The Ultimate Golf Book: A History and a Celebration of the World's Greatest Game

I have only had time to read a few of the many stories in this book, but the stories I've read have been excellent and I expect to be entertained in the future when for what ever reason I can't get out on the course.

A great book for enthusiasts of golf history. Instead of laying out the story of the game in a linear fashion, the book is a series of essays along themes, among them "Scotland," "America," "Equipment," "The Early Tour Years," and "Television." Sprinkled in among the main chapters are personal essays by great writers of golf -- Rick Reilly, Dan Jenkins, Curt Sampson, Lee Eisenberg -- writing about subjects such as the golf pro, playing with better players, and the ideal golf hole. The book is breezy, entertaining, and full of great quotes about the simple joys and miseries of this wonderful game: "The hole, in essence, is a seductress that juggles a golfer's heart and sould by trading on greed and fear" and getting in touch with "another, better teacher -- the one inside you, the silent pro, who is just dying to be consulted, if only you would pay attention for a change."