The Golf Book: Green Cathedral Dreams

My intention in writing this book is to get inside some of the magical moments and some of the more humorous aspects of the game of golf. There is an undeniable communing with nature flavour underpinning the game of golf, where the field of play is so massive and majestic.

All successful subcultures have their own jargon, which is delightfully shared by its members. Golfers love to swap cliches whilst on the course, as a rich part of the golfing experience. A golf ball propelled onto the green by a well struck shot is said to be “on the dance floor”. A shot struck beyond the green has “airmailed’’ the green. An “ace” is a rare hole in one and this is an exclusive club within the game of golf for those golfers who have achieved this feat. Golfers wanting a ball to cease its journey across the green cry out “bite”. A putt successfully rolled into the hole is “drained”. Alternatively, that putt could “lip out” and fail to remain in the hole.

Golf is a test of character and your sporting mettle. A test of how you can stand up to scrutiny and the individual demands of a solo game like golf? I think this is a big part of the game’s appeal. Men and women enjoy the challenge of pitting themselves against the course. There is nowhere to hide during a competitive round, and you only have yourself to blame when you muck it up and fall short. The legendary Bobby Jones, in his early days, used to throw clubs and carry on out of frustration, until it was pointed out to him what a bad look poor sportsmanship was and how damaging it can be to your game. 

The mental game, the character required to play golf, and some of the history of the game's greatest are all a part of The Golf Book: Green Cathedral Dreams. 250 pages.