Byron Nelson was one of golf's greatest legends. He was one of the finest golfers ever to pick up a putter, and the man who had the most magnificent year any golfer has ever had-1945, when he won an incredible eighteen PGA tournaments, including eleven in a row, and finished second in seven others. How I Played the Game is the beautifully told tale, in his own words, of a man determined to be the best ever: his hardscrabble rural Texas upbringing and his near-death experience with typhoid fever; his early years as a caddie at Fort Worth's Glen Garden Country Club (where as a 15-year-old he beat another young caddie named Ben Hogan in the Caddie Championship); the lean years as an amateur and as a young pro during the Depression; and the golden years of the 1940s, when he invented the modern golf swing and forged the legend of "Lord Byron." Even after his sudden retirement (the real reason for which is finally revealed here) his impact on the game never lessened. Besides his many years as an insightful TV golf commentator, he was mentor to several future golf champions, Ken Venturi and Tom Watson among them. And he continued to play top-caliber golf with the greats of the game, like Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer, and some who were less than great-President Eisenhower, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and a host of others. Laced throughout with scores of priceless stories, anecdotes, opinions, and even golf tips, and with an in-depth, event-by-event recreation of his golden year, 1945, How I Played the Game is golf writing and remembrance of the highest order-irresistible reading for every golfer and fan.

Every aspect of golf, from the swing to the follow-through, is a means to one deceptively simple end: to get the ball into the hole in the fewest strokes possible. The Elements of Scoring explains how paying attention to the way you play -- regardless of your level of skill -- will guarantee you fewer strokes, a better overall game, and at the end of the day, more fun.

With a practical and encouraging touch, Raymond Floyd shares his vision of what makes a scorer and shows how you can become this most dangerous of opponents.

• Discover the ten mistakes amateurs make that pros never do
• Learn why the 6-foot putt is the most important shot in golf
• Play to your strengths and hide your weaknesses
• Banish first-tee jitters and focus on the rest of your game
• Know when bogey can be a good score

Golf is a game of mistakes: The secret to better golf lies in making fewer of them and making sure the ones you do make don¹t prove too costly. With Raymond Floyd as your teacher, you are sure to shoot the lowest scores you can, day in and day out, playing the game like a true scorer.