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Search - The Education of a Golfer

The Education of a Golfer
Author: Sam Snead, Al Stump

If you thought an autobiography was about going through uninteresting circumstances in someone’s boring life or if you thought you could not learn a thing about golf by reading a book, it’s time you read this. — From the pen of the late Sam Snead, this is the incredible true story of how a poor kid who, while eking out a living in the... more » backwoods of the state of Virginia grew to become one of Americas most talented and respected professional golf champions in the 20th century.

For those who love to get something practical out of a book, each chapter ends with short comments on the various aspects of golf, getting right down to simple illustrations and valuable pointers that could only come from a golf master.

Sam writes about how his elder brother’s golfing drew him into the game. Swinging big shots came from sheer practice, and at the age of seven, Sam had a hole in one window at the local church.

With a knack for hunting, the outdoor kid tried to earn dimes and nickels, hard money in the Depression of the 1930s. Caddying for local golfers almost gets Sam killed, but the kid hung on to golf. After being noticed by Fred Martin, who stuck with him throughout his golf lifespan, Sam is handed a pro job at a local hotel, and with the fire that burnt in his blood, all he needed was a break.

“Slammin’ Sam” goes on to become a pro and a sensation in the year 1934. He ‘wow’s the crowd and pros alike with his artillery shots and his ‘perfect-swing’. Sam went on to win 3 PGA championships, 3 Masters and a British Open, apart from a myriad of other titles.

Sam’s account of his golfing career comes with many hilarious and not-so hilarious incidents. In the times when golfing and making big money were not synonymous, he writes about a pro who ate oranges for 4 days to survive a tournament and about times when rearing exotic monkeys seemed the only way to make more money.

The star writes in a modest manner about how he, “kept close count of his nickels and dimes, stayed away from whiskey and never conceded a putt”, unlike many pros of his day. He got famous for his straw hat, for playing barefoot at tournaments and for not indulging in hard drinks. He writes about the kind of betting that could hook itself to a pro and ruin his game. He talks about travelling which leaves him none the better, about telling the President a thing or two about golf and other similar and remarkable stories.

Sam is also honest about his failures. He discussed how other players like Picard helped him with his game and about how he had to teach himself to hold both his tongue and his temper.

For those looking at golf as a beginner, the book could be a hilarious and simple guide to the sport. Sam’s technique at golf is simple to grasp owing to the self-learning that he put himself through. He lays down chunks of it throughout the book, dealing with all major issues like putting, chipping and sand traps that even an experienced golfer would love to read.

Sam Snead is gracious enough to pack a book with wisdom about his time on the green, when it could easily have been another boring and insignificant autobiography. That itself just goes on to show that the passionate golf-crazy kid in him isn’t finished yet.

ISBN-13: 9780671219451
ISBN-10: 0671219456
Publication Date: 1/1/1962
Pages: 248
Rating:

0 stars, based on 0 rating

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

Genres:

Biographies & Memoirs >> Memoirs
Sports & Outdoors >> Biographies >> Golf

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