Two works, A GOLF STORY by Charles Price and A FEEL FOR THE GAME by Ben Crenshaw, are wonderful contributions and tributes to the great game of golf. A GOLF STORY is a reprint of the 1986 history of the best known golf course and golf tournament in America. Not only is it the story of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Golf Tournament, it is also the story of Bobby Jones, the man most responsible for Augusta and the Masters. In an era when sports heroes such as Red Grange, Babe Ruth, and Jack Dempsey were household names, Bobby Jones was equal in stature to any sports figure. Jones represented athletic achievement in a far different manner than his contemporaries of the roaring '20s. He was the true amateur --- a graduate of Georgia Tech and Emory Law School a practicing lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia. After sweeping the major tournaments of his era, the United States Open, U. S. Amateur, British Open, and British Amateur in one year, Jones retired from competitive golf. Along with business partner Clifford Roberts he constructed the Augusta National Golf Club and created a spring tournament in early April. The tournament that became the Masters was initially a stopping off place for professional golfers and sportswriters returning from their winters in Florida. Charles Price loved the Masters and revered Bobby Jones. A GOLF STORY reflects that feeling and reverence towards a hallowed course and a sporting event that any golfer would love to attend.

Ben Crenshaw's autobiographical A FEEL FOR THE GAME is a fine accompaniment to the story of Augusta and the Masters because it was in that tournament that Crenshaw and many golfers experienced one of the most dramatic moments in golf history. Crenshaw was a pupil of golfing instructor Harvey Penick, whose books of instruction made him an icon of golf very late in his life. In 1995, Penick died during the week of the Masters tournament. Crenshaw flew to Austin, Texas, served as a pall bearer at the funeral and returned to Augusta. On Sunday, an emotional Crenshaw surged to a victory that would never have been believed were it the script of a movie. No one who saw it will ever forget the emotion of his final putt on the 18th green at Augusta. It was another in a long line of dramatic moments at one of golf's major championships.

Beyond golf history, the area of fiction is another plentiful source of golf literature. In this genre the fictional works are often of a mythical, inspirational nature. One such fictional work again finds its underpinnings in Augusta National and the legend of Bobby Jones. THE GREATEST PLAYER WHO NEVER LIVED by J. Michael Veron is the fictional account of Beau Stedman, the equal of young Bobby Jones, whose golf career takes a far different turn. The story is told through the eyes of Charley Hunter, a summer intern at a prestigious Atlanta, Georgia law firm. In the novel, Jones was a partner at the firm, and Hunter spends his summer researching material left by Jones. Along the way, Hunter discovers correspondence between the young Jones and his golfing rival, Beau Stedman, who has been forced to lead the life of a fugitive because of a false accusation of murder. However, even as a fugitive he enjoys remarkable success as a golfer. The highlight of this novel occurs when Hunter gets an invitation to play a round of golf at Augusta National. For many of us who will never have this opportunity, Veron has painted a word picture of the course that almost makes the reader feel as if they are on the course.

In the same manner, A GENTLEMAN'S GAME by Tom Coyne is a novel that captures the love of golf with the tension that often exists between a father and a teenage son. Many golfers of the baby boomer generation first experienced country club life as caddies. Although we now may play at and belong to country clubs, we can never forget the life experience gained by "looping" at the club. For 13-year-old Timmy Price the caddying experience is unique in many ways. Price is gifted with a pure swing; it is clear to everyone that he has a golf swing that most of us can only dream about. In an attempt to make Tim better appreciate the game, his father makes him spend the summer as a caddy at their country club. Along the way Tim Price has experiences in life and golf that offer him a new perspective about both. He grows in his appreciation of the price of failure as well as the danger of success. Tom Coyne has written a first novel of significance beyond the golf course. A novel like A GENTLEMAN'S GAME offers insights that go far beyond the game of golf. It is a terrific book.

A final genre for golf books can be defined by both fictional and nonfictional works that rely on humor as their primary inspiration. While there is obviously nothing as enjoyable as a humorous golf book, there is equally nothing as depressing as an attempt at humor that fails. It is as sad as opening your round with two pars and a birdie and then shooting 95. In this respect, THE PRO by Mike Shropshire, is a string of bogeys with a few double bogeys added for insult. The title character in THE PRO is Del Bonnet, a teaching pro in Florida. After passing age 50 and becoming eligible for the Senior PGA Tour, Bonnet magically develops a game that allows him to become one of the tour's phenoms. Along the way he meets every stereotypical character one can imagine and finds himself in situations that allow Shropshire to repeat every traditional joke about golf. THE PRO is nothing more 100 punch lines looking for a plot. Spend your time working on your short game. It will yield far better results.

THE FOURSOME by Troon McAllister is a slightly better read. It marks the return of Eddie Caminetti, a golf hustler of great skill. A group of golfing buddies in search of the dream golf vacation locate a golf paradise. In order to take full advantage of the locale, they find themselves involved in a game that begins to take on large financial ramifications. As one would expect, the golf battle becomes an opportunity for self-examination and group catharsis, where the gamblers must learn about themselves and their erstwhile friends. This is another predictable novel that has little to offer for any reader, let alone golf addicts.