'fascinating, informative and revealing' Mail on Sunday Beloved bestselling author and golf aficionado Rick Reilly channels his insatiable curiosity, trademark sense of humour, and vast knowledge of the game of golf in 80 original pieces about what it has meant to him and to others, and all the reasons we love it. This is the book Rick Reilly has been writing in the back of his head since he fell in love with the game of golf at eleven years old. He unpacks and explores all of the wonderful, maddening, heart-melting, heart-breaking, cool, and captivating things about golf that make the game so utterly addictive. We meet the PGA Tour player who robbed banks by night to pay his motel bills, the golf club maker who takes weekly psychedelic trips, and the caddy who kept his loop even after an 11-year prison stint. We learn how a man on his third heart nearly won the U.S. Open, how a Vietnam POW saved his life playing 18 holes a day in his tiny cell, and about the course that's absolutely free. We'll visit the eighteen most unforgettable holes around the world (Reilly has played them all), including the hole in Indonesia where the biggest hazard is monkeys, the one in the Caribbean that's underwater, and the one in South Africa that requires a shot over a pit of alligators; not to mention Reilly's attempt to play the most mini-golf holes in one day. Reilly will admire and unload on all the great figures in the game, from Phil Mickelson to Bobby Jones to the simple reason Jack Nicklaus is better than Tiger Woods. Reilly will explain why we should stop hating Bryson DeChambeau unless we hate genius, the greatest upset in women's golf history, and why Ernie Els throws away every ball that makes a birdie. Plus all the Greg Norman stories Reilly has never been able to tell before. Connecting it all will be the story of Reilly's own personal journey through the game, especially as it connects to his tumultuous relationship with his alcoholic father, and how the two eventually reconciled through golf. This is Reilly's valentine to golf, a cornucopia of stories that no golfer will want to be without.

The story of global sport is the story of expansion from local development to globalized industry, from recreational to marketized activity. Alongside that, each sport has its own distinctive history, sub-cultures, practices and structures. This ambitious new volume offers state-of-the-art overviews of the development of every major sport or classification of sport, examining their history, socio-cultural significance, political economy and international reach, and suggesting directions for future research. Expert authors from around the world provide varied perspectives on the globalization of sport, highlighting diverse and often underrepresented voices. By putting sport itself in the foreground, this book represents the perfect companion to any social scientific course in sport studies, and the perfect jumping-off point for further study or research. The Routledge Handbook of Global Sport is an essential reference for students and scholars of sport history, sport and society, the sociology of sport, sport development, sport and globalization, sports geography, international sports organizations, sports cultures, the governance of sport, sport studies, sport coaching or sport management.

Master golfer Ben Hogan (1912-1997) is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, most notably for his legendary ball-striking ability. There are numerous theories as to what made Hogan's swing so effective, and in Power Golf, Hogan shares a lifetime of championship secrets for improving every phase of the game. Included are tips for selecting cubs, finding the right grip, getting better balance through stance, mastering uphill and downhill shots, winning backswings and downswings - even golfing in rain, storm, and wind. Regardless of level of golf expertise, readers will see a difference the next time they pick up a club and play their best game ever!

Dicen que el golf nacio en Escocia. Debe ser cierto. Que era un "jueguito" que se inventaron pastores escoceses que, cuando llevaban sus ovejas de un campo de pastar a otro, iban golpeando una piedra con su cayado hasta embocarla en algun hueco en la pradera vecina. Dependiendo de la distancia, usaban su propio cayado o el de su companero. Poco a poco llevaban mas de un cayado y, claro, menos ovejas. Luego cubrieron la piedra con cuero y nacio el golf.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Globe-trotting golfer Tom Coyne has finally come home. And he's ready to play all of it. After playing hundreds of courses overseas in the birthplace of golf, Coyne, the bestselling author of A Course Called Ireland and A Course Called Scotland, returns to his own birthplace and delivers a "heartfelt, rollicking ode to golf...[as he] describes playing golf in every state of the union, including Alaska: 295 courses, 5,182 holes, 1.7 million total yards" (The Wall Street Journal). In the span of one unforgettable year, Coyne crisscrosses the country in search of its greatest golf experience, playing every course to ever host a US Open, along with more than two hundred hidden gems and heavyweights, visiting all fifty states to find a better understanding of his home country and countrymen. Coyne's journey begins where the US Open and US Amateur got their start, historic Newport Country Club in Rhode Island. As he travels from the oldest and most elite of links to the newest and most democratic, Coyne finagles his way onto coveted first tees (Shinnecock, Oakmont, Chicago GC) between rounds at off-the-map revelations, like ranch golf in Eastern Oregon and homemade golf in the Navajo Nation. He marvels at the golf miracle hidden in the sand hills of Nebraska and plays an unforgettable midnight game under bright sunshine on the summer solstice in Fairbanks, Alaska. More than just a tour of the best golf the United States has to offer, Coyne's quest connects him with hundreds of American golfers, each from a different background but all with one thing in common: pride in welcoming Coyne to their course. Trading stories and swing tips with caddies, pros, and golf buddies for the day, Coyne adopts the wisdom of one of his hosts in Minnesota: the best courses are the ones you play with the best people. But, in the end, only one stop on Coyne's journey can be ranked the Great American Golf Course. Throughout his travels, he invites golfers to debate and help shape his criteria for judging the quintessential American course. Should it be charmingly traditional or daringly experimental? An architectural showpiece or a natural wonder? Countless conversations and gut instinct lead him to seek out a course that feels bold and idealistic, welcoming yet imperfect, with a little revolutionary spirit and a damn good hot dog at the turn. He discovers his long-awaited answer in the most unlikely of places. Packed with fascinating tales from American golf history, comic road misadventures, illuminating insights into course design, and many a memorable round with local golfers and celebrity guests alike, A Course Called America is "a delightful, entertaining book even nongolfers can enjoy" (Kirkus Reviews).

Laugh yourself off the fairway with this mini-collection of golfing humour - the very best quips and quotes for the golf-obsessed.

Every year thousands of golf tournaments are held across the globe, from high profile majors like the PGA Championship and British Open to smaller regional, amateur, and member-guest events. Superintendents are responsible for preparing the course in anticipation of a tournament and maintaining the course during the event. This book offers superintendents and allied professionals all the tools they need to prepare and maintain golf courses for tournaments. It offers practical guidelines for a successful tournament, from how to prepare greens, tees, fairways, bunkers and rough through cup-cutting, pest management, and fertilization prior to and during the tournament to tips on managing professional events.

First published in 1925, this facsimile edition contains hundreds of entertaining tips for golfers of all ages and abilities. 'Don't over-indulge yourself in eating and drinking during the non-golfing days, and then expect to work off excess by "a good game of Golf." You may play Golf of sorts, but it will not be a good game.' This pocket-sized facsimile edition contains hundreds of tips for golfers of all abilities. The advice, ranging from technique and fashion to etiquette on the course and in the Club House, provides an entertaining snapshot of life in 1920s Britain. Don'ts for Husbands and Don'ts for Wives were republished by A&C Black in 2007 and have sold over 2.5 million copies and been translated into 15 languages. Don'ts for Golfers was republished in 2008 and has sold more than 180,000 copies to date. Handy tips include: 'Don't over-indulge yourself in eating and drinking during the non-golfing days, and then expect to work off excess by "a good game of Golf." You may play Golf of sorts, but it will not be a good game.' 'Don't make Golf your sole topic of conversation. There are a few otherwise quite intelligent persons who are non-golfers. You will never make converts if you bore non-players to distraction by for ever talking of the Royal and Ancient Game.' 'Don't blame your clubs for faults of your own that may be easily corrected if you analyze your methods of using the implements.' 'Don't keep up a running fire of conversation during the round. Golf is a game in which thought is necessary and silence is preferable to chatter.' 'Don't irritate your opponent by wearing jazzy colours. To dazzle his eyes with a multi-coloured pull-over or peace-disturbing golf stockings is to take a mean advantage.'

While the popularity of golf is coming under increased pressure, it continues to hook millions of players. However, the complexity of the game and the extremely high level of precision required to hit the ball consistently well means that it is a game that is difficult to even become 'good' at, let alone master. Consequently, irrespective of whether the player is a weekend golfer, a club member, or a tour professional, the search for the key to playing good golf feeds an insatiable desire for ideas and tips to improve golf performance and bring one's handicap down. However, traditional coaching, with its primary focus on developing the perfect swing is not leading to a reduction in handicaps and the time is ripe for a new approach. This book aims to fill this void and is a landmark text for golf coaches and players about applying a constraints-led approach (CLA) to golf coaching. In this book, two golf coaches, Pete Arnott and Graeme McDowall talk to Ian Renshaw to demonstrate how their practice is driven and inspired by their alignment to a CLA. A Constraints-Led Approach to Golf Coaching includes case studies and examples of how constraints are manipulated to induce adaption in the technical, tactical (or put in golf terms, course management), physiological, and psychological development mechanisms needed to improve at golf. Examples cover coaching from their work with beginners, high handicappers, aspirant tour players, and elite players looking to make the 'tour'.

An enthusiastic golfer with almost thirty years experience in the investment business, author Neil Rinehart shares the essence of the similarities between successful golf and successful stock market investing.

"Finding Your A Game" is a testament to the challenges and pleasures of each game and to the fact that success in both golf and investing depends on discipline, decisiveness, and a focus on the fundamentals. Rinehart's inventive style will enlighten you on the purposeful, passionate ways that accomplished golfers and investors practice their crafts.Along the way, you will better understand: The most important shotThe most important club in your bagThe value of your pre-shot routineHow to think outside the tee boxAnd why successful investors know that: There is a 5 percent secret to successThey should avoid the big negative numberWhen in doubt, get out

Light and informative, "Finding Your A Game," is a witty collection of stories, tips, and wisdom from Rinehart. In the end, you will feel the power of better golf and better investing-and be well on your way to finding your 'A" game.

Your Best Golf Begins After 50 helps middle aged golfers continue to play their best golf and stay healthy as they age. Your Best Golf Begins After 50 offers a unique approach for golfers who feel their technique is changing, becoming more inconsistent as they age, and have persistent aches and pains. This approach integrates body health, mindset, mobility, and technique into one easy, simple to use system so they can play their best golf today and every day. The goal is to help middle aged golfers understand the body-swing connection, how this impacts their golf, and how this can be used to also improve their health. Your Best Golf Begins After 50 gives them a system and method to play their best golf as they age and stay healthy. It is targeted to middle aged golfers, but golfers of all ages can enjoy and benefit from this approach.

GOLF'S FORGOTTEN LEGENDS His father didn't want him playing golf, he was stricken with tuberculosis at 33, and he used a golf swing pros would never teach today. Yet he is renowned for being the world's first superstar golfer and greatest of his time. He was America's first golf hero, yet most American golfers know very little about him. At 19 he won the U.S. National Open and did it again the following year. However, he was ruthlessly maligned by Golf Magazine and the film "The Greatest Game Ever Played. He was arguably the most talented golfer in the history of the game, gaining prominence from the 1930s to 1950s. He was the first golfer in history to be blackballed by the PGA Tour for being too good. The greatest players came to him for instruction, including Ben Hogan. This golf pro threw away a U.S. Open Championship after she finished the tournament with the winning score. Read the story of her innocent mistake and what she could have done to reclaim her title.

In this ground-breaking approach to golf instruction, Dr Joseph Parent, both a noted PGA Tour coach and a respected Buddhist teacher, draws on this natural connection to teach golfers how to play with more consistency and less frustration, and consequently how to lower their scores. 'When body and mind are synchronized, we can uncover our inherent dignity and confidence. The ultimate goal is not just to help people become better golfers, but better human beings.' Zen Golf offers a fresh perspective for golf and for life. Instead of focusing on what's wrong with us - what's broken, flawed or missing - we can take the attitude that there is something fundamentally, essentially right with us. In chapters such as 'How to Get from the Practice Tee to the First Tee', 'You Practice What You Fear', and 'How to Enjoy a Bad Round of Golf', author Joseph Parent shows how to make one's mind an ally rather than an enemy: how to stay calm, clear the interference that leads to bad shots, and eliminate bad habits and mental mistakes. Rather than an instruction manual that takes you through a systematic programme, it is a collection of brief chapters offering the wisdom of traditional Zen stories and teachings distilled from a lifetime of actual lessons with golfers, many of whom are PGA professionals. Continued success at golf (and any other endeavour) requires preparation, action and response - these form the framework for the instructions presented in Zen Golf. Applied correctly, they will help every reader of this unique book to achieve their peak performance.

How to improve your game and discover your true potential by increasing your concentration, willpower and confidence Every golfer, whether amateur or pro, who has ever picked up a club knows what it's like to get the yips - that feeling when you inexplicably lose control of your shot, and become overwhelmed by self-doubt, tension, fear of failure and anxiety. With a new introduction from golf performance pro Peter Hudson, the multi-million bestselling The Inner Game of Golf resolves this mental interference. It is not a book about how to play golf; it is a book about how to learn golf, and its lessons can be applied to any sport. Putting aside the mechanics of golfing technique and laborious debates about strategy, this classic handbook for golfers of all levels tackles the psychological aspects of the game and reveals how you can perform to your true potential for more than brief moments at a time. Using only his Inner Game principles, without taking a single lesson and playing only once a week, Timothy Gallwey knocked 15 strokes off his game in a year. There is no physical reason why you can't hit perfect drives or sink long putts more consistently. By applying the Inner Game approach to your own game, you too can see phenomenal improvements to your scorecard.

Alice Cooper: Golf Monster is the full account of how Cooper became one of the biggest rock stars on the planet with hits like "School's Out" and "Elected", nearly lost it all to alcoholism, and then turned things around by finding a healthy obsession (golf) to replace his unhealthy addiction to alcohol. While most will be familiar with his wild, mascaraed visage and vaudevillian on-stage theatrics, perhaps few will have been aware of the double life Alice Cooper leads. He still tours the world with his band, playing a hundred gigs a year; snake coiled round his neck, beheaded by guillotine at the end of every show...but three hundred days out of that year, Cooper is on the course. Alice Cooper: Golf Monster is an unlikely and captivating tale of wretched excess, life-saving redemption, ghoulish make-up, power chords, and five-irons to the centre of the green. Both humorous and candid, this book reveals another dimension to a man who has epitomised rock 'n' roll for the last forty years.

Recounting golf's early years in Scotland and its growth in the U.S., this book tells the story of the largely unheralded players of the ""Scottish Invasion,"" who struggled to earn respect a time when the game was controlled by a wealthy American establishment. Charles ""Chay"" Burgess - founder and inductee of the New England PGA Hall of Fame and teacher of three American national champions - learned the game on the ancient seaside links of his native Montrose and competed against such British greats as James Braid and J.H. Taylor. His arrival in the U.S. dramatically influenced the rapid development of amateur golf In 1913, American amateur Francis Ouimet - a working-class unknown under Burgess' tutelage - won the U.S. Open against British celebrities Ted Ray and Harry Vardon. Ouimet's triumph began a revolution on the links by bringing the game to mainstream America.

Now a major motion picture! Everyone deserves a second chance on the course--and in life. Join golf pro Wally Armstrong and author Ken Blanchard as they condense decades of practical know-how into a simple book with an incredible, inspiring message: sometimes we all need a mulligan. Meet Paul McAllister. An Ivy League-educated founder of a multimillion-dollar business, Paul was a success in almost everything except life and golf. It only took one Pro-Am afternoon, one short putt, and one airborne putter to send his world flying in a different direction: a mulligan! Golf's gracious do-over, a mulligan, was the beginning of Paul's own second chance. Guided by the wisdom and advice of an old pro, Paul learned about priorities, self-confidence, and playing a good game both on and off the course. You'll learn all about: The importance of friendships The true meaning of forgiveness Detaching from outcomes and embracing positivity The value of having mentors to guide you along the way Written in a parable style, The Mulligan will give you a second chance to change it all, improving your life and your golf game along the way. Praise for The Mulligan: "Wally Armstrong and Ken Blanchard not only understand golf, but life and the value of relationships. They have put together a story that should warm your heart, help your golf game, and just may touch your life." --Jack Nicklaus, golf legend and 1974 inductee to the World Golf Hall of Fame "For those who have learned that golf is more than just a game, The Mulligan will be welcome reading that will provide helpful insights not just for their golf game, but for their lives as well." --Ben Crenshaw, two-time Masters Champion and 2002 inductee to the World Golf Hall of Fame

Most golfers have difficulty with the concept of hitting down at the ball to make it fly. Surprisingly, a great many players surveyed did not even know you need to hit down to get the ball up in the air. Hit Down Dammit concisely explains the concept - and the technique - of hitting down at the golf ball for proper trajectory, increased backspin, much improved distance, proper divot taking, and best of all: consistent shotmaking. If you are inadvertently - or intentionally - hitting up at the ball, Hit Down Dammit is for you. If you are a seasoned amateur who has inexplicably "plateaud" - just cannot seem to get to the next level despite lessons and/or acquiring a library of books and videos - Hit Down Dammit is for you. Symptoms of hitting up include (but are not limited to): - topping the ball - skulling the ball - pushing the ball - slicing the ball - poor distance - difficulty getting off back foot - poor backspin - no divot - fat divots - chunking the ball - thin/fat chip shots - roofing the ball with your driver - inability to hit long irons and/or fairway woods - good shots followed immediately by poor shots Hitting down at the golf ball is not a new concept, but it is a hitherto poorly explained (or completely avoided) concept. All pros agree on the need to hit down, so there is no debate there. Even Tiger Woods, in his 306 page "How I Play Golf," states the need to hit down at the ball - but does not explain how. Hit Down Dammit does. Learn to hit down, watch the ball go up, and your scores go down.

Set against the background of the Great Depression, this book looks at the life of Ralph Guldahl, who for a brief period in the 1930s was recognized as the best golfer in the world. From 1936 to 1940, he won two successive U.S. Opens, one Masters title and three successive Western Opens, held the best scoring average award and was a Ryder Cup player with a 100 percent record. After this memorable run, he ""lost his game"" and almost disappeared from view. This biography is the first to trace the rise and decline of his career and answer the question: ""What happened to Ralph Guldahl?

1. This is the first Chicken Soup book about golf for men and women since 2002. Previous golf books have sold more than 1.5 million copies in aggregate.
2. Books represent a new thematic experience, even for readers of past books, as Chicken Soup has tightened the content, and books contain only relevant stories. Out-of-date stories were eliminated. 3. Each book contains 101 stories recompiled from dozens of past Chicken Soup titles.
4. "Our 101 Best Stories" collection is an efficient way for new readers to obtain books covering Chicken Soup's most popular topics.
5. Every book has a warm and moving foreword from Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen explaining the company's rebirth and its return to 101 stories per book.
6. Chicken Soup for the Soul earned the Guinness World Record for having the most books on the New York Times bestseller list at one time.
7. Last year, "USA Today" named Chicken Soup for the Soul #5 on its list of 25 books that left a legacy over the past quarter century.
Golfers are a special breed. They endure bad weather, early wake up calls, great expense, and "interesting" clothing to engage in their favorite sport. This new volume contains Chicken Soup's 101 best stories and poems about golfers, golfing, and a few stories about other sports and athletes.

The first Chicken Soup for the Soul book was published in 1993, and became a publishing industry sensation, ultimately selling eight million copies. Since then, more than 150 Chicken Soup titles have been published, selling more than 100 million copies.
Chicken Soup for the Soul has won dozens of awards over the past 15 years, and its founders, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen have become celebrity motivational speakers and authors.

A new illustrated edition of the classic book of golf advice first published in 1925. Foreword by Masters and Ryder Cup legend Ian Woosnam. The advice found in Don'ts for Golfers was originally printed in 1925 and contains hundreds of snippets of entertaining, timeless and amusing advice for golfers of all abilities. The content, ranging from technique and equipment to etiquette on the course, provides a fascinating snapshot of life in early twentieth-century Britain. Advice includes: 'Don't irritate your opponent by wearing jazzy colours. To dazzle his eyes with a multi-coloured pull-over or peace-disturbing golf stockings is to take a mean advantage.' 'Don't blame your clubs for faults of your own that may be easily corrected if you analyze your methods of using the implements.' 'Don't over-indulge yourself in eating and drinking during the non-golfing days, and then expect to work off excess by "a good game of Golf." You may play Golf of sorts, but it will not be a good game.' 'Don't make Golf your sole topic of conversation. There are a few otherwise quite intelligent persons who are non-golfers. You will never make converts if you bore non-players to distraction by for ever talking of the Royal and Ancient Game.'