How do you fit a complete golfer’s handbook into 170 pages? The author of this book actually managed quite well, surprisingly. From pictures of golf courses in South Africa, to analyzing Ben Hogan’s famous swing, everything you could ever really need to know about golf is contained within these scant pages. At times, the book suffers from a lack of focus, but overall, we found it to be a very enjoyable read.

We appreciated the fact that this book did a great job of covering all of the basics, such as the history of the game, rules, etiquette and different strategies. Each section contains incredible illustrations and photographs, and visually, this is a very stunning book. Since the page count is rather limited, the author really didn’t go into as much detail as he could have, but the basics are all covered quite nicely. He did a good job of demystifying a lot of the aspects of this sport and you’ll come away with some very interesting trivia to share with your friends on the 19th hole.

Player has three Master’s jackets and is well known throughout the golfing world as one of its nicest personalities. This shines through in the book and if a read could ever be called genial, this book would take the cake. It was a pleasant read that captured Player’s spirit and translated it onto the page, and that is something that many authors fail to do throughout their careers. He did have the help of two co-authors, but you never feel that they are writing the book while he’s off at the clubhouse. A lot of books by star players fall prey to this, but Player’s book managed to really capture his love of the game, and his personality, without feeling like it was overly ghostwritten.

The section on practice drills and games was very informative and we came away with some great tips to use out on the course the next time we head out. The mental preparation section was also particularly useful and again, full of tips you can put to immediate use.

Bottom line, if you are a fan of the sport and already own every book on the subject, you should still be able to get something out of Player’s book. If you’re completely new to the game and looking for an instructional, this is not the best resource for that, but it is still a good read that can help explain a lot of the game to a novice. Golfers are an odd bunch, as we should know, but this book does a good job of appealing to all of them. It may not be our favorite golfing book, and it may not be the most useful book ever written on the sport, but that didn’t take away from enjoying it thoroughly. Buy it, give it as a gift to a rabid golfer and take it at face value as an entertaining read. You won’t regret the purchase.

Originally posted 2008-08-29 05:44:00. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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