Reverberating with the straight-talking Texas wisdom that could only come from Jackie Burke, It’s Only a Game will bring the words of this venerable sage to everyone who loves the links. Spiced with anecdotes from a long and illustrious career, this stirring book features pithy insights on the nature of competition and the erosion of amateur play. Burke goes on the record about profit-minded equipment manufacturers and self-promoting golf gurus. His provocative topics include insight into why the 2004 U.S. Ryder Cup team suffered its worst defeat ever (Burke was a cocaptain), the alarmingly high cost of playing public and resort courses, country clubs that stress cosmetic appearances over the playing of the game, and a host of other topics. He also provides no-nonsense, time-tested secrets for improving anyone’s golf game, based not on shallow “tips” but on a well-rounded, sensible approach to the game that he began developing before the Great Depression.
It's Only a Game: Words of Wisdom from a Lifetime in Golf
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Book Description
Legendary player and teacher Jackie Burke is the preeminent elder statesman of American golf. A PGA Champion, a Masters Champion, a Vardon Trophy winner, and a PGA Player of the Year, he won four consecutive tournaments in 1952; and is a winner of seventeen events on the PGA Tour, a five-time Ryder Cup member (twice as captain), and a member of the PGA, Texas Golf, and World Golf Halls of Fame. Before leaving the PGA Tour he cofounded (with Jimmy Demaret) the world-famous Champions Golf Club (host of the Ryder Cup, U.S. Amateur, and five PGA Tour Championships) and has instructed students including Phil Mickelson, Hal Sutton, Steve Elkington, Ben Crenshaw, and many other PGA Tour pros in a career that has spanned seven decades.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Acclaim for It’s Only a Game:
“Easily the best golf instructional-type book since Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book. . . . This book is a classic.”
—Bud Shrake, coauthor Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book
“Jackie is a warrior. He is a born competitor who meets every challenge head on, on and off the golf course. His values and integrity are unassailable, as pure as those of any man I''ve known.”
—Ben Crenshaw
“This book is pure Jackie, and I hope that from reading it you get some of the fulfillment and enjoyment he’s given to me and others over the years.”
—Steve Elkington
“Easily the best golf instructional-type book since Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book. . . . This book is a classic.”
—Bud Shrake, coauthor Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book
“Jackie is a warrior. He is a born competitor who meets every challenge head on, on and off the golf course. His values and integrity are unassailable, as pure as those of any man I''ve known.”
—Ben Crenshaw
“This book is pure Jackie, and I hope that from reading it you get some of the fulfillment and enjoyment he’s given to me and others over the years.”
—Steve Elkington
From the Back Cover
Acclaim for It’s Only a Game:
"Easily the best golf instructional-type book since Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book. . . . This book is a classic."
—Bud Shrake, coauthor Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book "Jackie is a warrior. He is a born competitor who meets every challenge head on, on and off the golf course. His values and integrity are unassailable, as pure as those of any man I've known."
—Ben Crenshaw
"This book is pure Jackie, and I hope that from reading it you get some of the fulfillment and enjoyment he’s given to me and others over the years."
—Steve Elkington
"Easily the best golf instructional-type book since Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book. . . . This book is a classic."
—Bud Shrake, coauthor Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book "Jackie is a warrior. He is a born competitor who meets every challenge head on, on and off the golf course. His values and integrity are unassailable, as pure as those of any man I've known."
—Ben Crenshaw
"This book is pure Jackie, and I hope that from reading it you get some of the fulfillment and enjoyment he’s given to me and others over the years."
—Steve Elkington
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Miss Molly's review,
By Molly B "Miss Molly" (Chataignier, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: It's Only a Game: Words of Wisdom from a Lifetime in Golf (Hardcover)
I must say that this book is a bit more about improving your life than your golf game and Mr.Burke has lead an exceptional life to say the least.The book will improve your game ten fold but you will also look at life a bit different as well.Mr. Burke is a master of teaching about life through the game he so dearly loves.Wisdom abounds through these pages and you will read and re-read most of this whole book.Mr.Burke's dry humor is evident through-out the book which makes this an especially enjoyable read.Do yourself a favor,do not miss out on this man's hard earned wisdom,he did us all a favor by putting it in print.There are not many people in the world that say what everyone's thinking and this man does.He shows courage and unwavering knowledge on the game of golf,but never lets you forget "It's just a Game".
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read for any golf purist...,
By
This review is from: It's Only a Game: Words of Wisdom from a Lifetime in Golf (Hardcover)
Simply put, if you care about golf - it's history, tradition and the real meaning of the game, then this book is a must read.Jack Burke, Jr. has played an important role in golf history - as an outstanding player, teacher and co-creator of one of the greatest golf clubs in the nation. This book is a compilation of great stories and Burke's views on a number of meaningful topics relating to golf and life. A quick, educational and enlightening read that I highly recommend.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read for the true golfer,
By Avid Golfer (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
This review is from: It's Only a Game: Words of Wisdom from a Lifetime in Golf (Hardcover)
The title of can be a bit misleading but not in the way one might assume. The title seems to convey the diea that Burke doesn't take golf as seriously as others; the exact opposite is true. He views the game through a different viewpoint where instead of the game being involved within every aspect of your life, life is involved throughout the game of golf. He at the same time views golf not as a game to be taken lightly but instead one that falls back on the basic human instincts of competition. I've had the personal luxury of growing up and maturing as a golfer at the club he and Jimmy Demaret founded, Champions Golf Club, and because of Jack Burke I see the game differently from my peers. This book comes as close as possible to discovering who he is and the way he believes the game of golf should be played. He hasn't been caught up by who he is and what he has accomplished; he instead continues to try to teach others what golf is, what it used to be, and what it should continue to be.
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