Rating: 
Summary: My Futile Aspirations Confirmed
Review: Anyone that loves golf and shoots a good round here and there has experienced the "why can't I do that every time" mentality. In "The Fine Green Line", John Newport takes that belief to the next level and puts into proper perspective the difficulty of "mastering" the addictive and occassionally rewarding game. I recommend this book for the regular or avid golfer who may be helplessly addicted and wants a humorous and very real account of just how mentally difficult consistently good golf can be.
Rating: 
Summary: A Revelation in Failure
Review: How can a 3 handicapper spend a year preparing & then shoot 96 & 88 in Q school ? - read the book & find out - however , golfers beware as you know what negative mental thoughts can do in golf - this book has enough for a lifetime !! I think we need success stories & not this detailed failure ! the author must have gotten an upfront payment & commitment to publish, because most would reject. i suggest " a miracle on the 17th Green" for a better read.
Rating: 
Summary: Painful
Review: I actually found this one hard to finish. The authors obsession and anal-retentiveness make for a hard read. Here is a three- handicapper that decides to take the plunge and do what all of us golfers dream about. He then procedes to ruin his game and the story by being obsessed with every bit of minutia about his swing and then analyzing his swing to death. It just goes on and on. There are much better books than this on the subject. Try "Tin Cup Dreams" and "Bud, Sweat and Tees".
Rating: 
Summary: For all those who have tried
Review: I found the book to be enormously entertaining. As others, I found myself laughing out loud as Mr. Newport writes of his journey. For all those who have played golf competitively at any level, this is a must read. For us weekend warriors who find ourselves choking under the pressure of $2 putt at our favorite golf course, the author lives our fantasy. Read this book, you'll love the game alittle more because of it!
Rating: 
Summary: A brilliantly-written tale of golf obsession.
Review: I laughed out loud so much that my wife started reading the book, too, and actually finished it. Now finally she understands something about why I love golf so much. Newport writes like a dream and though he doesn't attain his golfing goal, that's not the point. He goes deep, into the heart and soul of the sport.
Rating:
Summary: The Fine Green Line
Review: I loved this an hilarious account of trying to justify one's passion for the game of golf so much that I have bought at least 10 copies for friends.
It's relevant for those of us who wish they were better at it but are meant to have another life, especially if you have a young family too.
John Paul writes in such an honest and accessible manner about his own feelings and failures that it's as if we have all suffered the same short-comings, as well as shared the same admiration (or is it envy?) of those easy-going, long-hitting pros with their graceful swings. We know and understand his emotions because I bet you have felt the very same thing yourself, whether at the driving range, on a golf course or, at the beach with a young family.
"JP" also has a wonderfully descriptive eye for the people and places to be found on the fringes of golf greatness but still stuck in the mini-tours.
Even my wife could see the funny side and relate to some of the spousal excuses and pressures that JP occasionally has to bend to! This book is great read and a great comfort to dip into anytime afterwards, even just for some light relief from one's own game and from life in general.
Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed it, but you might not
Review: I think many reviewers have oversold the book. I enjoyed it and I would recommend it to other golfers. If you are not a golfer or are a golfer who does not have a strong interest in reading about other people playing golf, then I would not recommend the book to you. The author devotes a year to seeing how good he can get at golf. I don't think he ever believed he would become a tour pro, but he thought he would improve dramatically (as I am sure we all believe). You will read about many rounds of golf (details about specific shots and scores), golf lessons, golf psychologists, etc. If you do not golf, I think you would hate the book. It is not a 'journey' book in that you do not necessarily enjoy his 'journey' through the process,you enjoy living golf when you read the book. I golf and enjoy reading about it, so I liked the book a lot. This is a four star book for one audience and a one star book for another, so I settled on three.
Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: I would not recommend this book. I found it a waste of time, another guy takes a year and thinks he can become a pro. His story is boring and predictable.
Rating:
Summary: Golf is a Game to Play, Not a Measure of the Person
Review: I'm an avid reader on golf. Doesn't matter whether it be instruction, biography, history, etc. I've got a growing collection. This book will have a cherished place, because it's such an honest, insightfully written epic of an average golfer who finds out what the upper reaches of the sport are all about.Finding myself playing to much the same level of the author, I knew enough from being around some mid-level echelon golfers that one dedicated year to try and crack this game would not be enough. One would have to start much earlier than that and want it far worse. JP is a neat guy, one that many of us would enjoy so much treading around the links trying to keep each other playing our best, but enjoying whatever we're given that day in this humbling game. JP is pro league writer, and his ability to transmit what was happening inside is not only articulate and entertaining, but it to this reviewer is so admirable, not trying to embellish or spin to portray the disappointing results any different than their raw numbers. I'll take away from this great read some unforgettable remembrances ... promoter Buddy's unplayable lie invention, the Skill-O-Meter analysis, the MJ incident with failure by one shot, etc. Great stuff for us who love this game and collect incidents like this for the 19th.
Rating:
Summary: Golf is a Game to Play, Not a Measure of the Person
Review: I'm an avid reader on golf. Doesn't matter whether it be instruction, biography, history, etc. I've got a growing collection. This book will have a cherished place, because it's such an honest, insightfully written epic of an average golfer who finds out what the upper reaches of the sport are all about. Finding myself playing to much the same level of the author, I knew enough from being around some mid-level echelon golfers that one dedicated year to try and crack this game would not be enough. One would have to start much earlier than that and want it far worse. JP is a neat guy, one that many of us would enjoy so much treading around the links trying to keep each other playing our best, but enjoying whatever we're given that day in this humbling game. JP is pro league writer, and his ability to transmit what was happening inside is not only articulate and entertaining, but it to this reviewer is so admirable, not trying to embellish or spin to portray the disappointing results any different than their raw numbers. I'll take away from this great read some unforgettable remembrances ... promoter Buddy's unplayable lie invention, the Skill-O-Meter analysis, the MJ incident with failure by one shot, etc. Great stuff for us who love this game and collect incidents like this for the 19th.
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