A Golfer's Five-Foot Shelf by Michael Thomas is posted I.M.O.

[Ran Morrissett]

Noted writer Michael Thomas has contributed a highly entertaining read on books that should be in a golfer's library.

Given that we get a post every 60 days or so that basically asks "What books should be in my golf library?", we can now point such queries to Michael's article.

Cheers,

[THuckaby2]

I will pay good money for Dan King's take on this.

As for lil ole me, I was please to see I own quite a few of the volumes discussed.  My education continues.

Universally dismissing the "mystical" seems harsh to me, but to each his own.

TH

[Gib_Papazian]

You mean THE Michael M. Thomas?

Jeez, he is my literary hero . . . . maybe we can persuade him to contribute in discussion group.

[THuckaby2]

OK, I'll publicly make a fool of myself, won't be the first time... but Gib, why should I have heard of Michael Thomas, be he your literary hero?

I'm such a rube...

TH

[ForkaB]

This is so well written, that I took a Butch Cassidy/Casey Stengel "Who is this guy"/"You could Look it up" turn and discovered Mr. Thomas on the internet at www.observer.com

Gib is right.  This guy is good.  Look him up.

[THuckaby2]

Thanks, Rich.  Interesting, the google search I did yielded nothing.  But I guess I don't feel so bad, I don't tend to read New York periodicals.  But my education continues...

TH

[ForkaB]

Tom et. al.

Use the Yahoo search engine.  It's much better than Google for golf, IMO.

[THuckaby2]

Thanks for the tip, Rich.  In defense of google, however, I've found it is WAY WAY WAY faster and better for "general" searches.  But given it does no categorization (at least not how I use it for work) it would be weaker for a focused, category-based search.

TH

[ForkaB]

I agree with Tom in that any shelf, 5-foot or otherwise, should include one or two purely "mystical" tomes (as well as the derivatively mystical ones which Mr. Thomas lists).

Anyone who hasn't had an epiphany on a golf course (particularly one who plays NGLA often) is probably consciously or subconciously ignoring the fact.

[THuckaby2]

Well said, Rich.  I know Bagger Vance, Golf in the Kingdom, etc. aren't everyone's cup of tea, but they each make my shelf most definitely and just dismissing the entire "genre" out of hand tends to weaken Thomas' whole point, in my mind anyway.

I'd take those over instruction books any day.

But again, to each his own and the telling point is one Thomas makes clear - this is HIS list, different from all others.

TH

[Dan King]

Excellent piece from Mr. Thomas.

I've been asked about book recommendations a time or two, and I even saved my last post on GCA so I could repost it.  

Click here for Dan's golf book recommendations

Looking it over, my recommendations are very close in line to Mr. Thomas'.  He's the only one I've seen who also recomends Mr. Laney's writing.

The only books he mentions that I'm missing (though many in reprints) is Alistair Adamson's In the Wind's Eye -North Berwick Golf Club and Herb Wind's Harry Sprague on the Tour.  I know I'll have to rectify the missing Wind  book asap.

Dan King
dking@danking.org

quote:"Number 10 is Rush Limbaugh's book and No. 8 is a book on menopause, so I'm somewhere between the right wing and the change of life."
--Peter Jacobsen (on his book Buried Lies being No. 9 on the Washington Post best seller list)

[Gib_Papazian]

Whether you agree or disagree with his  selections misses the point entirely. In fact, I would also take issue with omitting Michael Murphy's book - at least the first half. No mention of Jim Finigan also surprises me because his writing has so much texture.  

But the subject is Michael Thomas and the simply breathtaking style and breadth of his prose. It is so stylish that I find it almost distracting, filling me with a sense of awe, and in truth, feelings of inferiority when compared to my own pathetically puny ramblings.

I might suggest two pieces that Thomas wrote, both for Golf Digest. One is entitled "How to Save Your Club," the other "My Friend Timmonds."

Both stopped me dead in my tracks and with the possible exception of a piece or two by the late Peter Dobreiner, are still the most outstanding magazine pieces I've ever read.

On my last visit to NGLA, I was hoping to meet Michael Thomas, but just missed him twice. Personally, I would be hard pressed to name anyone who would provide me a greater thrill to meet or play golf with than him.  

[THuckaby2]

Just to clarify, oh wise Armenian - I wasn't quibbling with his choice of volumes - hell, to each his own re that - just the fact he dismisses out of hand anything having to do with the mystical - that deserves quibbling.  Big difference, I think.

I'd love to read those articles, though.  Hi ho, hi ho, off to search I go.  My Friend Timmons sounds really familiar....

TH

[JMD]

The list is full of wisdom, but I share the view that the omission of books that push at soemthing mystic -- Bagger Vance ("See the Field"), Bob Cullen's new Mulligan for Bobby Jobe ('True Vision") -- dismisses fictions answer to some of the better books discussing courses or architecture.  here's what I mean: when a golf course works it creates strategic decisions that require golfers to see the ball fly through the air and then move their muscles in a way that translates neatly into a ball traveling on its intended course.  The architect sees in all these dimesions and imagines the shots that will be played on the course.  The better books about golf course creation talk about this process and about the choices architects make in defining the choices that will face the player during his or her round.  

During the round itself, there is an ongoing conversation between the course and the golfer.  Others are included so that the game is ultimately a that back and forth between land, architect, golfer and ultimately the ball (as well as the elements it must traverse).  In all of this, the thinking, the imagining, and ultimately the doing, something mystical takes place.  These fictions all -- for better (Bagger Vance or Bobby Jobe) or worse (Follow the Wind; the Greatest Course that Never Was) push at this and can in that way reach the reader.  Books that do so belong on a shelf wiuth the other importatn texts identified by Thomas. I note that To the Linksland has a bit of this as well although it is without some of the heavy-handed imagery that is sometimes the price of a more mystic text.

All of this is by way of preamble.  Missing from all the lists is David Owen's My Usual Game.  This book, which is sometimes funny, often too personal, but always reverant in its appreciation of the game of golf and its wonder belongs with the others and is worth the attention of those who may have missed it.  

[George Pazin]

Funny thing, Tom - after I read Mr. Thomas' piece, the first thing I though was "How can you argue with anyone with the good sense to dismiss the mystical books?" :-)

I knew you & Rich would disagree...

Can't really argue with the rest - only have about 2 of the 5 feet listed.

[ed_getka]

Before I found this site I was collecting golf books with a particular interest in architecture. For anyone who likes Herb Winds books you should contact him if you make it out east. He is such a great guy and having lunch with him, talking golf has been one of the highlights of my golfing experiences.
 I have 400-500 volumes if anyone wants to borrow one I'd be happy to help you out. Some of these books are quite hard to track down.
  Finding this site has been awesome and I look forward to learning from you guys.

[Will_Smith]

For those who enjoyed Michael Thomas piece, he also writes a column in every issue of
T & L Golf. They are quite good and literary. Some of them maybe on the magazin'e web site, but I don't know.

[BillV]

Nice piece and list.  I have a few to get.

Donovan and Murdoch's book is a pretty cool one to have also.  I understand that Rod McEwan is working on an update.

[ed_getka]

Dick Donovan was working on an update for years. Maybe Dick gave up and turned it over to Rhod who is certainly capable of doing a great job. I certainly wouldn't want the task since 90% of golf books are garbage.
  Murdoch's "Library of Golf" is the best reference IMO because he actually talks about the content of the books frequently. A less expensive option is "Murdochs Golf Library" which does some of the same but is significantly cheaper ($50 vs. $500).

[ed_getka]

Dan,
  You left out Architectural Side of Golf by Wethered & Simpson. Concerning Golf by John Low has lots of interesting architectural stuff. Darwin's "Golf": Pleasures of Life series book has an arch. chapter.
 THE book to have is "Art of Golf" by Sir Walter Simpson. He comes closest to tapping into the essence of golf.
 Good reading to you all.

[John_Conley]

The writer will be happy to know that "Maximum Golf" ceased operations.

[David Kelly]

Also Mr. Thomas is a very good writer of financial fiction. Someone Else's Money and Hanover Place are my favorites. Most of his books are now out of print but it should be easy to track them down at libraries or out of print online bookstores.  

Here is a link to his books on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/ref=s_sf_b_as/104-2167815-3639153

[Fred C]

Good day.

I've tried and tried, but I can't find Thomas' list.  Can one of you give me a link?

Thanks,

FJC

Ps.  Dan King, thanks for your list!

[Ran Morrissett]

Fred, Go to the In My Opinion section and his is the first cab off the ranks.

[Ed Oden]

I finally got around to reading the "Living in Style 2008" issue of The Golfer Magazine that's been on my coffee table for nearly a year and noticed that it contains an update by Michael Thomas to his incredibly well written IMO piece.  I may have missed it, but I couldn't find any previous mention of this update on the board, so I thought I would pass it along.  New additions are "The Chosen One" by David Owen, "Evangelist of Golf" by George Bahto, "The Greatest Game Ever Played" (and to a lesser extent, "The Match") by Mark Frost, "Preferred Lies" by Andrew Greig, "Grounds for Golf" by Geoff Shackelford, and both "Legendary Golf Clubs of the American East" and "Legendary Golf Links of Ireland" by Tony Edgeworth and John de St. Jorre.  I could not find the article on the magazine's website so I can't post a link.  But I will be happy to forward a pdf copy to anyone who requests. 

FYI, the same edition also has an update by Mike Young to his "The Architect as Genius" IMO piece.

Ed