These are not the best of times in the world of golf. Professional golf’s golden boy, Tiger Woods, has fallen upon hard times. Beset by revelations that have destroyed his image as an “all-American family man” and, perhaps more importantly, repeatedly disabled by serious physical injury, Woods is simply no longer the driving force of professional golf. It has been more than a year since his last professional tournament victory and now three years since his last major championship, the U.S. Open of 2008. 

In the past decade, Woods was the springboard for increased interest in professional golf. In his absence, television ratings for PGA events have declined by nearly 50%. As he battles through another injury and his tournament appearances become more sporadic, the world of professional golf struggles to find its next superstar.

There is more to the game of golf than the PGA. But the overall health of the industry is no better than the professional tour. During the ’90s and early part of the 21st century, the golf industry found itself in clover. Thousands of new courses were built, and millions of new players joined the game. Technology created new equipment, often very costly, but golfers seeking that magic club and having extra income to spend thought nothing of spending $400 to $500 for one club. Private golf club memberships soared, and luxury public courses abounded. But the economic crash of 2008 brought all of this to a halt. The housing industry and golf had been joined together during good times, and the housing crash brought golf course construction to an end.

Golf’s hard times are reflected in the publishing industry as well as the overall malaise afflicting the golf world. For the past several years, the spring and early summer would find a large quantity of golf books appearing in bookstores. Golf history, biography, instruction and travel would be fertile fields for authors seeking to take advantage of interest in the game. For the past several years, I have written an essay to coincide with Father’s Day and the U.S. Open where some of these books have been reviewed. Many potential candidates were available for review. This year, as I prepared the essay, one thing was clear: Not as many golf books were being published. But there still are some quality books being written. Indeed, this year’s crop of books has several outstanding volumes to recommend.