The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport | 
 enlarge | Author: Carl Hiaasen
Publisher: Random House Audio
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $14.00
You Save: $15.95 (53%)
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Rating:  45 reviews
Sales Rank: 130829
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 5
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.8 x 5.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 0739358316
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.352092
EAN: 9780739358313
ASIN: 0739358316
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Originally drawn to the game by his father, Carl Hiaasen wisely quit golfing in 1973. But some ambitions refuse to die, and as the years and memories of shanked 7-irons faded, it dawned on Carl that there might be one thing in life he could do better in middle age than he could as a youth. So gradually he ventured back to the dreaded driving range, this time as the father of a five-year-old son and also as a grandfather.
What possesses a man to return in midlife to a game at which he d never excelled in his prime, and which in fact had dealt him mostly failure, angst and exasperation? Here s why I did it: I m one sick bastard. And thus we have Carl s foray into a world of baffling titanium technology, high-priced golf gurus, bizarre infomercial gimmicks and the mind-bending phenomenon of Tiger Woods; a maddening universe of hooks and slices where Carl ultimately and foolishly agrees to compete in a country-club tournament against players who can actually hit the ball. That s the secret of the sport s infernal seduction, he writes. It surrenders just enough good shots to let you talk yourself out of quitting.
Hiaasen s chronicle of his shaky return to this bedeviling pastime and the ensuing demolition of his self-esteem culminating with the savage 45-hole tournament will have you rolling with laughter. Yet the bittersweet memories of playing with his own father and the glow he feels when watching his own young son belt the ball down the fairway will also touch your heart. Forget Tiger, Phil and Ernie. If you want to understand the true lure of golf, turn to Carl Hiaasen, who offers an extraordinary audiobook for the ordinary hacker.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 40 more reviews...
 nostalgia October 11, 2008
Hiassen's recollections of golf with his father and golf with his young son struck a nostalgic chord. It seems that he knew he was being a real pain sometimes with his dad but at this point he cherishes the memory of Sundays playing golf with dad--- and then he enjoys watching his own son learn the game. It brought a lump to my throat. This book brought a number of audible chuckles too, particularily his purchase of all those weird golf "aids" that we always see in the back of golf magazines.
Play on!
The Downhill Lie September 25, 2008
Carl Hiaasen shines a relentlessly humorous light on the agonies and the ecstasies that are well known to all amateur golfers. A must read for golfing adicts.
 Hackers Beware September 5, 2008
Hiaasen's recent book is not more of the same. This one is NOT funny. If you are a golfer, love a golfer, or are related to a golfer, this book rings WAY too true. Bought it, read it, passed it on to my golfer son-in-law, and asked him to ignore the parts about politics and just wince at the rest of it. I've read all of Hiaasen's books and as many of his articles as I could lay hands on here in Michigan and when visiting Florida, and have always loved his stories. I would hope, for the sake of his readers, that he goes back to his stories and lets the truth- telling lie there, near the cup and the alligator.
Poking fun at Golf August 28, 2008
In true Hiaasen form, this is a humorous look at what many contend to be a serious sport. I was laughing out loud by page 20, and appreciating his serious rant by page 38 as he decried the development of ever more golf courses and golf course subdivisions chopping up his beloved Florida landscape. Hiassen is a great writer, one of the best at using current situations to develop biting humor.
This personal account of his return to golf after a 30-year hiatus is a great read.
A really fun book August 25, 2008
I very much enjoyed this book as I do all of his books. This is a light fun and quick read. Being a duffer myself I can relate to what he went through.
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