Driven to Extremes: Uncommon Lessons from Golf's Unmanicured Terrain

by Jeff Wallach

Overview

A rollicking collection highlighting extreme golf from one of the game's freshest voices.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580801034
Publisher:	Burford Books
Publication date:	07/08/2002
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.26(w) x 9.16(h) x 0.92(d)

Table of Contents

	Introduction	ix
Part 1	Uncommon Lessons
1	Golf in the Institute: Shivas Irons Goes to Esalen	3
2	Yippee Skippee: Chuck Hogan Has Golf on the Brain	23
3	Heartland Golf School: Fantastic Voyage in Search of the Authentic Swing	42
4	On the Edge: Adventures in ... Golf?	55
Part 2	Offbeat Destinations
5	Fear and Loathing (mostly fear) in St. Andrews	67
6	Oregon Road Trip: The Bender Through Bend	77
7	Golfing Gourmet: Hawaii Bites	81
8	Before the Fall: Golfing Baja California	85
9	Golf's Secret Garden	91
10	Pioneering Canadian Golf, Ay?	97
11	Just Deserts	103
12	Whistler's (a) Mother	106
13	Old Works, New Tricks: Turning a Superfund Site into a Super-Fun Golf Course	114
14	Locals Rule: The Sure Bet of Las Vegas Golf	120
15	When Irish Lies Are Smiling	127
16	From Slopes to Slope Ratings	133
17	Wild A-Bandon	138
18	The Wild and Ancient	144
Part 3	Eccentric Personalities
19	Men in Green	159
20	Family Affair	162
21	Robert Trent Jones Jr. and the Edges of Doom	168
22	Playing Through	182
23	Golf Architecture's Biggest Fan	184
24	Metaphors Be with You: In Search of Tim Gallwey, Anti-Guru of the Inner Game	186
25	Signature Hole	199
26	The Caddie Wore a Rolex	207

Editorial Reviews

Despite a clever title and compelling cover photos, this slender homage to unorthodox golf teachers, extraordinary courses and eccentrics of the sport is just under par. Wallach's vivid descriptions of obscure, famous and infamous golf courses of the world (and his occasionally unorthodox methods of traveling to them) are entertaining and would have sufficed for a good airplane read. However, he begins with a trip to California's esoteric Esalen Institute for a five-day seminar inspired by Michael Murphy's mystical golf novel, Golf in the Kingdom. Although golf psychology is fashionable and persuasive, reading about other golfers' search for their "inner swing" can be tedious. Phoenix guru Chuck Hogan has a theory that many golfers are stymied because "as children, we never felt safe enough to just play," and thus they never develop the ability to grow, explore and improve. He cites Tiger Woods's close relationship with his father as evidence of the high performance that can be achieved when the athlete is emotionally secure. Among the "Eccentric Personalities" Wallach profiles are course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr.; a golfer who holds the world record of 468 holes played in half a day; and a retired millionaire who tries to help a 41-year-old former U.S. Open qualifier make it to Qualifying School. Wallach (an adventurer who writes for numerous outdoors and travel magazines) is a clever wordsmith, but his effort to be humorous distracts from a sense of the book as a whole. (Aug.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Golf writer Wallach (Beyond the Fairway: Zen Lessons, Insights, and Inner Attitudes on Golf) here reprises 23 previously published essays and adds two new ones. The book is organized into three sections: instruction, locations/courses, and personalities. The first is the most engaging: what golfer is immune to the thought of improvement at the hands of the swing doctors, except for odd birds like Lee Trevino and John Daly? Wallach recounts his pilgrimages to sessions with Fred Shoemaker, Chuck Hogan, and Ed LeBeau nontraditionalists all and in the section on locations/ courses deals with both the familiar and the traditional (St. Andrews) and the remote (Cascata, a course that is the ultimate paean to exclusivity). Golf instruction doesn't come cheap, and Wallach's impressions form a sort of consumer's guide. The sport is also chockfull of personalities, and Wallach goes beyond the usual characters. Normally, such profiles deal with tour players and the country club set, or perhaps the occasional sandbagger, but seldom with golf course architects and instructors, as one finds here. Still, while such interviews add form to what might otherwise just be familiar names, they don't give much more. While the diehard golf enthusiast will appreciate this book, it is recommended mainly for large sports collections. Steven Silkunas, North Wales, PA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal