Lure of the Links: Great Golf Stories [Paperback]

David Owen (Editor), Joan Bingham (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 1999

This handsome anthology of stories and essays profiles the great courses, the players, and the spirit of the game - appealing equally to the scratch aficionado and the weekend hack. Contributors include: Dave Anderson; Sarah Ballard; Ethan Canin; Marcia Chambers; Bernard Darwin; Dan Jenkins; Robert T. Hones, Jr.; Ward Just; James Kaplan; Stephen Leacock; Michael Murphy; Harvey Penick; George Plimpton; Gene Sarazen; John Updike; and Herbert Warren Wind.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"For most of us," writes Owen in his introduction to Lure of the Links, "golf improves in retrospect." So does much of the best writing on the game, and there's plenty of good writing packed into this sweeping collection, which includes short stories by John Updike, profiles by Al Laney and Herbert Warren Wind, reportage by Dan Jenkins and Thomas Boswell, and a pair of essays by the incomparable Bernard Darwin. Golf may be the most elusive of all games to play well, but the angst and camaraderie it engenders has a way of conspiring to produce a sporting literature as grand as the vistas of Pebble Beach and as challenging as the Road Hole at St. Andrews. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Golf anthologies are not in short supply, and this one brings together journalism, personal essays, and short fiction that have made numerous appearances elsewhere. Still, as an introduction to golf writing, it's hard to beat. All the stars are here--Darwin, Longhurst, Wind, Jenkins, Bamberger, Boswell--and the range of selections is wide, covering the great players, courses, and moments in the game's history, as well as offering reflections on what the editors label "the idiosyncrasies of golf." Even fans who know their golf lit will appreciate the convenience of finding between the same covers, say, Thomas Boswell on Pebble Beach and Herbert Warren Wind on St. Andrews. Clearly a top choice among golf anthologies. Bill Ott --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (March 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871137496
• ISBN-13: 978-0871137494
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 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: #2,388,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Owen is a staff writer for The New Yorker and a contributing editor of Golf Digest, and he is the author of a dozen books. He lives in northwest Connecticut with his wife, the writer Ann Hodgman. Learn more at www.davidowen.net or (if you're a golfer) at www.myusualgame.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great compilation for the golf enthusiast!, June 28, 2000

By 

R. Carvill "golfman" (Highlands Ranch, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lure of the Links: Great Golf Stories : An Anthology (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this great collection of golf stories. One would have to buy dozens of books to have access to these wonderfully written pieces otherwise. Conveniently organized into different categories for easy reference. This book takes you back into some of golf's greatest historical writing as well as a taste of some of the best contemporary work. I'd strongly recommend adding this gem to your library.