Playing a Round with the Little Pro: A Life in the Game [Hardcover]

Eddie Merrins (Author), Mike Purkey (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 25, 2006

In the world of professional golf, everyone knows "The Little Pro," Eddie Merrins, the head professional emeritus at the Bel-Air Country Club. A living bridge between the Golden Age of the sport and the greatest champions of today, from Bobby Jones to Tiger Woods, Merrins is an embodiment of the highest principles of the game, both on and off the course. In Playing a Round with the Little Pro, Merrins shares, with his trademark wit and modesty, dozens of personal anecdotes about the decades he spent in the company of Hollywood stars, celebrated athletes and coaches, and countless lovers of the game seeking his advice and encouragement. He also offers, for the first time, all his insights into the mental, physical, technical, and spiritual aspects of the sport. Celebrating a wonderful life lived in and for the great sport of golf, this book is destined, like its author, to be a classic of the game.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Eddie Merrins will go down in history as one of the best men in golf, and one of its best teachers."

-- Byron Nelson

"This book is entertaining, amusing and a well-deserved tribute to one of golf's true gentlemen."

-- The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

"The best golf book that I have ever read when it comes to the combination of instruction and storytelling....You feel like you have had the great privilege of receiving an all-afternoon lesson with the Little Pro."

-- Jim Nantz --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Eddie Merrins is a true golf legend, one of the most admired and respected figures in the game for more than half a century. An accomplished junior and amateur player growing up in Mississippi, he turned professional in 1957 and has played in over 200 PGA Tour events. After stints as an instructor at the legendary Merion Golf Club outside Philadelphia, Thunderbird Country Club in Palm Springs, and the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, in 1962 he became head professional at the Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles and has stayed there ever since. At Bel-Air, Merrins has worked with some of the biggest names in professional golf and in the entertainment industry. In his spare time, he has coached the UCLA golf team to national prominence, winning the NCAA championship in 1988.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Atria (April 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743274253
• ISBN-13: 978-0743274258
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,865,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a good book from an excellent golf pro., December 29, 2006

By 

Barry J. Levy "the historian" (amherst, massachusetts) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Playing a Round with the Little Pro: A Life in the Game (Hardcover)

This book is part autobiography, part social history, part instruction. Merrins has led an interesting life at toney golf clubs in the New York, Philadelphia, and finally LA areas. He certainly could tell more stories about the reality of living with, and under, the rich than he does here. He is loyal to his employers. This is not kiss and tell. Indeed, there are too many bland tributes to millionaires here. Stories about being a pro in the 1950s and about the economic realities of jobs are interesting, however.

The book is most valuable because it contains much of the script of Merrin's video series. Clearly he is an original and valuable thinker about the swing and game. This book is useful as a companion to his excellent video series. Indeed, it is a must book for Merrin's far away students like myself and not so much a must for other golfers. I do wish Mr. Merrin was more candid about his own changes in swing concepts. In his earlier book, Swing the Handle, he has a page emphasizing the need to roll the forearms replete with illustrations, but in the video and in this book, rolling the forearms is not mentioned and is apparantly now not recommended. Such an essential change should have been confronted. Still, a superb teacher and thinker about golf.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bel Air, January 5, 2007

By 

John Halff "not a scratch player" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Playing a Round with the Little Pro: A Life in the Game (Hardcover)

The Little Pro is both charming and well-written, from Eddie Merrins' heart.

Enjoyed the celebrity tales also.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great gift for dad!, January 3, 2007

By 

productwhoreinLA (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Playing a Round with the Little Pro: A Life in the Game (Hardcover)

got this as a present for my dad - he LOVES it!! definitely recommend this little book to any man who is a true lover of the game of golf.