Story Of Golf [Hardcover]

George Peper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

A lavishly illustrated history brings to life the full, rich history of the game of golf, from its earliest forms in medieval Europe to the development of a modern, televised play. 250 full-color photos.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Exactly how and where the Royal and Ancient Game began is as lost as a tee shot drowned in the muck at the bottom of Rae's Creek. But conversely, so much of golf's rich history has been carefully preserved. Born as the companion volume to the PBS documentary, the elegantly illustrated Story of Golf begins at the beginning, conjecturing on where the game's seed was first planted; then it moves briskly to golf's 1744 codification in Scotland, which is where the fun really starts. From there, the game is a stage for one colorful character and plot twist after another, and pretty much all find their way into Story's pages, from the Tom Morrises (Old and Young) straight down the middle to Tiger Woods. Naturally, there are stops along the way to consider the importation of the game into the United States and its more recent globalization; its rich amateur tradition and transition to the professional game; the LPGA and Senior tours; the impact of racism and sexism; the evolution of course design, equipment, and rule changes; and unforgettable moments from tee to green like Francis Ouimet's improbable 1913 U.S. Open victory, Bobby Jones's Grand Slam, Gene Sarazen's double eagle, Arnold Palmer's miraculous 1960 charge up Cherry Hills, and the overall achievement of Jack Nicklaus. Thoroughly researched and entertainingly presented, about the only thing missing is a positive ID on the first Scotsman ever to break a brassie over his knee out of sheer golfing frustration. --Jeff Silverman

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: TV Books (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575000393
• ISBN-13: 978-1575000398
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #533,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

George Peper is one of America's most respected golf journalists. For 25 years he was Editor-in-Chief of GOLF Magazine, with a total readership of 7 million. He is currently Editor-at-Large for LINKS Magazine where his column appears in each issue.

Peper is the author of 18 books on golf, two of them New York Times best sellers. His next book, entitled LINKS, is due from Artisan in 2010. Co-written with Scottish golf writer Malcolm Campbell, is is a celebration in words and photos of the world's 244 links courses.

Peper has written scripts for two dozen videos and television shows. His script for The Story of Golf, a two-hour documentary for Public Broadcasting, won him an Emmy nomination.

Peper's commitment to golf and golf course architecture was recognized in 2008 when he was presented the Donald Ross Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Previous recipients include Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson, and Robert Trent Jones. In 2009 the Metropolitan Golf Writers presented him the Lincoln Werden Award for lifetime achivement to golf journalism.

Among his contributions to the game are "Pace Ratings" which establish playing times for golf courses and "The Need System" which was adopted by the USGA as the recommended method for allocating handicap strokes across 18 holes. Peper is also the originator of GOLF Magazine's biennial list of the Top 100 Courses in the World.

Currently Peper is Editor -at-Large for LINKS Magazine where his column appears in each issue. He lives in Newport, Rhode Island and St. Andrews, Scotland where he has a home on the 18th hole of the Old Course.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a hole-in-one!, May 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Story Of Golf (Hardcover)

This book is like your caddie on the history of the game. It takes you back to St. Andrews where it all started and then documents the birth and evolution of Golf in America--the game, the equipment, and the players. You get to meet all the great golf architects like C.B. Macdonald and all the great classic players like Gene Sarazen (who just passed away). Turns out Bobby Jones was worshipped in Scotland! The author wraps historical anecdotes in with some gorgeous color shots of courses from Augusta to Winged Foot. A must-read for true Golf fans!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost the Complete History, September 18, 2009

By 

Tristan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Story Of Golf (Hardcover)

Overall I felt the book was excellent, especially the first half which is a can't put this book down until I have finished it, it describes the development and the way golf evolved, I was riveted with many of the facts and information for example before the 14 club rule one player used 31 clubs to play a round. I really had sympathy for the poor caddy that had to carry them.

BUT the second half is more of a chronological anthology of players and their achievements, with the development of golf as we know it taking a back seat, I was also surprised by the omissions within the book as a whole, for example there was no mention of Oakhurst Golf course, also no mention of Macgregor golf, I did find this extremely surprising as Macgregor was founded in 1897 had many "firsts' and certainly was a main player in both the history and development of golf.

I did purchase the book as used at a very advantageous price which is why I felt I got bang for my buck and why I have awarded the book four stars, if I had paid full cover price then sorry the rating would have dropped a star.