As I do nearly every year, I was quick to pony up a good deal of cash for the new Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game. Like with most good video games I've been engrossed with it since the day I bought it, but that doesn't mean I love the game.

There are good things. For instance, the online country club feature is awesome, and we here at The Sand Trap have set up country clubs for Xbox 360 and PS3 to take advantage of that. But there is a plethora of shortcomings, not only in this game but in the series overall, and there simply has not been enough of an effort to overcome those. Numerous decisions clearly illustrate that EA Sports values the form over function when it comes to this game, and that comes at a detriment to the gameplay.

This year's game is available for $60 for PS3 and Xbox 360, and there is a Collector's Edition for $70 also sold for both systems. We've already arrived to the first downside of Tiger 13, which is that last year's game was also available for Wii, Windows, Mac OS X, and iOS. Kinect and Move are supported, but I have neither so I won't be commenting on them. Read on to see if the price was worth it.

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When you think of golf in Scotland, you might think of the great courses, the unpredictable weather, or the rich history of the game, and yet there is an integral part you may overlook and that is the importance of the role of caddies. Scotland's Caddies by Ron Colby aims to bring the caddy to the forefront and show just how integral their role has not only been throughout the history of golf but continues to play a vital role in today's golf as well.

Is Scotland's Caddies a "must see?" Should you add it to your DVD collection? Read on to find out.

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It might seem easy today to generate some book sales and media hype when you throw the name Tiger Woods on the cover or in the title. With the fame of being the world's best golfer (and now tabloid fodder), all you need to do is put his name somewhere on the cover, toss in some nuggets (whether factual or not), and generate some book sales.

While I'm certain there are or will be plenty of books coming out to cash in on his fame or notoriety, The Last Putt: 2 Teams, One Dream, and a Freshman Named Tiger is certainly not one of them. Oh, to be sure, Tiger is in the title and a picture of him is on the dust jacket but this book is not a memoir of Tiger's college days. While he's the most well known in the much heralded cast of characters, it is the story of desire, determination, camaraderie, and a little bit of destiny sprinkled in that takes center stage.

Should you add The Last Putt to your summer reading list? Read on to find out.

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Andrew Rice describes himself on his site as a "golf swing junkie." Unlike amateur golf swing junkies, Andrew has studied under some of golf's greatest teachers and taught some of the game's best players.

Originally from South Africa, Rice competed in junior events against Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. He played for University of Central Florida and finished Second Team All-American with Justin Leonard in 1991. He played the mini-tours before getting into instruction at David Leadbetter's Junior Golf Academy.

Rice currently serves as the Director of Instruction at the prestigious Berkeley Hall in Bluffton, South Carolina. He's taught PGA Tour players like Nick Price as well as other PGA, European, LPGA, Champions, and Nationwide Tour players.

As a "golf swing junkie," Andrew has seemingly never been content to take what David Leadbetter or any one person says about the golf swing, and much in the style of Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer, has spent time analyzing the great swings to discern the truth about what works and what doesn't.

His first book - It's All About Impact - The Winners of Over 100 Majors Prove It - is the result of such efforts.

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The holidays are just around the corner and if you're like me, you might be starting to put together a list to give your love ones on the golf-related items you want to receive (otherwise know as "Dropping a Big Hint"). While not everyone can afford to get you the latest driver, putter, or shoes there are many items that are quite a bit more economical and might in the long run make you a better golfer than the latest and greatest in club technology.

A book review probably isn't the first thing you think of when you consider the reviews we've done here at The Sand Trap. While the vast majority of reviews are equipment in one form or another, occasionally a book comes along that piques our interest. One such book is Golf, Naked by Greg Rowley, which was released by Pick It Up Publishing.

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The Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan was written by author John Coyne who has penned over 20 books of fiction and non-fiction. Several months ago, we reviewed his latest book, The Caddie Who Played With Hickory and if you enjoyed that story, you most certainly will want to check out his earlier work as well.

The story weaves between forbidden love, the bond between a golfer and his caddie and wisdom about life as told by none other than Ben Hogan. What happens is a story about golf, life and the choices we make and how "it's always the next shot that is important."

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The Caddie who Played with Hickory is the newest novel written by John Coyne, author of over 20 books of fiction and non-fiction.

As a former caddie, Mr. Coyne is able to share his experiences of how the caddie system worked at a country club and how caddies of the mid-1900s interacted with the members.

This knowledge is woven into the story of a boy who is just graduating from high school and is trying to determine what to do with his life. For the time being, he's content to caddie and play golf. What happens in the summer of 1946 changes his life forever.

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Just about every golfer has their demons. Whether it is a temper or negative attitude or thinking about the score you think you can make, none of these things can positively impact round of golf. Bob Skura's How Great Golfers Think is a book designed to help golfers of any skill level deal with those demons.

Where How Great Golfers Think differs is in its approach. Most "mental" golf books I've read give you stories and whimsical, common-sense advice. While serving a purpose, this often does not stick with you over time. How Great Golfers Think is more of a seven-course meal and leaves you satisfied and full, laying out steps and a plan for golfers to better improve their mental approach and ultimately lower their scores.

Using a lesson-story format through the regular foursome of Kip, Andy, Frank, and Jason, Skura lays out three fundamentals to success:

• How to think.
• How to talk.
• How to play.

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