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Yardage Book
Recommended Reading for March/April 2002
1. Discovering Donald Ross
by Bradley S. Klein
An examination of the game's master planner, a thoroughly modern man, who brought a Shaker-like sensibility and order to his work; reflective, finds the author, of "a devout humility and honesty of presentation in everything he did."
2. The Art of Golf Design
by Geoff Shackelford & Michael Miller
"The situation in golf," writes the advocate with dispassionate eloquence, "is one of two very distinct groups: that which is exposed to artistry in design, and that which isn't." It's one of many provocative points worth considering, along with beautiful reproductions of original watercolors.
3. The Boys' Life of Bobby Jones
by O.B. Keeler
Reissue of tender account of Jones en route to winning the Grand Slam by the writer closest to him;
for some, perhaps too close, but a very enjoyable affair filled with warmth and incisive anecdotes
that fill in the blanks and humanize the legend.
4. Gleanings from the Wayside
by A.W. Tillinghast
A Rosetta stone of architectural insight, the third in a lovingly assembled trilogy, honors his work and generous spirit. Little escaped Tilly - from the farce of par to the aesthetics of good design.
5. Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2002 - 2003 by the United States Golf Association and the Royal
and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews
A mind-boggling collection of mystery and suspense, some of these quirky short stories have a happy
ending, others are quite unsettling. Justice is like that. Peach pits, burrowing animals, practical
jokers, balls in drainpipes, the nefarious, the upstanding, the good intentioned all collected on
their quest in search of answers. Hard to put down, really.
6. The Money-Whipped Steer-Job
Three-Jack Give-Up Artist
By Dan Jenkins
Fanciful look at life following the sun through the Ray Bans of your typical PGA Tour salaryman, filled with the acerbic, telling, politically incorrect and wise guy observations that have enlivened Golf Digest for years.
7. A Season in Dornoch
by Lorne Rubenstein
A productive extended visit to the Highlands that genially considers the game and its relation to Scottish life, past and present, as well as the author's own.
8. A Nasty Bit of Rough
by David Feherty
Excessively puerile but farcical spin of an old boys' club where guests are permitted once a
decade and members routinely stuffed and displayed at their place in the bar after they cash
in their chips. There is, of course, a historic match, for a fossilized finger of St. Andrews,
lots of dietary indiscretion, lively and heroic caddies, sensible women, and a climactic
battle of good and evil, painted with a pleasantly light touch.
9. Billy Boy
by Bud Shrake
In the match of his life, a caddie stands up, ever so politely, to Hogan. Around him swirl all the elements of good fun: the rich babe, the spoiled villain, her eccentric and filthy rich uncle, the missing love of a father - and John Bredemus, a legendary figure in Texas golf who ran with Jim Thorpe and traveled Texas designing courses with little more than a bag of checkers.
10. A Golfer's Education
by Darren Kilfara
Study abroad takes on several meanings for a visiting Harvard scholar and Golf Digest staffer with the good sense to take his junior year at the University of St. Andrews. The siren calls of romance and The Old Course commingle. Best of all he learns to love and honor the ground game.
NOTE: Yardage Book © appears monthly, exclusively on THR. All books listed have been reviewed elsewhere on THR in greater depth. They are informally ranked at the editor's discretion and are not based on sales, date of publication, hype, the stars, financial inducement (Ho! Ho!) or anything other than his own personal preference. Only books that have been reviewed on THR are included.
Swing Thoughts - Volume I
Swing Thoughts - Volume II
Swing Thoughts - Volume III
Swing Thoughts - Volume IV
Swing Thoughts - Volume V
Swing Thoughts - Volume VI
Swing Thoughts - Volume VII
Swing Thoughts - Volume VIII
Swing Thoughts - Volume IX
Swing Thoughts - Volume X
Swing Thoughts - Volume XI
Swing Thoughts - Volume XII
Swing Thoughts - Volume XIII
Swing Thoughts - Volume XIV
Swing Thoughts - Volume XV
Swing Thoughts - Volume XVI
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