Biographies, books and DVDs
 

Still a couple of months till the season starts. Unfortunately my Florida trip was cancelled. What to do. I could always read some golf biographies.

My question for you are: Which player biographies or other golfrelated books are your favorites. I'm not thinking of books on swingmechanics here, those, I know, are mentioned in http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=2599

Let me know what you've read (or seen on DVD) about the old champs, great tournaments, legendary rounds of golf and so on.....

Hi Thom, it's really old, but have you read The Bogey Man by George Plimpton? Still one of my favorites as it has a ton of stories about the old days and the characters that used to play the tour.

Kevin

"The Match" if you havent read it is a great read.

ob[IMG

]http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/assets/img/forum/attach/jpg.gif

I just finished "The Match" and have to agree that it is a fantastic book, I read it over 3 nights sitting up into the wee hours last night to finish it.

Mark Frost who wrote it also wrote "The Greatest Game ever played" which I haven't read but did see the movie of and I highly recommend it for your DVD.

I was just going to start a thread on this myself so well done, good topic!

If you can get hold of it, "The Art of Coarse Golf" by Michael Green is absolutely hilarious from start to finish, I can't recommend it enough.

Click here for coarse golf!

I read Arnie's biography a while back and thought it was very good. I have Hogan's to read soon and can't wait after getting a taste of it in "The Match"

Try...
 

..."Dead Solid Perfect" by Dan Jenkins. Hilarious...even better than the HBO movie adaptation in which Dan had a cameo appearance.:laughing9

Hooked on Classics
 

For starters...Sir Walter and Mr. Jones by Stephen Lowe depicted the diiiferent but interconnected lives and the development of golf during the rise of these two great champions. Lowe won a USGA Book Award for his effort.

The Greatest Game Ever Played (also a USGA Award Winner) and The Grand Slam (another book about Jones) are two outstanding books by Mark Frost. Both are well reasearched and enlightening. If Frost could have got the ending to the 80's telivision shown "Twin Peaks" right, I would have been much happier, but that is another story for another time.

Anything by my alltime favorite golf writer P.G. Wodehouse: The Golf Ominbus, the Clicking of Cuthbert or The Heart of a Goof are my favorite three. Humerous fiction as told by the Oldest Member. You won't be able to put it down. Light a fire, pour youself a single malt and sit back in your easy chair. Wodehouse will never let you down.

Another outstanding book of golf humor is David Ferherty's second book "Somewhere in Ireland a Village is Missing an Idiot". I was reading it late one night in bed and laughing so much, I continuously kept waking my wife up. Needless to say I slept on the couch that night.

If you are interested in the history of golf, especially in America, get a copy of The Story of Golf in American by Herbert Warren Wind, another author that will not disappoint.

I will post a few more when time allows. If you have a specific favorite area let me know: golf course architecture, tournaments, fiction, clubmaking, mental side, etc.

thanks mates!
 

I'll look into getting all of them.

I just received James Dodsons biography "Ben Hogan", and "To the linksland" by Michael Bamberger, I ordered "The Match", and Joe Dantes "Four magic moves....." and a couple og others too. I guess I have enough litteratur for now.

But keep 'em coming.....

Drewit - good book recommendations on golf course architecture?

There is a book that one can never finish reading, "The Golfing Machine". Apparently there are some people who try to figure it out, even have a web site.

What a bunch of kooks!

ob

OB!

He said he didn't want instruction books!

"To the Linksland" is absolutely fantastic, you will enjoy it.

Dodson's efforts are not as good but diverting nonetheless. "The Dewsweepers" and "Final Rounds" are the two I've read. "A season in Dornoch" by rubenstein, is not bad but he hasn't the passion for the links that Bamberger has and I ended up disliking him intensely.

The Architect's Architect
 

Not Drewitgolf -- who has one of the most extensive private golf libraries on the planet -- but I've just started a book that, at the very least, has all the promise of a 'good read':

Golf Has Never Failed Me
The lost commentaries of legendary golf architect Donald J. Ross.

By . . . who else?

Donald Ross!

For best pricing and to explore the book, go here http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...52686 &sr=8-1.

I love Bamberger's writing but believe it was he who ratted out Michelle Wie on her drop mistake.

Excuse me...
 

..."ratted out" ?

I am such a stupid.
 

Excuse me, I sent that from Iphone in haste. I retract "ratted out".

Bamberger is a very fine writer. Exceptional. Wie was in the wrong no doubt. I allude to post facto, viewers and spectators etc making calls about rules violations. I dont have a problem with blatant violations. But it seems to me that sometimes given the circumstances they are unjust.

Im sure there has been many a time that a benevolent tournament director has turned a blind eye to an inconsequential mistake/offense. Once the tv guys/we know about it, it is beyond correction perhaps. This sort of thing making for good tv, sadly.

I nearly puked watching the British Open last year with the cameras zoomed in on the hovering putters and the wind oscillating balls. "This guy did ground his putter, this guy didnt ..........." Just zoom out for crying out loud before I hurl.

Justice may be blind but I like her to use her sense of smell sometimes in a benevolent way. Although on the other hand a star player berating an official into a favourable ruling smells bad, very bad.

Maybe that is just me. In a compassionate way I would also have given Roberto De Vicenzo his birdie on 17 in the 1968 Masters. This is a complex issue. I respect the rules of golf. I honour the memory of Bobby Jones walking out of the woods to call a penalty on himself. I acknowledge there are opinions contrary to mine on this issue. I really just want the rules to be officiated over by one body not a tv announcer or a cell phone user. No other sport does this that I can think of.

Sorry for this off topic meander.

Back to the books. "Links Land" is inspired, yes.

ob

O.B.

I actually agree with your first take. I don't have a problem with this sort of thing...

Except

If you are going to do this, do it right there. Don't wait until the next day after the card has been signed. If done on the spot, the drop could have been rectified. Even if brought up later in the round, a penalty could be applied. Bringing this to the committee after the card was signed is what is hard for me to swallow.

If an intentional mistake, I would see it differently...

I'm a romantic as well. :)

Sorry for the thread jack continuation.

Kevin

Thanks Kev

It is a complex issue that maybe transcends this game and my sorry knowledge of Law. As I started to explain myself I realized what kind of mine field I was stepping into and hit the edit button in a hurry.

If I could teach my much smarter older brother "The Judge" how to turn on a computer he would have maybe 100 or more pages on this sort of thing for us, in one post too and off the cuff. A historical view the separation of Church and State, the golfers rights to a fair trial but by whom? ETc etc etc etc.

Back to books.

ob

Hehehe,

Nobody else said anything about The Bogey Man. Are you guys all too young? :golfcart:

:read:

Kevin

An awesome insight into the tour of yesteryear. Plimton's wit is captured in his description admirals in his mind running his shot routine. A must read.

You must be one of my contemporaries! :golfcart:

My favorite chapter was about the tempers on tour. Ky Laffoon taking his putter by the neck, dipping it in the lake, yelling "Drown you son of a bitch, Drown!" :) :) :)

Kevin

Came across this 40 odd page preview of the "Bogey Man".


http://books.google.ca/books?id=Re8t...result#PPP1,M1

Cheers
ob

Getting on Course
 

For the Donald Ross fans, in addition to "Golf Has Never Failed Me" as mentioned by Yoda, I would also recomend "Discovering Donald Ross" by Bradley Klein. There are many beautiful pictures of Ross' courses, which fortunately for me are in abundance in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

If you decide to read "The Match" by Mark Frost, I would recomend getting a copy of Geoff Shackleford's book "Alister MacKenzie's Cypress Point Club". The black and white photos of the course in Shackleford's book bring "The Match" to life. So when you are reading about the Par 5, 476 yard fifth hole you can also see it.

Although it is unlikely that you be able to get a first edition of Charles Blair Macdonald's "Scotland's Gift Golf" (sell for $800-$1000 each), copies are available from The Classic of Golf book series. This is Ben Creshaw's favorite book on golf architecture and I will also recomend it to both the serious fan and casual observer.

Others to consider: Golf by Design by Robert Trent Jones Jr. He explains in detail his thinking for designing a course; chess, pool, auto racing, target sports, etc.
Also, Golf course Designs by Tom Fazio. The color pictures are breath-taking. At the beginning of the book is a picture of his uncle George Fazio (who lost a playoff along with Lloyd Mangrum for the 1950 US Open to Ben Hogan at Merion), to whom the book is dedicated, showing why he was such an outstanding player, executing a Flat Left Wrist and Lagging Clubhead.
Golf Architecture (1920) by Dr. Alister Mackenzie gives the good doctor's ideas on golf course development. It is also available from The Classic of Golf book series.
Finally, for now, Geoff Shackelford's "Lines of Charm" compiled the best writing and quotes from all the great designers from the golden age of architects. Easy reading and informative.

Thanks again
 

Thanks, Drew

The Match is on it's way. I'll look into getting some of your suggestions on course architecture.

800-1000$ for a book, wow:eyes: of cause I would have to pay additional 35% in import taxes...

(The other) Macdonald's Golden Arches
 

Unfortunately, I only have one first edition :( .

"The Spirit of St. Andrews" by Dr. Alister MacKenzie is a good read and explains the development of his course design theories.