And If You Play Golf, You're My Friend: Furthur Reflections of a Grown Caddie [Paperback]

Harvey Penick (Author), Bud Shrake (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1999

ANOTHER ROUND OF INSPIRATION AND INSTRUCTION

When Harvey Penick signed copies of his now classic first book, Harvey Penick's Little Red Book, Bud Shrake, his coauthor, noticed that he often inscribed them with the line "To my fried and pupil." When Shrake asked him why, Penick replied "Well, if you read my book, you're my pupil, and if you play golf, you're my friend."

Taking up where the Little Red Book left off, this is the second dose of Penick's singular brand of wit and wisdom, full of the simple and easy-to-understand lessons on golf that Penick is known and admired for. Like its predecessor, And If You Play Golf, You're My Friend is rich with Penick's great love of the game, a love that he delighted in sharing with golfers of all ages and levels of ability.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Penick, who became a club pro in the early '20s and achieved fame as the coach of the University of Texas golf team, is joined again by Shrake for more of what put their The Little Red Book on the bestseller lists: tips for links lovers whether pro or duffer. The authors' advice is to keep it simple, to rely on common sense and to practice enough so that play even in important games is almost instinctive. There is advice on head and body placement, club choice, even on preserving your equanimity, for Pro (as Penick is called) is a firm believer in the power of positive thinking. There are also entertaining anecdotes, like the one about a Chicago golf pro who lowered a member's handicap only to be told by the irate player, "Give me my three strokes back. I've had people killed for less than what you did." First serial to Golf Digest.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Penick garnered much attention over the course of his 33 years as golf coach at the University of Texas, and with the best-selling success of his first book, Harvey Penick's Little Red Book (S. & S., 1992), this is a welcome addition. Penick tells his story in clean, straightforward prose. The narrative is seasoned with dozens of well-told vignettes about colorful personalities and golf tournaments. There are glimmers of insight here about his former pupils Tom Kite and Mark Brooks, both successful golfers on the professional circuit. The general reader will appreciate the witty biographical sketches that pepper the book. For all popular sports collections.
- Jim Paxman, Tennessee State Univ., Nashville
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Fireside ed edition (October 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684867338
• ISBN-13: 978-0684867335
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Golf

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny and insightful., November 17, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Florham Park, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And if You Play Golf, You're My Friend: Further Reflections of a Grown Caddie (Hardcover)

This litany of amusing stories throughout Harvey's life show exactly how amusing us golfers really are. Each story brings out some simplistic gem that will either make you a better golfer or a better person. This book would make a great gift for any of your golfing buddies!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU LIKED LITTLE RED YOU'LL LIKE LITTLE GREEN, March 19, 2004

By 

D. McAllister "MRD" (Somewhere in the Field) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And If You Play Golf, You're My Friend: Furthur Reflections of a Grown Caddie (Paperback)

Harvey Penick's AND IF YOU PLAY GOLF, YOU'RE MY FRIEND is a wonderful companion volume to HARVEY PENICK'S LITTLE RED BOOK.

Unlike LITTLE RED, AND IF YOU PLAY GOLF... is more a book of reflections, experiences and anecdotes about the game that Penick devoted a lifetime to. Like LITTLE RED it brings with it a distinctive flavor for the game that is lacking in a sport that has been blown out of proportion by golfing superstars and their embarrassingly large salaries. Penick's words remind golfers everywhere that, in the end, golf is less about celebrity and endorsements and stuffy business sponsors and all about each individual golfer as he or she battles it out on the home course.

THE HORSEMAN

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't play golf, May 2, 2007

By 

Twice-lived (Lyons, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And If You Play Golf, You're My Friend: Furthur Reflections of a Grown Caddie (Paperback)

I don't play golf, but I've listened to my father's golf stories for fifteen years. And the only time I ever heard him use a really bad word was when he served as chair of the handicap committee at the club he belonged to. He would enjoy this book.

I bought this book for a brother-in-law who didn't get it, but then, he's a club-thrower. Before wrapping it, I read some of the stories and was truly moved. If all you're trying to do is fix your swing, you can probably find better books for that. Penick's stories touch the highest aspirations of the game and its culture.

If you want to learn about what's really important--sportsmanship, friendship, and improving your life as well as your game, then this book might be of interest to you.