“Golf is a good walk spoiled” is an often-quoted aphorism attributed to Mark Twain. Author John Feinstein titled one of his early books on the game of golf A GOOD WALK SPOILED. In the 20 years since that book first appeared, the game has changed substantially. The 1990s were something of a golfing boom. Across America and the world, golf courses were constructed at a rapid rate. People flocked to the game, and its popularity was aided by the arrival of a television network then known as The Golf Channel that was 100% devoted to golf. Arnold Palmer, the man associated with the rising popularity of golf in the 1960s and ’70s, was one of the founders of the network. Its creation coincided with the career of Tiger Woods, whose exploits threatened to surpass those of countless golf legends, from Palmer to Jack Nicklaus and even the great Bobby Jones. (More on that later.)

The status of golf in 2018 is far different from when Feinstein first dipped into coverage of the professional golf world. Currently no golfer dominates the game as Palmer, Nicklaus or Woods did. There is a statistical algorithm used to rank the world’s golfers, and from week to week different names rise and fall. Ask people who follow the game who the best golfer in the world is, and you might get six or eight different players. Equipment changes continue to alter how the game is played. Golfers today hit the ball farther than ever. In a recent tournament in my hometown, one professional, not yet on the PGA Tour, had his best drive measured at 402 yards. Golf courses that once measured 7,000 yards in length are being expanded regularly, and the day of the 8,000-yard course might not be too far in the future.

All of this occurs as the game’s playing popularity is decreasing. Some of those courses constructed in the ’90s are now closed. The United States Golf Association, the sport’s governing body in America, is encouraging people to play nine holes rather than 18 because a number of golfers complain that five hours to play a round is far too long. The cost of the game is making it difficult for many. New drivers sell for more than $500, and a set of golf clubs can cost $2,000. Where all of this might lead is unknown. The one bright spot is that golf is one of the few sports that people can begin playing in their late 30s and 40s, and they often do.

Another change in the golfing world appears to be evolving in the book industry. Golf instruction books have always been a staple. In 1957, Ben Hogan authored BEN HOGAN’S FIVE LESSONS, which was based on a series of articles in Life magazine. Millions of copies have been sold, and it presently ranks as one of Amazon’s top golf books. But instructional books are declining in publication as technology makes them obsolete. Golfers can now go online and have well-known instructors provide lessons and swing analysis. The iPhone has seemingly replaced the instructional book.

This summer’s selection of golf books includes biographies of golfing icons Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods, as well as an interesting work of golf-themed fiction. Golf fiction is rare, and most of the interesting golf novels are spiritual in nature. Michael Murphy’s GOLF IN THE KINGDOM and Steven Pressfield’s THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE come to mind. Others can be found in mystery novels written by a vast array of authors. BAD LIES: A Story of Libel, Slander, & Professional Golf by Tony Jacklin and Shelby Yastrow is a somewhat different work of golf fiction than the traditional golf-themed mystery. Rather than corpses on the fairway, BAD LIES takes place primarily in a Cook County, Illinois, courtroom. Eddie Bennison is at the peak of his game, but a golf magazine has published articles claiming he cheated on the course and used PEDs to become a winning golfer. His career is irreparably damaged, and he files a lawsuit against the magazine and author for printing what he maintains were libelous statements.

BAD LIES is the work of two authors, and their contributions to the novel are easy to recognize. Jacklin is a former British professional golfer who during his playing days was responsible for revitalizing golf in Great Britain. In 1969 he won the British Open, the first British player to do so in 18 years. He followed that up the next year with a U.S. Open triumph, the only European player to win that tournament in an 84-year period. As Captain, he would later lead European golfers to Ryder Cup victories and shift domination of that trophy from America to Europe. Jacklin’s contribution to BAD LIES comes in details about life on the professional tour, in the preparation, strategy and tour life in general. In the end papers of the novel, he provides readers with explanations and golf history.

Yastrow is a former trial attorney and corporate counsel for McDonald’s Corporation. His knowledge of trial technique and defamation law makes him the ideal author for this book, and his legal fingerprints are clearly identifiable on nearly every page. The lawyers who do battle in court in Bennison v. Tee Time are modeled after attorneys Yastrow battled during his legal career. Charlie Mayfield is Eddie’s counsel, a plaintiff lawyer who has fought in court against large corporations for decades. The defense is represented by a constitutional scholar, Hugo Shoemaker, and defense lawyer Roslyn Berman, who, like Mayfield, is a battle-hardened attorney adept at courtroom warfare.

Yastrow certainly knows the law and trial tactics. For some, his attention to courtroom detail on the law of defamation, journalist privilege and the rules of procedure and evidence might be too exhaustive. The Bennison case is thoroughly covered from opening statement to verdict. In any respect, it is refreshing to read a courtroom-themed novel that is not strewn with corpses or evildoers around every corner.

The two remaining books covered in this essay are biographies of two generational icons of golf. Arnold Palmer was the golfer whose charisma and kindness drove golf popularity in the 1960s. His rise coincided with the nascent coverage of golf on television. Even on a small black and white screen, Palmer shone thorough. The other biography covers the career of Tiger Woods, whose accomplishments surpass Palmer apart from the admiration and respect of golfing fandom. The books are far different in their approach and coverage of their subjects. Their careers justify that varying treatment.

Chris Rodell lived in Youngstown, Pennsylvania, for 10 years before meeting Arnold Palmer. The tiny community is the home of Palmer and another famous resident, the late Fred Rogers, a schoolmate of his. Rodell could leave the front door of his home and turn left to Arnold Palmer Drive or right to Fred Rogers Way. A writer for Sports Illustrated, Rodell would meet Palmer through interviews for the magazine. After some brief discussions, the two men began to warm to each other. Over a 20-year period, Rodell would conduct interviews with Palmer’s hometown friends, business associates and fellow golfers. ARNOLD PALMER: Homespun Stories of The King is a mix of journalism and fan admiration of a man whose success in golf paled in comparison to his success in life. Decades after Palmer retired from competitive golf, he would still rank in the top levels of golf-related earnings. But building and running a financial empire never changed Palmer the man. Even up until his death in 2016, Palmer would respond with a handwritten signature to every letter he received from his adoring fans.

Rodell’s book includes reminiscences from celebrities such as Jim Nantz to hometown Pennsylvania friends for decades. Palmer never forgot the people he grew up with. Weeks after winning the 1960 U.S. Open, he appeared at a local pro-am event. He was the greatest golfer in the world and could have made a large sum of money at another venue, but his promise to his friends at home came first. Palmer had a local foursome of friends that included his dentist. He would fly them to courses around America, including Pebble Beach and Augusta. When Arnold Palmer became your friend, it was for life.

Reading this book restores your faith that a man can be an iconic legend and still maintain his life as a folksy everyman. Palmer may have been a king, but he sat on a barstool rather than a throne.

While the Arnold Palmer biographical collection is uplifting and inspiring, TIGER WOODS by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian is disturbing, thought-provoking and disheartening. Benedict and Keteyian are veteran writers. Their effort was exhaustive, interviewing more than 250 people, some multiple times, and reviewing all the books written about their subject. However, the book lacks one major source: Tiger himself. Tiger would only agree to cooperate if very restrictive conditions were met, but the authors declined.

Golf is a game of numbers, and those numbers suggest that Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer ever. He was both the first African-American and the youngest golfer in history to win a major championship. He has won 14 majors overall and 79 PGA events. He is second all-time in tour wins to Sam Snead, who was still winning events at the age of 50. Tiger holds records for consecutive cuts made in tour events and was ranked the number one golfer in the world for 683 weeks. If Palmer began the professional golf revolution, Tiger drove it into outer space. During his career, tour money increased six-fold. Beyond that, Tiger changed golf in all major aspects --- athletically, socially and culturally. At the height of his game, he appeared in countless ads for countless products and was the most recognizable celebrity in the world.

But Benedict and Keteyian’s description of Tiger’s life paints a disturbing portrait. Almost from birth, his parents, Earl and Kultida Woods, were determined to control his life in order to achieve golfing greatness. In kindergarten he brought his custom-made golf clubs to show and tell, then took his classmates outside to put on a golfing clinic. Teachers would suggest after-school activities for Tiger, but Earl instead would take him for lessons with his teaching pro. Even before Tiger turned professional, Earl was receiving $50,000 a year from International Management Group as a “talent scout.” While the unyielding training imposed by Earl upon his son are generally well-known, the role of his mother in disciplining him are documented in this book. Tiger’s childhood was nothing but golf, and every aspect of his maturation was built on cultivating his career.

Golf aside, the bottom line that TIGER WOODS reveals is that his life was a lie. Even before the fateful November 2009 morning when he fled his house after his sexual encounters were discovered by his wife, Tiger was behaving in dangerous and destructive ways. The physical toll on his body was already beginning to manifest itself, and the loneliness that he chose for his personal life was also impacting his career. During his rise to prominence, there may have been performance-enhancing drugs, and there always was a pettiness about Tiger’s behavior when, for example, he slighted friends like Mark O’Meara or once walked out of the locker room when President Bill Clinton entered because of an earlier slight in Tiger’s career.

The poet A.E. Housman wrote, “And early though the laurel grows, it withers quicker than the rose.” Tiger’s demise was as rapid as his rise. Returning to golf after several years of difficulty, he seems to be a different man, more open and gregarious with fans and willing to accept changes in his game. He was so great that even Tiger at 80% might be able to return to a major championship victory celebration. Benedict and Keteyian remind us of the greatness of Tiger Woods and the personal toll on his life that achieving that fame cost him.

F. Scott Fitzgerald told us that there are no second acts in American lives, but experience tells us something different. We shall see what the second act brings for Tiger Woods.

            --- Written by Stuart Shiffman