| Being a golf nut it was natural for me to collect a | | | | design. Here are some books on it written by some |
| number of books on the subject. In fact I have | | | | of the great masters of the art as well as one from |
| thirty two. This collection is eclectic in the sense that | | | | the younger generation. |
| it covers about every aspect of the game that has | | | | Golf By Design by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. 1993. |
| been written about. Some of these books were | | | | Jones leads golfers from tee to green detailing how |
| given to me, but most were purchased over my | | | | architects set up challenges and offer the player |
| years of chasing this crazy game. (Or is it the game | | | | strategies to meet these challenges. |
| makes you crazy?) | | | | Golf, As It Was Meant to be Played by Michael Fay, |
| For the interest of other golf nuts looking for a good | | | | 2000. Scottish born Donald Ross designed more that |
| book on the game to read, I have categorized my | | | | 400 courses in the U.S. and Canada. In this book |
| collection by subject. Admittedly, you can argue | | | | Michael Fay takes the reader on a walk through 18 of |
| about my categorization, but it should provide some | | | | Ross's masterly designed holes chosen from courses |
| help to anyone looking for a particular aspect of the | | | | in the U.S. |
| game. Below my collection is divided into the following | | | | Golf Never Failed Me by Donald J. Ross, 1996. The |
| categories. | | | | lost commentaries of Donald Ross on architecture, |
| • Historical (Old writings on the game) | | | | course maintenance and everything else. These |
| • Collections of Commentaries and Quotes by | | | | commentaries were written before 1914, meant to |
| Writers and Players | | | | be published then but for some reason were never |
| • Instruction | | | | published. They came to light after Ross's death in |
| • The Mental Side of the Game | | | | 1948. |
| • Course Architecture | | | | Sandy Lyle Takes You Around the Championship |
| • Humor | | | | Courses of Scotland by Sandy Lyle with Bob Ferrier, |
| Historical: These are reprints of three of the oldest | | | | 1982. Sandy Lyle takes the reader along the fairways |
| known books on the game. | | | | and greens outlining the challenges of six of the |
| Rules of the Thistle Golf Club by John Cundell, 1824. | | | | greatest courses in Scotland. Several photographs |
| This is a copy of the first book on golf, which | | | | and a schematic are shown for each hole described. |
| contains an attempt to set down a history of the | | | | The Anatomy of a Golf Course by Tom Doaks, 1992. |
| game, as well as the rules in force at the time the | | | | Tom Doaks discusses his craft and and explains the |
| book was written. | | | | strategies behind an architects decisions in laying out |
| A Few Rambling Remarks on Golf by Robert | | | | a course and how he plans for the course to be |
| Chambers, 1862. This book is the third book on the | | | | played. |
| game ever published and gives Mr. Chambers | | | | The Mental Side of the Game. Golf being the game it |
| thoughts on instruction as well as the playing rules. | | | | is does sometimes make players go nuts. It's been |
| Tee Shots and Others by Bernard Darwin, 1911. A | | | | said that this game reflects all the positive and |
| collection of Bernard Darwin's essays. Darwin was a | | | | negative aspects of life. It's no wonder that this has |
| first rate player who never lost his passion for the | | | | been written about so much. Here are several books |
| game. He was known for never quoting a player. | | | | that cover the mental side of the game. |
| Once when asked if he was going to attend an | | | | Golf and the Spirit by M. Scott Peck, 1999. In this |
| interview of a new British Open Champion, he huffed, | | | | book M. Scott Peck writes a book for beginners and |
| "My readers want to know why I think he won, not | | | | masters alike. It goes beyond mechanics to explore |
| why that fool thinks he won. | | | | the deeper issues, ways of managing the emotional |
| The next category is a collection of writings, | | | | psychological and spiritual aspects of this wonderful, |
| commentaries and anecdotes by and about golfers | | | | maddening, deflating and inspiring game. |
| of all kinds and shapes. | | | | The Golfer's Guide to the Meaning of Life by Gary |
| A Passion For Golf, edited by Schuyler Bishops, 1998. | | | | Player, 2001. Gary Player's fifteen lessons from "Why |
| A collection of pieces written by the best sports | | | | Play Golf" through "Sportsmanship" and "Motivation" |
| writers of the last fifty years revealing the | | | | ending with "The Game Eternal". |
| inseparable relationship between this game and life. | | | | Golf Dreams by John Updike, 1996. John Updike |
| Great Golf Stories, edited by Robert Trent Jones, | | | | reflects on the game and its mental challenges. |
| 1982. A comprehensive collection of writing about the | | | | Golf For Enlightenment by Deepak Chapra, 2003. This |
| game. It offers the best that has been written with | | | | book is an engrossing story about Adam, who is |
| a running commentary from one of the greatest | | | | playing a terrible round, when he meets a young |
| course architects. | | | | teaching pro named Leda. In seven short but |
| "And Then Jack Said to Arnie", edited by Don Wade, | | | | profound lessons she teaches Adam the essence of |
| 1991. Don Wade has been covering the professional | | | | the game that explains much about life itself. |
| tour and collecting true stories about the players and | | | | A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein, 1995. John |
| the game since 1970. This is a collection of his stories. | | | | Feinstein has written an account of a professional |
| The Quotable Golfer, edited by Gary McCord, 2000. | | | | golfer's life on the PGA tour. |
| This book is a rich compendium of quotes that | | | | Links by Lorne Rubenstein, 1991. Links is about the |
| reflect the history, tradition, agony and thrills of the | | | | essence and the mystique and intrigue of the game, |
| game from Will Rogers to Tiger Woods. | | | | and the magic that draws people from around the |
| Golf Instruction. No collection would be complete | | | | world to it. |
| without books on instruction. I never kept all of the | | | | Finally, golf humor. If you play regularly, you need to |
| books on instruction that I bought, but these few | | | | have a sense of humor about the game and |
| that I have left include a couple of really good ones. | | | | particularly about your game. Here are some of the |
| Tiger Woods - How I Play Golf by Tiger Woods, | | | | most humorous books on it ever written. |
| 2001. Tiger Woods how to play the game. Need I | | | | Divots, Shanks, Gimmes, Mulligans and Chili Dips by |
| say more? | | | | Glen Waggoner, 1993. The first half of this book is |
| Classic Golf Instruction by Christopher Obetz, 2005. | | | | about Waggoner's life on the pro tour as a writer |
| Lessons by Jack Nicklaus and others featuring the | | | | and observer. The second half covers the life of a |
| amazing drawings by Anthony Ravielli. Ravielli's | | | | hacker, club throwing and every thing else. |
| drawing reward the reader with incredible vision of | | | | Golfmanship by Stephen Potter, 1968. Humorous |
| the golfing body at work. | | | | lessons on gambits and ploys a player can use to win. |
| Harvey Penick's Little Red Book by Harvey Penick, | | | | The Down Hill Lie by Carl Hiassen, 2008. Carl Hiassen's |
| 1992. Harvey Penick's notebook from his years of | | | | chronicle of his shaky return to the game after a 30 |
| teaching. It gives his practical wisdom cutting away | | | | year absence and the ensuing demolition of his |
| the technicalities and helps golfers play their best. | | | | self-esteem will leave you rolling in laughter. A book |
| Fit For Golf by Gary Player, 1995. One hundred | | | | for all lovers of the game. |
| exercises that will improve your game. | | | | Golf a la Carte by Peter Dobereiner, 1991. A collection |
| Elements of Scoring by Raymond Floyd, 1998. | | | | of some of the best works of Peter Dobereiner, |
| Raymond Floyd's lessons on how to get the ball into | | | | dean of golf writers and surely one of the funniest |
| the cup with the fewest strokes. | | | | men ever to stroke a pen and swing a club. |
| See It & Sink It by Dr.Craig Farnsworth, 1997. | | | | The Art of Coarse Golf by Michael Green, 1967. |
| An instructional book on how to improve your putting | | | | Humorous anecdotes about a hacker's experiences |
| by teaching you how to see the line better and | | | | on the course. |
| stroke the ball into the hole. | | | | And probably the prize of my collection of golf |
| The Impact Zone by Bobby Clampett, 2007. This | | | | humor: |
| book is a unique guide to teach a golfer to | | | | The Golf Omnibus by PG. Wodehouse, 1914. Thirty |
| understand how to improve his swing to achieve | | | | one humorous tales from the fairway to the putting |
| better impact of his club to his ball. | | | | green from club house to sand trap by the master |
| Think Like Tiger by John Andrisani, 2002. An analysis | | | | of comic fiction. |
| of Tiger Woods mental game based on John | | | | I hope you enjoyed looking through my collection |
| Andrisani's experience as Tiger's teacher from age 10 | | | | useful. It should keep you reading about the game |
| to 18 and his interaction with Tiger's family and | | | | for some time, and I hope they provide you with |
| acquaintances during those years. | | | | some laughs along the way. |
| Golf Course Architecture is its own particular kind of | | | | |