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Despite the ongoing decline of print media - books, newspapers and magazines - it never fails that every year a nice crop of golf books worth reading pops up.
Maybe it's the age of golfers or, more likely, their passion for the game that keeps the golf book genre alive. There's always some new and interesting books worth buying, either for yourself or as a gift for your favorite golfer. The latest collection of new golf books that either have published or will publish in 2023 is particularly intriguing.
That's not a surprise given all that's going on with the game - the PGA Tour and LIV Golf/Saudi Public Investment Fund drama, the course construction boom, the endless love affair with golf history, the new-found obsession over architecture, etc. Let's dive right in:
Golf Architecture for Normal People
Author, blogger and golf architecture expert Geoff Shackelford, who helped Gil Hanse design Rustic Canyon and restore 2023 U.S. Open host Los Angeles Country Club, taps into his passion by creating a guide that helps every golfer understand the nuances of course design. Published by Tatra Press, the 164-page hardcover book is a must-read for every golfer to better understand the game they love. Price: $25.49
When Revelation Comes
When Revelation Comes is the story of one man's search for peace. Author Jim Hartsell lost his 21-year-old son tragically to a drug overdose in 2021. Dealing with crushing grief, he turned to something that might give him solace: a golf trip to Scotland. Along the way, he meets people whose compassion and empathy help him keep going. It’s a story about fathers and sons and a love letter to Scotland that boils down to one theme: the human struggle to find hope. Price: $34.99
Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk
The life story of Billy Walters - co-authored by journalist Armen Keteyian - will be of special interest to golfers, and not only because he used to own multiple golf courses in Las Vegas (he still owns Bali Hai on the Strip). It's his gambling relationship with Phil Mickelson that has readers curious what he'll reveal in the book. Mickelson was tied to the case that got Walters convicted of insider trading. Walters spent time in prison before former President Donald Trump pardoned his sentence. The hardcover book will be published in August by Avid Reader Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Price: $31.50
Golfing the British Isles: The Weekend Warrior's Companion
Author Peter Gray and Photographer Gary Lisbon team up to take readers on a journey overseas to the legendary links of St. Andrews, Ballybunion, Turnberry, Royal County Down and beyond. Gray recounts his battles with gale-force winds, the shanks and a disaster on the 'Road Hole', all of which make the 176-page hardcover book more relevant to everyday golfers. Price: $35
Books on the horizon
There are some other noteworthy books closing in on their publishing dates. Two of them involve several of golf's most prominent architects - the 'Golf Courses of Seth Raynor' by Photographer Jon Cavalier and co-authors Michael Wolf and James Sitar, and a Harry Colt biography by Adam Lawrence. The Raynor book will publish this fall by Back Nine Press. The Colt book, 'More Enduring than Brass' by Classics of Golf, will likely drop in 2024. Alan Shipnuck, whose book 'Phil' kicked off the tumultuous era of LIV Golf, has hinted on social media that he has a new book in the works to publish later this year, but it might be delayed after the PGA Tour and Saudi Public Investment Fund's sudden announcement to start working together.
The Ball in the Air: A Golfing Adventure
With professional golf in a state of chaos, Author Michael Bamberger wisely takes a look at the game in its purest form: amateur golf. Bamberger spent years covering the pro game for Sports Illustrated, so this look through a different lens is refreshing. It's a fast read that tackles the age-old question for all of us hackers: Why do we love golf so much when it so rarely loves us back? Price: $24.49
Play It As It Lies: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Golf
Author Matthew Filner shares a memoir exploring the intersections between fatherhood and golf. It also explores moments from 18 of the best public courses in the country, including all the ones you want to play - Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straits, Sand Valley and more. Price: $34.99
Terroir of Golf, A Golf Book for Wine Lovers
Author Taba Dale spent more than four years researching and writing this stunning 320-page hardcover book, which is 9 by 9 inches, weighs more than 2 pounds and includes 100 color photographs. Golf and wine have always been loved by connoisseurs, but Dale ties them together beautifully. Each signifies the good life, something we all seek whenever we tee it up or toast a fine bottle. Price: $80
Remarkable Stories of New Jersey Golf
Even if you don't live in New Jersey, this 288-page hardcover book by Kevin Casey and published by the Legendary Publishing & Media Group has national appeal because of the nuggets about the history of Pine Valley, arguably the best golf course in the world, and other tales from golf history - the first PGA Tour-like event held in America in 1898, the first course affiliated with African Americans and more. Price: $85
What golf book are you currently reading or plan to read? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments (1)
It’s good to see Peter L. Gray tackling the subject of British Isles golf from what
is the typical golfer’s perspective. I’m inferring from your description that he’s getting to the core of what it’s like to play, above all, a links, given the mention of four of these. Links courses are an utterly different animal from the other British varieties, heathland or parkland, and–in my experiences talking with American golfers who have yet to play a true links, many of them just don’t realize how different these courses are from the staple American type: the parkland. The variety of shots you should frequently hit to be fully effective on a links, just by itself, makes links golf quite a different game than on a parkland course.
The most interesting book here for me, however, is Geoff’s Shackleford’s “Architecture for Normal People,” a read that might inspire many players to think about how golf architecture affects one’s score. The more I play, the more I seem to focus on how the strategy of analyzing a golf course for its strengths (meaning threats) or weaknesses (meaning opportunities) is a prime component of playing smart golf. That’s one area that set Nicklaus apart, it seems, from most of his contemporaries when he was piling up major championships. Then again, he could hit a pretty fair 1-iron.
Nice article with solid choices!