Play It As It Lies: Golf and the Spiritual Life by Mike Linder

There is a trend, among the “golf is life” books to equate what happens on a golf course with a sort of Eastern mysticism. I suppose that it all got started with the seminal “Golf In The Kingdom,” and has found its way into many other golf titles.

But I’ve always wondered what the ancient Scots would have thougth about this, for the inventors of the game also had a reputation as staunch Christians. I have been sure that there were elements of the game that appealed to their Presbyterian hearts, particuarly the elements of failure and redemption.

In Play It As it Lies, Mike Linder, a Catholic Priest, offers a Christian ethos of the golf game.  It’s a refreshingly different take on the “golf mirrors life” genre, and one that I, as a Presbyterian Deacon, really appreciated.

Linder, who is an enthusiasic, but not particularly skilled golfer (like your friendly neighborhood Golf Blogger), writes both of the spiritual lessons that he has learned from golf, and of the golfing lessons he has learned from the spiritual life. It has a nice circular feel.

Final Fore (Golf Lover’s Mysteries)

Grade: A
Teacher’s Comments: Cassie Burdette is a likable, if flawed heroine

With Final Fore, Roberta Isleib presents the fifth in her series of mysteries about LPGA golfer and sleuth Cassie Burdette.

In the latest installment, Cassie is making her debut in the US Women’s Open, but as usual, nothing is easy. Cassie’s regular caddie, Laura, is away tending her critically ill father; she’s worrying about an invitation to play in a men’s tournament; her love life is (as usual) a disaster; her family is more dysfunctional than ever; and she’s receiving threatening notes and emails.

And oh, by the way. A fellow competitor—a rising teenage star—has been poisoned.

I’ll make a couple of confessions at this juncture: I’m not much of a mystery reader (my tastes tend toward non-fiction), and I don’t generally enjoy books with female protagonists (I confess to not understanding the fairer sex).

But I really enjoy the Cassie Burdette mysteries and look forward to the next installment.

It’s not just because they’re about golf—although that helps. It’s because Isleib’s plots are interesting and she writes with a clean style that hurries you along from beginning to end.

And I like Cassie.

I’ll note that Mrs. GolfBlogger, a non-golfer, enjoys these books as well—in fact, probably more than I do. I actually got Final Fore some months ago, and Mrs. Golfblogger snatched it as soon as I opened the package. She then forgot to give it back until last week ... thus the reason for the delay in the review.

Add this one to your reading list.

Sticks: A Golfers’ Tale Book Review

Sticks - A Golfer’s Tale

Grade: C
Teacher’s Comments: Good story, poor writing.

William Sautter’s novel, “Sticks: A Golfers’ Tale,” is a self-published effort, so you won’t find it in the stores. But Sautter makes an unusual offer. He’ll send you the book for free. If you like it, you should pay him and keep it. If not, you should send it back. You can’t get a better deal than that.

Sautter bills “Sticks” as the “ultimate golf fantasy.” In it, a hack golfer named Bob Andrews does what so many of us do: he tries to “buy a game” with a new set of expensive clubs. Unfortunately, the new clubs don’t perform any better than the old ones and Bob is frustrated and humiliated to the point where he gives up the game. But then, Bob acquires an old, beat up set with magical properties ...

It’s a good story, and would even make a good made-for-tv movie. But unfortunately, Sautter’s writing skills do not do the story justice. Without rubbing it in, I think you could classify it as a good effort for a college freshman.

I’d actually like to see Sautter hawk “Sticks” as a story idea to the studios. I think a good screen writer could do a lot with it.

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.

Tiger’s New Swing: An Analysis of Tiger Woods’ New Swing Technique

Grade: C

In Tiger’s New Swing, John Andrisani, Golf MagazIne Senior Editor of Instruction takes a critical look at the swing changes that Tiger has made over the last couple of years. It’s an interesting book, and a quick read. But I’d suggest that you get your copy from the local library.

Since Tiger and Hank Haney aren’t exactly giving in-depth interviews about the swing, Andrisani relies on photos, interviews with former Tiger coaches and the help of some big name instructors. He breaks down the various components of Tiger’s swing—from grip to setup to backswing to finish—attempting to pinpoint exactly what has changed.  I’m not sure I can buy into all of his conclusions, though. For example, he says that Tiger has a more upright swing, which contradicts what I’ve heard other analyists say. For that reason, I can’t really give it a better grade than a “C.”

That said, the overall direction of the book seems to fit in with what I’ve heard others say: that Tiger is working on a swing that requires less timing and thus is less susceptible to breakdown.

For those looking to incorporate some of Tiger’s new techniques, Andrisani offers some tips and drills. It’s not really an instuction book, however.

However, if you DO want to imitate Tiger’s new swing, I’d suggest that you take a look at a book by his coach, Hank Haney: The Only Golf Lesson You’ll Ever Need: Easy Solutions to Problem Golf Swings