Customer Reviews

Getting Up & Down: My 60 Years in Golf

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Come back --- underdog --- fighter --- champion --- commentator. These are words about Venturi, who it seems most of his life was always dualing with himself against others to show them what he was made of: toughness and talent that could and would succeed in winning.

He suffered through much: hand injuries, marriage trauma, etc. But the biggest hurdles were those letdowns, those meltdowns which occur in sports when one is so close to seizing the brass ring, only to have it slip out of grasp. As Venturi would describe, someone else always played phenonemenal to do just that. He would be a previous generation's Greg Norman.

Anyone who was so close and fondly associated with the likes of Nelson, Sarazen and Hogan, now this is a special person. Or for Vince Lombardi to admire the look in an competitor's eyes, this is a special golfer. One who endured severe heat and win his country's national golf championship in the doing, this is a special golfer.

This carried over in his broadcasting. Concise, poignant, to the point. Let the golf describe most of the action. I like millions admired and respected his great gifts for commenting, but never really knew about the stammering. Maybe the greatest hurdle of all. What courage he showed and can encourage all who have such to do the same. A man of principle.

Somehow as good as this read was with all the fascinating stories and incidents, I thought it was slightly "I oriented" too much. Thus, four not five.

Wow. Ken Venturi should have never allowed this book to go to print. Did he not realize how he paints himself in his own autobiography as a bitter, selfish, whiny, excuse-making old coot? On virtually every page he shows himself to be as self-centered and clueless as they come.

He basically accuses Arnold Palmer of cheating. Not only Palmer, but Gary Player and a couple of lesser known golfers such as Al Besselink. But its not the "tattletale" nature of the book that most grates on the nerves - its the constant attempt to portray himself as a corageous underdog battling and overcoming the odds. And all the while making excuse after excuse for his own shortcomings both on and off the links.

Several times in the book he makes the comment that "no one ever laid down for me," particularly referencing Arnold Palmer's U.S. Open loss to Billy Casper when Palmer blew a 7-shot lead on the back nine. "Palmer never faltered like that when I was chasing him," he whines. In fact, he whines about Palmer incessantly. He obviously has no love or "like" for Arnie at all.

One of the most amazing (and distasteful) stories pertains to Venturi's friendship with Frank Sinatra. Venturi spends several pages painting the picture of how he and SInatra were inseperable friends, and reveals that he was moved nearly to tears when Sinatra once introduced him to a crowd as "my brother." Yet when Sinatra lay ill and dying, Venturi refused a request from Sinatra's wife to come and visit the great singer before he passed away. Venturi's lame excuse: "I couldn't bring myself to go. I wanted to remember him as the great man he was." Way to go, Ken, leave your own "brother" alone on his death bed. Boo hoo hoo, you selfish putz.

OK, OK, I won't say anymore in case you actually still want to read this book. But be prepared - you will probably come away, as I did, with an altered image of Ken Venturi. A negative image for sure.

Not only read Ken Venturi's book, but read the many different reviews here. To those who accuse Ken Venturi of sour grapes and whining about his close Masters losses, I say that every golf tournament has two stories to tell. Everyone loves a winner obviously, but the guy who tasted victory and had it snatched from his hands also has an interesting story to tell. If Greg Norman or Tom Weiscopf ever write their autobiography, or Sam Snead could tell his story of the '39 US Open, it too would strike some as just sour grapes. Doesn't make their stories any less valid. As for stories of gamesmanship, rule bending, and maybe even (borderline) cheating, why do so many golf fans show a willingness to believe it about some major champions (like Seve Ballesteros, Vijah Singh, Gary Player) but find it implausable when discussing someone like Arnold Palmer? Are they still so childlike in their awe of their golf hero that even firsthand reports are automatically dismissed? Reminds me of what Tommy Bolt always said about news stories of his club throwing. He said that Arnie threw as many clubs as he did, but the stories never stuck. Anyway, a good book, Ken. And I too miss your voice on TV, particularly at the Masters.

Too young to know Ken Venturi as anything but the voice of CBS golf, his story as a golfer is phenomomal. His heartbreaks in the game were many and tend to overshadow the triumphs but this a great story of the human spirit. Some of the most interesting parts of the book are the stories behind the 3 Masters defeats('56,'58 & '60) and the 1964 US Open victory. The "inside" the ropes stories about some of the "Gods" of golf will make most rethink the images that have been fed to us through the years. Don't get me wrong as you would expect, Venturi does it with class. The other thing that will surprise his fans from the broadcasting days is his behind the scenes intensity as a player and as the winning captain of the 2000 Presidents Cup team. I checked it out from my library but will be buying it because it is a story I want my sons to read some day. You will not be disappointed!

Ken Venturi as the voice of golf on CBS is one of the most popular sportscasters of his day. Now retired, he finally has a chance to say things that he couldn't say on the air or anywhere else. In this book he talks about his life as a golfer, his life as a sportscaster, and his life as a man.

He has not had a life that was all roses. Medical problems from carpal tunnel ended his professional golfing career after only 10 years of play. Other illnesses plagued he and his wife from back surgery to multiple bouts with cancer. He has not only survived these, but through it all has kept his sense of humor and overall happiness with the world.

As an accomplished communicator, Mr. Venturi has the ability to tell stories about golf, about himself that make very good reading.

I would like to thank Mr. Venturi for letting us into his very personal life, I found the book to be a down to earth and hart warming. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. It made laugh and made me cry. I also found it very informative on the game, written in a way that I could understand it. I can't imagine anyone not liking this book... except maybe someone who purposely tried to hurt Mr. Venturi. I give it a two thumbs up.

One of the best golf books in the last 30 years. Venturi unleashes a candid view of his life, one that will make you cry and beam with pride as he overcomes many of life's obstacles to become a champion, and more than that a man. A man who plays the game the way he lives life, with passion, honor, and integrity. A must read for every golf fan.

What a book ! I cried and laughed many times while reading the life of Ken Venturi. His last chapter, says it all. WHY ME? Why did God bless me so much. All of the tragedies in his life led him to two wonderful wives and many years of educating us on golf, Mr. Hogan and life in general, while working at CBS. Mr. Venturi has my most deepest respect.

He shows there is a reason for everything, and all hardships have a silver lining at the end.

All things work together for the good for all who believe in God.

Thank you Ken Venturi for sharing your life with us.

Venturi is a bit of a prima donna - you can't be on TV for 35 years without a touch of that - but at the same time he has lived a very interesting life in golf, and come across some very interesting people. I forgive him his brushes against Palmer and Player: I have no doubt that those people, while projecting saintly public images, are extremely fierce competitors willing to work everything possible in their favor, and I thank this book for having the nerve to reveal that side to me. In a similar but more positive way, I came away with a much more well-rounded sense of people like Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson.

Venturi's attitude about his own play and level is interesting: while he blames injury and circumstances for many losses and for not having achieved full potential, I think he minimizes the way many greats have overcome similar problems.

The main thing, though, is that I read this book because I sorely miss his voice - and attitude - on TV. He's been replaced by a generation of blabbermouths who, unlike Venturi, are unable to push their own considerable egos aside to comment on the sport itself. Johnny Miller is by far the worst offender, but they're all reasonably guilty. And if I see Peter Kostis "analyze" another errant swing I think I'll puke. I miss you, Mr. Venturi.

Ken, We loved the book, and want to thank you for shering all the wonderful stories, both about golf and the "ups and downs" of your life We found it to be very moving, We definitely will recomend it to all our friends, and we miss you on T.V.