Golfing with God: A Novel of Heaven and Earth [Hardcover]

Roland Merullo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2005

In a previous life, Herman “Hank” Fins-Winston had been a golf pro—an excellent teacher of the game who never quite made it on the circuit, having missed his one real shot at greatness. He now lives in a lovely condominium on the thirteenth fairway of one of heaven’s 8,187 golf courses. God and His closest companions, you see, play the game often. And though Jesus never bothers to keep score, Buddha never takes a practice swing, and Moses doesn’t consider it cheating when he parts the courses’ water hazards, they all take the sport very seriously. In heaven, even God replaces His divots.

Hank’s afterlife takes an unexpected turn when he is summoned to help a player whose game is in a slump. To his dismay, his new pupil is God Himself. Or Herself. Depending on the day. As they play the most heavenly courses in paradise and back on earth, Hank realizes that it’s he who’s learning the lessons—about fearing failure, about second chances, about the connectedness of all living things, about not taking the next breath for granted, and about our God-given ability to improve ourselves—one stroke at a time.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Merullo (Passion for Golf) blends knowledge of the game with glimpses into his spiritual journey in this engaging story of golf, the after-life and "the spiritual education of one soul." Former golf professional Herman Fins-Winston has been enjoying heaven between reincarnations long enough to play several of its 8,187 excellent golf courses. When God, who finds golf his only relaxation after minding the universe, has trouble short putting because of the "yips," He (alternately called "She") summons Herman to help. It turns out that God has a "divine" swing, uses old persimmon woods and regularly hits 390-yard tee shots. Merullo infuses his own brand of theology into the story. (On getting into heaven: "You only have to try, to want it, to be sincere about wanting it. You have to not have hurt anyone too badly in your most recent previous life.") The first section, set in heaven, is stronger than the second, in which God (in the persona of a young trophy wife whom Herman dreams of taking to bed) travels with Herman back to earth. There, they play some of the best golf courses in search of the golf greatness he missed in his previous life. Inevitably, Herman's golfing prowess leads to a showdown with evil. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

"No!" the reader of golf fiction screams. "Not another novel starring God as a golfer!" Yes, the game has its spiritual side, and, yes, its devotees often experience a lifelike mix of transcendence and frustration, but why must the Almighty worm his way into so many fictional foursomes? But then, just as the outlandish premise of Merullo's novel becomes clear--a failed touring pro, now playing for fun on one of Heaven's 8,187 golf courses, is called upon to help God (Herself an avid golfer) cure a nagging case of the yips--we find ourselves turning pages rather than throwing the book into the nearest bunker. Why, for God's sake? Perhaps because Merullo, author of the critically acclaimed Revere Beach trilogy, writes with wit and subtlety rather than trying to pound inspiration into our heads with a titanium driver. And, best of all, he gets the golf right: precise, well-constructed descriptions of courses and shot making, revealing a respect for the game itself, not just its potential as metaphor. If you must play golf with God, pray it's this one who shows up on the first tee. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Algonquin Books; 1ST edition (October 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565125010
• ISBN-13: 978-1565125018
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 4.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #817,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Roland Merullo was born in Boston and raised in the working-class city of Revere, Massachusetts. He had a scholarship to Exeter Academy and graduated in 1971, attended Boston University for two years, transferred to Brown and graduated from Brown in 1975, then earned a Master's there--in Russian Studies-- in 1976. Roland has published ten novels and four books of non-fiction, and given talks at hundreds of universities, schools, bookstores, and other venues. He currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife Amanda and their two daughters and can be reached via his website: RolandMerullo.com.

His best-selling novel, Breakfast with Buddha, recently went into its 11th printing. Like Golfing with God before it, and American Savior after it, Breakfast with Buddha treats questions of philosophy/spirituality from a multi-denominational viewpoint and with a healthy dose of humor. The novel is provocative, not irreverent, and it has become a favorite with book clubs all over the country. It was based on an actual trip Merullo took from New York to North Dakota, most of it in the company of his wife and daughters. Golfing with God has just been optioned for film by Gemfilms.

His new book, The Talk-Funny Girl, is the story of a teenage girl in rural New Hampshire who escapes an abusive home life in a most unusual way. It follows a theme that can be found in almost all Merullo's books: a person overcoming some past trauma, whether that be the stress of war, illness, divorce, addiction, or early abuse.

Several old favorites--Leaving Losapas, A Russian Requiem, Revere Beach Boulevard, and Revere Beach Elegy, have just been reissued from AJAR Publications, in print form and as e-books. AJAR has also brought out Roland's small book of writing advice, Demons of the Blank Page.

GOLF WRITING

Merullo has a side-speciality, golf writing. His articles and columns appear frequently in Golf World Magazine, and his golf books include GOLFING WITH GOD, THE ITALIAN SUMMER, AND PASSION FOR GOLF.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read!, November 8, 2005

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Golfing with God: A Novel of Heaven and Earth (Hardcover)

My favorite American storyteller is Stephen Vincent Benet. Roland Merullo, author of Golfing With God certainly has Benet's storytelling ability, giving us a well-crafted story.

In Golfing With God Herman (Hank) Fins-Winston, has just arrived in heaven with its 3,000-plus golf courses. Readers see his past as a new touring pro who blows THE putt that would have sent him to the top. In order to help Hank, God ask him for help with his/her short game. Throughout the book, Hank receives the education that he missed--the education of his soul.

Merullo looks at both golf and spirituality with loving humor. A wonderful bit is when Hank has a foursome with Jesus, Mary and Moses. Moses cheats by parting the water on the hazard, and Jesus is wonderfully patient with his mother who consistently shoots double and triple bogeys, if she's fortunate.

With gentle humor, Merullo also builds tension as Hank travels from earthly course to earthly course with God, a trip that leads to his ultimate match with Rogan, a.k.a. as Mephistopheles and Beelzebub. The match's description is superlative both of the play-by-play and the famous Augusta course.

The author intertwines observations about the relationship between golf and spirituality. His overriding emphasis is on the spirituality of people--not their religious beliefs. Later Hank observes, "Much of the beauty of the game of golf lies in the quiet dignity with which it is played... Think of what earthly life might be like if those same rules of etiquette were applied more widely."

While Merullo lushly describes his setting, he seems to prefer his story over his characters. The characters are delightful, and since one of the two main characters is God himself or herself--as the situation develops--perhaps we can forgive him for not totally revealing the nature of the character.

Armchair Interviews says: Golfing With God is a well-crafted, quick-moving story. Merullo has shown us the remarkable connection among philosophy, spirituality, not necessarily religion, and golf. For a thought-provoking, enjoyable few hours, we recommend Roland Merullo's Golfing With God.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Golfing with God, March 26, 2007

By 

Cheryl B. Rice - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Golfing with God: A Novel of Heaven and Earth (Hardcover)

This is the best book I've ever read, and I've given copies to all my closest friends. It is appealing to those who are outwardly religious and those who aren't. I read it periodically and love it more with every reading.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blessed is the Golfer who gains Grace, December 28, 2005

By 

andris virsnieks (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Golfing with God: A Novel of Heaven and Earth (Hardcover)

Play golf with God! With a plot like that, I read it quickly to see what happens. My review title gives you a good idea as to what happens but see for yourself. It is a short story worth reading, if the time spent reading does not take you away from actually playing golf. In Seattle the rain is now setting all time records.

Merullo's story could help you with the emotional/ mental of your game. I doubt it will do anything for your swing.

I subtract one star, because I was looking for for more fascinating detail about golf to be worked into the plot. But I can see another reader holding back a star, because they were looking for more about God.