A Nasty Bit of Rough [Paperback]

David Feherty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 25, 2003

Over the years, readers of Golf magazine have come to know and love Major General (Ret.) Sir Richard Gussett, the raucous imaginary uncle featured in David Feherty's column "Sidespin." In this first volume of his misadventures, Gussett sets his sights on the most prestigious prize in golf, the petrified middle finger of St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland. Presiding over the world's most cantankerous golf club, Gussett must motivate his members through battles with incontinence, single malt Scotch, and a litany of other unmentionable afflictions in a "friendly" competition with their ancient rivals, the notorious McGregor clan. Anyone who loves the game or knows someone who does will be unable to resist Feherty's hilarious storytelling and golfing gravitas.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This first novel by broadcaster and Golf Magazine columnist Feherty is a totally silly, completely unbelievable tall tale that succeeds more often than it fails because of the vibrancy of the voice and the straightforwardness of the telling. Scrought's Wood is the world's oldest and strangest golf course, so venerable it makes St. Andrew's look like a teenager. The membership has dwindled to nine, and the club, buried deep in Scottish gorse and heather, is virtually unknown to the outside world. Every 50 years, led by its owner and chairman Sir Richard Gusset ("Uncle Dickie"), its members compete in a golf match against the McGregor clan, a rough and ready gaggle of Scottish hillbillies, the prize being the petrified middle finger of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. Scrought's Wood, using very devious tactics, wins "The Digit," as it is known, only to have it stolen back by the McGregors while the old duffers are reveling in their victory. Scrought's Wood's members are gleefully eccentric, plagued by hilarious ailments, defects and unmentionable afflictions. When the outside world insists they allow a woman to join the club, one of the old-timers has a sex change operation. It would be awfully easy to dismiss this novel as trivial and inane, for many of the jokes are painfully set-up groaners, while others miss the mark entirely. Overall, one is often reminded of smirking teenage boys talking about sex. But there is a cheerfulness and a spit-in-the-face-of-authority aura about it that makes it the Naked Gun of golf literature. (Mar.)Forecast: Feherty, a former professional golfer, is a popular CBS commentator with a ready-made following; many will recognize Scrought's Wood from its appearances in the pages of Golf Magazine. His author tour engagements should be well attended, and he's a natural for radio and TV interviews.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

CBS golf commentator Feherty writes a column in Golf magazine about a fictional English golf club called Scrought's Wood, presided over by Major General (ret.) Sir Richard ("Little Dicky") Gussett and a band of stiff-upper-lipped hell-raisers who have more in common with the gang from Animal House than they do with the regulars at St. Andrews. Requests for more stories about Little Dicky prompted Feherty to tackle a novel, and he's come up with a rollicking farce in which Little Dicky and accomplices travel to Scotland, where they tangle with their ancient rivals, the MacGregor clan of the Tay Club, who are in possession of the most valued prize in golf, the Digit, otherwise known as the petrified middle finger of St. Andrew. What follows melds the best of the Crosby-Hope road pictures with the worst of the Three Stooges. Feherty throws together some genuine laughs, far too many incontinence jokes, and a tantalizing dose of golf history. Golfers who love the movie Caddyshack will love this book nearly as much. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (February 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142002658
• ISBN-13: 978-0142002650
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #815,381 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GOLF IN THE KINGDOM on acid and nitrous oxide., May 21, 2002

By 

Lee Gruenfeld "www-leegruenfeld-com" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Nasty Bit of Rough (Hardcover)

I'm the author of THE GREEN and THE FOURSOME, written under the pseudonym "Troon McAllister." It's not often that I get jealous of someone else's writing, but David Feherty has a touch and a voice that is to die for. Never mind the "professional" reviewer who completely misperceives the point of this book (they would call LORD OF THE RINGS "implausible"), silliness is the whole bloody point. NASTY ROUGH is pure whimsy of the best sort, with some parts so hysterically funny it would be just as well you didn't read it with other people in the vicinity.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feherty is one of the funniest guys alive, if you love golf, June 12, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Nasty Bit of Rough (Hardcover)

I read it on a cross country flight and certainly aggravated my seatmate with frequent laugh-out-loud episodes. I couldnt help it and I couldnt put it down. The goofy characters are great, the plot keeps your attention to the end and the classically dry Feherty insights are funny as hell. However, if you dont love golf and dont have an appreciation for "old-style" golf in Scotland and England, you wont get it. Also if you are offended by excessive alcohol consumption and unabashed potty humor, this book is not for you. Otherwise, get a copy now.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No golf mysticism found here; just damn funny writing, July 4, 2002

By 

Andy Orrock (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Nasty Bit of Rough (Hardcover)

This is a fabulously funny book by David Feherty. Yes, the guy is glib and delightful on television. But who knew he would translate so well to writing? The guy has a real talent - I hope this work is just the first of many.

A couple of items worth noting:

1) There's no "golf in the kingdom"-like mysticism found here like in so many paens to the sport these days. You get the sense right away that Feherty will have none of that [stuff].

2) This book may set the record for the most varied and colorful euphemisms describing the male genitalia.

3) This book may set the record for the most varied and colorful euphemisms describing flatulence and excrement.

4) This book - despite its sophomoric and crude humor - is amazingly literate and quite politically correct (wait'll you get a load of Uncle Dickie's posse).

5) This book is more non-golf than golf. Hats off to the author for showing he can be humorous regardless of the subject.

...and you've gotta love any writer that steals a joke from Billy Connolly & then footnotes the guy when he uses it. Great touch.