SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
THE GOLF BOOK
By the Editors of Sports Illustrated
Foreword by Roy Blount, Jr.
What began five years ago with Sports Illustrated 50: The Anniversary Book, a New York Times bestseller that marked the 50th anniversary of this venerable sports institution, became a publishing success story with four subsequent titles beloved by sports fans of all stripes: The Baseball Book, The Football Book, The Basketball Book, and The College Football Book.
Now SI delivers Sports Illustrated: THE GOLF BOOK (Sports Illustrated Books; October 13, 2009; $29.95 hardcover) by the Editors of Sports Illustrated, with a Foreword by Roy Blount, Jr., an equally astute and visually stunning treatment of a sport that lends itself to colorful, descriptive story-telling.
Dating back more than five hundred years, no other sport has such a long and illustrious history as golf, which has been played by royalty and common folk, men and women, and young and old. Tracing the game from its roots in the 15th century to the 21st century exploits of Tiger Woods, THE GOLF BOOK stands as a glorious celebration of a sport that has inspired soaring triumphs and nail-biting misses, as well as its own lexicon as Roy Blount, Jr. so eloquently and entertainingly writes about in his Foreword.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’S THE GOLF BOOK ON SALE IN OCTOBER
While dissecting bogeys, birdies, duffers, and mulligans, Blount injects his signature humor and reflections on the game of golf as he summarizes, “You may have assumed that the word was flog backwards, as in self-flagellation. But no.”
Divided by eras and featuring more than 300 black-and-white and full-color photographs, including spectacular double-spreads, THE GOLF BOOK showcases the game’s greatest players, performances, and vistas. Readers will find all of the legends-Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Nancy Lopez, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, and more-captured in singular moments and on the world’s most beautiful greens, including the Scottish hills of St. Andrews and against the breathtaking sunsets of Pebble Beach. From kings and gentry to presidents and celebrities, the sport has roused passion and precision from history’s luminaries all on display in this remarkable collection.
Only in SI’s first comprehensive illustrated golf book will you find classic images, such as W.C. Fields using his driver as a fishing rod; Fidel Castro watching Che Guevara line up a putt shortly after the two revolutionaries conquered Cuba in 1959; President Richard Nixon proudly displaying the ball he used to ace Bel-Air Country Club’s third hole; and Capt. Jason Conroy of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division practicing his swing while stationed in Iraq. Included with these rare photos, artifacts, and memorabilia are sidebars that highlight fascinating facts and shining milestones from each time period and a special gatefold that assembles the 20 Greatest Golfers of All Time, a ranked list that SI commissioned from a panel of experts with the PGA, USGA, LPGA, Golf Magazine, Golf Plus, Golf.com, as well as their own staff of esteemed writers and editors.
In addition to its lavish photography, THE GOLF BOOK wouldn’t be complete without SI’s award-winning writing, and this majestic volume features sports journalism at its best with incisive essays by Frank Deford, George Plimpton, and Gary Smith, among others. Here you can relive the “Fun Times in the Thirties,” Dan Jenkins’ stylish piece about golf’s rat pack of that era; enjoy Gerald Holland’s lively portrait of Slammin’ Sam Snead in “Sam Snead and the Serpent”; relish “More Fun than a Barrel of Monty’s,” Steve Rushin’s humorous take on his jaunt to Scotland for the British Open; and “Hurts So Good,” Alan Shipnuck’s account of Tiger Woods enduring four rounds of play at Torrey Pines on a broken leg, which strikingly illustrates the strength and mettle of golf’s legendary athletes.
Vividly portraying all of the talent, drama, and arresting backdrops that make golf a unique, world-class sport, THE GOLF BOOK marks a singular tribute to the game and a must-have collection for golfers and golf fans alike.
Sports Illustrated THE GOLF BOOK
By the Editors of Sports Illustrated
Foreword by Roy Blount, Jr.
Sports Illustrated Books
Publication date: October 13, 2009
$29.95 hardcover
ISBN 10: 1-60320-085-1
Contact:
Grace McQuade
Executive VP, Director of Public Relations
Goldberg McDuffie Communications
(212)446-5101
gmcquade@goldbergmcduffie.com
Brian Robin
Senior Account Executive
Brener Zwikel & Associates
(661) 349-2147 (cell)
brianr@bzapr.com
