The Meaning of Golf - golf stories, golf books, golf gifts

Phil Mickelson @ 50

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 12:12:06 -0700

Phil Mickelson is 50. Happy Birthday Philip (as literally nobody ever seems to call you).

Many of The Thrill’s contemporaries – Allan Robertson, Old Tom Morris, Young Tom Morris etc. – have been many years playing the great par-5 in the sky, yet Philip Alfred Mickelson – Lefty – pushes on. His golf is undiminished. The affection most people hold him in seems to grow. His social media impact increases and, in fact, today might be a good day for Twitter to add a few more server fans, because a heavy volume of birthday greetings will be flying around online in the next 24 hours. Twitter loves this guy.

He’s always been a bit fat has Phil, never really looking like a guy who could go and go into older age like, say, the svelte Bernhard Langer. Yet Phil’s still giving as good as he gets and better, still playing the game of golf beautifully. How has it happened? Genetics no doubt. Some attention to fitness (more than diet) too. But there’s something else. A sense of fun? A genuine enjoyment of play? A love of competition? All these things. And total confidence helps, a kind of charming arrogance. His self-proclaimed genius, the 200+ intelligence quotient points he claims (probable bollocks, but that’s not the point), must keep him going for sure. That kind of high level of self-belief is no bad thing, especially if it can be tempered with some kindness, some generosity, and it seems like there’s some of that: he’s pretty smiley after all, and he’s one of the world’s great tippers.

This guy gave us The Masters in 2011. He gave us The Open in 2013, that final round at Muirfield. And I’ll always thank him for The Open in 2016, even though it’s not his name on the jug.

Happy Birthday Phil. Like pretty much everyone, I’m really hoping you get the birthday gift American golfers dream of and you win your national competition at Winged Foot this year.

'Unfair Splendours'

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 21:22:01 -0700

Is golf the greatest game in the world? Many would say so. But then, golf has truly excellent propaganda.

Almost all golfers watch The Masters. At least for a few hours we all tune in: same time, same place. In this way, every year, the game’s aesthetics, its incredible difficulty and its pleasant surface manners are enforced worldwide. This rite of spring serves to spread the message that golf is something to aspire to: a beautiful pursuit for gentlemen of improbable skills.

It’s a meaningful moment in the calendar, marking, for golfers, a new beginning as surely as the solstice did for Pagans or as Easter might for Christians. And the CBS output from Augusta National is as tightly controlled as any sermon the Catholic Church might sanction for its great events.

The broadcast values might feel dated. There’s a strangely saturated feel to the ultra-high-definition images and unreal colour schemes. And endless advertising from just a limited number of selected sponsors is trying, as if a lack of variety is somehow better. But the overall sensation is – as intended – one of tradition: a tradition unlike any other they say, over and over again, so that even Joseph Goebbels would admire the repetition.

It’s April. Augusta’s wonders are on display. The voice of the final four has his vocal chords in tune. The schmaltz and the golf can begin.

In Spain thoughts turn to Ballesteros and Olazabal. In Canada they think of Mike Weir, in Argentina Ángel Cabrera. In Australia it should be Adam Scott but they can’t help thinking of Greg Norman and the collapse he suffered at the hands of that automaton pom, Sir Nick Faldo, who they’re thinking of in England.

Around the world golfers measure out their years in Sunday broadcasts of blooming flowers and dyed-blue waters, unimaginably green greens, grown men praying as they walk across stone bridges built by German prisoners of war and named after the legends of the game, grown men crying as...Read More

The Best Golf Gift

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 15:51:43 -0800

What can I buy for a golfer at Christmas? What is the best golf gift for the holidays?

Golf clubs, by way of golf gift, are too dangerous by far… I'm talking drivers, irons, putters... Golf clubs – these days – are seriously expensive. More than that, they’re often fitted specifically to the player. You just can’t buy custom fit clubs online… It doesn’t work that way.

Golf balls for golf gifts? Don’t do it. Golfers have their own preferences and one can never be sure…

Golf accessories for golf gifts? Who really wants a leather wallet with a pencil holder and an ill-fitting slot for a scorecard? Skip it.

Golf apparel makes a passable present for a golfer? But who knows someone else’s sizing, their fashion preferences? If you’ve got to do it, don’t go for mainstream golf brands. Just get ‘em a Uniqlo sweater.

Golf travel gifts? Now that’s an idea. It’s a big investment. But who wouldn’t want a dream golf vacation to Ireland or Scotland?

An IOU for a game of golf? That’s a great golf gift. If you’re a member at somewhere glorious, somewhere the average golfer can’t simply stroll up and play, then just scribble on a Christmas card the promise of a game at Sunningdale, Muirfield, Augusta National or the number one golf course in the world (by most standards), Pine Valley. Or even if you're not a millionaire member at some swanky club, an invite to your home course is going to be greatly appreciated!

Golf art’s good: an original or a print for the office or man cave (do people still have man caves?) Trouble is, a lot of golf art is, well, it’s less than artistic. So go easy. Be thoughtful.

How about a beautiful golf book? Not so long ago I was selling books I produced and published which New York Magazine called ‘the most beautiful golf books in the world’, Read More

Golf in South West France

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 13:32:16 -0700

The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US will be spending the weekend in Biarritz, a glamorous seaside resort on the Atlantic coast in South West France. It’s a strange place for the G7 summit to take place. Not only is the French seaside utterly mobbed at this time of year, but it’s a distracting place to be focusing on business. Its diversions are many.

So, as the diplomatic dealing and horse-trading over globally critical matters intensifies, don’t expect these VIPs to stick wholly to the job in hand.

Boris Johnson, the playboy Prime Minister, may find himself dreaming of the topless sunbathing France is famous for: the beaches here are in no way conservative.

Meanwhile, Justin Trudeau may find himself dreaming of the Atlantic rollers which crash onto the nearby sands because the Canadian premier is a keen surfer and the waves here draw thousands in their Volkswagen vans.

And President Trump must also be forgiven if he finds his mind wandering, his thoughts turning to the great golf he could be enjoying in this part of the world if only he and his regular playing partner, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, could somehow slip away.

Some seriously good golf courses are to be found nearby. The local course, Biarritz Le Phare, is by no means the pick of them being hemmed in by housing, but it has charm and it has historic significance. First its charm: short and sweet and smack in the centre of glorious Biarritz. And that historic significance? A Tom and Willie Dunn design, modified by the great Harry Colt, this is where Arnaud Massy, France’s sole major champion, learned his golf and it’s also where the Biarritz green was created, a design classic no longer seen here but recreated at countless courses across the globe. By the way, Biarritz is the second oldest course in France.

About 6km...Read More

18 Greatest Scottish Golf Holes

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 03:49:34 -0700

18 Greatest Scottish Golf Holes was widely acclaimed.

Desperate to get hold of a copy of 18 Greatest Scottish Golf Holes? Maybe you're a collector or you're planning a great gift for a golf collector? Email me. Perhaps something can be done.

18 Greatest Irish Golf Holes

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 03:48:01 -0700

18 Greatest Irish Golf Holes enjoyed seriously good reviews.

Here's a sample chapter from the book, specifically chapter 8, which deals with the 15th hole at Portmarnock Golf Club, one of Ireland's greatest par-3 holes. And here's another, chapter 16, which features Waterville's 11th hole, a stunning, natural par-5.

If you are a collector or simply anxious to get hold of a copy of this rare beauty, help may be at hand. Email me here.

What is The Meaning of Golf?

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 02:45:26 -0700

The Meaning of Golf's 18 chapters are a series of short studies and journeys, interviews too with incongruously interesting golfers, from the greatest players, teachers and course architects, to other less famous - but no less brilliant - aficionados of the game. The game's major tournaments are considered and celebrated as well.

Buy The Meaning of Golf in paperback or else as an ebook. The Meaning of Golf is available from Amazon in the US. And The Meaning of Golf is available from Amazon in the UK (and, indeed, in many other territories).

Golf, like life, is a journey or a series of small trips. So the book’s laid out in the same way. Additionally, the chapters are paced, in order and length, as the holes are on the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland. And there are acrostics to be discovered in this book, revealing, perhaps, what the title promises.

Taking a sideways look at golfers from President Trump to Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods and Old Tom Morris, and ranging across the US, the British Isles and far beyond, this book goes no small way towards discovering the essence of the game, what makes it so attractive and so addictive to those who play it.

It's not schmaltzy or saccharine, but it is thoughtful and wise. There are no tired golfing anecdotes here, but it contains a fresh stream of great stories. When it's raining hard and there's nothing good on The Golf Channel you're sure to enjoy it!

Golf Monthly Magazine calls The Meaning of Golf "tremendous", saying it is a "funny, observant and insightful book that...Read More

Golf is not sexy

Sat, 03 Aug 2019 23:08:58 -0700

The golf world worries that its game is somehow in decline. Participation is, or has been, down. When Tiger's not involved television viewing figures are down. Overall profits may or may not be down. Even Nike, the all-conquering Greek Goddess of Victory, could not find a way to make golf equipment pay, despite the significant support of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. The expensive endorsements and associated advertising which were meant to make golf sexy, or at least appealing, failed to land, or deliver sufficient sales.

But here’s the deal. Golf isn’t sexy. It never has been. Never will be. But that shouldn’t matter as long as it’s good.

So is golf actually any good? No, it’s better than that. It's brilliant.

Golf’s really hard, although when we’re playing well it appears, briefly, simple. It can be utterly soul-destroying, yet golf’s mostly very good for the soul.

Attempts to change the game, to make its appeal wider, its profits deeper, only mess it up.

The governing bodies, the tour organizers and sponsors, they want to see steep growth charts, big successes. But people who love golf still love golf. They’ll always love golf. Let them get on with it. Maybe golf will never be as popular as soccer. Good. I've got a pile of ideas to grow the game, to increase its fame in its heartlands and in new territories. (I'm a publicist and content marketer with a load of experience in showbiz and entertainment.) But none of them change the game in its entirety. We mustn't be so fickle. Let's not lose whatever so many people already love about golf.