Golf Wit & Wisdom
I didn’t start playing golf until I was 30 years old.
For many golfers, that’s actually not all that unusual. Some golfers start late because they were actively involved with some other sport when they were younger, such as track and field, baseball, or football. Age and injury sometimes spur these athletes toward a more sedate game as they grow older.
Other golfers are busy establishing themselves in their chosen professions or crafts, and don’t feel comfortable devoting the time it takes to learn how to play golf until they reach some personal goals.
If you know one of these aspiring young adult golfing beginners, or know a teenager who’s utterly smitten by the golf bug, this book might be a nice gift idea.
Joe Romano will probably never be confused with John Feinstein or Rick Reilly. Nonetheless, he’s done some nice work in setting out several of the basic bits of knowledge that will help inexperienced golfers learn more about their new game.
The short paperback covers such topics as the USGA handicap system, golf ball and club design and standards, and a short history of golf.
The glossary Romano provides in Chapter 7 is perhaps the most useful part of the book for new golfers, however. I can recall hearing golf terms I never heard before during my first few years of hacking around the local public courses where I learned the game. Sometimes I’d be a little shy in asking what these guys meant.
Having this common-sense alphabetized combination of golf slang and technical terms handy would have helped.
For experienced golfers, this book doesn’t cover any new ground. For those just starting out, however, Romano’s little guide should help them appreciate some of the intricacies of their new sport.
Review date: October 31, 2004