I was over at Barnes & Noble a couple of months back and, like a true fanatic, was perusing the golf section and I came across a book I had to take home. “The Sweetest Game,” by Cal Brown is a collection of anecdotes that serve to instruct and humor anyone who loves the greatest game.
In his chapter, “Golfers Are Born Losers” Brown quotes the proverb that says: “God gave us music that we might pray without words” and goes on to say, “The Scots gave us golf that we might suffer without guilt.” Everyone who has played golf for any length of time knows what Brown is talking about and that is what makes this book so much fun. It’s golf in the raw – the struggles of the greatest players in history as an example for the weekend hack.
Two things drew me to this book: little technical jargon and a lot of golf history. This book is about the broad principles that should guide all players, no matter the skill level. Brown begins his first chapter by saying, “Let’s be honest, golf instruction is a bore. Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen didn’t believe in it. Neither did Ben Hogan or Sam Snead or Paul Runyon or Lee Trevino.” Now that will get your attention.
The author pits one expert against another in an endless search for a proper approach. Several examples come to mind. “Did Hogan copy Snead? Did Horowitz emulate Rubenstein? Impossible. In each man, the expression of his genius was entirely his own, as it must be for each of us.” The idea that each one of us should hone the swing that has been given to us is at the heart of this book.
Included are examples of the different paths the pros travel to score low. Sergio Garcia’s swing employs what Brown calls a “brutal downcock in the downswing” which might hurt the average player if he tried it. On the other hand he points out other players who have an smooth and easy swing such as Sam Snead, Ian Woodsman or Annika Sorenstam.
I enjoyed delving into the methods used by some of the more unorthodox pros. Brown’s subjects include Jim Furyk, “the fellow with the washing-machine swing and the golden putting touch,” Doug Ford, who didn’t have distance off the tee but had a killer competitive instinct, Seve Bellasteros, who could “get up and down off of a ball washer,” and Allen Doyle of the Champions Tour. Doyle, a hockey player in college, brought a “hockey-esque” swing to the golf course and has won some serious money with it.
“The Sweetest Game” is full of golf history. Brown paints a picture of such players as Tommy Armour, Harry Vardon, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer and Bobby Jones. Gleaning from their successes and failures he shows his readers that they can “discover that some of the insights, though not the talent, offered by the masters can indeed be ours.” Learning about the history of the game fuels my love for it. To think of all that so many great players have overcome to become among the greatest of their era is inspiring. Heck, if I can’t do it, at least somebody can!
One warning: You might avoid the chapter entitled “Power Shanking.” It might make you a little nervous on your next outing. I almost avoided this chapter for fear of cursing my swing forever and, I must admit, was more nervous after reading it.
All in all, “The Sweetest Game” is a good read, one that I would recommend to any student of the game. You’ll love the history and the ideas that accompany it. I’ll give it four out of five stars. Happy reading.