Brad Klein's "Rough Meditations" in Paperback

[Tommy_Naccarato]

For those who never got a chance to read Brad Klein's Rough Meditations, John Wiley & Sons has just released an expanded version in paperback as well as including 25 additional pages of new material and a full index.

Also has 21 pages of Klein's "Best & Worst Lists," one-third of that all-new from the earlier edition. My personal favorite: the story of Brad heeding warning to someone who had never played the 14th on the Old Course while caddying for them, and just how long it took them to extricate themselves from Hell Bunker when the sage advice was not taken.

The book can be bought at the Wiley & Sons website.

Rough Meditations
From Tour Caddie to Golf Course Critics, An Insider's Look at the Game
by Bradley S. Klein
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2006
228 page, paperback
$18.95


 

[Tony_Muldoon]

What a great book. I can draw a straight line throught taking up golf, playing some great courses and wondering why al courses wern't that much fun, my brother Richard lending me his copy of the book saying "you might find this helpful" and ending up here at GCA.

A must read.

(PS It's also really well written so it's an easy read too).

That's enough praise for one day.

[Evan_Green]

Everyone should read and re-read the little gem of an essay "The Tyranny of Yardage" and then go out and play a round without checking yardages.

You will be amazed how much your learn about the course and your game. Plus it's fun.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

The chapter with Brad's Putting tips, where you always measure from the center of the cup, not the edge, I have found to be VERY useful!

[Michael Moore]

Everyone should read and re-read the little gem of an essay "The Tyranny of Yardage" and then go out and play a round without checking yardages.

I just read that chapter.

As a yardage book purveyor and lobbyist I must chime in and say that I highly doubt that the presence or absence of a yardage has anything to do with whether someone decides to play a shot through the air or on the ground.

PS - I forgot the obligatory Edward Tufte quotation - "High-density designs also allow viewers to select, to narrate, to recast and personalize data for their own uses."

[Evan_Green]

Michael,

If you know you have 163 yards to the pin and that is your seven iron distance, then 99% of the time, you would grab your seven iron and hit a dart into the green.

But if you didnt know, you'd be forced to "feel" the shot taking into account the clues the course naturally provides. Since you cant throw darts with GPS precision when you dont know the yardage, you may decide the best option is to hit a low shot that runs onto the green.

Just think about chip and pitch shots from around the green. Most people dont calculate the exact number of feet a chip is. Instead they play the shot by feel, sometimes with a 60 degree wedge in the air, sometimes with a 7-iron on the ground.

[Evan Fleisher]

Evan,

Interesting take on playing without yardages.  I know I've relayed the story here before, but my round on the Portland course at Royal Troon some years ago is the "poster child" for your arguement.

No caddies, no yeardage guides, just me and my best friend, match-play style, and the course.  I've literally NEVER played better than that day.  I simply "felt" my way around the course and somehow got my game (and mind) into "the zone" and was on cruise control.  A holed out wedge for eagle on one par-5 and a holed out bunker shot greenside on the last for a smooth 79 was the results...and a 6 & 5 thrashing of my best friend...which he loved as an observed to the magic on the course that day.

Maybe I oughtta try and do it more often (playing without yardages, that is)!!!

[TEPaul]

This is a terrific book and now offered at a bargain basement price in paperback.

My suggestion is that everyone buy a minimum of 25 copies and give them to your friends for Christmas.

What's the paperback price? $18.95?? Wow, that's cheap, cheap, cheap. I understand they are thinking of marketing an alternate offering with a personal note from Brad Klein himself on the inside of the paperback cover for the once in a lifetime price of $19.95!!! That's under 20 smackers GOLFCLUBATLASers! You can't buy anything anymore worth a damn for under $20.00. This is your once in a lifetime chance.

[Evan_Green]

Evan,

Interesting take on playing without yardages.  I know I've relayed the story here before, but my round on the Portland course at Royal Troon some years ago is the "poster child" for your arguement.

No caddies, no yeardage guides, just me and my best friend, match-play style, and the course.  I've literally NEVER played better than that day.  I simply "felt" my way around the course and somehow got my game (and mind) into "the zone" and was on cruise control.  A holed out wedge for eagle on one par-5 and a holed out bunker shot greenside on the last for a smooth 79 was the results...and a 6 & 5 thrashing of my best friend...which he loved as an observed to the magic on the course that day.

Maybe I oughtta try and do it more often (playing without yardages, that is)!!!

Evan-

It really will help your game if you do it every now and then. If you are struggling with your swing, maybe instead of over analyzing your mechanics, it may be worthwhile to go out and play just such a round. In addition, you notice things on the course you might not otherwise notice if you're just focused on the exact yardage to the pin placement.

Another liberating experience is to play with half a set or even go out to a par 3 course and play with a single club. You have to be imaginative and creative and you'll learn to hit shots you never would otherwise attempt.

[Evan Fleisher]

Evan,

Interesting take on playing without yardages.  I know I've relayed the story here before, but my round on the Portland course at Royal Troon some years ago is the "poster child" for your arguement.

No caddies, no yeardage guides, just me and my best friend, match-play style, and the course.  I've literally NEVER played better than that day.  I simply "felt" my way around the course and somehow got my game (and mind) into "the zone" and was on cruise control.  A holed out wedge for eagle on one par-5 and a holed out bunker shot greenside on the last for a smooth 79 was the results...and a 6 & 5 thrashing of my best friend...which he loved as an observed to the magic on the course that day.

Maybe I oughtta try and do it more often (playing without yardages, that is)!!!

Evan-

It really will help your game if you do it every now and then. If you are struggling with your swing, maybe instead of over analyzing your mechanics, it may be worthwhile to go out and play just such a round. In addition, you notice things on the course you might not otherwise notice if you're just focused on the exact yardage to the pin placement.

Another liberating experience is to play with half a set or even go out to a par 3 course and play with a single club. You have to be imaginative and creative and you'll learn to hit shots you never would otherwise attempt.

More sage advice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Michael Moore]

I think that this excerpt from the concluding paragraph of Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media says it all -

"Persons grouped around a fire or candle for warmth or light are less able to pursue independent thoughts, or even tasks, than people supplied with an electric light. In the same way, the educational patterns latent in automation are those of self-employment and artistic autonomy."

Knowing a yardage greatly enhances decision-making and marvelously complements the intentions of the architect.

I choose persimmon over titanium for aesthetic reasons relating to sound and appearance, but I would never make the sentimental argument that my backwards driver allows me to be more creative or expressive.

[Bob_Huntley]

Michael,

I've always wondered if the photograph in your message screen is of you or James Joyce..... somerimes your writing is Joycean.

Bob

[redanman]

From the original, I always liked the part where (from memory, so not exact ... ... ... ) "In America if you act as if you belong where you go, you're not likely to get questioned or asked to leave." as regards walking around old courses and in clubhouses as I recall.

Tom Paul's Dog before there was a Tom Paul's Dog.

[Brad Klein]

Suppose I should have thought about this sooner but we're doing a combined book (re)publishing party, round at Wintonbury Hills GC here in Bloomfield, Ct., and reception to follow at our house on Saturday, April 22. Let me know via email if you're interested.

The green fee for Wintonbury will be what I pay - market rate. No discount for raters. We'll have some neighbors and GW raters as well. Hope to see you here.

[John Kavanaugh]

Brad,

Assuming you would read the book..what kind of expense would it take to create an audiobook and get it up on iTunes.  

[Brad Klein]

John, if sales go through the roof at Barnes & Noble and Borders, both of which are stocking the paperback, I'll send you the business plan for the audiotape. Maybe you can help me there by buying several dozen copies.

As for the voice, I was kind of hoping to get Morgan Freeman to do it, but he's busy with a sequel to "Penguins on Parade." Maybe Tom Paul can find time on his schedule. Oh, I forgot, he's working on that Flynn book.

[Kyle Harris]

This book was the gateway drug into this aspect of the game for me. I am looking foward to reading the additions and amendments.

[PThomas]

As for the voice, I was kind of hoping to get Morgan Freeman to do it, but he's busy with a sequel to "Penguins on Parade." Maybe Tom Paul can find on his schedule. Oh, I forgot, he's working on that Flynn book.

Morgan Freeman?  or, ever worse, Tom Paul??  

How about Cindy Crawford? (She's a golfer too)
Catherine Zeta golfs too!

Tom Paul.....really now Brad, that is probably the worst post I've ever read on GCA

we all make mistakes Brad, so I'll let you slide on this one......(even thought it is a VERY big mistake....)

[John Kavanaugh]

John, if sales go through the roof at Barnes & Noble and Borders, both of which are stocking the paperback, I'll send you the business plan for the audiotape. Maybe you can help me there by buying several dozen copies.

As for the voice, I was kind of hoping to get Morgan Freeman to do it, but he's busy with a sequel to "Penguins on Parade." Maybe Tom Paul can find on his schedule. Oh, I forgot, he's working on that Flynn book.

I recently have been downloading books onto my iPod to listen to when driving and even when on the range.  If it is a good book I can practice for much longer periods of time without getting board...My mind is so clear of all negative swing thoughts I don't doubt it could help my play on the course but I have not recently had a chance to play alone with this incredible great run of weather to give it a shot.  My interest was once you get past hiring the actor to read the book what other costs are associated with selling on iTunes...I guess you can't just offer them a percentage of sales...that would be a no-brainer.   There is a very serious lack of interesting golf books available for download...I'm guessing Rough Meditations would be in the $12 to $18 range if it was available.

I am kind of curious...Who are these people buying the audiobooks...I would have never bought a book on tape or cd but with the ability of downloading a book as I am leaving the door for a long drive it becomes a guilty pleasure.  It is very similar to watching a movie while you drive.

[Mike McGuire]

John K-

On I tunes you can subscribe to podcasts for free. Hundreds of choices. Helps me stay on the treadmill for more than 5 minutes.

[Don Dinkmeyer]

Gentlemen - Amazon seems to have only the old edition - have we identified a web source for the 2006 edition?

Thank you!

[Brad Klein]

Don, the book is being shipped this week, and Wiley's website, as mentiond above, has it. Amazon will, I'm told, get it in a matter of days. They haven't even sent out the reviewer copies yet.

[Don Dinkmeyer]

Leave it to a Univ Prof to miss the link in the FIRST post!

Wiley now has it b/o - so i will monitor all sources...

[Emmy]

Let the awards continue for fellow GCAers!

Last week, I, along with others, were posting congrats to F. Richardson for his "Best Renovation of the Year" award. This week, it's another GCAer...I just read about B. Klein receiving an award from the Golf Writers Assoc. of America (for a column he wrote about PGA Tour player Sean O'Hair and his father). Congratulations Brad. Besides GW, is the noted article in the 2006 edition of Rough Meditations?