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Yardage Book
Recommended Reading for May/June 2002
1. 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.
2. 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."
3. Lazy Days at Lahinch
by G.A. Finn
Stories of a gentler place (the west of Ireland) and a gentler game, this collection of (very) short
tales features a deft touch all the way around. Mr. Finn gives us memorable, believable characters and
never strains, as so often is the case, with stories that try so hard to preach about golf to the
converted. The light touch, Irish humor, wisdom and judicious use of language made me reach for the
Guinness and pine to return to one of the game's special places.
4. The Golfer's Alphabet
by W.G. Van T. Sutphen
The silliness and pathos of golf, circa 1898, conveyed through whimsical rhymes and A.B. Frost's
memorable drawings. A delightful, insightful reissue deserving of wide and appreciative audience;
how little has changed. "S is the swing that we learn from the books, - But, oh, if we only could see
how it looks!"
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. A Love Affair with the Game
by Frank "Sandy" Tatum Jr.
It's clearly more than a casual affair. When not touring the great links with Tom Watson,
recounting memories of post-war Oxford: in one memorable day with the Oxford Cambridge Golf
Society, he found himself paired with Cyril Tolley, victim of a Bob Jones stymie, and in the
afternoon, Roger Wethered, he muses and opines on personalities and issues of the day.
"Ignorance of the law," he reminds us, with respect to the Rules of Golf and life, "cannot be a
valid excuse."
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
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
Swing Thoughts - Volume XVII
Swing Thoughts - Volume XVIII
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