The Caddy Who Knew Ben Hogan Book Review

The Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan

Grade: A
Teacher’s Comments: Put this on your Christmas Gift list for the golfer in your life.

The Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan is at once a tragedy, a mystery and a coming of age story about the summer that Ben Hogan came to play the Chicago Open at the Midlothian Country Club.

Narrating the novel is Jack Handey, a now-respected and elderly historian who, in the summer of 1946 worked as a caddie at the club. Invited to speak on the anniversary of Hogan’s appearance, Handey tells how he toted the bag for the legendary golfer and at the same time, reveals perhaps more than the club members wanted to know.

The plot of the novel involves the club pro, the daughter of a prominent club member, and of course, Hogan. As a 14-year-old caddie, Handy finds himself at the center of a whirlwind of events, including a tense match between Hogan and the club pro, Matt Alexander.

Author John Coyne, known for his horror novels,  has written a novel of great gentleness, with more than a touch of the bittersweet. It is not a thriller, and yet I could not put it down, reading it in one sitting that reached far into the night.

I highly recommend this book.