Golf Books

I am re-reading the book and I can't tell you how much I am enjoying it all again.....Don McHugh has a wonderful gift for "telling" the story instead of writing it! I am starting to catch myself keeping score on my day's activities and making notes for business practice, just like I do on the golf course...did I stay on the fairway off the tee, did I get to the green in regulation? What a great read! And Fun too!

Roaming through the management section of a local bookstore, my
attention was caught by the title of this book. As a golfer, always in search of improvement, and as a former executive and now teacher in a university management department, this had to be mandatory reading. What I found is a gem! I heartily recommend it to everyone interested in developing and maintaining
successful relationships with others. Numerous books are available for management training, none better than Don McHugh's approach of comparing the game of golf to the qualities of leadership. Golf and the Game of Leadership is a primer for the understanding of management and leadership action. The lessons throughout the book provide the apprentice supervisor and the senior manager a core of knowledge to guide their leadership actions. If you are a "professional practicing manager" or an "enthusiastic amateur," Don McHugh's writings will provide great enjoyment along with clear understanding of the essentials for successful leadership and success in life.

I am a business executive and an avid golfer, but like us all, could use tips for betterment in both areas. While my golf game may never improve, this book effectively outlines business strategies that can help from the smallest detail all the way up to full-scale corporate ideas. I initially selected the book because of my interest in golf and desire to increase leadership and effectiveness in the workplace. Having seen McHugh's resume, I not only trust his advice, but am not at all surprised by the success he has achieved. The book is a must-read for anyone in the business world, or that just loves the game of golf!

As a professional in the business world with aspirations to obtain an MBA, I found McHugh's book on leadership highly educational. Using golf as a backdrop, McHugh successfully conveys his message on how to be an effective leader. The format of the book - a round of golf - flows nicely. McHugh's leadership lessons are complimented by interesting, attention-grabbing stories. The "Quick Tips" sections, found at the end of each hole, showcase McHugh's years of experience in the leadership field. I whole-heartedly recommend this book - not only is it apparent McHugh understands what it means to be a leader in the business world, but also in life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the art and science of being an effective leader. Donald McHugh's ability to utilize meaningful stories about golf and its players to emphasize leadership techniques gives the reader a refreshing way to learn. I was sorry to get to the end of the book.

The Mad Science of Golf is an incredible little book. The authors understanding and purpose is to help one aquire a vastly improved understanding of the golf swing, Golf Equipment, how to improve YOUR golf game and understand how to play better golf.

The book is loaded with pertinent information. BUY IT, you'll love it, I love it.

I have offered The Mad Science of Golf to the Members and Guests at my facility knowing that this information will improve their golf game and ultimatley make the game of golf more fun.

Troy Persson, PGA

The book is a series of questions and the longer explanations by the author. He dispels the myth that you can buy yourself a scratch handicap. If you do not make solid contact with the ball, then none of these products will give you that extra 10 yards that you see in the advertising.

Golf is business. The large golf companies make their money because we like to buy new clubs. The author points out calmly that hitting your irons is not the point, that you need to know how far your hit your irons. They are for control, not distance.

I read the book in one evening. It is worth an evening before you start looking for the next set of clubs.

In my about 50 years of playing golf and reading way to much about instruction and golf club hype ,this book sums it all up the best..Phil Moore gives us the truth here!!He is right on about the golf clubs and your golf swing..If you want to lower your scores pay close attention to pages 99-130,"Questions you should be asking yourself about playing better golf"..Then REREAD pages 113-115,"Why does always aiming directly at the flag add strokes to my score?"..You'll notice that Phil Moore is not trying to SELL us anything,(therefore the truth),he's just telling it like it is!!.I say this is a MUST READ for every golfer..Get the word out!

This is a great book, i really recommend it to anyone who is seriously trying to improve their game. Once i opened it i could not put it down. The Mad Science of Golf is filled with several helpful tips to improve your game. I takes out the thinking involved in the game, so you can just go out and enjoy the game!! Best wishes on your game. I hope you enjoy the book as much as i did.

This is a GREAT book!!! This book has something for all golfers. It is enlightening for both beginning and advanced golfers. Light is shed on equipment and swing myths. Myths that have led golfers down a path of spending too much money and too much time in search of the perfect clubs and swing and have led only to lighter pockets and higher scores. Reading this book will lead you to an understanding of the game that will let you enjoy your swing your game more than ever. Lower scores are on the way!

Jason Taylor, PGA

This is an easy to read complete review of what you need to know to play golf well. After reading the book I made some adjustments to my grip, stance and swing plane and, combined with some minor arm strengthening exercises, I have increased the distance I hit each club in my bag by at least 10 yards. Every serious golfer should read this book. Ted Turner.

Golf is sometimes so complicated that it's not worth all the expense and frustration, and other times so simple it's beautiful. Reading this book, I felt the feeling you get when working with a great teacher who simplifies (vs. complicates) the sport. There are some sections in this book that you don't find in others (fitness, how to find a teacher, and loads of quotes from great players) but the biggest help to me was the reveiw of the fundamentals. In the book, Rader wrote something about posture that I was off on - a quick fix (for me, it was bending at the hips) and I'm hitting it better than in the last five years. Go figure - 25 bucks to fix something my club pro would've charged 125 for...per session.

This book is a golfers dream. A simple instructional book that covers all aspects of the game. The only book I have found that writes out a practice program for you and tells you how to find a teacher as well. Great read and well written.

This book is easy to read. It has humor and solid instruction for all level of golfers. Certainly worth giving to those I play golf with.

This book explains the fundamentals of the golf swing in a clear, concise easy to understand language. It also presents a realistic explaination of the practice and committment necessary to improve one's golf game and provides guideance on how to develop a self improvement program. Probably the best golf book I have read since the Ben Hogan classic analysis of the golf swing many years ago.

Did Curt Sampson come to Carnoustie, Scotland in 1999 expecting to turn the British Open upside-down like he did Augusta National in "The Masters?" If so, he was beaten to the punch by a genial Frenchman named Jean Van de Velde who gave golf's signature event its wackiest finish ever.

I didn't like "The Masters" much; its agenda was a little harsh. But "Royal And Ancient" sees Sampson approach his topic with more respect, and get better results. He takes in the history of the Open, champions from Old Tom Morris to young Tom Watson, the sound of Carnoustie's winds whipping through the media tents and the dry fescue, and the separate pilgrimages three American golfers take for the big event.

"Royal And Ancient" is scattershot in many ways; none of the three golfers Sampson spotlights make the cut. He spends a good deal of time honing his Dan Jenkins aspirations, detailing the misadventures of a tour hanger-on who doesn't merit the print. Sampson wrote a famous bio on Ben Hogan, and there are times Sampson seems in danger of writing another here.

But after a slow beginning Sampson puts you right at the center of things, analyzes expectations against results and giving a thorough sense of what a British Open entails by using this particular year's edition as a case study. He rambles some, but he tells some fun stories and quotes some interesting people.

The big controversy at Carnoustie most of the week was the condition of the course, with the rough grown so high players could not try to advance the ball if it went off the fairway. A writer likens it to asking basketball players to play with a medicine ball. Meanwhile, course superintendent John Philp argues the game is supposed to be a test of skill and not a birdie racket.

"Carnoustie in 1999 looked like it had been working out," Sampson opines. "And had joined a motorcycle gang."

A tough layout made for a strange leaderboard, topped much of the time by Van de Velde, a Frenchman who at the last hole in regulation demonstrated the Frenchness of the words "elan" and "folly." Sampson does a great job describing the scene, Van de Velde going for the green with a three-stroke lead rather than sensibly lay up. The result was one of those bizarre moments that make sports fans out of casual bystanders, and a Scot named Paul Lawrie who made the local fans very happy.

"Except for the heroic Nicklaus versus Watson duel at Turnberry in 1977, no Open finish in the TV age could compare. But there is romance in tragedy, and tragedy in romance, and the travails of the doomed, flawed hero affect us more deeply than someone's big win," Sampson writes.

Maybe, but Sampson finds Van de Velde months after defying expectations he would shrivel up like a raisin from his shame. Instead, he kept his head high, determined to enjoy what he can from life.

Still, it was a lot easier to enjoy the 1999 British Open if you weren't Van de Velde, and easier still enjoying it with the help of Sampson's clever, comprehensive book.

Sampson for me is the consummate golf writer; clever, knows his game and does it all creatively. Witness the way he puts together this chronicle of The Open. Starts with the Morris' and their famed dominance of early golf, then the interest of England and the rest.

Interwoven here are the rest of glorious Open history-Palmer, Player, Nicklaus, Watson, and Hogan. Then the tie with Carnoustie and the wee little iceman.

Boy this author can captivate you while getting it all down. This flows and ebbs till it ends up at the Burn and that 18th. Never Compromise --- great putting with new found friend--- never compromise style -- must go for it!

This is like author's other books (try them out, especially Hogan and Eternal Summer and Masters, they're favorites) this was just excellent reading to the end.

a great job of not only capturing the 1999 open, but also giving the reader the feel for the history and passion of the open.

Golf is more than a game. When we can not play the game, we watch it. When we can not watch the game, we read about it. And who is best at capturing the feeling of the game of golf on print than Curt Sampson? He is the story-teller of golf.

Only the very best writers can sustain drama when they're recounting events whose outcome is already well-known--and who isn't aware of Jean Van de Veld's slow-motion deflation on the final hole at the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie, the culminating event in Curt Sampson's splendid new book, Royal and Ancient? Sampson's a wonderful phrase-maker-writing of Tiger's "adhesive gallery" is a good example-with an ample feeling for the game and the people who make it interesting, from the tournament players at the forefront to the deeply sequestered greenkeepers, such as Carnoustie's John Philp, who tried to defend the old links against the assaults of a generation of golf pros who regard birdies as a birthright. Sampson's written other good books, but this one is superb.

I am completely in awe of the power this book has to improve your golf game and make it FUN. You won't learn any mechanics here; but the combination of emotional, mental and course management is magic. It also happens to be simple - no "practice" time involved. Just think about what Dede (sadly, now deceased) and Dan propose. Read the first chapter this morning, play better and have more fun this afternoon. Really. I wish I could give this book to all my golfing friends who love the game.

By applying the principles covered in this book you will take your golf game to the next level. Assuming you know how to execute various golf shots, playing smart golf means getting your mind into the game in a positive way to enable your abilities to shine through. Not only will you shoot lower your scores, but you will increase your enjoyment of the game. Brilliantly written in a clear, concise manner. Get this book, that is, unless you happen to be one of my match-play opponents!

Before I even finished the first chapter I knew this technique was going to work. The first chapter alone is worth the cover price. I was able to apply the techniques immediately, take it to the course and the results just had me doing double-takes. It's that effective. In barely of month having half-read this book I've already taken 8 strokes off my avg game, setting or tying new personal bests each time out.

Before I read this book I was the typical golf course hot-head, maybe a little worse than typical. I would spend half the round fuming over one poor shot or another, which of course led to others, which in turn mad me even angrier. Before I knew it I would be out-scoring the Lakers. Those days are gone. People hardly recognize me now because the program laid out in this book gives you constructive, positive factors to think about. You just don't have the time or inclination to worry about one bad shot because you now have a much better idea of what is happening to you and how you can combat it. It's a wonderful book. It does for the mental game what Ben Hogan's 5 Lessons does for the swing.

-ep

The authors present a simple, logical, easy to understand approach to the mental side of golf. Following their guidelines enables the golfer to focus on his/her successes--as opposed to dwelling on the miss-hits. Positive feedback encourages relaxation and a feeling of self worth--and lower scores follow.

This is definitely one of the best of the many books on the mental approach to golf. There is no zen mumbo-jumbo here. This book presents a very straightforward technique in a very straightforward style. There is far more "meat" to this book than to the run-of-the-mill books on the mental approach, which tend to be long on generalities and platitudes. I enjoyed the part where they take you through the actual playing of a round -- their recommendations are more conservative than would have occurred to me in my most conservative moments on the course. Their technique of rating yourself in various categories on a hole-by-hole basis gets a little too involved for me, but it would be a great help if you were willing to stick with it. Even though I haven't adopted the technique, I have benefitted from reading and re-reading the book and applying the principles. DeDe Owens was a true teacher, and her recent death was a great loss.

This is by far, the best and most simple approach to swinging the golf club.

Physics, not phyisique. Earnest Jones proves his own point by winning the equivalent of the NY State professional championship before and after the war, after with only one leg. His methods prove that the clubhead is the only part of the golf club that the student needs to concentrate on.

After reading the book, I went out to the range and hit shot after shot with solid contact and pretty good accuracy. I am a 20 handicap and could not seem to make solid contact. I thought that it was a fluke, so I went back to the range the next day and again hit the ball solidly. I hope to take it to the course next week. Some of the body movements are out of date but the idea of swinging the club is still way ahead of it's time compared to present teaching.

Considering all of the books that have been written about golf, it is rare to find one that is so concise and clear. This book is all anyone will need to start learning golf. For those of us who have cluttered our minds with technical golf garbage over the years, this book is a great start to taking out the trash!

This book gives a solid foundation to learning the most important aspect of the golf game -- the Swing. Without it, I would probably still be spending more time fixing divots on the fairway than enjoying the game of golf. Jones has some simple and effective techniques to develop the feel of the swing. It's seems awkward at first (especially for those who have learned to 'whip' their clubs) but once you get the feel of the club, you'll be amazed at how fast your clubs gets the ball to your target. Overall, it's not a band-aid solution, but rather a solid foundation to build upon your game.

This is one of the best golf books I have read. It was very easy to understand about the golf swing. The book taught me how to solve my problems, and gave me some very good drills that helped me to feel the correct swing. I highly recommended this book to all level of golfers.

Terry has compiled a tremendous amount of detailed information about the golf game in an easy to read and understandable context. Beginners will really appreciate the simple language as well as comprehensive drills that will make a fast impact to improvement. The skilled or avid golfer will find "Take Control of Your Game" refreshing and brings about an element of enjoyment back to the game of golf and allows one to look beyond the complicated and crazy industry of equipment and game improvement gimmicks. Terry has created this book to relieve the common fustrations and anxieties of game improvement. You can skip the next "Papa Smurf" Titanium Driver, and the Nuclear Driven Irons, because help is on the way with this simple paperback. Buy the book now before your wife finds out about the new $2000 set of clubs you just bought.

Terry Myers' book is an excellent reference guide for golfers of all levels. It's a fast, easy to read book that covers everything from understanding the fundamentals (how and why) to trouble shooting. The illustrations show amazing detail of what each movement should look like in a clear step by step fashion. The Drills and Aids section enables me to practice effectively at home so I can make every minute at the range and on the course count.

Terry has written a text consistent with his philosophy that golf is a game to be enjoyed - not rocket science. His approach combines a total understanding of the mechanics of golf with a passion for teaching the game at every level. The text and illustrations are completely helpful, not a wasted word or superfluous comment to be found. This book will replace confusion with competence and allow students at every level to take their game "up a notch." A winner in every respect.

I've been looking for an easy to use self help guide for a long time. Taking Control of Your Game helped guide me through changes not only in my swing but also my attitude toward the game. My wife and I both found it easy to read, understand, and follow. I wish I had it 10 years ago.

Have you every wondered why your bag was so heavy at the end of the round? Have you ever ended the round with more balls than you started with? Does you selection of golf balls look like the "Water ball" display on the club house counter?

I have spent countless dollars on magazine subsciptions, range balls, lessons and "the latest technology" all for nothing. I have stood on the first tee truly believing a round of 80 was "in my bag" having never broken 85. I have left 3 footers short and chili-dipped my way to a snowman on a par 3.

But now I know all I needed was this book. No, this book will not teach you a better swing, but it will make you appreciate the one you already have.

Chief Tit and his lost tribe of Reb Ball People tries to explain why each of us endures 5 and 6 hour rounds of golf. Using many traditional literary techniques (and some not so traditional), he walks (or carts - your choice) us through the game we all love to hate. The very game that allows us to card a score of 101, leaving us thoroughly dejected, but due to the 25' putt you sank on the last hole, continuing to come back for more of the same punishment.

Following Chief and his foursome through this round of golf I laughed at their experiences as they resembled my own. Read this and identify youself in each of the characters.

Cancel your magazine subscription, load you bag with balls (don't forget your ball retriever) and head to the course for a round with the Chief. A must read for anyone who calls themself a golfer or enjoys the game.

Leadbetter may be able to talk to all the elements of 'hitting' a golf ball, Wildroot explains how to PLAY the game of golf. From laugh-out-loud philosophical debates on hazards and drops to the perfect swing thoughts (thong or no?), this book covers every conceivable on-course angle, and nudges the rules slightly for the average weekend player.

Perfect not only for golfers, but for anyone who wants to understand why those of us with high handicaps continue to (try to) play every weekend...
thanks Chief!

I've been a golf enthusiast for many years, and I've read my fair share of so-called "golf humor" books. None of them have made me laugh out loud the way Red Ball did! From the political satire to the Dedalus twist on not-so-current events, this one will give you plenty of stories for your Sunday golf buddies.

I have read a lot of so-called golf humor books through the years. For the most part, they are either pretentious, uninteresting and/or simply not funny. At last, a golf book that is not only hilarious, but also captivating. Thank you Dedalus Wildroot!! This is golf's version of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - with intellectual stimulation to boot. Whether you're a weekend hack or a low handicapper, this book is a must read. It's a journey you'll never forget, and before you know it, the wisdom and sayings of The Chief will find its way into your foursome.

Have you ever hit your second shot from the Ladies Tee? Have you ever broken the "No Personal Coolers" rule? Do you use the plural noun "mulligans?" When standing over a downhill-sidehill lie do you find yourself considering whether O.J. Simpson was framed? Then this book is for you.

"Who Were The Red Ball People?" is the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Links" of golf books. Dedalus Wildroot mixes mathematics, humor, philosophy, politics and loutish behavior into a 19th-hole cocktail of absurdity. Whoever said golf is a "gentleman's game" has obviously never played with the Red Ball People foursome.

You don't have to play golf to get a kick out of this book, but it helps if you do - especially if you fist-pump after triple bogeys. By the time Chief Tit (who will never be pried from his "temporary" handicapped cart) drags you around 18 holes, you may find you have picked up the kind of instruction that Golf Tips magazine only wishes they could impart to you.

Having worked with great pros like Dave Stockton, Lee Janzen and others, a psychologist and her husband work with more than 300 PGA pros comparing their mental game abilities with those of champions.

The areas considered are: focus and concentration, abstract thinking, emotional stability, dominance and competitiveness, tough-mindedness, self-assurance, self-sufficiency and opimum arousal and tension management.

On each section, they give a questionaire, which then you score and see your abilities comparative to those of champions. For example, on focus those scoring 8.0 and higher have good routine and focus on last round, while my score was 5.6. Suggests ways to improve.

As another reviewer pointed out, one can take more complete inventory and send in for assessment.

This book is definitely for the player who seriously wishes to improve their game with effort and persistence.

We spend so much time pounding balls at the range when we really know that most of our mistakes are mental?? I thought this book was GREAT! I followed it last summer and my handicap dropped from 12 to 8 and I played less practice rounds. Next spring I plan to continue working on the mental side of my game (with this book) and hopefully drop a couple more strokes. This book would also be a great read for the off-season.

I filled out the GolfPsych questionnaire and Deborah and John gave me the results comparing me to the traits of champion golfer's. Although most of my results didn't surprise me, I wouldn't realize the rational behind their theory until my game went south. I always thought I could analyze my shot result and correct it immediately. What I have since found out with their help and the concepts in this super book, is how much all that analyzing contributed to my problem. I'm looking forward to finishing the entire program. If you want to play better golf and enjoy it more, you have to read this book!!!

As a professional golfer, I've found this book to be of great help. I plan to take the test Dr. Graham and Mr. Stabler write about to clear the cobwebs and play to my advantages. What a relief!!

this is instruction for the future. the pro or scratch am can't compete without this edge. the answers to why we play the way we do are no longer a mystery, buy the book!

This book was a great read that was almost impossible to put down. People who like golf or just want a good book should definitely pick up this one and get sucked right in. I somewhat connected to Billy because of his sense of humor and the fact we are both caddies at a fancy golf club. Not every chapter ended with a cliffhanger but the ending sure did. The plot was believable which made it a good fiction and stayed away from science fiction. Over all I thought this was a great book and I would recommend it to all.

This is a fabulous book. I could not put it away. It was a great story and was very dramatic. It was the ideal book.

There are reasons why golf is described as 90 percent mental. It's primarily to sell golf literature like Shrake's novel. Ever read an intriguing golf book about swing plane and hip rotation?

Shrake's book is one in a long line like it. The main character, Billy, loses both his parents in a matter of weeks, and it is up to him to make it on his own. Set in Texas during the 1950s, two of Texas' golfing "Gods" guide Billy from being a caddie to beating the upstart young club champion. This book has all the cliched elements, including John Bredemus' role as a guardian angel, who unveils the mental elements of game, and Hogan, who teaches Billy "the secret" of the swing.

Had Sharke not written such a wonderful story, I would have cast it in the lot with all the other bad golf novels out there. There are life lessons more than golf lessons inside, including the drive to gain independence and what it means to honor yourself and family.

I just wish a golf novel could written without all those "Gods" watching down.

A terrific book for both golfers and dreamers. Read it, then keep it in your golf bag next to your 7-iron for good luck.

When sixteen-year-old caddie Billy Boy, who's lost his mother to cancer and his gifted but war-damaged father to an explosion, finds a very old Bobby Jones seven iron in a roadside ditch, a whiff of magic drifts in on the 1950 Forth Worth, Texas air. The club belongs to famous golf course designer John Bredemus, who soon arrives in search. Bredemus seems to know a little too much about Billy Boy, but the lad needs someone to lean on while he gets his feet under him and the two quickly form an alliance.

By way of reward for finding the club, Bredemus buys supper, and the next morning loans the club to Billy, insisting that he bring it to the Colonial Golf Club, where he's trying to establish himself as a caddie. "It's a very lucky club," Bredemus says.

Sure enough, Colonial Golf Club's most famous member, the legendary Ben Hogan, notices the club and asks Billy Boy if he'd like to carry his bag for a quick nine holes, setting in motion a series of events that culminate in Billy Boy's winner-take-all match with Sonny Stonekiller, the club champion and rival for Billy Boy's flame Sandra Sandpaster.

If all this seems a little too pat, never fear. "Billy Boy" is great fun and a terrific golf read and Shrake's plot beautifully set up. You'll find yourself rooting hard for Billy Boy to win out. I recommend it for those who love sports adventure themes.

Art Tirrell is the author of The VITAMAN Effect a baseball yarn with a special twist. Available on Kindle now, and in print August 2008.