The Complete Encyclopedia of Golf [Hardcover]

Ted Barrett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2005

The Complete Encyclopedia of Golf answers every question you ever had about golf. From the origins of the game, the most important tournaments, and the marquee players, it's all here with over 300 stunning photographs to remind you why this sports is so compelling. The Complete Encyclopedia of Golf is the authoritative and extensive record of this challenging game.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The Complete Encyclopedia of Golf is the authoritative record of the world's greatest game. Golf is not so much a sport as it is an obsession. It's a good walk spoiled, it's life in the round, and when you embark on a round of 18 holes, you know it's going to be as much a test of character as it will be a measure of sporting skill. The exact origins of the game continue to be a topic of debate, but golf as we know it certainly began in Scotland several centuries ago and has now colonized the globe. Millions of passionate fans turn on their television sets each weekend to watch the world's top players compete, and die-hard amateurs flock to the courses themselves to work on their ever-improving games. From the early pioneers of the Royal and Ancient at St. Andrews with their "rutting irons" and tailcoats, to today's larger-than-life stars, this book covers all of the golfing legends from Walter Hagen to Tiger Woods along with their records of achievement and the performances that catapulted them to such great heights. With more than 300 photographs, a comprehensive history of the sport, and features on the greatest major championships, all of the legendary players who have made the sport what it is today, and the most famous courses that have played host to the most remarkable moments in the sport's history, The Complete Encyclopedia of Golf has it all. Read about past triumphs and failures at The Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, and more. Learn about the intricacies at Valderrama and Victoria, at Augusta and Pebble Beach. If it's in golf, it's in this book.

About the Author

Ted Barrett, a former sports editor for The Daily Telegraph, is a freelance golf writer who contributes regular articles to Telegraph newspapers and golf magazines. He is the author of The Daily Telegraph Golf Chronicle and The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Golf. He lives in Upminster, Essex.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572437731
• ISBN-13: 978-1572437739
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,295,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent glossy book mostly about professional golf, March 6, 2011

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Complete Encyclopedia of Golf (Hardcover)

This lavishly illustrated book is meant to appeal to committed golf fans but also to the wider readership of people who follow golf on a more casual basis. I never had the talent to play the game to any decent level, but in my younger days I enjoyed the occasional round of pitch and putt even though I invariably lost. Nevertheless, I enjoy following the professional sport on the radio (or on TV when I have access to one) and I also own some books about the sport. This particular book was first published in 2005 as The Complete Encyclopedia of Golf, but I didn't buy that. I have the second edition The Complete Encyclopedia of Golf, which has been revised and updated to include the results of the tournaments covered up to 2009. What else has changed apart from the cover, I don't know, but I doubt that it would be really worth buying this edition if you already have the first edition.

After the brief introduction, there are four sections to the book. Part 1 covers the story of golf from the early history to the present day, together with the rules of golf. Part 2 is titled the major championships, but the word major here is used in its more general sense as all the big events are included, including amateur and women's events. Part 3 covers the great golfers in alphabetical order while Part 4 covers the golf course. Inevitably when it comes to golfers and courses, there will be arguments among committed fans about whether some names not featured are more deserving than some who have been included, but all the obvious ones are here as far as I can see.

In the section on golfers, some golfers are given a whole page to themselves, these being Severiano Ballesteros, James Braid, Henry Cotton, Laura Davies, Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Raymond Floyd, Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, Bobby Locke, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen, Vijay Singh, Sam Snead, Annika Sorenstam, Peter Thomson, Lee Trevino, Harry Vordon, Tom Watson, Joyce Wethered, Tiger Woods and Mickey Wright. Two things that stand out from the list of artists selected for whole-page treatment are firstly, the deep respect for the history of the game and secondly, the inclusion of four women, leaving golfers such as Colin Montgomerie, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam and Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer, Payne Stewart and other golfers to a few column inches each. Among the others you'll find the unfortunate Doug Sanders, remembered for the shot he missed at St Andrews rather than any of the 19 tournaments that he won. Another golfer remember for a missed opportunity, Jean Van De Velde isn't featured in this section but he is featured elsewhere in the book, where he is pictured standing in the water with club in hand.

The section on golf courses is sub-divided into three areas (United States, Great Britain and Ireland, Rest of the World), within which the courses are listed in alphabetical order. With only 27 courses featured, there are plenty of great courses missing, but whole books have been devoted to golf courses.

This book provides a great overview of golf, including the history of the sport and women's game.