Rating: 
Summary: A splendid intro to the great tourneys and players
Review: John Feinstein's A Good Walk Spoiled was a double-threat treat that not only provided golf fans a rare glimpse behind both the lives of its stars and the scenes of the Ryder Cup but also coaxed the golf-averse into chancing a closer look at the sport. He succeeded by plumbing the minds of the golfers themselves as his starting point, humanizing a sport that, to the casual observer, consisted of little more than boring androids pursuing gobs of money in a boring game.In this new book, Feinstein pulls off the same feat using the same technique. The four annual golf tournaments considered "the majors" are roughly akin to the grand slam of tennis, except that no golfer in history has ever won all of them in a single year. In fact, only four golfers in history have ever won all of them in different years. No matter how many other tournaments a player wins, and no matter how high up on the money list he is or how often he's been there, no touring pro can claim a fulfilled career unless he's won at least one major. And some of the best in the game never have, including Dave Duval and Phil Mickelson. Each of the majors carry with it unique pressures, challenges and difficulties. The British Open is played under the most horrendous environmental conditions on the tour, including fierce winds, torrential downpours and course surfaces that look as if they were maintained with no piece of equipment more delicate than a bulldozer. The U.S. Open traditionally gives the impression that the course was laid out by a committee of criminally insane golf-haters whose compensation was directly correlated to the size of the scores they could force the leaders to post. The stories behind the quests of golf's top echelon players to add a major win to their career histories are by turns exhilarating, heartbreaking and maddening, but in Feinstein's capable hands they are endlessly fascinating. The ability to convincingly peel away the stoic game faces that appear on television is the author's unique gift, and you don't have to know or care a thing about golf to fully appreciate it. If you enjoy an insightful peek into the rarefied stratosphere of a field of endeavor with which you're not necessarily familiar, get your hands on this book. Golf fan or not, you won't regret it, and you may even find yourself tuning into a golf tournament or two with a whole new attitude.
Rating: 
Summary: A Solid Effort
Review: John Feinstein's second golf-related book, "The Majors" is not as good as his first one, "A Good Walk Spoiled" which dealt with a broader number of topics related to the PGA Tour but it still is a pretty good (and fast) read. Feinstein has picked about 12 golfers to follow for the majors of 1998 as well as small snipits about other golfers (such as club pros who make it into the PGA Championship). He doesn't really focus on any one golfer in particular, which I like because I was fully expecting this book to focus largely on Tiger Woods. This was not the case. You get to see the frustration of Mark O'Meara of not being considered one of the top players and then see him experience the joy of winning not one, but two majors in 1998. You see the frustration of David Duval who was considered the world's best player in 1998 lose a heartbreaker in the Masters and then not really contend in the other majors. And you see the much-maligned Vijay Singh survive a tough duel with Steve Stricker to win the PGA. All-in-all, this is a good book with some fine reporting by the well-respected journalist. If you haven't read Good Walk Spoiled, read that one first before picking this one up.
Rating:
Summary: A Solid Effort
Review: John Feinstein's second golf-related book, "The Majors" is not as good as his first one, "A Good Walk Spoiled" which dealt with a broader number of topics related to the PGA Tour but it still is a pretty good (and fast) read. Feinstein has picked about 12 golfers to follow for the majors of 1998 as well as small snipits about other golfers (such as club pros who make it into the PGA Championship). He doesn't really focus on any one golfer in particular, which I like because I was fully expecting this book to focus largely on Tiger Woods. This was not the case. You get to see the frustration of Mark O'Meara of not being considered one of the top players and then see him experience the joy of winning not one, but two majors in 1998. You see the frustration of David Duval who was considered the world's best player in 1998 lose a heartbreaker in the Masters and then not really contend in the other majors. And you see the much-maligned Vijay Singh survive a tough duel with Steve Stricker to win the PGA. All-in-all, this is a good book with some fine reporting by the well-respected journalist. If you haven't read Good Walk Spoiled, read that one first before picking this one up.
Rating:
Summary: Another great read by Feinstein
Review: Like A Good Walk Spoiled, Feinstein has once again captured the essence of the highest levels of professional golf. He combines good history of the four major tournaments with insights into the personal lives of the PGA Tour "Stars." Very easy read.
Rating:
Summary: this is a very good book
Review: Mr. feinstein does a fantastic job covering the macro and micro aspects of the golf culture. He gives examples of situations where the game and it's individual players were under pressure. Were the greens at olympic too slick (remember payne stewart's missed putt from a handful of feet that turned into a 25 foot second putt)? isn't the life of a golfer pretty easy? read the details in this book and you will understand the pressure that these participants place on themselves. You will also understand the pressure of trying to nail a "gimme" putt when all the cameras are focused and you have a case of the "yips". If you play golf or admire the skill of today's players or if you just enjoy books about sports, buy this one.
Rating:
Summary: STOP STALLING, YOU TOO CAN PLAY WITH THE MAJORS!
Review: Mr. Feinstein would probably agree that many golfers describe golf as the game of life and say that you get to know everything you need to know about a person by watching a person on the golf course. I feel like I have shared the thoughts of those written about in THE MAJORS. Having watched when O'Meara won the British Open and watching Tiger Woods here, make it clear how important one stroke, or being off by just the slightest angle is. Golf really is a book about life, and we are getting a glimpse at those who excel in THE MAJORS. To excel in what we do every day, I also suggest reading THE 2,000 PERCENT SOLUTION, by Mitchell, Coles and Metz. You will find an occasional tradition story of etiquette on the golf course, and, of course, Tiger Woods "mastering The Masters" in the chapter about identifying your ideal best practice for you key activities. Mr. Feinstein is to be congratulated for doing such a thorough job and for making it so easy to dream with THE MAJORS.
Rating:
Summary: The best book about the majors i have ever read!
Review: Mr.Feinstein has exceeded all expectations. A Good Walk Spoiled was an excellent behind the scenes on the PGA tour. The Majors utilized the same approach that only Feinstein seems to be able capture. Watching the majors this year, seemed much more interesting to watch having read this book. I have always considered myself a fan of golf but after reading this wonderful book i feel closer to the game and the tradition that it represents. Thank you for this great book, Mr. Feinstein!
Rating:
Summary: Inside the Ropes at the Majors in 1998
Review: The year was 1998 and the winners were Mark O'Meara (The Masters at Augusta National and The British Open at Royal Birkdale), Lee Janzen (The U.S. Open at the Olympic Club), and Vijay Singh (The P.G.A. Championship at Sahalee Country Club). Although all four Majors are conducted under the collaborative supervision of the U.S.G.A. and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club organizations, each has its own terms and conditions for participation as well as stages of qualification to compete with those who, for various reasons, are automatically eligible. For me, one of this book's most fascinating subjects is the qualifying process to which many are called but few are eventually chosen. Perhaps only the annual process to earn a P.G.A card creates greater tension and frustration for those involved. To the extent that space allows, Feinstein examines wannabes as well as perennial and promising contenders for each of the championships in 1998. He includes hundreds of vignettes and anecdotes about them, thus giving human significance to the names on the scoreboard. I also appreciate having historical information which creates a context for each Major, three of which have a different course location each year. Only the Masters has a permanent site. P.G.A. golf competition is unique among professional sports in that players are essentially self-regulated, personally assume all costs of participation (travel, accommodations, caddy, etc.), and earn nothing if they fail to make the 36-hole cut. It is not uncommon for one player to prevent another from inadvertently breaking a rule as Tom Kite once did near the end of the final round when he was in contention. Later, Kite was astonished that anyone was surprised by his initiative which probably denied him victory in that tournament. (The player he assisted won it.) Feinstein skillfully captures the flavor and nuances of what can be ferocious competition but also the fact that it is (with rare exceptions) conducted with dignity, style, and grace as well as with exceptional skill. For those who love the game of golf and especially for golfers who are eager to know what it is like to compete in the Majors, this is the book to read. It reads more like a novel than an almanac. It reveals "the joy of victory" for some and the "agony of defeat for others" while celebrating certain values which seem to have become less common each day...except on a golf course. For whatever it may be worth, over the years I have played probably 500 rounds of golf on several dozen different golf courses (both public and private) and do not remember a single "ugly" encounter with another player. Having said that, I feel obliged to point out that "golf" is "flog" spelled backwards. On numerous occasions, it really has been for me "a good walk spoiled" but my passion for the game and my respect for those who play it so well remain undiminished. Beginning in 1960, Theodore H. White wrote several "The Making of the President" accounts. I was reminded of that as I read this book, wishing that Feinstein or another author of comparable talent would write an annual volume in (let's call it) "The Making of Majors' Champions" series. This would enable avid golfers such as I to return in time to memorable moments during past Majors competition. End-of-year DVDs featuring such moments plus commentaries among special features would also be much appreciated. Meanwhile, we have Feinstein's lively as well as informative book which recreates (to the extent a text can) stirring triumphs by O'Meara, Janzen, and Singh as well as dozens of other human subplots associated with those victories eight years ago.
Rating:
Summary: Nice account about the toughest tasks in golf
Review: There is no doubt that noted sportswriter and author, John Feinstein, is quite the golf fan. He currently has three separate books on the market about golf. "A Good Walk Spoiled" deals with the vast cross-section of PGA Tour players from the 'grinders' who can barely make the tour to the elite who win the major tournaments. Feinstein's most recent book, "Open" focuses on the notable 2002 U.S. Open tournament held at New York's Bethpage Black public golf course. In between these broad and narrow manifestos, Feinstein finds a middle ground in his book, "The Majors". "The Majors" follows a similar approach to "A Good Walk Spoiled", but narrative focus is narrowed to only deal with the four 'major' tournaments: The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship. Instead of focusing on all the golfers who play on the tour, Feinstein cares about those are legitimate contenders for the majors and the pressures they endure in pursuit of golf's Holy Grail.
The season in question is the 1998 PGA Tour season. This is just one year after Tiger Woods burst on to the scene with his shocking domination of the 1997 Masters. In the interim, Tiger-mania has faded as has Woods' performance. 1998 is less about Tiger and more about men who have long battled for these trophies, but had, so far, failed to attain them. It is ironic that Tiger's good friends, Mark O'Meara actually became the big winner of 1998 with his victory in The Masters and the British Open.
"The Majors" is quite an enjoyable read because of how it thrusts the reader in the high pressure world of big-time golf and major tournaments. Feinstein is a gifted sportswriter and great author. "The Majors" is just one more testament to that.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring. Tired.
Review: There is, if you can actually believe it, a line in this book about Fred Couples' girlfriend going to the bathroom. In an effort to just write whatever down, Feinstein has included a bunch of pointless subplots and ignored, once again, the tournaments themselves. The PGA, in this book, is just some homecoming for Fred Couples. You don't even get a reasonable picture of the course. You would think, given the book is about four damn events, Feinstein could tell you about the course. But, then, he figures every person who reads his book knows exactly what the hell he's talking about at all times, so....we get anecdotes about Fred Couples wanting to leave, if only his girlfriend weren't in the bathroom.
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