3 comments about My Greatest Shot: The Top Players Share Their Defining Golf Moments.

1. Good book, well worth the read, but something short of an eagle or a 5-star rating...like that eagle putt that comes up just short. Still a good effort and good score, but not quite as good as it could be....But who complains about a birdie, right? And there are no complaints about this book. Well worth the read.
   
   The concept is exceptional--tour players describing their own greatest shots and the greatest shots they have seen in their own words--and the cooperation of some of golf's greatest appears to be remarkable.
   
   Those descriptions that were written by hand on personal note cards or stationary were especially interesting. Frankly, even the logos of some of the typed responses were interesting. (All responses are presented exactly as sent or presented to the editors which adds much to the book.)
   
   All in all, a good book, a good read. Can't say it is a great additon to golf literature, but as the years go by, it may become more and more significant to golf history, legend and lore.



2. This book of entertaining and successfully compiled letters from the best golfers in the world, past and present, brings memories and the love of the game to the forefront. A great idea and a special book espcially for those who have been following the game for a long time. This book will be greatly appreciated by any golf enthusiast.



3. This book shares the pros greatest shots that we mortals that play golf can only dream of. It is terrific to hear the pros describe in their own words, the shots that made an impression on these bigger than life performers who routinely make amazing shots every day. Great reading and a great book to give as a gift to anyone who plays, watches, or dreams about golf.

3 comments about Cherry's Jubilee: Singin' And Swingin' Through Life With Dino And Frank, Arnie And Jack.

1. Don Cherry is one of our better vocalists: comfortable in the same links as Perry Como, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby and other top-notch performers.
   
   Speaking of links, Don has also served his time as a professional golfer.
   
   This book reflects the real talent and determination of this good ol' boy from Wichita Falls, Texas. Whether you are a fan of his music, his golf-swing ... or both ... you'll enjoy every page.
   
   Lots of attention grabbing references to some of the most popular names in entertainment are found here. Don knew all of them on a first-name basis and presents his various thoughts about them as "smooth-and-easy" as he handles a 9-iron.
   
   Don Cherry deserves a "standing ovation" for this perfectly constructed book.



2. Super great book. A lot of things happened in professional golf in the 60's and 70's. This book brings a accurate outlook. A great golfer that was over looked by the hughness of Palmer, Nicklaus and Player. Also the fact this great golfer had another profession. I can't think of another great golfer than had another profession where you could make a lot of money from their talent.
   Sincerely, Carl Welty



3. Don Cherry is the guy who has led the life you wish you could have. It's a terrific rags to riches story but with incredible and great stories along his journey. Don Cherry would have to be added to your fantasy list of people you'd like to have dinner with one day.
   
   I highly recommend this book - it's a great read for all ages.

1 comments about Tiger Woods (All Aboard Reading).

1. Written for children in grades 2-3, this is an excellent book about success and how hard it is to be successful. Despite all his talent, Tiger practices hard, often hitting as many as 1000 balls in a day. He also changed his diet, eating more healthy foods rather than those filled with fat. This is one of the most important lessons that children can earn. When they see a baseball player hit a home run, a basketball player make a shot or a golfer hit that great shot, children need to know that the player has done that thousands of times in practice.
   Tiger Woods is one of the best role models for children today and I strongly recommend that children read this book.

2 comments about Moe Norman: The Canadian Golfing Legend with the Perfect Swing (Amazing Stories).

1. This is the tale of Moe Norman, one of golf's greatest, but probably least well known heroes. Born into poverty, he used the extra time he had to turn himself into the greatest ball striker ever known. Overcoming financial problems, numerous brushes with the RCGA and other ruling bodies, he carved a place out for himself in golf history, and is now one of its immortal figures.
   
   This book is geared mostly towards adolescent readers with a general interest in sports greats, preferably with a rudamentary understanding of golf. It will not satisfy the golf fan, though, as so much that was unique about Norman's game is not discussed. Many of the tales that surround him, such as the exhibition with Snead in which Norman launched a drive and rolled it over a bridge rather than lay up in front of a creek, are noted, but some of his greatest feats are left out. Many of those, such as being told by his caddy that a hole was a driver and a wedge to the green and Norman playing a wedge from the tee and a driver from the fairway, probably will be lost on non-golfers.
   
   For a simple read into Moe Norman's life, this book more than fits the bill, but it treads too carefully. His problems with tournament organizers and golf's ruling bodies sets the plot, but that plot is very much a "disadvantage person carving his own way" sort of story, and not the tale of bravado golfers have come to expect regarding the greats. Good reading for a summer book report, but lacking for serious golf readers.



2. The reknowned author,Stan Sauerwein has written a great biography of a brilliant golfer,Moe Norman.He rules!!

5 comments about The Payne Stewart Story Paperback.

1. If you are looking for a biography about Payne Stewart, this is not it. There is a great deal of information about his death, memorial service, and his faith but very little about Payne. Do we really need to know what body parts were recovered or how much mail the church received after the service? If you are not interested in how the writer thinks faith transformed Payne as a person, pass this one by.



2. If old enough, you remember where you were when President Kennedy was assassinated. If a golf fan, you remember where you were when Payne Stewart died. I was in a restaurant having lunch with a couple of other guys. We paid only occasional attention to reports on the television behind the bar. A Lear jet was off course and expected to crash. Sadly, we soon would learn its occupants. If you read no other chapter in this excellent account of Payne Stewart's life, read the one detailing how the golfer's friends and associates learned the bad news. It's a dramatic piece of writing by Larry Guest. And it creates a bond between any reader who remembers that day and the golfer's friends in the book who talk about it. In another memorable chapter, Guest's detailed reporting makes you feel as if you're right in the aircraft during its deadly, and as yet unexplained, flight from Florida to a midwestern cornfield. This book would be a good read even for people who are not golf fans. If you do follow golf, it's a must read. If you were a Payne Stewart fan, you should have already read it.



3. an effort to make money from the tragedy of payne stewart's death. i would recommend the authorized biography by tracey stewart.



4. Reading sports biographies is what I like to do. I have read tons -- from all sports, both genders. Frankly, the literary quality of sports biographies usually is low. So you read to pick up a thing or two you didn't know. Either that, or you're a sports nut like me.

   This certainly is not the case with "The Payne Stewart Story" by Larry Guest. I bought the book for three reasons: 1. Wow! The cover just blew me away. I must have stared at it for five minutes. 2. I particularly like golf as a sport to read about. 3. I had bought the book by Payne Stewart's wife and was so disappointed I had to force myself to finish it. Strictly commercial, more important for what it didn't say. I was looking for who Payne Stewart was, not empty words that left me hungry and unsatisfied.

   Guest's book grabbed me from the first sentence. Riveting, I think is the right word. Classy. Intelligent. The chapter on the plane crash takes your breath away. I was struck the by the amazing amount of detail. For a moment, I felt like I was there. Guest is someone who cares about detail, and so many sports authors don't.

   There is nearly a whole chapter is Guest's book on why Payne wore Knickers. I always wondered about that. It was as fascinating as it was funny.

   Guest handles the story of Stewart's maturation -- his spiritual growth, his growth as a Tour golfer, as a husband and father, as a citizen, as a man. Like the rest of us, Stewart was flawed, and Guest deals with the flaws directly but with tenderness. I really liked the way he handled that. It made the book wonderful for me.

   This is truly a great sports biography, five stars, very different in a way I can't explain. I just could not put it down for its honesty and its humor and its unique format. I had read 50 pages before leaving the store and taking the book home with me. This is hard for me to say, but I'm sure this is the best sports biography I have ever read. There are bigger stars, but I cannot think of a better book. "The Payne Stewart Story" informs, entertains, enlightens, inspires. Although a tragedy, the book made me feel better about things.




5. Reading sports biographies is what I like to do. I have read tons -- from all sports, both genders. Frankly, the literary quality of sports biographies usually is low. So you read to pick up a thing or two you didn't know. Either that, or you're a sports nut like me.

   This certainly is not the case with "The Payne Stewart Story" by Larry Guest. I bought the book for three reasons: 1. Wow! The cover just blew me away. I must have stared at it for five minutes. 2. I particularly like golf as a sport to read about. 3. I had bought the book by Payne Stewart's wife and was so disappointed I had to force myself to finish it. Strictly commercial, more important for what it didn't say. I was looking for who Payne Stewart was, not empty words that left me hungry and unsatisfied.

   Guest's book grabbed me from the first sentence. Riveting, I think is the right word. Classy. Intelligent. The chapter on the plane crash takes your breath away. I was struck the by the amazing amount of detail. For a moment, I felt like I was there. Guest is someone who cares about detail, and so many sports authors don't.

   There is nearly a whole chapter is Guest's book on why Payne wore Knickers. I always wondered about that. It was as fascinating as it was funny.

   Guest handles the story of Stewart's maturation -- his spiritual growth, his growth as a Tour golfer, as a husband and father, as a citizen, as a man. Like the rest of us, Stewart was flawed, and Guest deals with the flaws directly but with tenderness. I really liked the way he handled that. It made the book wonderful for me.

   This is truly a great sports biography, five stars, very different in a way I can't explain. I just could not put it down for its honesty and its humor and its unique format. I had read 50 pages before leaving the store and taking the book home with me. This is hard for me to say, but I'm sure this is the best sports biography I have ever read. There are bigger stars, but I cannot think of a better book. "The Payne Stewart Story" informs, entertains, enlightens, inspires. Although a tragedy, the book made me feel better about things.

5 comments about Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime in Golf.

1. Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime in Golf first came to my attention in the comic strip Judge Parker. After that, I looked it up at Amazon.com and decided to order copies for my two sons who enjoy golf. They were pleasantly surprised when Amazon delivered a copy to each of them. Both of them have read and enjoyed Harvey Penick's advice which comes in short, but meaningful anecdotes.



2. A must have. Great tips on how to improve your golf game. Unlike the ad naseum wave of golf instruction that one can get bogged down in in Golf Magazines and instructional videos, this is simple straight forward approaches to improve your game.



3. If I could compare this book to a golf swing, I would say the set-up and approach looked good, but the writing fell apart through the impact zone and follow through.
   
   There is a lot of praise out there for Harvey Penick, and based upon the numerous comments in the book's forward by the well-known golfers he mentored, I have no doubts that the praise is well warranted. Unfortunately, while Penick himself in the book's introduction sets up his "Little Red Book" as a lifetime's masterful compilation of golf wisdom and best kept secrets finally made public, the book fails to live up to the author's own advertising and is a bit disappointing.
   
   A fair amount of down-to-earth tips, techniques, and golfing philosophy that Harvey had applied to his students are shared in the book. And if just one of those tips can improve one's golf game, then I would say the book is worth the price. But too often, the "Little Red Book" comes off as an exercise in name-dropping and rambling golf anecdotes, many of which are not all that interesting nor amusing. It pains me to say that, knowing what a revered figure Harvey Penick has been to some in the golfing community, but that is just my honest assessment.
   
   What also disappointed me about this book was that although Harvey Penick gives a couple of concessions to the virtue of humility, there appears to be a somewhat bragadocious quality to the narrative. That would be more excusable if the "Little Red Book" was in fact packed from cover to cover with the invaluable tips Penick promises in this introductory chapter, but that is not the case. Here is a short example of what I am talking about:
   
   In the chapter titled "First Things First," Harvey writes about a man who came to his country club seeking out "this famous teacher, this Penick fellow." The man says if Harvey is "such a great teacher" perhaps he can give some advice on how to get out of sand traps. Harvey 's response - which abruptly ends the brief chapter - is something to the effect that it is better not to get into sand traps to begin with...a response that is not only rather obvious but neither practically helpful nor particularly clever.
   
   That exemplifies too much of the tone of this book, which is unfortunate, because there are some good down-to-earth visualization techniques and other bits of instruction, which, if solely focused upon, would have made this a far better and more useful read.



4. An interesting mix of story, sayings, memoir and instruction..only the most ardent golfer or golf instructor could get much out of the instruction, but the story, sayings and memoirs are good, many outstandng.
   
   The concept of the Little Red Boook is interesing and alluring to the reader. An interesting mix of information. Well worth the read, but it leaves the reader--at least this reader--wishing it was two books, one of instruction, one on the other interesting and insightful informaton in the book.



5. This book contains many entertaining anecdotes gathered over the course of may decades. Harvey Penick chose to become a teaching golf professional rather than barnstorm the country during those early years of golf tournaments when many professionals were simply glorified hustlers. Eventually Penick became widely respected and many notable players and duffers stopped over to visit him at the practice tee. Over time, the wooden shafted golf clubs gave way to titanium steel.
   
   I certainly enjoyed the historical perspective that the book provided. Although some golf instruction is included in the book, it is more of a nostalgic look backwards to days spent in the Texas sun mowing the lawns and watering the greens. Reading a book like this is not a bad way to spend an afternoon. Harvey Penick had a good life.
   
   If you are searching for a serious golf instruction manual, however, you may want to choose another book.

5 comments about She'S Leaving Home Letting Go As Daughter Goes To College.

1. If you are not a Christian, just be aware that the book is very oriented to a Christian foundation. I am not making a judgment about that, simply highlighting the fact. Each chapter starts with a prayer to Jesus Christ. In none of the reviews I read was this mentioned. As someone of another faith, I was very taken aback when I received the book. It did not feel appropriate to my values and faith perspective and wish that this information had been clearly indicated before I purchased the book.



2. Item arrived in condition as described.
   Delivered on time.
   No problems!



3. This is an amazing book which manages to capture and put into words the whole swirl of emotions that have been coursing through our house- and me! I have told all my friends with daughters that this is a must read! I was uplifted and comforted while reading and knew that we too would survive and celebrate our daughter's new life.



4. WOW!!! Even though I didn't discover this book until just weeks before my daughter left for college, it was wonderful to find that all our emotions normal. I felt as though I was reading my own story and wish I, too, had kept a journal. Fortunately, Connie Jones did precisely that for me! I think it's a must read, even if you are sending a son away because it's an emotional roller coaster no matter what your child's gender if you have a closre relationship. I have recommened this book to our high school guidance department and am going to share it with friends whose children are high school seniors this year! Thanks Connie Jones!!!! I will reread it before my son's senior year!



5. Connie Jones captures the feelings and emotions of all parents with kids going off to college. My wife and I found it amazingly similar to our own experience with our daughter that left for college 2 months ago. The book helped us to understand that most of what we are feeling is normal and shared by all parents. She also brings a great perspective of the bigger picture that all parents face in the journey from birth to college to death with our children. We really loved the book and recommend it to all parents with college age kids. Just a great book..............

3 comments about Playing a Round with the Little Pro: A Life in the Game.

1. The Little Pro is both charming and well-written, from Eddie Merrins' heart.
   
   Enjoyed the celebrity tales also.



2. got this as a present for my dad - he LOVES it!! definitely recommend this little book to any man who is a true lover of the game of golf.



3. This book is part autobiography, part social history, part instruction. Merrins has led an interesting life at toney golf clubs in the New York, Philadelphia, and finally LA areas. He certainly could tell more stories about the reality of living with, and under, the rich than he does here. He is loyal to his employers. This is not kiss and tell. Indeed, there are too many bland tributes to millionaires here. Stories about being a pro in the 1950s and about the economic realities of jobs are interesting, however.
   The book is most valuable because it contains much of the script of Merrin's video series. Clearly he is an original and valuable thinker about the swing and game. This book is useful as a companion to his excellent video series. Indeed, it is a must book for Merrin's far away students like myself and not so much a must for other golfers. I do wish Mr. Merrin was more candid about his own changes in swing concepts. In his earlier book, Swing the Handle, he has a page emphasizing the need to roll the forearms replete with illustrations, but in the video and in this book, rolling the forearms is not mentioned and is apparantly now not recommended. Such an essential change should have been confronted. Still, a superb teacher and thinker about golf.

5 comments about Tiger Woods: An American Master (revised 2000) (Scholastic Biography).

1. Tiger Woods An American Master by Nicholas Edwards
   
   Have you ever been interested in golf? Well if you have this is the book for you.

   I like this book because it tells me all about Tiger's career. Another reason is I love golf.

   The author's main idea was to tell us how much effort and confidence Tiger needed to play golf. The author also taught us to use perseverance.




2. Have you ever wondered how Tiger Woods became famous? Well in this book Tiger Woods An American Master by Nicholas Edwards you will find out everything. Tiger got started at golf from his dad. Every day when Tiger's dad went to play golf, Tiger would watch from a hightchair. At 11 months old Tiger took his first shot. He used a putter his dad cut down for him. At eighteen months old Tiger learned how to putt. At three years old Tiger already had perfect form. At five years old Tiger already has shelves filled with trophies. He loved golf and knew it would be his future. Tiger signed up for a golf club as a senior. In the golf game he made his way through the beginning. He almost got a record of 62 but only got a 63. As he went farther in the tournament he could be a master. Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to read Tiger Woods An American Master by Nicholas Edwards.



3. tiger woods is the best ever i got all of his books.i love this one the best,it had the most info in it.tiger has meat my freinds sister befor because she is a pro girl golf.



4. Tiger Woods: An American master was a great book with almost everything you would want to know about Tiger and his lifetime of golf. The only reason why this book didn't get 5 stars is because the author, Nick Edwards, kind of over-did what he was sayin about Tiger, and believe it or not, made Tiger sound better than he really is (my personal opinion, although some of you may think you cant say enough about the man). But a well- written book that deserves to be read.



5. This book is very well written and tells lots of information on Tiger.Nick Edwards did a good job in putting this book into a format where kids can read this book very easily.I think this book deserves 4 stars because it had a lot of information but it kind of over did what they said about Tiger.But Otherwise it is a fantabulous book.

5 comments about Getting Up & Down: My 60 Years in Golf.

1. Too young to know Ken Venturi as anything but the voice of CBS golf, his story as a golfer is phenomomal. His heartbreaks in the game were many and tend to overshadow the triumphs but this a great story of the human spirit. Some of the most interesting parts of the book are the stories behind the 3 Masters defeats('56,'58 & '60) and the 1964 US Open victory. The "inside" the ropes stories about some of the "Gods" of golf will make most rethink the images that have been fed to us through the years. Don't get me wrong as you would expect, Venturi does it with class. The other thing that will surprise his fans from the broadcasting days is his behind the scenes intensity as a player and as the winning captain of the 2000 Presidents Cup team. I checked it out from my library but will be buying it because it is a story I want my sons to read some day. You will not be disappointed!



2. Ken Venturi as the voice of golf on CBS is one of the most popular sportscasters of his day. Now retired, he finally has a chance to say things that he couldn't say on the air or anywhere else. In this book he talks about his life as a golfer, his life as a sportscaster, and his life as a man.
   
   He has not had a life that was all roses. Medical problems from carpal tunnel ended his professional golfing career after only 10 years of play. Other illnesses plagued he and his wife from back surgery to multiple bouts with cancer. He has not only survived these, but through it all has kept his sense of humor and overall happiness with the world.
   
   As an accomplished communicator, Mr. Venturi has the ability to tell stories about golf, about himself that make very good reading.



3. Not only read Ken Venturi's book, but read the many different reviews here. To those who accuse Ken Venturi of sour grapes and whining about his close Masters losses, I say that every golf tournament has two stories to tell. Everyone loves a winner obviously, but the guy who tasted victory and had it snatched from his hands also has an interesting story to tell. If Greg Norman or Tom Weiscopf ever write their autobiography, or Sam Snead could tell his story of the '39 US Open, it too would strike some as just sour grapes. Doesn't make their stories any less valid. As for stories of gamesmanship, rule bending, and maybe even (borderline) cheating, why do so many golf fans show a willingness to believe it about some major champions (like Seve Ballesteros, Vijah Singh, Gary Player) but find it implausable when discussing someone like Arnold Palmer? Are they still so childlike in their awe of their golf hero that even firsthand reports are automatically dismissed? Reminds me of what Tommy Bolt always said about news stories of his club throwing. He said that Arnie threw as many clubs as he did, but the stories never stuck. Anyway, a good book, Ken. And I too miss your voice on TV, particularly at the Masters.



4. Come back --- underdog --- fighter --- champion --- commentator. These are words about Venturi, who it seems most of his life was always dualing with himself against others to show them what he was made of: toughness and talent that could and would succeed in winning.

   He suffered through much: hand injuries, marriage trauma, etc. But the biggest hurdles were those letdowns, those meltdowns which occur in sports when one is so close to seizing the brass ring, only to have it slip out of grasp. As Venturi would describe, someone else always played phenonemenal to do just that. He would be a previous generation's Greg Norman.

   Anyone who was so close and fondly associated with the likes of Nelson, Sarazen and Hogan, now this is a special person. Or for Vince Lombardi to admire the look in an competitor's eyes, this is a special golfer. One who endured severe heat and win his country's national golf championship in the doing, this is a special golfer.

   This carried over in his broadcasting. Concise, poignant, to the point. Let the golf describe most of the action. I like millions admired and respected his great gifts for commenting, but never really knew about the stammering. Maybe the greatest hurdle of all. What courage he showed and can encourage all who have such to do the same. A man of principle.

   Somehow as good as this read was with all the fascinating stories and incidents, I thought it was slightly "I oriented" too much. Thus, four not five.




5. Venturi is a bit of a prima donna - you can't be on TV for 35 years without a touch of that - but at the same time he has lived a very interesting life in golf, and come across some very interesting people. I forgive him his brushes against Palmer and Player: I have no doubt that those people, while projecting saintly public images, are extremely fierce competitors willing to work everything possible in their favor, and I thank this book for having the nerve to reveal that side to me. In a similar but more positive way, I came away with a much more well-rounded sense of people like Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson.

   Venturi's attitude about his own play and level is interesting: while he blames injury and circumstances for many losses and for not having achieved full potential, I think he minimizes the way many greats have overcome similar problems.

   The main thing, though, is that I read this book because I sorely miss his voice - and attitude - on TV. He's been replaced by a generation of blabbermouths who, unlike Venturi, are unable to push their own considerable egos aside to comment on the sport itself. Johnny Miller is by far the worst offender, but they're all reasonably guilty. And if I see Peter Kostis "analyze" another errant swing I think I'll puke. I miss you, Mr. Venturi.