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As is often the case, Father's Day also marks the final round of the U.S. Open Championship, held this year at the venerable Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. This course has been the site for some of the Open's most memorable moments. In 1961, a young Jack Nicklaus won his first major professional tournament, defeating Arnold Palmer in an 18-hole playoff. It was the beginning of a rivalry that would span a good part of the '60s. And two years later, Johnny Miller, now the voice of United States Golf Association events on television, shot a 63, which many still regard as one of the greatest rounds of the 20th century.
Golf and Father's Day are an inseparable twosome. For many golfers it will be a joyous day --- a round of golf with friends in the morning and an afternoon spent enjoying one of the great sports championships on television. Perhaps there is an additional irony in this connection between golf and the day set aside for fathers, because for many men their golf game is actually like one of their children. Lest you think my golf game has made me crazy, just bear with me.
On some days your golf game makes you joyous and cheerful beyond belief, while at other times it drags you down to despair and grief. Are your children any different? Golf, like parenting, is a challenging task because, like a teenager, it can be difficult to understand. But perseverance leads to happiness for both golfers and fathers. Indeed, for many dads, their special day will be made even more enjoyable by a round of golf with their son or daughter.
The months of April, May and June always yield a plethora of outstanding golf books. This year, titles covering golf history, instruction and the game in general can be found filling the shelves of your favorite bookstore. As always, any avid golfer can find a great book for that long trip or to read on that rainy day when the course is unplayable.
The aforementioned golf legend Jack Nicklaus has prepared what can be described best as a scrapbook commemorating 50 years of golf that qualify the Ohio native as the greatest golfer of his generation and one of the best of all time. JACK NICKLAUS: Memories and Mementos from Golf's Golden Bear is a personal history of Nicklaus's career told not as a stodgy biography but as if he was sitting with you enjoying a drink and regaling you with some tales from his legendary career. The stories are interesting and informative, but it's the other material included in the book that separate it from a traditional biography. Pictures of a young Nicklaus with instructor Jack Grout, a scorecard from Scioto Country Club when the 15-year-old golfer tied the course record, and a copy of his first professional check (he won $33.33 in 1962 at the Los Angeles Open) are just a few of the examples of memorabilia from his career.
As the years pass there is a wedding invitation, a reproduction of Nicklaus's first invitation to Augusta National and the Masters. I especially enjoyed the letter from President Bill Clinton, who promised Nicklaus in 1994 that he would keep working on his golf game and the economy. For a number of years Nicklaus was not a fan favorite. In my youth many golf enthusiasts never forgave him for the fact that he usurped the golfing stardom that belonged to Arnold Palmer. But the years have made Nicklaus a legend who all golfers admire and respect. JACK NICKLAUS will bring back memories of a golf era that saw the game become a passion for many. If you are a lover of golf lore and history, then this is a book for your collection.
If Jack Nicklaus is the lodestar for the modern professional golfer, then the founding fathers of golf may well be the father and son who golf historians revere as "Old" Tom Morris and "Young" Tom Morris. TOMMY'S HONOR by Kevin Cook is the story of a father and son who may be the greatest such combination in the sporting world. The senior Morris was born in St. Andrews. As a course designer and professional, he introduced concepts into course maintenance and design that are still followed today. He designed Muirfield and Carnoustie, two courses that still host the oldest golf championship, The British Open.
The senior Morris finished second in the inaugural Open in 1860 and then won three times in the next decade. At age 46 he triumphed in 1867 and to this day remains its oldest winner. Young Tom died at the age of 24. He won the Open in 1868, the first of three consecutive wins, and added another victory in 1872. His win in 1869 was especially remarkable because his father finished second. Since young Tom accomplished three straight victories, he retired the championship belt awarded to winners. A Claret Jug still given to champions each July was then purchased.
Like many golf fans, I was aware of the Morris name and the victories they achieved. But Cook's dual biography is an unforgettable journey back to the beginnings of the game of golf. It answers many questions about these mystical golf legends in a remarkable story of triumph and tragedy. After reading this book, you will never watch another Open Championship without thinking of old and young Tom Morris.
From the rich golf history of the Morris clan from Scotland to the pressure and trauma of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament is a journey of centuries and thousands of miles. Modern golf has progressed to a game unrecognizable to those who founded the sport at St. Andrews. The first Open Championship was open to all who wished to play, but the entire field consisted of perhaps two-dozen players. Today the Tour's Q School, as it is called, reduces a field of 1,000 professionals to 30 qualifiers who will have an opportunity to play for the pot of gold that is the PGA Tour.
John Feinstein has chronicled life in the world of professional golf in several previous books. TALES FROM Q SCHOOL: Inside Golf's Fifth Major is precisely as the title suggests. From day one of the qualifying tournament to the final holes of the last round, the author paints a portrait of young golfers looking for their first break, older players hoping for one last opportunity to catch the magic of tour championship golf and every imaginable combination of golfer in between. Feinstein will have readers on edge in this vivid portrayal of the golfers' battle for a tour players card, the holy grail of professional golf.
Q School is played without the glare of television cameras and with very little media coverage. Feinstein has the reporter's knack for getting his subjects to open up. Casey Martin, the young golfer whose physical ailment made walking a golf course nearly impossible, had to sue the PGA in order to be allowed to use a motorized cart. As he discusses his legal battle, we learn how the young conservative became disenchanted with the Republican judges and politicians who failed to support his lawsuit. He tells Feinstein, "It pains me to say it but most of the people who showed compassion for me, who seemed to want to help out someone who was downtrodden were Democrats. Of his appearance on Bill O'Reilly's show and his meeting with the star, Martin has a one-word description not suitable for this family publication.
Many readers of previous essays and of this web page are familiar with this author's work. TALES FROM Q SCHOOL is vintage Feinstein. It is a great read for vacation, for travel, or just for sitting out on your porch and enjoying a lazy afternoon. Like most of his books, it transcends sports. The golfers chronicled here tell us more about our lives, hopes, dreams, struggles and failures than they do about the game of golf.
No list of new golf titles can be complete without one instruction book. There are as many theories about what makes a good golf shot as there are golfers and golf instructors. Even the greatest golfers are constantly tinkering with their swing. Witness the recent travails of Phil Mickelson, who left the coach who helped him win three major championships in an effort to take his game to a higher level. For most golfers, coaches and hours of lessons are an unattainable luxury. As a result, purchasing an occasional instruction book serves as a substitute. THE IMPACT ZONE: Mastering Golf's Moment of Truth by Bobby Clampett and Andy Brumer may well be an important addition to your lesson books.
Clampett spent several years on the PGA Tour with some modest success and has served as a commentator for CBS in their golf productions. Using their high-speed cameras and writing in a very clear and straightforward style, he focuses on the area of impact, the two inches before impact and the four inches after. In theory it makes a great deal of sense. Look at the wide disparity in golf swings. Watch Jim Furyk, John Daly and Luke Donald --- different swings but results all of us would envy.
THE IMPACT ZONE also suggests a unique method for building your swing. Clampett starts with the putting stroke and then moves in reverse order through the clubs until ending with the driver. Finally, he uses his own career as an example of how one should not continually tinker with the swing. Find a solid foundation and build. Instruction books are a unique breed, but THE IMPACT ZONE has many interesting golf insights to offer. It is certainly worth a look.
In addition to instructional titles, there is always an effort by publishers to benefit from the connection between golf and business. DEALS ON THE GREEN by David Rynecki fosters that relationship with a book whose cover is adorned with Bill Gates and Warren Buffet in golf attire, relaxing in a round between friends. Like a good business meeting, this is a succinct, almost pithy tome that has some points to make and does so with humor and grace. "Don't listen to the gallery" is the lesson from the CEO of Merrill Lynch. "Be nice to your caddy" reminds readers of business successes who started as bag-toters. Prescient observations from an all-star cast of business greats make DEALS ON THE GREEN a fabulous gift for any golfer who is seeking to climb the ladder of business opportunity.
Several years ago I had the opportunity to attend a practice round prior to the Masters Tournament held each year at Augusta National Golf Club, which is the Yankee Stadium of golf. The Masters is the only major championship that is played each year on the same course. Golf fans know Augusta from viewing the televised Masters championship. But witnessing Augusta in person is a much different experience than seeing it on television, which cannot capture either the beauty or the treachery of the course. The contours and slopes are far different in person than on the screen.
Having visited Augusta, I now have set my sights a little higher. Perhaps one day I will get to play the course. The chances are infinitesimally small, but I can always dream. GOLF HEAVEN: Insiders Remember Their First Trip to Augusta National Golf Club edited by John Andrisani details the first trip to Augusta National by a wide range of golfers, both professional and celebrity. While the majority of the book is devoted to Augusta history, from the construction of the course by Bobby Jones to Masters Tournament highlights, golfers such as Nathaniel Crosby, Ben Crenshaw and even Andrisani describe in great detail their first glimpse of the Augusta clubhouse. From special drinks to tips and staying on the grounds, this book is loaded with Augusta detail. I only hope I need to use it someday for a little research prior to the round of my dreams.
Golf fiction is another staple for contemporary publishers. From the humor of Dan Jenkins to the engaging fantasies of J. Michael Veron, golf writers capture a mysterious element of the game. THE EDICT by Bob Cupp adds a new theme to golf fiction, a novel set in Scotland in 1457. On March 4th of that year, James II issued an edict banning the game of golf. That actual historical event is the basis for Cupp's book, a lively tale that shows us that in many respects the game of golf has not changed for more than 500 years.
Cupp is a well-known golf course architect serving as a senior designer for Jack Nicklaus. His sense of history and love of golf make THE EDICT a rich novel and a delight for those who revere the spirit and tradition of the game.
--- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
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More Golf Roundups by Stuart Shiffman:
• 2006 SUMMER GOLF BOOKS
• 2005 SUMMER GOLF BOOKS
• 2005 SPRING GOLF BOOKS
• 2004 SPRING GOLF BOOKS
• 2003 SPRING GOLF BOOKS
• 2002 SUMMER GOLF READING
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