chapter talks about some pro pranks that can give a light chuckle. The remainder of the book has some downright stupid ideas for practical jokes. If you really want to make some enemies then try some of this crap.
The Great Golf Courses of Canada
John Gordon © 1999
Price: $28.45 (Chapters.ca)
This book is the prequel to The Great New Golf Courses of Canada and follows much the same format. The Great Golf Courses of Canada doesn't cover as many provinces (only 7) but looks at more of the classic Canadian courses that are designed by classic architects, well established, and built a solid reputation.
Thirty-eight courses are contained in this volume, accompanied with glorious photos. Many Stanley Thompson courses appear (I count at least 7), along with other notable Canadian architects such as Les Furber and Thomas McBroom.
This book will probably be hard to find if you want to buy it as it was originally printed in 1990 but has since undergone a couple of facelifts. I guess a solid and true original book deserved doing another.
The Great New Golf Courses of Canada
John Gordon © 2006
Price: $21.62 (Chapters.ca)
The Great New Golf Courses of Canada takes a look at 34 of the best golf courses that were built since 1990. Each course has been treated to six pages of glorious photos and complimentary text describing both history and course details. Only the province of Manitoba lacks representation.
I'm happy to say that I have played three of these golf courses. The Rock, Legends on the Niagara, and Taboo are all identified as "Recommended Plays" by Golf in Canada and I assume the remaining 31 courses would all make the same grade. It would be nice to have a book such as this created a bit more frequently and include courses that have undergone major renovations.
A great book to plan a vacation around and don't be afraid to display this one in your living room for guests to flip through.
I Golfed Across Mongolia
André Tolmé © 2006
Price: $3.99 (Book Warehouse)
What a fun book. Every once an a while it's nice to pick up a golf book that isn't about some teaching technique, golf course, major event, or playing professional.
André Tolmé's goal of golfing across Mongolia is a unique quest that an average person would only dream about. To actually quite your job, grab a 3 iron and a backpack of golf balls, and head off to Mongolia is not something a normal person would do. 90 days golfing, 509 lost balls, 12,170 strokes, and 1985 kilometers later the trek was completed July 10, 2004. Thank goodness André kept his saneness (of what little some would say he has) and was able to share his entertaining cross country and culture adventure.
To read more about André and his epic story, visit his website at: http://golfmongolia.com
Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus © 2007
Price: $5.99 (Borders)
Jack Nicklaus, memories and mementos from Golf's Golden Bear. This book is really an autobiography of one of the greatest golfers in history. Although it's not packed with a lot of detail and facts, it makes up for this by having some rather unique content. The book has sleeves throughout where copies of Jack's personal collectibles from the Jack Nicklaus Museum have been inserted. Items such as; Jack's final British Open scorecard in 2005, design plan for the 8th hole of the Bear's Club, a letter received from Tiger Woods in 1999, Greg Norman's letter after Jack's final U.S. Open in 2000, Jack's first invitation to the Masters in 1959, and there's more.
I found it a bit of a thrill to slide out a copy of a handwritten letter and read the contents. I actually felt I had to handle the letter with care because I didn't want to damage what I thought to be a piece of history.
For a golf aficionado this book will be a treasure. I don't know where Jack Nicklaus finds the time to write all these books but I'm glad he put this one together.
Just Let Me Play
Charlie Sifford with James Gullo © 1992
Price: $Out of Print (none)
"Through his determination to play and succeed against tough odds in his early years... he has made himself a symbol that has inspired younger black golfers of his country and the world." - Arnold Palmer
In case you didn't know, Charlie Sifford was the first Black PGA Tour Golfer. This rare book was found at my local public library and I just had to give it a read. I still find it hard to imagine that, in my lifetime, times were this tough for a black golfer to get recognized as a professional golfer.
In 1960, the PGA was forced to issue Charlie Sifford a players card, but being black still made it difficult to get into tour country clubs just to change clothes. Just Let Me Play is a biography of the life of Charlie Sifford that is a highly recommended read.
In 2004, Sifford became the first African American inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He chose the fellow Hall of Fame member South African Gary Player to present him for induction.
Harvey Penick's Little Red Book
Harvey Penick © 1992
Price: $11.02 (Amazon.ca)
Harvey Penick's life in golf began when he started caddying at the Austin, (Texas), Country Club at age eight. His stature in the golf world is reflected in the remarkable array of champions he's worked with, both men and women, including U.S. Open champion and one of golf's leading money winners, Tom Kite, Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, and LPGA Hall of Famers Mickey Wright, Betsy Rawls, and Kathy Whitworth. It is not surprising that the Teacher of the Year Award given by the Golf Teachers Association is called the Harvey Penick Award.
After sixty years of keeping notes on the things he's seen and learned and on the golfing greats he's taught, Penick finally let his Little Red Book (named for the red notebook he's always kept) be seen by the golf world. His simple, direct, practical wisdom pares away all the hypertechnical jargon that's grown up around the golf swing, and lets all golfers, whatever their level, play their best. He avoids negative words; when Tom Kite asked him if he should "choke down" on the club for a particular shot, Harvey told him to "grip down" instead, to keep the word "choke" from entering his mind. He advises golfers to have dinner with people who are good putters; their confidence may rub off, and it's certainly better than listening to bad putters complain. And he shows why, if you've got a bad grip, the last thing you want is a good swing.
Throughout, Penick's love of golf and, more importantly, his love of teaching shine through. He gets as much pleasure from watching a beginner get the ball in the air for the first time as he does when one of his students wins the U.S. Open.
Harvey Penick's Little Red Book is an instant classic, a book to rank with Ben Hogan's Modern Fundamentals of Golf and Tommy Armour's How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time.
Hank Haney's Essentials of the Swing
Hank Haney © 2009
Price: $18.77 (Chapters.ca)
Hank Haney is a professional golf instructor best known for coaching Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara. You may also have seen him instructing former NBA star Charles Barkley on the Golf Channel's The Haney Project: Charles Barkley. In an attempt to fix Barkley's infamously bad swing Haney was quoted as saying that "Charles' swing looked worse than Helen Keller trying to read."
Essentials of the Swing takes a step-by-step approach in helping you develop a consistent swing. Starting with a 'Plan', Hank Haney is a proponent of starting at 'A' and working until you get to 'Z'. Some of the information in the book appears mimicked in Golf Digest so if you read the magazine some of the information covered will not be new. However, unlike a golf magazine this book gives you all the information under one cover. The images, although in black and white, are helpful and a necessary component of any good golf instruction book.
There's nothing like one-on-one instruction to help develop a good golf swing but if you're not interested in spending the money on lessons then Essentials of the Swing may be the next best thing. After reading only a couple of chapters Hank had me convinced to change my grip.
How To Break 90
T.J. Tomasi, Ph.D. & Mike Adams (with Mike Corcoran) © 2001
Price: $15.83 (Amazon.ca)
For most golfers, shooting a score below 90 is a ticket to respect no matter where you play. How To Break 90 confirms many ideas that we already know yet don't follow in our regular trip to the course. Breaking 90 can be achieved by playing a round using your mind rather then aggression.
Chapter 1 introduces the concept of giving every hole a personal par rather then the one on the scorecard. By simply adding a stroke to every hole on the course a quick tally will show you that adding 18 to a par 72 course will produce a score of 90. Not a revolutionary new idea but it's easy to see that achieving a boogie per hole is much easier then achieving a par.
Following chapters step through every aspect of golf; focusing on finer points of the game that will help shave strokes. The book deals mainly with course management and isn't big on diagrams but the ones that are used really do stress a point.
How To Break 90 introduces sound ideas to produce better golf scores; not just for golfers on the cusp of 90 but for everyone.
How To Improve At Golf
Peter Parks © 2008
Price: $10.33 (Chapters.ca)
I borrowed this book from the local library based on the title only to discover it's written for children aged 7-9. Nowhere on the outside of this book is there any indication as to who the book is written for or the level of instruction provided. A quick scan through How To Improve At Golf and you'll quickly conclude that the book is geared toward someone who has never played the game before. Only the very, very basic golf instruction is provided.
The title of this book should really read How To Start At Golf.
How To Really Stink At Golf
Jeff Foxworthy & Brian Hartt © 2008
Price: $13.72 (Chapters.ca)
Ouch. What a poor excuse for a golf book. How this book ever got to be published in hard cover format I'll never know. From cover to cover How To Really Stink At Golf took me a grand total of 15 minutes to read.
Simply put, How To Really Stink At Golf takes all the positive things to do in golf and reverses them so your game will take a turn for the worse. I think we all know how to do this without having to read it in a book. It is mildly humorous but hardly worth putting it down on paper.
And who would buy this book? I can only think of my local library who generously distributes my tax dollars to starving authors.
One of the words in the title can be used to describe this book. On the upside, the illustrations are very good quality.
How To Throw A Golf Club
Tom Carey © 2006
Price: $8.88 (Amazon.ca)
On the lighter side of things, How to Throw a Golf Club is a thin, 114 large print pages that is more a bathroom companion then any kind of golf instruction book. It's a quick, sometimes truthful, entertaining read that can be related to someone we know (or possibly ourselves).
The book is broken into 12 chapters of golf club throwing history, technique, and cartoons. While the book contains many anecdotes we all know, it takes many of them to the extreme. Some of the content even producing a chuckle.
How to Throw a Golf Club should be looked at as a gift for the golfer who has everything, or better still, a hint to the golfer who actually does need to get his temper under control.
I Call The Shots
Johnny Miller (with Guy Yocom) © 2006
Price: $6.99 (Chapters.ca)
When you listen to Johnny Miller as a golf analyst you'll quickly realize that he doesn't hold much back and tells it the way he sees it. He does the same in his book, I Call The Shots. Often times he brings his successes into the book and, just when you start to get the feeling he's a bit full of himself he does a reality check and pulls himself back to earth.
I Call the Shots isn't a biography; it is an insight into the game of golf today from someone who has played the game at the highest level. He touches topics like, "Can Tiger Catch Jack?" and expresses his concerns for the game of golf and the direction it's heading. His recommendations for rule changes and his insight into the future of the game isn't beyond the realm of this century.
Johnny Miller seems quite obsessed with 'choking' and the 'yips'. I read the 'yips' so many times throughout the book that I had to look the word up in the dictionary. The 'yips' is described as, "nervous tension that causes an athlete to fail (especially causes golfers to miss short putts)". I half expected to see the origin of the word be Johnny Miller.
Don't expect to receive any golf instruction in this one. It's more of a statement about the game of golf and personal opinions.
Leadbetter's Quick Tips
David Leadbetter © 2006
Price: $11.08 (Amazon.ca)
Leadbetter's Quick Tips is a GolfDigest book. This probably means that the tips are extractions of David Leadbetter published articles gathered under one cover; but nowhere could I confirm this. The book is broken into 8 chapters which allows you to select your area of weakness and (hopefully) be aided to a solution.
This book is a sort Mr. Fixit for golf. I wouldn't recommend it as a "must purchase" but it does have some different tips that I haven't seen before. Leadbetter's Quick Tips is a worthy look to cure what ails you.
The book is 171 pages but reads much shorter as there are many pictures surrounded by brief text. You may find instant relief to your golf flaws.
Masters Journal 2009
various © 2009
Price: $12.00 (Chapters)
The Masters Journal 2009 can still be found on magazine shelves across the country even though the event has been over for a month (at the time of this writing). And, like watching the event on television, you'll find a minimal amount of advertising inside the Journal unlike other publications.
A quick look at the contents and you'll find; Vijay Singh's hole-by-hole assessment of Augusta National, a look at the 2008 winner Trevor Immelman, Slammin' Sam Snead and the story of the first green jacket, plus a lot of other readings on the past history of the event.
Take a visit to the Masters website (http://masters.org) and you can readily purchase previous years Journals along with this one.
The Match
Mark Frost © 2007
Price: $18.87 hardcover (Amazon.ca)
In 1956, the famed caddie of Francis Ouimet, Eddie Lowery ("The Greatest Game Ever Played") made a bet with fellow millionaire George Coleman. Eddie bet that two of his employees, amateur champions Harvie Ward and Ken Venturi, could not be beaten in a best-ball match. Coleman took up the challenge and brought in the team of Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, the games greatest living professionals.
"The Match" is a historic account of one of the greatest golf challenges between professional and amateur. Modern day amateurs are rarely a match for any professional but in days gone by this was not the case. "The Match" is a well crafted book and even after the story is told there's a great Afterward and Appendix that consumes over 50 pages that stands well on its own.
Who won "The Match"? I'm not going to saw. But I will tell you, "Fiction can't touch it."
Mike Weir: Golf Master
Peter Bailey © 2007
Price: $11.51 (Chapters.ca)
Currently, there are three books published about Mike Weir. I have read On Course with Mike Weir and this book. Surprisingly, if you've read one, you've read the other. Take out the instructional portion of On Course with Mike Weir and the two books read so similar that one would figure the same author wrote both. Mike Weir: Golf Master contains a bit more current information because it's newer but the remainder of the book reads like a cut and paste.
A quick read of 80 pages will give you Mike Weir's journey to becoming one of the top golfers in the World highlighted by becoming the first Canadian to win a green jacket at the Masters in 2003.
Want to save some money? If you're a Mike Weir fan, buy either Mike Weir: Golf Master or On Course with Mike Weir, but not both.
My Life in and Out of the Rough
John Daly (with Glen Waggoner) © 2006
Price: $8.75 (Amazon.ca)
How John Daly operates his life is a puzzle to many of us. A surprising win at the age of 25 at the 1991 PGA Championship followed by unexpected victory at the 1995 British Open were the start of a great career. With two majors under his belt before the age of 30 one can only ask what John's true potential could have been if many of the distractions were removed from his life.
My Life in and Out of the Rough is a personal account of "Long John's" life to date. Whether you believe every event that has occurred with the same vision as John is another question. Many times I was asking, "What if?" and "Why?" I just can't imagine that someone having the ability to achieve so much could throw it away so many times.
John Daly is one of golf's most flamboyant and charismatic characters on the PGA Tour, ever. Even with having lost his 2007 Tour Status many Tour events have already extended invitations. There is certainly some mystic about John's ability to drive the ball over 300 yards with regularity, add in his gambling habits, alcohol history, marriage breakups, and the daily average of consuming 15 Diet Cokes and you've got, well, a character.
Just as John Daly on the golf course is a sweet relief from many of the other tour players, so is his book. You're not going to find anything inside the cover to help you with your golf game but you may learn what 'not' to do with your life.
I had the pleasure of playing the John Daly designed Thundering Waters Golf Course in Niagara Falls, Ontario, this past May, 2007. I was expecting a "grip it and rip it" style course but surprisingly it has been one of the few courses this year that was a true thinking man's course. Nice work, John!
The Mysterious Montague
Leigh Montville © 2008
Price: $18.81 (Chapters.ca)
It's hard to believe a character such as LaVerne Moore (aka. John Montague) truly existed. The Paul Bunyan-like tales that surround this colourful character of the 1930s are hard to imagine but this is what makes The Mysterious Montague so intriguing.
John Montague never played professional golf yet he was heralded as "the greatest golfer in the world". His feat of beating Bing Crosby (a 4 handicapper) with a fungo bat, shovel, and rake is something legends are made of. He could lift Oliver Hardy with one hand, knock a bird off a wire from 170 yards, and chip a ball across a room into a highball glass. He was know to have played golf with Howard Hughes, W.C. Fields, and Babe Ruth.
What made John Montague so mysterious? Throughout his life in Hollywood, John Montague refused to have his picture taken. When his picture finally did appear in Time magazine police from upstate New York returned home to face charges of armed robbery.
The Mysterious Montague was a delight to read and one character I can never get enough of.
The Old Man and The Tee
Turk Pipkin © 2006
Price: $5.97 (Walmart)
Follow Turk Pipkin in his quest to shave 10 strokes from his game and break 80 at Pebble Beach. Over the course of the year he took lessons from David Leadbetter, putted with Ben Crenshaw, took notes from Byron Nelson, and chatted with Arnold Palmer. He plays 105 games, holed somewhere in the vicinity of twenty thousand putts, and, well, you get the idea.
The Old Man and The Tee is an enjoyable year long romp, filled with entertaining anecdotes featuring notable entertainers and celebrities. Turk's book has made me envious. I wish I had the time (and cash) to fulfill a dream such as the one he set out to accomplish. This well-written, well-crafted book, shows the passion and what extremes a true golf nut will journey to to reach his goal.
And does he reach his quest? I guess you'll just have to read the book.
Turk Pipkin has been a stand-up comedian and actor, appearing on The Sopranos, and in movies, The Alamo and Friday Night Lights.
The Ottawa Hunt Club: 75 Years of History 1908-1983
Eddie MacCabe © 1983
Price: $25.00 (Out of Print)
Having lived in Ottawa, Ontario for the past 50 years I discovered this out of print book in the local library.
The history of the Ottawa Hunt Club is not unlike many other membership-owned golf courses and to get the story in print in 1981, Eddie MacCabe, a popular local sports columnist, was asked by the Past Presidents to write a history of the club which would span 75 years of history.
As a member, this book would be a delight to read. But, as a non-member, I found the book difficult at times when details were discussed based on the hole number on the course. It would have been nice to have a course layout somewhere in the book.
I enjoyed reading about President Eisenhower's visit to the club in 1958 and the fire in 1962. Famous players to tee-it-up at the Hunt were Jack Nicklaus, Bob Hope, Arnold Palmer, Andy Williams, and Walter Hagen. A walk down memory lane is always enjoyable.
On Course with Mike Weir
Mike Weir (with Time Campbell & Scott Morrison) © 2001
Price: $4.99 (Chapters)
On Course with Mike Weir is really two books in one. The first half is a biography and the second half is instructional. The book contains many colour photos and is a quick 157 page read.
The biography portion is a rather nice insight into Mike Weir. Not really knowing anything about the man besides being Canadian and having won the 2003 Masters, I found the bio just enough to get to know a bit about his background and work ethics.
The "Mike's Mechanics" section progresses through Swing Changes and Fundamental techniques. Not a lot of substance here to which I found didn't add a lot of value to the book. There are many other books that do this type of thing in a much better and more in depth manner. Buy this book for the bio and not for the instruction.
I imagine the reason for the reduction in price of this book is due to the fact that Mike is once again working at changing his swing. I guess the mechanics described in this book may no longer apply and the second half of the book should be retitled, "The way I used to do it".
Playing Through: A Guide to the Unwritten Rules of Golf
Peter Post © 2008
Price: $15.52 (Chapters.ca)
After reading the first third of Playing Through I was going to say that this is one book that every golf should be given to read; but then the book hit a few snags. It touched on a few areas where I completely disagree. Firstly, it was suggested that if a caddie is offered, you should accept. Call me cheap but if offered a caddie and having to pay extra for it, I'm out. I believe caddies are a thing of the past and it should stay that way. Secondly, in the where to stand section it was identified that you should never stand behind the direction of the shot. Hey, if I can't stand behind the ball then don't expect any help with finding it. In many cases our foursome waits until fellow golfers can get in position directly behind the ball flight. Perhaps this section is for 20 year old eyes.
In general Playing Through contains lots of good examples that most golfers have encountered and are perturbed about. Some nice tips are offered about getting a desired result without insulting other golfers. I even noticed a few quirks that I do that I will endeavor to quit.
Golf etiquette really does matter and reading Playing Through can only make you a better person to play with.
Pressure Golf: Overcoming Choking and Frustration
© 2003 by Michael Clarkson
Price: $4.98 (Chapters.ca)
Every one has the fear of choking at whatever sport they participate in. Although Pressure Golf focuses on golf the techniques in the book can easily be translated to other sports.
Pressure Golf is broken into four strategies with sub-chapters in each section. Awareness, Pressure Management, Focus, and Managing Your Emotional Chemistry are identified as the key strategies.
While the book does provide a good selection of quoted techniques used by both professionals and amateurs it tends to be a bit long-winded. I found reading Pressure Golf difficult to take in large doses. It really didn't provide me with any solutions and I found the ideas standard and typically what one might think would work to overcome whatever mental part of your golf game is troubling.
Sorry, this just wasn't my kind of book.
Putting My Way
Jack Nicklaus (with Ken Bowden) © 2009
Price: $19.40 (Chapters.ca)
For someone with putting problems this book contains excellent content but still can't touch Harvey Penick's Little Red Book. The insight and theory that Jack put into his putting process will help you understand what made him one of the greatest golfers of all time. It was also nice to read an instruction book that didn't mention the "yips" until deep between the covers.
This 142 page putting book reads much quicker than a normal book of this size and it's not due to photos or drawings. Putting My Way uses a large font and most pages contain only half a page of text. I found the large font enabled me to absorb the details of what is needed to make one a great putter. Putting My Way is a great addition to any golfers library.
The Roar of the Butterflies
Reginald Hill © 2008
Price: $7.99 (Chapters)
Chris Porphyry has been accused of cheating during a playdown at the Royal Hoo Golf Club and PI Joe Sixsmith is hired get to the bottom of this allegation. Chris, a long ball hitter, cut the corner on the par 5-16th over Penley Farm to make up ground in a singles match. He heard his ball rattle against some trees. Surprisingly, his ball is found free of undergrowth and he finishes the hole with a birdie. After winning his match, Jimmy Postgate, owner of Penley Farm, walks into the clubhouse and states, "Here's the one you lost on the sixteenth, Chris." And the mystery is on.
This is my first time reading a Reginald Hill book and after having a taste of Joe Sixsmith I wouldn't hesitate on picking up another of the series.
Royal Ottawa Golf Club 1891-1991
Robert Marjoribanks © 1992
Price: $unknown (N/A)
The Royal Ottawa Golf Club has long been a prestigious golf club in the Ottawa area even though the club is actual located on the east side of the Ottawa River in Quebec.
Reading Royal Ottawa Golf Club 1891-1991 brought back childhood memories of hearing the name, Eric Kaufmanis, often mentioned on the radio during golf season for winning some local event or another. I believe Eric still holds the course record of 62 at the Royal Ottawa. As well, it seems every golf club of this vintage has had a fire that destroyed the clubhouse. The Royal Ottawa is no different.
This book is well written and should spur the interest of any past or present member, or any other local Ottawa golf enthusiast for that matter. However, don't expect to easily find a copy of this out of print book.
The Seventh at St. Andrews
Scott Gummer © 2007
Price: $3.99 (Book Warehouse)
You have to really like golf to read a book about the building of a golf course. Previously I had read, reviewed, and thoroughly enjoyed Dream Golf: The Making of Bandon Dunes. On the other hand, The Seventh at St. Andrews (The Castle Course) just doesn't have the same flair or interest as the Bandon Dunes book did even though it is obvious that the course architect, David McLay Kidd, fulfilled a lifetime dream in building it. The people who helped Kidd build the Castle Course are a ragtag band to say the least but don't come through well in this book.
I'm sorry to say that The Seventh at St. Andrews lacks any drama or suspense. From my point of view, I would love to play the course as I have no doubt that the setting and history of everything associated with the Castle Course would be spectacular. But to briefly summarize the book I'd simply say, "A golf course was built."
I was rather amused that the authors bio quotes, "Scott Gummer is one dead body away from writing a murder mystery". This book could certainly have used a dead body.
Smash & Carve Golf: The Art of Ball Striking
Scott Minni © 1999
Price: $1.80 (Chapters.ca)
Smash & Carve Golf is yet another, or should I say, "the same" approach as hundreds of other instructional golf books. Although small in size, a mere 88 pages, the book is printed of expensive glossy paper using very small print making reading difficult under certain lighting conditions. For such high quality of paper I would expect colored pictures. The content throughout is entirely in black and white and many of the images are too small.
Scott Minni's book is not well aimed at beginners in my opinion although the cover of the book says it is for "beginners and experienced players alike". I believe a beginner would have a hard time understanding the terms, positioning, and images used.
Scott's career achievements is quite impressive. However, I think his teaching methods are greatly lost on paper. The best part of this book is the 5 page introduction tribute to Ben Hogan.
Same book, different words and pictures. No wonder I picked it up for a $1.80.
Sports Illustrated: The Golf Book
Time Inc. © 2009
Price: $19.99 (Costco)
The Sports Illustrated Golf Book is a collection of golf photos and articles selected from the life of the Sports Illustrated publication. I'd estimate that there is one page of text for every six pages of photos. Photos vary from famous figures in black and white to modern day PGA and LPGA professionals. All photos are full page.
I found some of the articles quite interested while a few simply felt more like page fillers. The photos are excellent quality and the large 12"x11" pages show a lot of detail. However, this isn't the kind of book that has any staying power. I'd suggest looking this one up at your local library for a read.
Teach Yourself Visually "Golf"
Cheryl Anderson, Brian A. Crowell, Tom Mackin © 2007
Price: $16.92 (Chapters.ca)
Back to basics.
Teach Yourself Visually "Golf" is a book for the novice golfer. The book consists of 11 chapters steering you through all aspects of the game. Starting with "An Introduction to Golf" which features the history, tournaments, and legendary players, we progress through equipment, the grip, irons, driving, etc. Mixed through each chapter are 'Tips' that add some valued content to the topic. Basic rules are covered but do not go in to great detail. One brief section does cover golf etiquette which many golf learning books fail to provide.
The pictures are clean and sharp and there are lots of them. Teach Yourself Visually "Golf" would be a great gift for someone to read before ever stepping on a golf course or holding a club. For the regular golfer there is little value found between the covers.
The Teed-Off Ghost
Lee Tyler © 2002
Price: $13.25 (Chapters.ca)
It is quite obvious that The Teed-Off Ghost is a work of fiction from the moment the story begins to incorporate a ghost. What could have been a good mystery gets waylaid by a non-necessary character in Angus MacNeil, the ghost. Why the author decided to add unbelievability to the novel is only a question that the author can answer but from my perspective this character took away from a decent plot.
The Teed-Off Ghost is called a Hawaiian golf mystery. Included at the rear of the book is a glossary of Hawaiian words and there definition as you'll see many used throughout the pages. The live mainlander and islander characters are well defined. June Jacobs and Harry "Win" Winslow, are a pair of private investigators brought to Hawaii to help open a golf course, on time. Someone has been causing delays in the course construction and the highly anticipated wedding of professional golfer, Wally Wood, will be the opening attraction for the course.
There are so few fictional golf stories written that it's tough to be really critical when someone makes an effort to write one. The Teed-Off Ghost is a fun romp of mystery that could have been much better.
Tiger: The Real Story
Steve Helling © 2010
Price: $20.03 (Amazon.ca)
It's amazing how quickly someone can write a book. Tiger: The Real Story seems right up-to-date with all the latest press releases of Tiger's discretions and rumors. However, I didn't find the book informed me of anything I didn't already know. I don't consider myself a major fan of Tiger Woods, but I do follow golf and, for a book that covers 272 pages, I can't say I discovered anything new or insightful about one of the greatest golfers in history. I got the impression the book was quickly written to capture the publics current interest of Tiger's misgivings.
If you're a fan of Tiger Woods then you'll want this book. If you're a non-fan of golf and know nothing about Tiger Woods but want to learn more, then you'll want this book. But if you're and avid golfer and follow the goings on of the PGA Tour then you may want to look at spending your money on some other golf accessory.
Tiger Woods Made Me Look Like A Genius
Don Crosby (with James Dale) © 2006
Price: $18.95 (Chapters.ca)
"Hi, my name is Don Crosby, and my job is to help you play as well as you can, as quickly as possible. That means making the most of the talent you've got. I'm not here to change your swing or teach you a weird grip or tell you to go out and buy a new set of expensive clubs. I'm here to lower your score to win matches. And one more thing: to make sure you have fun. If the game isn't fun - if it's a pain - you might as well play football without pads." - So starts one of the most enjoyable golf instruction books I've ever read.
After borrowing Tiger Woods Made Me Look Like a Genius from the local library I just had to own a copy. This book is right up my alley. I'm closing in on the age of 50, currently shot in the low 90s, and play the game for fun. Taking lessons would more than likely shave a few strokes from my golf game, but that isn't what I want out of golf. My intent is to enjoy the comradery and course scenery, all while getting some much needed exercise. I'm not going to win any major golf events, nor do I plan on competing at any point in my life.
Do I want to shot lower? Always. By taking lessons would I enjoy the game more? Doubtful. Therefore, I'll take my hard earned dollar and spend it on a round of golf rather then the lessons.
Don Crosby's book is probably the closest I'll ever come to taking a golf lesson. Not only does the book come with some simply ways to shave strokes off your game; the book mixes some pleasant anecdotes of Tiger Woods at a young age and why he is successful.
I'm now reading the book for the 2nd time and then I'm going to pass it along to family and friends. Tiger Woods Made Me Look Like A Genius is a must read for golfer's of any age and skill level.
Who is Don Crosby? Why he's Tiger Woods' high school golf coach.
To The Linksland
Michael Bamberger © 1992
Price: $3.99 (Book Warehouse)
Some people go to extremes for the love of the game and Michael Bamberger shows what it takes to tell a good story. To The Linksland is one of those golf treasures that will never get old. I've never quite understood how someone can quit a decent job and take a chance of something remotely impossible to make a living at. At the time of the original writing there must have been one large hole in Michael Bamberger's life or this is what it takes to write a good book.
Michael starts out on the European Tour working for a little known North American professional named Peter Teravainen. The highs and lows of the Tour show what kind of a rollercoaster ride a struggling golfer (and caddie) go through in their career. After caddying in the Scottish Open, Michael stays behind and studies the origins of golf. He plays on some of the greatest courses, from the famed St. Andrew's to an obscure six-holer built by a shepherd, all to in an attempt to play the best golf of his life.
This book was originally published in 1992 but a second printing in 2005, with a new afterword, has kept this book alive. This is another must read.
The Ultimate PGA Tour Book of Trivia
Mark Cubbedge © 2005
Price: $2.00 (Chapters)
I think this book should be renamed to, "A Bunch of PGA Trivia That You Won't Know The Answers To". With more than 600 questions, The Ultimate PGA Tour Book of Trivia has a decent array of questions, the presentation is colorful, and the artwork is more than adequate. Too bad the content is largely uninteresting.
I'd consider myself to be someone who likes trivia, but this book was just not for me. In support of the book, the cover does state that the questions and answers will "separate the amateurs from the pros" and to that I would agree. Yes, I was able to answer some of the questions but often I'd run across one of which the answer was some person I had never heard of. I truly am an amateur if this book is any measuring stick.
Based on my assessment of the book I can see why it was had for $2.
The Ultimate Round
Terry Glaspey © 2004
Price: $5.99 (BookCloseOuts.com)
The Ultimate Round is another book that resembles a children's book in stature. Its 48 pages are made up of valuable quotes (most by golfing greats) and the "18 Holes for the Soul" are written to inspire. Each hole features a famous golfer and identifies a trait with an inspirational lesson that golf can teach us. Along the way you can also take a look at the records these champions have achieved. To add some glamour, every 2nd page contains marvelous golf artwork by Larry Dyke.
For being such a simple book it certainly contains some great lessons and quotes. It's a shame the book wasn't twice the cover size so it could be used as a coffee table book.
Undercover Golf
Joe Borgenicht (with R.D. Robinson) © 2006
Price: $3.79 (Chapters.ca)
Undercover Golf is an "off-the-links guide to improving your game", or so the book states. From the outset you're given techniques that you can practice to improve your golf game. From training your grip while hanging shirts, holding a steering wheel, shoveling, and sweeping the floor.
Other chapters include Aim and Setup, Backswing, Downswing, and Putting. These chapters offer ways to use household items and 'on the job' techniques to aid your game.
Do I believe any of these techniques will help my game? Not for an instant, nor would I consider using any of the techniques described.
About the only thing good about this book is it's small size and low price. Is this book a joke? I can't see it being thought of in any other way.
What's A Golfer To Do?
Ron Kaspriske © 2009
Price: $16.75 (Amazon.ca)
What's A Golfer To Do? consists of 343 techniques, tips and tricks from the best pros, and all taken from between the covers of Golf Digest magazine. Over the years the World's most popular golf magazine has published many how-to articles so why not collect them under one cover?
Just about every golf topic imaginable can be found in some form or another: how to handle slow play, how to hit a left-handed shot if you're right-handed, and even how to get on a private course. And there's still 340 other tidbits of advice. Each tidbit is about half a page and is precise.
The cover of What's A Golfer To Do? gives the impression that the book contains lots of photos. Photos are typically small, and add very little to the text. But the text contains some meat that may prove useful to any level of golfer. It's not a long read, but a good read.
Where It Lies
K. J. Egan © 2009
Price: $17.51 Hardcover (Chapters.ca)
I do love a mystery and when a book appears that also contains a golfing presence then I'm a sucker for a sale.
After Jenny discovers Rick Gilbert, the club's head greenskeeper, hanging from a rafters you know something is amiss. The police assume suicide, but Jenny knows better. Her teenage son is arrested for petty theft, her relationship with a friend on the police force is shaky, and she's trying to get make it to the U.S. Open. Why did Rick try to call her five times the night before he died? The $2 million insurance policy to the widow certainly looks to be in doubt.
Where It Lies was an interesting read. Not a classic or a best seller, but something worthy of a rainy weekend or cottage. The ending of the book is certainly not a big surprise as the number of characters in the novel is limited. Take a look for this one when it appears in paperback.
The Whole Golf Book
John MacIntyre © 2005
Price: $3.99 (Chapters)
The Whole Golf Book is crammed full of golf tidbits; from short bios on golf celebrities, history of famous courses, time lines, and tons of statistics. And there's still more. Gathering all the information found between the covers would be quite time consuming and the vast quantities on information give you the feeling that the author loves the game.
Probably the main reason this book can be had for a bargain is that statistics have a short shelf life. The Whole Golf Book stops at 2003 so any events one or records set beyond this year are excluded.
A decent book for the price, if you like statistics.
The World's Greatest Golf Courses
Bob Weeks © 1998
Price: $12.24 (Chapters.ca)
The World's Greatest Golf Courses is very similar to in format to The Great New Golf Courses of Canada (also reviewed here). Although a different author and written 8 years previous to the aforementioned book, it can be a valued resource for trip planning. Sixty great golf courses of the World are identified with a concise description that'll get your golf juices flowing at any time of the year.
I'm not a big proponent of these kind of books (and there are many) as they seem like an excuse to publish for a buck. I do like looking at the photos as many capture the beauty of the golf course and surroundings. They are a quick read but can sometimes be costly. Look for these kind of books in the bargain bin as I can't imagine many of them being ravagingly popular.
Not many of us can afford to travel to exotic destinations to play golf but if you're one of the few I hope you can make it to all sixty of these delights.
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