Customer Reviews

The Soul of Golf

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first read this book when it was published in the 1990's. I have wanted to read it again since then, and recently was given the name and author from an old friend who leant it to me. If you appreciate humor, and just downright telling it like it is - the joy of the game, the agony of bad shots, the empathy we have for each other and the admiration for beauty and nature, and just life on its challenging courses, then this is the book for you. In fact, next month I plan to go to Taos, NM to play the course I have dreamed about playing for over a decade. Highly recommended.

I've owned this book for three or four years now, and I'm always picking it back up to reread sections -- usually on days when I'm wishing I was on the road headed somewhere new with my golf clubs in the trunk.

This book has basically the same wise-cracking tone as Jim Bouton's baseball classic "Ball Four." Whether one agrees with Hallberg's outlook on various topics or not, it's interesting and entertaining to read his often humorous thoughts on those subjects.

I did, however, notice a few factual errors in the text. For instance, there is no highrise building on Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, as the book states. The building that Hallberg saw apparently was Sugartop on nearby Sugar Mountain.

This is an exceptionally well written enjoyable book to read on a rainy afternoon when you can't get out to the course. The only downer were periodic eruptions of Hallberg's boomer arrogance. Also disappointing was the fact he told all his golf partners that he was writing a book and he was going to put them in it!

This is my favorite golf book. Well, it's not really a "golf book" per se -- obviously, it revolves around a golf trip, but Hallberg's descriptions of the value of family, friends, and the kindness of strangers are priceless. Contrary to what other reviewers have said, I think it's obvious that Hallberg cares deeply about his family -- aborting his trip would have done nothing to cure their health problems; but it would have deprived us of a beautiful, sensitive book.

While we're at it, I also liked his novel, "The Rub of the Green." Both it and the present volume are among that rare category of books that made me feel sad when I reached the end -- finishing the book is like taking leave of a good friend.

I HAVE EVERY REASON TO EXPECT THAT WILLIAM HALLBERG WOULD BE A GREAT FRIEND HAD OUR PATHS CROSSED. HIS BOOK TRANSFORMED AN OTHERWISE DREARY WINTER WEEKEND AND MAGICALLY CARRIED ME BACK THROUGH MANY FANTASTIC MOMENTS IN MY OWN LIFE. GOLF IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT I TREASURE AND MR. HALLBERG HAS CAPTURED THE MOMENT. IF ONE MUST LOOK BEYOND THE SIMPLE JOY OF STANDING ON A FIRST TEE FOR DEEPER MEANING, THEN I THINK THAT THEY MISS THE POINT OF THIS ABSOLUTELY REFRESHING WORK. CONGRATULATIONS BILL. I ENVY YOUR TALENT BUT AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE SHARED SOME OF YOUR MOMENTS.

A book which changed the way I travel is "Blue Highways", by William (Trogdon)Least Heat Moon. I've given away a number of copies to friends of different ages and backgrounds. Bill Hallberg's "The Soul of Golf" could have been titled "Blue Fairways". Although Hallberg spent far too much time stuck on interstates, like the narrator of "Blue Highways", Hallberg set off at a trying time of his life. I don't believe he was running away from the problems in his family, as terrible as they were. From his descriptions, I'd guess we share our baby boomerness, and our love of golf, though his love affair with the game is much more longstanding. And, though his length off the tee dwarfs me, he's still little more than a hacker. When he write of playing a last round with his friend, Duke, or with older players who are just happy to be alive, he and I are one. Like "Blue Highways", this is a book I'll give to friends, and I'll return to. I only wish he'd included some photos of his travels, and that we'd had a chance to get out for a round together. Hallberg subscribes to Harvey Penick's credo, "If you play golf, you're my friend." That's a tenet of golf.

I thought that this was a beautifully written and poignant book. The author sets out on a journey to discover the "soul of golf" but ultimately struggles with the larger concerns of his life such as love, family relations, meaning in life, and ultimately death. It is hard to characterize his writing style, but it is somewhere out on the continuum towards Tom Robbins, but not as far out. For those who do not appreciate that type of writing or humor, this book is not for you. However, if you are a golfer and enjoy travel books filled with philosophical musings and descriptions of the more mundane aspects of traveling you will love this book. This book has made it onto my list of favorite books and I have already started going back and re-reading parts of it again.

Hallberg sometimes hits the mark in describing the pleasure and frustration of this conceptually simple game. But the book is overly long and his style of writing wore me down. I found myself skipping entire pages to get on with it, and hopping to discover the "soul of the game."

He never explains to my satisfaction why he's making such a long and difficult trip with all the real-world family troubles going on back home that deserve much more of his attention. Except that maybe he's already signed with a book publisher to come up with something, anything.

When he finally does get to a golf course and writes about the experience, he's right on the mark -- the pleasure and the pain of this evil game is wonderfully told. But through his more common tedious drumming about Motel 6s and greasy hamburgers he eventually lost my interest, and I stopped reading 2/3 through the book.

I was intrigued enough, however, that I will seek out and read his "The Rub of the Green."

THIS IS MY FAVORITE OF ALL THE GOLF BOOKS. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT GOLF. IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE LITTLE TIMES INBETWEEN ROUNDS. IF YOU LOVE TO READ ABOUT GOLF, LOVE TO TRAVEL WITH AS LITTLE PLANNING AS POSSIBLE, AND EXPERIANCE LIFE AS IT COMES TOWARDS YOU. YOU'LL SEE ALOT OF YOURSELF IN THIS BOOK. I FOUND MYSELF SAYING "I'VE BEEN THERE," AND "YES THAT'S THE WAY IT FEELS," ALL THROUGOUT THIS BIOGRAPHY/NOVEL/TRAVEL JOURNAL/GOLF BOOK. DON'T MISS READING THIS BOOK OR YOU'LL REGRET IT.

This book should have been called "Me and My Neon". I didn't find anything new in this book. It was too verbose and ran on a little too long. I didn't like the author's style. All I kept asking myself was why go on this pointless trip with all the problems back at home