Best Golf Books of All Time

[scagnetti]

posted this in a different thread by mistake, please mods don't hate me now...

 

anyway, i was asking if anybody had read this book, and what they thought of it...

 

 

[Carl Spackler3]

Just finished A Course Called Ireland by T Coyne, light hearted and fun read enjoyed it very much

[dbleag]

Just finished A Course Called Ireland by T Coyne, light hearted and fun read enjoyed it very much

 

I am reading it now after finishing "Paper Tiger". I like his style, but wish he would break his writing into more paragraphs.

[BryanAllain]

Don't let the crappy movie throw you off. The Legend of Bagger Vance is a good read. As is Timothy Gallwey's The Inner Game of Golf.

 

Bagger Vance is my favorite, as well. Much better than the movie - so much so that I hardly consider them the same story. A lot of religious and mystic undertones that may turn some people off, but I thought it was both entertaining and thought provoking. Great read!!!

 

Have you ever read "The Authentic Swing" by Pressfield. In it he gives a lot of back story into how/why he wrote Bagger Vance. Great book on golf and writing.

[BryanAllain]

So many mentioned in this thread are great.

 

Mark Frost's "The Match" and "The Greatest Game Ever Played" are phenomenally told stories, and as they detail actual events, I couldn't get enough of them.

 

Also really enjoyed Joe Posnanski's "The Secret of Golf" which was a poorly titled book with great stories about Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus.

 

(and yes, Paper Tiger, The Big Miss, Good Walk Spoiled all very solid as well.)

[Sandman19]

I really wish someone had given me the book "How to play your best golf all the time," by Tommy Armour, when I started playing golf. He covers all the basics and makes it easier to understand. The best golf instruction book I have ever read.

My Dad gave me a copy of this book many, many years ago. I carry it on every trip and put all my paperwork in it- plane info, hotel info, rental car info, concert/sports ticket printouts, anything. I never tire of reading it, I may go months without reading anything in there and then will read it 3 nights in a row.

 

I gave each of my sons a copy and inscribed/dated it the same way my father did.

 

I recently read "Bud, Sweat, and Tears" by Alan Shipnuck. Good read but what's happened after its 2001 writing is equally as interesting- the Steve Duplantis part of the story, his daughter Sierra, the involvement of Jim Furyk...wonderful story.

[mcshooter]

The golf swing simplified by john Jacobs,, no longer in print but you could probably get on on eBay..

[nix]

Just got Pelz Short game bible, golf is not a game of perfect and greatest game ever played from my library. Short game bible and not a game of perfect are amazing and I'm barely into them. I'm just really into my 2nd year of really golfing and now that I can make solid contact pretty regularly and am finally able to get off the tee, these things are right in my wheelhouse.

 

Good quote in there about how you can't score without a short game, but you can't play unless you can hit the long clubs. Which is very true. I think these books will help me drop my HC another 4-5 strokes this season.

[scagnetti]

Just got Pelz Short game bible, golf is not a game of perfect and greatest game ever played from my library. Short game bible and not a game of perfect are amazing and I'm barely into them. I'm just really into my 2nd year of really golfing and now that I can make solid contact pretty regularly and am finally able to get off the tee, these things are right in my wheelhouse.

 

Good quote in there about how you can't score without a short game, but you can't play unless you can hit the long clubs. Which is very true. I think these books will help me drop my HC another 4-5 strokes this season.

 

yep,

a manageable tee shot, and then pitching, chipping and putting... those are the steps -- theres no secret -- to lowering your handicap...

 

You might also look into the Harvey Penick Little Red Book which helped me in innumerable ways...

[Mr. Grumpy]

It may have been mentioned, "Who's your caddy" by Rick Reilly....

[EVandy]

Another vote for "golf is not a game of perfect." Incredible read.

[fowlerscousin]

i like the big miss, dave pelz short game bible, and golf my way by tiger woods

[jarhead]

I suppose it would be Ben Hogan's "Five Lessons The Modern Fundamentals of Golf." Harvey Penick's red and green books were also good reads. And several years ago I checked out a book by Tom Watson on the rules of golf that I found very informative. I'm not a big reader for entertainment. I usually read because I'm trying to gain some quick knowledge.

[dave412]

Golf is not a Game of Perfect: Bob Rotella

 

I try and read it once a year.. gets you in the right frame of mind!

[Zippy456]

My two favorite books, which I usually read every year are:

1. Your 15th Club by Dr Bob Rotella

2. Zen Golf by Dr Joseph Parent

 

Two great book on the power of the mental in golf. it truly shaved 4-5 strokes off my game

[KillerPenguin]

No list is complete without this:

[deadsolid...shank]

No list is complete without this:

 

Absolutely agree. Book and movie are both great.

 

My username is an "adjusted to be more accurate" take off of the title.

[the bishop]

The Match

Little Red Book

Fearless Golf by Gio Valiante

Ben Hogan: An American Life by James Dodson

Hogan by Curt Sampson

A Good Walk Spoiled (hate Feinstein too but great book)

Bud, Sweat and Tees: Rich Beem's walk on the wild side of the PGA Tour by Alan Shipnuck (great book)

The Big Miss (I enjoyed it and didn't see what all the fuss was about)

[apexgrinds]

Just finished two by Michael Bamberger.

 

1.Men in Green

 

2. To the Linksland

 

Both were fantastic reads. I read To the Linksland in about 3 hours. Couldn't put it down.

[Chip Out Sideways]

I have many golf books but my favourites is 'This Game of Golf' by Henry Cotton - an excellent books and still relevant today. Another favourite, although a dangerous book in many ways is 'How to Perfect Your Golf Swing' by Jimmy Ballard. I also love all Rotella's books.

[TerpFangolfer]

Just finished Tommy's Honour - very much enjoyed.

I knew only the bare minimum about Old Tom and Young Tom...was a great read for me

 

Now look forward to see the movie - although I'm sure I may be disappointed

[ohioglfr]

I like "A Lifetime of Lessons" by Marshall Smith. For me , it made sense. He likes to draw comparisons to baseball and it helped me understand his concepts.

"Hit Your Second Shot First" is another useful Marshall Smith book I've enjoyed. Similarly, easy to understand.

[NCLancer]

I enjoyed this book. Very interesting look at the pro game.

[downsandups]

Tales from q school

[platgof]

I am reading "Every Shot I Take," by Davis Love III. A good read and great advice.

[Qwiklap]

Anyone read "Men in Green"? Got it for Xmas - and have not read it yet. Plan to ...

[Ghost_556]

I mostly read books about technique. The ones I always come back to and have gotten the most out of are:

Play Golf the Wright Way, Mickey Wright. She had such a fundamentally sound technique, I'm not at all embarrassed to say it's the swing I've tried to emulate the most.

How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time, Armour. Tremendous value as my natural tendency is not getting through the ball with a reverse weight shift.

Modern Fundamentals, Hogan. Classic.

Five Fundamentals of Golf, Steve Elkington. Again, very sound technique.

 

I've enjoyed many of the popular titles mentioned already, especially Penick's books. Once upon a time, I used to enjoy the "and then Arnie told Chi-Chi.." series of books. Also Hogan by Curt Sampson, and The Hogan Mystique coffee table book.

[jwortsman]

Can't believe it took 5 pages to get "Dead, Solid, Perfect" on the list. Really enjoyed the Reilly novels "Missing Links" and "Shanks for Nothing". My wife really enjoyed "Paper Tiger".

[Froghair]

Haven't seen any mention of two of my favorites- "Massacre at Winged Foot" by Dick Schaap. After Miller's 63 in '73 (you might have heard of it?), the USGA made the course brutal and the winning score by Hale Irwin in '74 was +7. Great minute by minute account of the Open that year.

 

On the instruction side of things: "Extraordinary Golf" by Fred Shoemaker. I read it annually.

[Bigarch]

Search for the Perfect Swing - Alastair Cochran and John Stobbs.