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Balls! [Hardcover]

Gail W. Braman (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Price: $30.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
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Book Description

September 29, 2000
When the author tells her retired husband that she does not want him home for lunch, he buys a golf course! Thus begins this non golfer's true story of uprooted suburbanites adjusting to the rural north country as golf course owners and learn what really happens behind the scenes through humorous vignettes and anecdotes

Anyone young or old who has ever harbored dreams of changing lifestyles; suburbanites, urbanites or business executives who want to try country living; and those who have wondered what it might be like to own a golf course, will find this a humorous account of such an adventure.

As a keen observer of human nature, the outrageous behavior of people in general and golfers in particular will fascinate and embarrass at the same time. Dealing with the public in a service business is difficult in itself but gets compounded when husbands and wives work together. There is a delicate dance they do that can sorely test the bonds of love and loyalty.

Different styles emerge and can conflict with personal relationships. It is almost impossible to keep personal and business separate. Gender conflicts arise yet the husband and wife team must present a united front to the public. Although they were bombarded by so many issues on a daily basis, the mere stress of physically keeping up their grueling eighteen hour days was paramount to surviving this business.

What two people brought to this unlikely business was a conventional middle class background and what they were faced with was decisions about alligators, llamas, hunters and more! They certainly got more than they bargained for! Nor was there any preparation for this - except on the job training . In retrospect people can look for opportunities and never find them and others can create them and adapt accordingly. They were in the latter category and as a result were tested and stretched beyond measure; yet ultimately enriched by the experience.


Editorial Reviews

Review

. . . a delightfully written adventure in renovating an old golf course-clubhouse with all the turmoil, sweat and disappointments before its completion. -- Raymond W. Brant, PH.d., Ed.D, educator and editor of Twinless Twins Magazine

. . . honest, warm story of a retired husband-wife team . . . on the job training dealing with a rural public and sophisticated tourists . . . -- Jack Nuber, retired golf course manager and real estate agent

BALLS! invites the reader into their world as inexperienced golf course owners . . . behind the scenes through humerous vignettes and anecdotes. -- Golf Business Magazine (National Golf Course Owners Association), February 2001

Braman records her astute observations . . . insanely odd and crazy people who frequent her rural golf course . . . an enjoyable tale.

Bob Labbance, Editor -- Golf Collectors Society Bulletin, March 2001

About the Author

Gail W. Braman, hacker and free lance writer, now lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two cats. They have one son.. She is the former owner of the White River Golf Club and White River Driving Range in Rochester, Vermont and now has the time to pursue other interests.

Life has its way of just happening but if anyone had told me years ago that I would be running a golf course in rural Vermont, I would have said ridiculous ...this experience was so far removed from my reality.

Despite growing up in affluent Westchester County, New York, I worked my way through undergraduate and graduate schools to become the first family member to attain a college degree and have a professional career as a teacher and high school guidance counselor.

However, when my husband retired, I told him that I did not want him home for lunch! Thus begins this unusual story. Our lifestyle changed dramatically. Although no stranger to hard work, nothing could have prepared us for the outrageous people in general and golfers in particular we met during our nine year adventure in the north country.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 164 pages
  • Publisher: Xlibris Corp (September 29, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 073882707X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0738827070
  • Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,993,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

 

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5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious Golf Course Ownership Adventures -- Fun Read!, April 21, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Balls! (Hardcover)
Gail Braman tells an entertaining tale of what happens when her husband retires and she tells him not to come home for lunch. He takes Gail at her word, and instead buys a golf course in rural Vermont. Being a loyal spouse, Gail bravely ventures into the world of golf course ownership. Despite floods, llamas and unpredictable customers, husband and wife learn to function as a team. This book could be termed a survival course or even a how-not-to-do-it book. You'll laugh! And if your spouse retires, please make sure the lunch table is set for two.
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