12 Books Every Golfer Should Read

12 Books Every Golfer Should Read

by Bradley Turner, Keiser University College of Golf Director of Online Golf Instruction

Have you ever been to a bookstore and noticed how many golf books are available versus any other sport? Golf may not be the most popular sport based on television ratings. But, if you account for all the books written on this fascinating game, golf must be the most mysterious, complicated, frustrating, and rewarding game to play. The variety of subjects on the game is endless, but I have selected 12 books that every golfer should read. I have organized these books into four categories; the all-time great players of the game, historical events that have shaped the culture of the game, the mental aspects of playing golf, and finally, a few instruction books that can be helpful for you. To glean down the thousand golf books available to only 12 is a difficult task I hope you enjoy the books I have chosen for you.

Books By Golf’s All-Time Greats

It makes sense to get inside the mind of the three greatest golfers to ever play the game. The insight from each of these players is required reading for any addicted golfer.

Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf by Ben Hogan

After Hogan’s near-fatal collision with a bus in 1949, he returned a year later and dominated the game with his unparalleled ball striking skills. The Hogan “secret” was the talk of the golf world in the 1950s, and this book was his attempt to share that “secret.” The genesis of the book was five articles published in Sports Illustrated in early 1957. The book was published later that same year and has been one of the best-selling golf books of all time. The book is now 65 years old but still provides readers with the essential qualities of a fundamentally sound golf swing. Hogan’s secret is revealed in the book. It’s that hard work and practicing your tail off is the true secret to great golf. 

Golf My Way by Jack Nicklaus

My golf coach as a junior golfer was Jack Nicklaus. I would read his monthly articles in Golf Digest and basically tried to emulate whatever Jack said to do. Golf My Way was the first golf book I recall reading. I borrowed it from the public library back in the mid-seventies and planned on returning it one day. Jack was a believer in the basic fundamentals of the game, and his knowledge of the game was a great coach to many golfers. 

How I Play Golf by Tiger Woods 

Tiger was the beneficiary of modern golf coaches that have evolved since the days of Hogan and Nicklaus. Similar to the books written by Nicklaus and Hogan, the basic fundamentals of the game dominated Tiger’s development. This book has excellent photos of Tiger demonstrating these fundamentals, as he is a great example of how to do just about everything in golf! Good advice for many golfers is to do what Tiger does, and this book tells you how to do it.

Books About Historical Golf Events

I chose these three books because I learned so much about the subject and found each of them to be a pleasure to read. As a fan of history, there are so many great books that could be included on this short list, but these three are fun, informative, and fascinating for those who like the history of the game.

The Greatest Game Ever Played by Mark Frost

The young amateur and former caddy from the wrong side of the tracks, Francis Ouimet, won the 1913 US Open in a playoff over the era’s best professional golfers. Ouimet’s win shocked the world of golf when he defeated the great Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in an 18-hole playoff. This book was made into a movie with Shai LaBeouf playing the role of Francis Ouimet. I enjoyed the movie, but the book is better as Frost describes wonderfully detailed information about the characters of golf in Ouimet’s era.

The Match by Mark Frost

The Match is the story of two professionals playing a four-ball match against two amateurs at the spectacular Cypress Point Club on the Monterey Peninsula. It just so happens that the two professionals were Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, playing against America’s best amateurs in Harvie Ward and Ken Venturi. Mark Frost weaves an incredible story blending the history of each of the four players while recounting every shot of the 18-hole match. As you might expect, the boys can play the game!

Jack Nicklaus: My Story by Jack Nicklaus

This is one of my favorite golf books, as Nicklaus recounts the 20 major championships in chronological order. Beginning with his first US Amateur victory in 1959 and culminating with his improbable Masters win in 1986, Nicklaus shares the behind-scenes factors that led to each of his major championship wins. This is a great read for Nicklaus fans and an even better read for young competitive golfers that want to learn about course management and mental discipline from the 20-time major champion.

Books to Help Mental Performance in Golf

I have heard this from many golfers, “golf is all mental.” I disagree with that statement as I think that is the easy way out for golfers who do not want to put the time and effort into becoming an accomplished player. However, the mental aspects of golf can become an obstacle to your own improvement, yet they can be the needed catalyst for you to bring home the Club Championship trophy. The mental game is vital to your success on the golf course, and these three books will provide the foundation for better golf performance.

Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Dr. Bob Rotella

Seeking the perfect swing has been around for centuries, and much like the search for the fountain of youth, in the end, the search is futile. This is one of the best-selling mental performance books dedicated to the game of golf. Originally published in 1995, Rotella became the mental guru to many PGA Tour professionals. In an era where professional players were still trying to develop the perfect golf swing, Rotella’s perspective on performance changed the landscape from swing perfection to mental mastery.

Every Shot Must Have a Purpose by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott

When I first read this book, I thought to myself, “if I could have written a golf performance book, I would have written this one.”

The content is exceptional, and every chapter of the book aligns with my own beliefs as a competitive golfer and a golf coach. For those emotionally charged golfers who struggle on difficult days on the links, this book can help you manage your game and your emotions. For those that want to take their game to the next level, this book will help you do that. 

The 30-Second Golf Swing by TJ Tomasi

I had not read this book until I joined the team at the College of Golf at Keiser University. Tomasi is a faculty member at the College of Golf and one of the most published golf instructors in the history of the game. The title of the book does not refer to the golf swing but the 30 seconds it takes the mind to execute the golf swing. You can train your brain to become more efficient and effective on the golf course, and Tomasi provides the roadmap for you to play to your potential.

Essential Golf Instruction Books

There are many quality instructional books for golfers to read and, unfortunately, get completely off track with their own golf swing. Many of the books are written more for golf coaches than the golfing public. Some of my favorite instruction books are not included in this list because it can be confusing for golfers to absorb and then apply the information. I have chosen three books that every golfer can read and get some applicable ideas to help with their golf game.

Practical Golf by John Jacobs

This is a great book for a wide audience of golfers, including new golf instructors and any golfer who wants to understand why the ball flies the way it does. Jacobs focuses on conveying the factors at impact that creates hooks and slices. Every golfer should know this information, and this book takes the seemingly complicated science of ball flight and simplifies these principles for the reader.    

The Short Game Bible by Dave Pelz

The self-professed guru of the short game, Pelz’s book is based on his own research on player performance. Pelz provides research-supported ideas to improve your short game skills. Pelz became focused on the short game when his research on PGA Tour players began to reveal the importance of the wedge game. The ability of a player to control the distance of their golf shots from 100 yards and in is often the differentiator between winning and missing the cut. If you want to shave a few strokes off your golf game, read through this informative book on the short game.

Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book by Harvey Penick

The wisdom of a golf coach is captured in this marvelous book from the legendary Harvey Penick. The golf coach from Austin, Texas, had a style of teaching all his own and produced some great champions of the game, including Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Kathy Whitworth, and Mickey Wright. Penick writes about the essential skills to strike a golf ball and also shares his wisdom on playing the game. Ultimately, students take lessons from instructors so they can play better golf. The Little Red Book invites you into the mind of a golf coach and shares with you the many ways to improve your own golf performance.

If you’d like to study with Bradley Turner and other PGA Master Professionals, contact the College of Golf today.