A Golfer's Education

Rating:
Summary: Play it as it lies
Review: From the beginning I thought that book sounded pretentious. After reading some of the great travel golf books such as the Dewsweepers and Final Rounds, this book just cannot compare. I do not think the author ever established his credentials to give us a meaningful opinion on the great courses he played. I bought it to take up time on a plane trip from the West Coast and I was sorry that I did not just watch the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Hey Mr. Author!
Review: Kilfara really captures the essence of the game in a must read for all avid golfers. Kilfara's narrative tells an enchanting story of golf, personal growth and romance all while on an academic sojourn from Harvard. The prose is imminently readable and will capture the hearts and minds of most golfers and non-golfers alike. I wholeheartedly recommend this endearing book to all who might need a trip to the old world.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: Kilfara really captures the essence of the game in a must read for all avid golfers. Kilfara's narrative tells an enchanting story of golf, personal growth and romance all while on an academic sojourn from Harvard. The prose is imminently readable and will capture the hearts and minds of most golfers and non-golfers alike. I wholeheartedly recommend this endearing book to all who might need a trip to the old world.

Rating:
Summary: Hey Mr. Author!
Review: OK, parts of the this book were really enjoyable. The author's portrayal of the town of St. Andrews and the characters that roam its ancient streets and the oldtimers who haunt the Old Course are priceless. Also, several of the courses the author describes (Machrie and Dornoch come to mind) make me want to book a trip right away.
OK, now what's disturbing about the book. What's annoying? Well, the author gets rather full of himself (oh yeah, how many times do we have to hear that he's from Harvard???) as he plays the daring expatriate who is so much better than all of the other rude, loud American tourists roaming Scotland. News Flash! Author, you will always be an American!!
The way the author breaks clubs and treats his friends and girlfriend and any other golfer on the links who never played golf for Harvard is truly horrid. Attention readers and friends of the author: never book a trip with author. Red flag.
Essentially, I fell in love with St. Andrews because of this book. This book renewed my passion for the game. But basically, after reading the book I come away with the feeling that I don't really like the author...
(So much of this book was filled with boring, detailed hole by hole accounts of the various golf outings the author made. Shoot me! Oh, yea wait till you read how the author treats the blind guy! When you get down to it, the author acts very selfish and pompous throughout the book and treats people like garbage. But before that chapter ends he will have a moment of enlightenmnet where he puts things in perspective and he repents. Then next chapter he breaks more clubs and screams some more, followed by more enlightenment and soul searching. Repeat...)

Rating:
Summary: Insightful, accurate, and quite readable
Review: This is an approach to golf books that I would really like to see more of. The author has a very keen perception and attention to detail when it comes to describing the best that Scottish golf has to offer, but so have many others that have come before him. The wonderful part about this book is that Kilfara also opens up a part of his soul so that the reader can try to relate to or understand him as a person while he describes this journey. Many times have I read a book about sports and wondered about personal details of the author that determine his perception of what he is desacribing. Kilfara lets us in to a part of his psyche and should be roundly applauded for it. Anyone that did not enjoy this book I believe does not like, understand or appreciate golf or is plainly jealous of the wonderful courses the author has been able to play.

Rating:
Summary: There are many 'My year in golf' books that are better
Review: This was one of the only golf books that I read so far this year. When I read about golf, I try to balance my reading on books on instruction with books about peoples's lives at it relates to golf. I read most of this book, thinking that the premise was decent, and the appearance of the book was quite 'new' (I read it in March 2002). I have probably read 25 to 30 golf-related books and this is one of the worst. I feel there is no depth to the stories about the book. I feel like it's just some person who is trying to make a quick buck. It really left me dissatisfied.