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: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your money on this one.
Review: This book has 464 pages I had to WD after 200. I just could not take it any more. This has to be the most boring book I have ever read. It was like I was reading old newspaper articles. I kept hoping that it would get better but it never did. Trying to piece together what several players (on separate holes) were thinking at one point in a tournament was ridiculous. I don't plan on finishing the book. Since it still looks brand new it may just be the perfect Christmas gift for my boss
Rating:
Summary: Another great work by Feinstein.
Review: This book is a wonderful story of the 4 majors during one year on the PGA Tour. I only give it 4 stars because I enjoyed 'A Good Walk Spoiled' a little more.
Rating:
Summary: Better than watching on TV.
Review: This book is great. It is suspensefull and informative throughout. You are introduced to the various golfers as they play, or attempt to qualify for the majors. The tournaments are covered in more detail than you get on TV and with much more insight into what is going on in the heads of the players. The book would be good for anyone who has ever played or watched golf on TV. It is especially enjoyable if you happened to attend any of the major golf tournaments in 1998.
Rating:
Summary: Great stuff...but make sure you get the paperback version
Review: This book is notable for its ability to get inside a professional golfer's head & inside a PGA Tour locker room. It's typical of all of Feinstein's work in that his subjects have provided him with unfettered access to their professional and personal lives. For any anyone interested in golf - or simply in competition at its highest level - the story that Feinstein has pieced together around the 1998 major championships is an absolute delight. One seldom-mentioned aspect of the book that I really enjoyed: Feinstein tags along for the US Open Regional and Sectional qualifiers, as well as for a British Open qualifier. The qualifiers may represent golf in its purest form, and he builds a gripping tale as various strugglers try to fight their way into the big show. It's a thrill to hitch a ride on Larry Mize's back as he tries to qualify for the British. Here's one shining example that it's truly not always about the money. Make sure you go for the paperback version of this book. It has a sizable 'Afterword' that summarizes the 1999 season, especially Payne Stewart's redemption at Pinehurst & untimely death, plus a recap of Tiger Woods' breakout campaign. One small complaint: the cover. Okay...Duval, Stewart, Furyk and Woods were a compelling storyline in the book because they each played a significant role in one or more of the majors. But where are the winners? How about using shots of O'Meara, Janzen and Singh instead? Especially O'Meara, with two majors and Player of the Year honors. You'll telling me that Jim Furyk (Q Rating = statistical noise) is going to sell more books that Mark O'Meara? Feinstein does justice in his work to O'Meara's quest to wipe away his reputation as "King of the B's," but this cover is a real slap in his face.
Rating:
Summary: worth reading
Review: this is very much like his first book. it gives one an insight of what it is like inside the ropes at the majors. i thought i understood how much a major meant, but i was wrong. feinstein is able to give one an insight of what it is like for golf, and inherently i what it must be like in other sports, e.g, the superbowl, world series, etc. it is interesting that the majors are ranked in order of importance - masters, us open, british open, and the pga - this is also how he wrote the book, that is about half of the book is about the masters with a small sliver devoted to the poor-forgotten pga.
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