Prepared by Lawrence Martin Return to Lakeside Press
See also:
Why Are You STILL a Hacker? -
9 Steps to Escape Hacker-dom
Secrets of the Best Golfers
Rare and Hard to Find Golf Books: Golfpast.com and Abe Books.com
The Majors: In Pursuit of Golf's Holy Grail, by John Feinstein
Another in-depth account of professional golf by John Feinstein,
author of A Good Walk Spoiled. With its detailed emphasis on the 1998 major
championships (Masters, US & British Opens, and the PGA), the book will become
more dated each year. However, you probably won't find as much detail about
the players and these 4 tournaments anywhere else. One criticism - there is
too much emphasis on specific scores and not enough on personalities, especially in
his account of the '98 Masters (won by Mark O'Meara on his last shot on Sunday).
In spite of this (or perhaps because of it), this is a book most golf nuts
won't be able to lay aside.
My Usual Game, by David Owen
An absolutely delightful book, by one of the two best writers of the game today (the
other is John Feinstein). If you enjoy golf, you will find yourself nodding, 'Yes,
I understand what you mean, I agree, I understand...' and so forth.
Lure of the Links: Great Golf Stories, edited by David Owen and Joan Bingham
A superb collection of both fiction and non-fiction pieces, by the famous
(Gene Sarazen, Bobby Jones, Bernard Darwin, Michael Murphy, John Updike, George
Plimpton, among others) and the not so famous. David Owen, the book's principal
editor, wrote My Usual Game (see above).
The Making of the Masters: Clifford Roberts, Augusta National and Golf's Most
Prestigious Tournament, by David Owen
On my reading list. The reviews all emphasize how Owen tries to rehabilitate the
image of Clifford Roberts, deceased co-founder(along with Bobby Jones) of the Masters.
Over the years Roberts received a lot of flak for the club's prohibition against
black players.
Golf Dreams, by John Updike
One of the top fiction writers of the late 20th century, Updike is also an
avid golfer; these essays show his love of the game.
A Golfer's Life, by Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer: A Golfer's Life: Audio cassette
The Soul of Golf, by William Hallberg
"Memoir of a golfing odyssey in which Hallberg circled the country,
playing the game in all varieties of venues and musing throughout
on its transcendental essence." I have not read this book.
Golf and the Spirit: Golf Lessons for the Journey, by M. Scott Peck
Peck is a psychiatrist and best selling author of books dealing
with mysticism, religion and psychology (The Road Less Traveled was on the
NYTimes bestseller list for 10 years). Books of this nature dealing with golf
all have similar themes: 'Golf is a metaphor for life/spirituality/self knowledge/
finding God/finding inner peace/finding the meaning of life.' It is hard to argue
with such works, since there is this kernal of truth about golf - how one handles the
ups and downs of the game is revealing of one's character. However, most golfers
would do better learning how to position the ball, line up shots and swing the club
then reading books about spirituality, mysticism and psychology.
Every Shot I Take : Lessons Learned About Golf, Life, and a Father's Love,
by Davis Love III
Love's father was a top teaching pro who died tragically in a plane crash.
Just a Range Ball in a Box of Titleists: On & Off the Tour with Gary McCord,
by Gary McCord
A former PGA player who won his first ever tournament as a senior in 1999, McCord
also has been an announcer with CBS for over a decade. He is known for his humor and
'pull no punches' comments. Author of Golf for Dummies.
There are many Tiger books, but I have not yet read any of them. Below are three that cover the subject: by his father, by one of the top golf writers, and by Tiger himself.
Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life, by Earl
Woods
The Chosen One: Tiger Woods and The Dilemma of Greatness, by David Owens
How I Play Golf, by Tiger Woods and Golf Digest Editors
This book is also listed in the Instruction section. The blurb for this book
states: "...How I Play Golf is not only a first rate instructional
guide, it also communicates a passion and respect for the game that beginners, hackers,
and low handicappers should find inspiring..."
Rare and Hard to Find Golf Books: Golfpast.com and Abe Books.com