Golf By the time you read this, you have probably settled into your southern home away from home. Winter is here up north and it’s not looking pretty. Be thankful that you get a respite from the cold. For me, the onset of winter brings mixed emotions. As the leaves fall and I witness the first snowfall, I’m left pondering the summer days gone and looking to what the months ahead will bring. Winter means the end of golf season and the start of ski season. The same peacefulness I feel during an early morning round on the course – while the dew has yet to dry on the freshly cut greens – is the same feeling I receive carving perfect S turns down a mountain on powdery snow. But, I digress. Whether you are whiling away the winter months in warmer climes or living withMother Nature’s white tears, there is one constant companion – at least for me – to keep me company no matter the weather: that’s a good book. As a writer, I’m always reading. The quote above from the master of horror, who is one of my writing mentors, sums up my passion for a good book. My night table usually has a “to read” stack that resembles the Leaning Tower of Pisa. While my reading tastes vary – from fiction to non-fiction, mysteries to fantasies, horror to classic literature – no matter what book currently has my attention, there is always a golf book or two amongst my pile. In this column, I thought I would share with you a few of my favourite books about the game that Mark Twain once dubbed a good walk spoiled. I’m sure that you can find most, if not all of these at your local library or bookstore this winter to help while away some hours and get lost in the magic of a well-written read. Whether you are looking for instruction, an armchair travel escape that inspires your next golf trip, or you want to learn more about one of the greats of the game, there’s sure to be a book for you on this list. As I’ve written previously in this space, I grew up learning to love the game at Westmount Golf & Country Club in Kitchener, Ontario. I often spied Moe Norman in the pro shop banging a ball on his putter and muttering away. I always wondered: who is this quirky character? As a teenager, I never really understood that I was in the presence of greatness. It was only years later, after I had started to write about golf and delve into the history and personalities of the game, that I learned his significance. When it comes to books about the man whom Lee Trevino said was one of the game’s greatest ball strikers ever, there is a pair to add to your reading list, from two writers I’m lucky to call friends. First is the biography: The Feeling of Greatness: The Moe Norman Story, By Tim O’Connor. Second is Moe & Me: Encounters with Moe Norman, Golf ’s Mysterious Genius, by Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Lorne Rubenstein. Each of these volumes takes a different approach to the golfer. O’Connor just released a second edition of his Moe biography earlier this year. The hardcover fromBrown Books features many new anecdotes and adds to Norman’s lasting legacy in the world of golf. On the flip side, while O’Connor relies mainly on other people’s stories of Moe, Rubenstein’s ruminations are more personal. Rube (as he’s known by most of his friends) spent a lot of time with Moe over the years, and he gives readers a peek into these encounters, in the process peeling back the layers of an often-misunderstood man. Speaking of great swings, mysterious men, and another great read, one other biography to add to your bookshelf isBen Hogan: An American Life, by James Dodson. This is the first-ever authorized biography on this enigmatic figure of the fairways; if you love golf and are a fan of this great game, Dodson’s detailed account is a must-read this winter. “Books are a uniquely portable magic. ” - Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft 46 | www.snowbirds.org
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