The Soul of Golf

Rating:
Summary: Not the ultimate Golf road trip, but still...
Review: A book which changed the way I travel is "Blue Highways", by William (Trogdon)Least Heat Moon. I've given away a number of copies to friends of different ages and backgrounds. Bill Hallberg's "The Soul of Golf" could have been titled "Blue Fairways". Although Hallberg spent far too much time stuck on interstates, like the narrator of "Blue Highways", Hallberg set off at a trying time of his life. I don't believe he was running away from the problems in his family, as terrible as they were. From his descriptions, I'd guess we share our baby boomerness, and our love of golf, though his love affair with the game is much more longstanding. And, though his length off the tee dwarfs me, he's still little more than a hacker. When he write of playing a last round with his friend, Duke, or with older players who are just happy to be alive, he and I are one. Like "Blue Highways", this is a book I'll give to friends, and I'll return to. I only wish he'd included some photos of his travels, and that we'd had a chance to get out for a round together. Hallberg subscribes to Harvey Penick's credo, "If you play golf, you're my friend." That's a tenet of golf.

Rating:
Summary: insightful, evocative writing
Review: A book which changed the way I travel is "Blue Highways", by William (Trogdon)Least Heat Moon. I've given away a number of copies to friends of different ages and backgrounds. Bill Hallberg's "The Soul of Golf" could have been titled "Blue Fairways". Although Hallberg spent far too much time stuck on interstates, like the narrator of "Blue Highways", Hallberg set off at a trying time of his life. I don't believe he was running away from the problems in his family, as terrible as they were. From his descriptions, I'd guess we share our baby boomerness, and our love of golf, though his love affair with the game is much more longstanding. And, though his length off the tee dwarfs me, he's still little more than a hacker. When he write of playing a last round with his friend, Duke, or with older players who are just happy to be alive, he and I are one. Like "Blue Highways", this is a book I'll give to friends, and I'll return to. I only wish he'd included some photos of his travels, and that we'd had a chance to get out for a round together. Hallberg subscribes to Harvey Penick's credo, "If you play golf, you're my friend." That's a tenet of golf.

Rating:
Summary: A good read
Review: I looked so forward to reading this book after it was recommended by a friend, also an avid links lover. However, getting past the authors liberal genre and his views towards certain people of the "christian" persuasion left me disappointed. As a Christian, I wish I could have read the book without the typical liberal diatribe of "religion-bashing" and received more inspiration of how one can learn of life through the study and playing of the game. Too much of a slice to the left side of center for me. Bill, just stick to the vivid and well laid out descriptions of the course and leave the anti-christian prosletizing to someone else (that is, if you want to sell books.) Can I get my money back?

Rating:
Summary: A good read
Review: This is an exceptionally well written enjoyable book to read on a rainy afternoon when you can't get out to the course. The only downer were periodic eruptions of Hallberg's boomer arrogance. Also disappointing was the fact he told all his golf partners that he was writing a book and he was going to put them in it!

Rating:
Summary: Find the soul of golf/find yourself, it's the same journey
Review: THIS IS MY FAVORITE OF ALL THE GOLF BOOKS. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT GOLF. IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE LITTLE TIMES INBETWEEN ROUNDS. IF YOU LOVE TO READ ABOUT GOLF, LOVE TO TRAVEL WITH AS LITTLE PLANNING AS POSSIBLE, AND EXPERIANCE LIFE AS IT COMES TOWARDS YOU. YOU'LL SEE ALOT OF YOURSELF IN THIS BOOK. I FOUND MYSELF SAYING "I'VE BEEN THERE," AND "YES THAT'S THE WAY IT FEELS," ALL THROUGOUT THIS BIOGRAPHY/NOVEL/TRAVEL JOURNAL/GOLF BOOK. DON'T MISS READING THIS BOOK OR YOU'LL REGRET IT.

Rating:
Summary: A thoroughly enjoyable golf trip
Review: William Hallberg's golf trip through America made for a wonderful read. As a lifelong golfer who has played in many of the places he describes, I found the book to be a delicious depiction of the varying ways that golfers see our great game. Hallberg is an incredible wordsmith and I occassionally was moved to read passages to my wife (who isn't even a golfer) just to be able to share with someone the way that he could set a scene. I liked this book much better than Hallberg's first book and look forward to more works from this writer.

Rating:
Summary: A thoroughly enjoyable golf trip
Review: William Hallberg's golf trip through America made for a wonderful read. As a lifelong golfer who has played in many of the places he describes, I found the book to be a delicious depiction of the varying ways that golfers see our great game. Hallberg is an incredible wordsmith and I occassionally was moved to read passages to my wife (who isn't even a golfer) just to be able to share with someone the way that he could set a scene. I liked this book much better than Hallberg's first book and look forward to more works from this writer.