A Feel for the Game: To Brookline and Back

Rating:
Summary: Not a bad taste but could use more beef
Review: As a lifelong golfer and Ben Crenshaw admirer, I waited in anticipation for Crenshaw's story, both of his development in the game as well as his version of the 1999 Ryder Cup. After finishing "A Feel for the Game," my first question is: did co-writer Melanie Hauser do ANYTHING on this book? There is no writing style; it's as though Crenshaw simply rambled into a tape recorder and Texas golf writer Hauser merely did the transcribing. The end result is a cliche-ridden effort where friends and associates are described with little more than banal generalities, such as Crenshaw's portrait of former Augusta National Chairman Bill Lane as "a very nice man." Believe me, that's as much texture as you'll get when trying to learn about some of the most powerful and fascinating people in golf.

With a slew of course records as a teenager and three straight NCAA championships, there's no doubt that Ben was a prodigy, as one golf magazine described him, "The College Kid Who Beats the Pros." Left completely out of "Feel for the Game" is HOW Crenshaw became so skilled. Yes, he played a lot at Austin Muni and Austin Country Club, but both Crenshaw and Hauser failed to let even a hint of Ben's ego to come through and the result is a lukewarm history that could have been so very much richer. The result fails to amaze or even inspire. Hauser's voice is nowhere to be heard and while it's certainly not HER book, the "golly gee," and "oh wow" tone that reflects Crenshaw's renowned polite gentlemanliness sadly causes "Game" to sound like little more than a list of happy facts. The potential was there to provide the reader so much more.

Yes, there is the tale of Crenshaw's Ryder Cup captaincy and here he exhibits more backbone than "Gentle Ben" would normally demonstrate by again explaining the burst of enthusiam ignited by Justin Leonard's winning putt at the fateful 17th. I'm with Crenshaw on this one: if had been the Europeans come from behind victory on home soil, that bunch would have acted in exactly the same manner.

Unless one is Jack Nicklaus, you don't have many autobiographies in you and the fact that this is Crenshaw's certainly leaves one wishing there had been a more concerted effort to put some bite in the story of this athlete who has been so affected by fate through his golfing life. Crenshaw admits that a number of writers had initially been enlisted to help him with the tale... it's just too bad that Melanie Hauser brought only a tape recorder and left her reportorial instincts on the putting green.

Rating:
Summary: A missed opportunity
Review: As a lifelong golfer and Ben Crenshaw admirer, I waited in anticipation for Crenshaw's story, both of his development in the game as well as his version of the 1999 Ryder Cup. After finishing "A Feel for the Game," my first question is: did co-writer Melanie Hauser do ANYTHING on this book? There is no writing style; it's as though Crenshaw simply rambled into a tape recorder and Texas golf writer Hauser merely did the transcribing. The end result is a cliche-ridden effort where friends and associates are described with little more than banal generalities, such as Crenshaw's portrait of former Augusta National Chairman Bill Lane as "a very nice man." Believe me, that's as much texture as you'll get when trying to learn about some of the most powerful and fascinating people in golf.

With a slew of course records as a teenager and three straight NCAA championships, there's no doubt that Ben was a prodigy, as one golf magazine described him, "The College Kid Who Beats the Pros." Left completely out of "Feel for the Game" is HOW Crenshaw became so skilled. Yes, he played a lot at Austin Muni and Austin Country Club, but both Crenshaw and Hauser failed to let even a hint of Ben's ego to come through and the result is a lukewarm history that could have been so very much richer. The result fails to amaze or even inspire. Hauser's voice is nowhere to be heard and while it's certainly not HER book, the "golly gee," and "oh wow" tone that reflects Crenshaw's renowned polite gentlemanliness sadly causes "Game" to sound like little more than a list of happy facts. The potential was there to provide the reader so much more.

Yes, there is the tale of Crenshaw's Ryder Cup captaincy and here he exhibits more backbone than "Gentle Ben" would normally demonstrate by again explaining the burst of enthusiam ignited by Justin Leonard's winning putt at the fateful 17th. I'm with Crenshaw on this one: if had been the Europeans come from behind victory on home soil, that bunch would have acted in exactly the same manner.

Unless one is Jack Nicklaus, you don't have many autobiographies in you and the fact that this is Crenshaw's certainly leaves one wishing there had been a more concerted effort to put some bite in the story of this athlete who has been so affected by fate through his golfing life. Crenshaw admits that a number of writers had initially been enlisted to help him with the tale... it's just too bad that Melanie Hauser brought only a tape recorder and left her reportorial instincts on the putting green.

Rating:
Summary: A missed opportunity
Review: As a lifelong golfer and Ben Crenshaw admirer, I waited in anticipation for Crenshaw's story, both of his development in the game as well as his version of the 1999 Ryder Cup. After finishing "A Feel for the Game," my first question is: did co-writer Melanie Hauser do ANYTHING on this book? There is no writing style; it's as though Crenshaw simply rambled into a tape recorder and Texas golf writer Hauser merely did the transcribing. The end result is a cliche-ridden effort where friends and associates are described with little more than banal generalities, such as Crenshaw's portrait of former Augusta National Chairman Bill Lane as "a very nice man." Believe me, that's as much texture as you'll get when trying to learn about some of the most powerful and fascinating people in golf.

With a slew of course records as a teenager and three straight NCAA championships, there's no doubt that Ben was a prodigy, as one golf magazine described him, "The College Kid Who Beats the Pros." Left completely out of "Feel for the Game" is HOW Crenshaw became so skilled. Yes, he played a lot at Austin Muni and Austin Country Club, but both Crenshaw and Hauser failed to let even a hint of Ben's ego to come through and the result is a lukewarm history that could have been so very much richer. The result fails to amaze or even inspire. Hauser's voice is nowhere to be heard and while it's certainly not HER book, the "golly gee," and "oh wow" tone that reflects Crenshaw's renowned polite gentlemanliness sadly causes "Game" to sound like little more than a list of happy facts. The potential was there to provide the reader so much more.

Yes, there is the tale of Crenshaw's Ryder Cup captaincy and here he exhibits more backbone than "Gentle Ben" would normally demonstrate by again explaining the burst of enthusiam ignited by Justin Leonard's winning putt at the fateful 17th. I'm with Crenshaw on this one: if had been the Europeans come from behind victory on home soil, that bunch would have acted in exactly the same manner.

Unless one is Jack Nicklaus, you don't have many autobiographies in you and the fact that this is Crenshaw's certainly leaves one wishing there had been a more concerted effort to put some bite in the story of this athlete who has been so affected by fate through his golfing life. Crenshaw admits that a number of writers had initially been enlisted to help him with the tale... it's just too bad that Melanie Hauser brought only a tape recorder and left her reportorial instincts on the putting green.

Rating:
Summary: Hey here's a bandwagon lets jump on it
Review: It is a great pity that someone who I have no doubt has the highest integrity and honour should feel the need to jump on the Brookline Bandwagon.

In exactly the same way as Mark James did Ben has chosen to use the degeneration of one of the true last great sports to sell a book. Both Ben and Mark should consider their responsibilities to the game of Golf which is bigger than both of them. The shameful scenes (The USA celebrating and Europe sulking) at Brookline should not have been an opportunity to cash in but a lesson in how not to behave.

The remainder of Ben's book tells of the honour of the great game and the many great people who have played it. The legacy of Brookline let Ben, his contemparies and peers badly down. It should be a lesson to all of how not to continue.

Ben is undoubtedly a gentlemen and a great golfer, it is a pity is reputation is sullied by selling an otherwise great read on something that no-one should be proud of. I am afraid one apology will never be enough!

Rating:
Summary: I've Just Got a Good Feeling about This.
Review: The title of this review is one of captain Ben Crenshaw's final statements in his media interview on the night before the finishing day of the 1999 Ryder Cup at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. The next day, the Americans put on a golfing clinic that became what many consider the greatest team comeback victory in golf. This book does a nice job of recounting Mr. Crenshaw's leadership during that Ryder Cup and the highlights of his fantastic golf career. Anyone who is a golf fan will want to own this book.

The book is not so much an autobiography of Mr. Crenshaw's career as it is a series of related essays that share interesting parts of his history and perspectives.

As a golfer, Mr. Crenshaw will probably be equally long remembered for his two Masters championships and for losing 8 playoffs without a win on the PGA tour. But his captaining of the U.S. Ryder Cup team may well be the strongest memory that most will have of his connection to golf.

I had the honor and privilege to be a marshal on the 10th hole throughout the tournament. Early in the final day, people were estimating that the American team had less than one chance in a hundred to win. Then as the magical day unfolded, the Americans won six straight matches. It was nip-and-tuck with the rest. As the gallery cleared the 10th hole, I followed the last groups around the course. I just happened to find myself standing near Michael Jordan near the 17th green as Justin Leonard made the 45 foot putt heard round the world. I estimated the chances of holing that putt at being less than one in two hundred. It was a tough uphill putt with a lot of break on a very fast green. That day will remain in my memory as the most amazing spectator sport experience of my life. Do you remember where you were when Mr. Leonard sunk that putt? 14 1/2 U.S. - 13 1/2 Europe was the final score.

The book has many interesting details and perspectives on the Ryder Cup match. These date back to Mr. Crenshaw's first visit to TCC when he was a teenager for the Junior Amateur. The book also weaves in the story of how the first American came to win the U.S. Open at TCC.

You will find separate chapters on growing up in Austin, Mr. Crenshaw's relationship with Harvey Penick (the pro at the Austin Country Club who taught both Tom Kite and Mr. Crenshaw), his relationship with Mr. Kite, winning the two Masters (one only 7 days after Mr. Penick died, following one final lesson), his experiences with Little Ben (his putter for decades), the temper that earned him the joking nickname of Gentle Ben, his views on other Texas golfers, his personal problems with a divorce and thyroid disease, his reflections of Payne Stewart's death, and the future of golf. He also includes many lists that help explain his favorites in many dimensions (from golf courses to designers).

Mr. Crenshaw is a "feel" golfer, and he talks about the challenges of getting the right feel throughout the book. But he also acts on his feelings, like sharing his confidence about a U.S. victory in the Ryder Cup (the Americans had almost come back to win in Spain two years earlier after being down by five points going into the final day).

After you read this book, I encourage you to remember that you always have a chance as long as you are still breathing. Too often, we "quit" on ourselves. Let your life be imbued with good feelings, and good results will often follow.

Improve your positive feelings about yourself when playing golf, as well as in pursuing the important parts of your life!

Rating:
Summary: Hey here's a bandwagon lets jump on it
Review: This book is Ben Crenshaw. It is very conversational and relaxed and makes you feel like you're sitting around in the Grill Room of your club or around the fireplace, listening to this wonderful person who is a prominent, successful golfer.

The editor did a marvelous job letting this book sound like Ben wrote it. His passion for the game, for the people who are important in his life --- they come out in this great read.

His love of the history and sportsmanship and honor of the game is overarching as the book begins and continues. The fate of his amateur days with the Country Club with Francis Ouiment and later Ryder Cup glory is chilling and superb.

This guy is what the game is all about. He admits to not being the best player ever nor at times, but one can easily see by his life and style why so many pulled for him to win.

His association and passion for Jones and Pennick and his wife and fellow pros is very moving.

I appreciated so much his honest comments on the Ryder Cup at Brookline and the behind the scenes events. Having read James' book on the incident, I'm now more convinced than ever this was just sour grapes on the European captain's part.

This is just an outstanding read. Will take its rightful place in my golf library and in the history of this great sport.