Ben Hogan's Secret - Bob Thomas
As the players came down the stretch of the 1950 US Open, Life Magazine photographer Hy Peskin snapped perhaps the most famous golf photo ever as Ben Hogan stroked a 1 iron to Merion's 18th green. The surreal moment captured by Peskin showing Hogan's ball in flight ahead of his picture perfect follow through speaks volumes of golf's most intriguing and enigmatic player as he displays perfection while reveling nothing. It's truly a magical moment and serves fittingly as the backdrop for this wonderful book in which Bob Thomas provides a unique account of golf's greatest mystery - Ben Hogan's Secret.
For the true Hogan fan, this is a great read in that it provides a behind the scenes look into the Hogan life that you always wanted to believe existed. Contrary to the cold and aloof person typically associated with Hogan, Bob Thomas portrays Hogan as a big hearted, honest, hardworking man who cared dearly for everyone he knew. It's a great story that I highly recommend and know you'll enjoy. To get a copy, visit the author's web site at www.hoganbook.com where you can order a signed and numbered author's special edition. And while you're there, take a few minutes to look around, there's a lot there to like.
But getting back to this book, what actually was Ben Hogan's secret? Hogan claimed he gave us everything through his writings and illustrations, but the world has always believed he held something back. Sam Snead wrote that Hogan's secret was in the right wrist through and beyond impact. Hogan's practice caddie Jody Vasquez claimed it was in the position of the right knee on the back swing. Biographer James Dodson concluded that is was simply in the dirt, and that you, like Hogan had to dig it out for yourself. Others have claimed that there was no secret - Hogan just wanted you to think there was. So, what was it? Sorry - with apologies to both Ayce and Bogeyman, you're going to have read this little gem yourself - I'm not telling. - C. Hofmann
The Lost Masters: Grace and Disgrace in '68 - Curt Sampson
Unlike any other sport, golf relies on the integrity of the player to know and self-enforce the rules of the game. It's not uncommon for players to penalize themselves and for players to treat the rules as sacred; enforcing them without compromise. But, never has strict adherence to the rules had a more profound impact than at the 1968 Masters when a simple oversight on the part of Roberto De Vicenzo cost him a major tournament after he signed an incorrect scorecard. During the final round his marker, Tommy Aaron, mistakenly wrote down a four on seventeen when De Vicenzo had actually made a three. And, because the rules say so, the higher score on the signed card had to stand resulting in De Vicenzo losing to Bob Goalby by one shot.
Ok, that's the story and as you might expect the actual event took about twenty-five pages to cover. So, it should come as no surprise when I tell you that quite a few red flags went up when I first considered reading this book. I've read a lot of his books and the notion of Curt Sampson once again writing anything about the Augusta National just seemed like a train wreck waiting to happen. And, given that this book was based on an incident that was dealt with in about an hour, I was a bit concerned when considering what else he would write about in order to fill the other 213 pages. But hey, I read it anyway.
For the most part, Sampson took the high road and behaved while stuffing the book with extensive biographical information on De Vicenzo and Goalby, their families, their caddies, and most anyone else directly involved. Other players profiled at length include Bert Yancy, Tommy Aaron, Billy Casper, Bobby Locke, and Vinny Giles with shorter discussions of other players from the late 60's. He also provides detail on the last years of Bobby Jones' life and how this incident was one of the last times Jones was involved directly with the Masters. But predictably, Sampson did manage to get in a few jabs at the Establishment of the Augusta National while also lobbing a couple of grenades in the direction of David Owen. I knew it would be there and when I read it I just had to laugh as I imagined Sampson standing in the middle of Washington Road with a big smile on his face giving the place the old one digit salute, with both hands.
But for me, the part of the book I found most intriguing was the part Sampson didn't actually write. That would have been the speculative discussion of what would have happened if Jones and the Augusta National had bucked the rules and allowed the original score to stand. Sampson went to great lengths to discuss the effect the event had on both De Vicenzo and Goalby, but he never really discussed the long term ramification or the precedent that would have been set had they gone against the USGA rules that were in effect. Through the years, this incident has been discussed over and over by golf writers, but I have to believe that had the ruling gone the other way, the writers would have been far more vocal and much less accepting of the result. - C. Hofmann
Going for the Green - Tom King
2009 looks like it will be a tough year for charity golf tournaments as sponsor donations and player participation will be harder to get. For the new golf tournament coordinator this book can help.
Subtitled "an insider's guide to raising money with charity golf" Tom King's "Going for the Green" delivers on its promise. Assuming that you need to read a book for this type of fundraising, this is the one. Tom's basic account of how to run an event earns a star for the specifics on no-cost 'side-bar' activities, many of which are often overlooked by non-golfer development directors. The book has helpful timelines, good advice on the reasons for a tournament, and a nice overview of such fundraising. It focuses a bit too much on the organization side for this grizzled vet of many golf tournaments. This quick read would be a nice motivating or reassuring tool for someone tapped to "Hey, you run our tournament." - Ayce
Dream Golf: The Making of Bandon Dunes - Stephen Goodwin
Long before the first rounds of golf were ever played at the Bandon Dunes Resort, its beauty and uniqueness were touted and praised in virtually every golf and travel magazine around the world. Bandon Dunes was declared golf's new, "must play" destination and anyone connected to the game was aware of what lay on a remote stretch of the Oregon coast. But, even with these rave reviews, I was still hesitant to pick this one up wondering just how much could be written about a brand new golf course. Nevertheless, after seeing a couple of endorsements I respected, I opted to read it and soon realized this book was really not about a course, a resort, or even golf. It was actually about Mike Keiser; a man with the vision and determination necessary to buck the system and go against the norm in order to create what he calls "Dream Golf".
As the book unfolds, author Stephen Goodwin dives deep into the quiet and unassuming life of Mike Keiser, presenting him as a non-traditional person who has sought and made his fortunes by taking risks. He presents Keiser as both a golfer and a businessman and methodically brings the two worlds together in a captivating story of success. He details how Keiser co-founded Recycled Paper Greetings and then built it into the third largest greeting card company in America. From there, Goodwin explains how Mike began studying golf course design first as a hobby and later as an obsession that led him to build a nine hole course not far from his home in Chicago. That course, the Dunes Club, is one of the few nine hole courses to ever make Golf Magazine's list of the Top 100 courses.
But, as the story continues, you come to realize that the success of the Dunes Club was simply foundational for what Mike Keiser envisioned as his next project - building a true links course in the United States. A course with caddies and no cart paths, a course that required imagination and shot making, a course that played differently based on the weather, or simply put - a course that played the way golf was meant to be played. Mike knew this type of course required the right land and when he found the rugged shoreline tract in Oregon, he knew he'd found land that was meant for golf. And, by the time he was done with it, he built not one, but two links courses and threw in an inland course for good measure.
I hope someday to visit Oregon and play Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, and Bandon Trails, but I have to admit that after reading this book, I feel like I already have. Stephen Goodwin's highly descriptive writing vividly details the raw land with which they started, the courses during the construction phases, and the finished products. And, as an added bonus, Goodwin caps off the book by detailing rounds he played at each course with the course architects. (He didn't say what he shot!) In each instance he puts you there on the Oregon coast where you can almost feel the wind and hear the waves crashing. Put this one on your list, you'll enjoy a great golf book and a true American success story. - C. Hofmann
Tommy's Honor: The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son - Kevin Cook
I really want to thank Kevin Cook for researching and writing this book. I'm so sick of writers portraying Old and Young Tom Morris as the patron saints of golf who forged the modern game through divine intervention. Let's get real, folks. These men weren't prophets or holy men; they were just a father and son who loved playing golf with a friendly wager followed by a beverage or two at the 19th hole. And finally, someone has written a book telling the real story of the men known around Victorian St. Andrews as simply Tom and Tommy.
Thomas Morris, Sr. was born in St. Andrews in 1821 and from an early age had the bug to play golf. At 14 he apprenticed to Allen Robertson, the first tradesman to turn caddying, ball making, and playing golf into a full time profession. This appointment became the springboard that took Tom Morris on a journey through golf that lasted until the day he died in 1907. During his journey, he played golf at the highest level. Tom won the Open Championship four times, played for the largest sums of the day, and even developed the first documented case of the yips. He built hundreds of golf courses in Britain, taught architects such as Donald Ross and Charles Blair McDonald, and influenced most every major architect of the twentieth century. As Keeper of the Greens he developed many innovations still used today such as top dressing greens and the use of mowers. But to him, his greatest accomplishment was his family and within that circle, he was the proudest of Tommy.
Tommy was raised by his father to be a golfer. He never worked as a caddie or ball maker and grew to become the first person to earn a handsome living by only playing golf. He partnered with his father to form a team that defeated all challengers playing for sums that continually grew larger and larger. Tommy won the Open Championship four times with the help of powerful distance off the tee complemented by a great short game and a smooth putting stroke. He is also credited with making the game's first ace. Tommy was truly golf's first superstar who always dressed and acted the part, but unfortunately died too young.
If you're a golfer wanting to learn more about the development of the modern game, you owe it to yourself to read Tommy's Honor. This book gets the story right and with the depth of Cook's research the myths get debunked and the records are set straight. For example, legend has always said that Tommy died of a broken heart; well Cook even gets to the bottom of that one and provides evidence showing Tommy actually died from a pulmonary aneurism. Like I said, he gets the facts straight and you'll want to read this one so you'll get yours straight as well. - C. Hofmann
Article source: waggle.com
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