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Top 25 Golf Books of All-Time!

BY MyGolfSpy
Feb 17th 2010
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A couple weeks ago you guys might remember we sent an email out to the subscribers of our email list. We wanted to get your opinion on what your favorite golf books of all-time were. And after going through literally thousands of responses from you guys (took us a while to sort them) we have put together the MGS readers “Top 25 Golf Books of All-Time!”

We wanted both instructional and non-instructional books and you guys gave a great assortment of both for the all the readers to see. The Top 2 books were overwhelmingly the winners by leaps and bounds. Both getting almost 3 times more votes than any of the other Top 5 books chosen. And those were Five Lessons by: Ben Hogan and Little Red Book by: Harvey Penick.

TIP: Get 7 of These Books For Under $1!

We have linked all the books to the Amazon Store if any of you are interested in picking up a few of these to add to your collection. (TIP:) A lot of people don’t see on the product pages on Amazon the used book link on the right hand side of the page. Where many times you can get some of these books for as cheap as $0.01…yes one penny. Actually 7 of the 25 books in this list can be purchased for less then $0.50! So make sure to check the right side of any of the ones you are looking for to see if you can get them on the cheap.

P.S. – I just finished reading a great book…it didn’t make the list but some of you might be interested. The book is called Karsten’s Way: The Story of Karsten Solheim…a great book if you want to see how one man changed the golf industry from the ground up. And yes you can get this one for $0.01.

#1 – Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf

#2 – Little Red Book

#3 – Golf is Not a Game of Perfect

#4 – A Good Walk Spoiled

#5 – Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible

#6 – Golf In The Kingdom

#7 – The Match

#8 – The Greatest Game Ever Played

#9 – Golf My Way

#10 – Any Book by Bob Rotella

#11 – Search For The Perfect Club

#12 – How I Play Golf

#13 – Secrets of the Short Game

#14 – Who’s Your Caddy?

#15 – Golf For Dummies

#16 – Paper Tiger

#17 – The Putting Prescription

#18 – Just a Range Ball In a Box of Titleist

#19 – Swing The Clubhead

#20 – Training A Tiger

#21 – The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing

#22 – Inside The Ropes

#23 – Your 15th Club

#24 – The Green Road Home

#25 – Fearless Golf

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comments

Join The Discussion

R Robertson

8 years ago

Thanks for listing these. I’m relatively new to the game. I struggled through “5 lesson “. After many buckets and constant rereading. I have a nice repeating swing. Confidence with all clubs.

Jeff

8 years ago

I think Jim Flick’s “On Golf” is one the best instructional books of all time. He points out that he taught an amateur swing as well as a professional swing. This is an intermediate players book that isn’t over loaded with illustrations. At first glance you won’t be blown away, but you’ll re-read this over time and come to see the value.

Scott Jordan

9 years ago

Hard to believe none of James Dodson’s books are included in this list.

Andrew

9 years ago

A few great books, but by far my favorite golf book Leslie Nielson’s “Stupid Little Book of Golf” truly should have made the list. His tips are better for the 95% of golfers who play for enjoyment and for those who play for money he is extremely quotable. If you have not read it, do yourself a favor and have a good laugh and I bet you find yourself thinking more about this book then the other things you read about golf.

Mike

9 years ago

I agree with some of these, especially the ones by John Feinstein.
The best golf novel and my favorite book ever is Missing Links by Rick Reilly!
Also check out the follow up, Shanks for Nothing.
Miracle on the 17th green is a good read and I am currently reading its sequel, Miracle at Augusta, both by James Patterson.

Marcus

9 years ago

missing links and shanks for nothing are by far the funniest and most entertaining golf books ever! i remember laughing out loud historically the first time i read them.

Chris Croker

9 years ago

I am fortunate to possess several of your top 25 list. I agree with several of the earlier posts – Darwin’s work is essential reading for any true devotee and Jacob’s instructional stuff – as good as it gets. For humour – the ultimate read for me is ‘The Greatest Game’ by Hugh Dodd and Prof. David Purdie. Chris C….

Two Down

9 years ago

All good books, but IMHO every golfer should also read:

1. The Official Exceptions to the Rules of Golf — Henry Beard
2. Missing Links — Rick Reilly
3. Bud Sweat & Tees — Alan Shipnuck
4. Four Magic Moves — Joe Dante

Dan Johnson

10 years ago

The best new golf book for 2015 is “Golf’s Forgotten Legends & Unforgettable Controversies”. It’s highly historical, incredibly controversial and very humorous. It’s a must have book for all golfers. If you buy it, I guarantee you’ll love it.

Mark

10 years ago

The Golfing Machine by Homer Kelley

ralph blasey

10 years ago

What a bout Dr. Golf?

Peter Wilmshurst

10 years ago

Here’s a few well worth a read –

Instruction – On Learning Golf (Percy Boomer), Classic Golf Tips by Tommy Armour, Play Lower Handicap Golf (Phil Rodgers), plus Paul Runyan mentioned in another post.

General Interest – The Masters of Golf (Aultman, Bowden), Arnold Palmers Book of Putting.

Plus a vote for Bobby Jones on Golf as the greatest golf instruction book ever.

Gary McCormick

10 years ago

Except for “5 Lessons” and “Power Golf”, and the Harvey Penick books, none of the instructional and/or “mental game” books are worthy of mention. Nothing by Jenkins, Wind, Darwin? Ridiculous.

pdssteve

10 years ago

I have many of those books plus many, many more – but alas, no website !

Bob Frender

11 years ago

Thank you for creating this list. I have read numerous books on golf over the past 25 years.
I would definitely place Rotella’s Golf is Not a Game of Perfect and and Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible in my top five books , so I think your compilation has a lot of credibility.

Stephanie Ann Middleton

11 years ago

Every golf book has goodness to it . . . I could name at least 100 more books that have gems speckled throughout the pages :)

Jamie Miller

11 years ago

Pitiful, pathetic, and utterly ill-informed. This list is obviously compiled by people who know very little of the literary history of the game. Anyone who knows books on this genre could provide a list of dozens that should start the conversation – and none of them are found here. With very few exceptions there has been little contribution to the quality of the literary heritage in the last 50 years, the list offered here is nothing less than a feable attempt to stimulate book store sales. If you want to read something important by a contemporary author try picking up anything by David Hamilton. From the golden age of the game try HSC Everard and John Kerr.

Nils Nelson

11 years ago

I hear you. Consider the source. Jones and Middlecoff (THE GOLF SWING) were the only players who wrote their own books. Among modern books, the ’94 edition of David Gould’s The Golfer’s Code is a jewel. In fiction, who comes close to Pete Dexter’s TRAIN? Nary a mention of Herbert Warren Wind.

Stefan White

11 years ago

Hello
I have a library of 475 golf books for sale , due to downsizing houses. Any suggestions for potential purchasers? I can send a full list and details on request. I will pay a handsome commission for the introduction to the buyer.
Best wishes
Stefan White

Rich Gula

11 years ago

Any book co authored by Al Barkow is a deserving read, especially THE MASTER OF PUTTING bu George Low and DAVE STOCKTON’s PUTT TO WIN! How about the top 25 videos, VHS first….and I nominate anything from Sybervision, especially Stockton’s putting video!

Duncan Castles

11 years ago

Preferred Lies by Andrew Greig.
A beautifully written book on links, life and Scotland by one of the nation’s finest novelists. Not to be missed.

Slim

12 years ago

Some good non-instructional golf books:

7 Days in Utopia (book > movie)
A Downhill Lie – quite possibly the funniest book because we were all hacks at one point or another.
Caddie For Life: Bruce Edwards Story

Mike Honcho

12 years ago

#1 no question, hands down “Dead Solid Perfect” by Dan Jenkins. “Fast Greens” by Turk Pipkin is a must read. Currently reading “King of Clubs” by Jim Dubicella, very good. “Bud, Sweat, and Tees” inspired me to caddy professionally (RIP Stevie). “The Swinger” is a good read as well (especially if you despise Eldrick as much as I do!)

Derrick

12 years ago

What about John Jacobs – Practical Golf

david worley

12 years ago

‘Journey through the links’ was voted the no.1 golf book for 2007 by SportsIllustrated and the sequel, ‘Another journey through the links” is even better -shortlisted for 2011 British Sports Book Awards.
One highly credentialed reviewer described Another Journey as ‘possibly the best book on golf courses ever written’.
It is the only comprehensive review of virtually every 18 hole links course in the UK and Ireland.

Journey and Another Journey are far superior to most of the books on your list.

richard

12 years ago

I believe you have left off perhaps one of the top 3 books of all time. Runyans book–The short way to lower scoring. It is the short game Bible

gary parks

13 years ago

I guess I’m dating myself but I consider some of the great British golf writers such as Wodehouse and Darwin as more significant than some on the list. And what about Dan Jenkins? He wrote some classic golf novels such as Dogged Victims and DSP. And finally, Curt Sampson’s book on Hogan is a must read.

keith

13 years ago

Thanks for putting Harvey Penick’s Little red book at #1.He explains the golf swing in simple,easy to understand terms,and never comes across as egotistical like so many of today’s “gurus”. My son and I still have matching sets of Harvey Penick Classic Player irons that I assembled from Golfsmith components.They’re still hard to kick out of the bag.

Mike French

13 years ago

The Golfing Machine by Homer Kelly tops my list—–
http://www.amazon.com/The-Golfing-Machine-Homer-Kelley/dp/0932890067/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331845238&sr=1-1

Derek Whipple

13 years ago

My favorite golf books that didn’t make the top 25

The Mystery of Golf –Arnold Haultain
Ben Hogan’s Secret –Bob Thomas
The Power of Golf –Dr. Terry Zachary
The ’68 Masters –Curt Sampson
Ancesrtal Links –John Garrity
Why Golf –Bob Cullen
Golf for Enlightenment –Deepak Chopra
Final Rounds –James Dodson
Beyond the Fairway –Jeff Wallach

And I can’t wait to read Michael Bamberger’s, To the Linksland

Derek Whipple

13 years ago

Oh, yeah, and Bobby Jones on Golf –Bobby Jones

Jaacob Bowden

13 years ago

Nuts, I missed your email about the voting submissions. I would’ve submitted Phil Reed’s book “In Search of the Greatest Golf Swing”. Good ratings on Amazon.

Aaron

13 years ago

want to add one you all will love. ” In search of Burningbush”

http://www.amazon.com/Search-Burningbush-Story-Friendship-Meaning/dp/0071435212

Clive Bonner

13 years ago

Im surprised not to see one of John Jacobs books in the top 25. As it was mention in a survey in Golf Digest that he has had the biggest impact in golf.

Doc

15 years ago

Thank you for this wonderful survey and to your readers for including all facets of the game. Having short game/putting books in the mix says that readers are paying attention to what they should focus their practice on.
Keep up the good work, mygolfspy

G Coll

15 years ago

iIcan’t believe “Bobby Jones on golf” didn’t make the list . one of the finest golf books i have ever read. he explains learning,practice,form,timing,attitude and concentration a must read for any player written by a true master of the game.

mygolfspy

15 years ago

I was kind of surprised a few books didn’t make it actually.

Derek Whipple

13 years ago

Yep, Bobby Jones on Golf is the Book that stands alone at the top.
I have a copy of the first edition. And, Ive read it a thousand times.

Golfer Burnz

15 years ago

These recommendations sound like great reading. If you are intersted in the history of golf club making and collecting, I’d recommend anything from Pete Georgiady or Jeff Ellis.

John

15 years ago

The Little Red Book is awesome!!

Sam

15 years ago

I grew up up playing on the cousre where Harvey penick taught so I have always been preached the liitle red book!!! It is the best golf book in my oppinion

Simon Marshall

15 years ago

You gotta read Four Iron in the Soul by Lawrence Donegan, hes an English Journalist who spent a year caddying on the European Tour, it gives a great insight into what its like for the journeyman caddies of this world…

Gary McCormick

10 years ago

I didn’t like it s much as you did: http://www.amazon.com/review/R25BKFBHGGIXTW/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

And by the way, Donegan is Scottish — and you’d best be glad you didn’t call him an Englishman to his face.

GlenRiddle

15 years ago

#1 – the littel red book is one my favorite golf books. its not even about the mechanics, its about the philosophy.

rob

15 years ago

MGS – thanks for taking the time to compile the list of books – we both know the effort that it takes to compile this ;-)
I have a few of these books already but will take advantage of the list to expand my library.
The prolonged winter here makes for the perfect opportunity to do some catch up reading.
thx – rob

mygolfspy

15 years ago

Thanks as always Rob…you are right the List articles can take days to put together. The PGA Show ones especially. I hope you enjoy this one.

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