For those of us that adore the sport of golf but fully acknowledge that it can be the most maddening exercise on the planet, it’s always nice to stumble on a memoir that is both fun to read and useful. Carl Hiassen’s book may not win any great awards like the Pulitzer, and at times, it can be a bit stuffed with fluff, but for golf lovers everywhere, his story will resonate loud and clear.
Hiassen’s a good golfer and there are times you might want to wring his neck as he describes his perfect shots and great scores. However, these are peppered with plenty of amusing stories and just enough failures at the sport to redeem him. After a thirty-three year hiatus from the sport, Hiassen decided to pick the game back up again and this book tells of his journey. He had originally used the sport as a way to bond with his father, and now that Hiassen’s son is of age, they are now doing the same thing.
He has a great no-nonsense way of looking at things, from popular books on golf to the equipment we all need. If you’ve ever been lured into buying a Big Bertha only to feel empty inside later, you’ll feel right at home as Hiassen regales you with the tales of the equipment he’s wasted money on. The book is a true memoir style book and at times, it falters a bit. You end up wondering if he was trying anything he could think of to pad the book at times, but at the end, it’s still enjoyable.
There are a few parts you can skip, such as the tournament tale. If you don’t really love the sport, this section will be more than a bit dull and full of strange terminology. That was probably our biggest complaint for the book. While it is fun to read and entertaining, it really is only for those that truly understand the game and its terminology. Someone who has never played golf before could pick the book up and think that it was written in a different language.
A truly great book is able to reach across cultural, age and yes, even sport divides and this book just did not manage to do that as well as it could have.
Overall, if you really love golf, or you are looking for the perfect gift for a golfing buddy, this is a great title. It is fluff, but it is good fluff. You can look at the book like a big serving of cotton candy. There isn’t much there, but it tastes good and it’s fun to eat. If you’re looking for a hard hitting instructional manual, this isn’t the book for you, but it may change the way you think about golf. As golfing memoirs go, it’s one of the best. If you already own every book on golf ever written, this one deserves a place alongside them.
Originally posted 2008-09-12 05:27:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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