Aug. 9th through Aug. 15th marks the dates of the 86th Annual PGA
Championship. This year it will take place on a links-type course in
Wisconsin at the Whistling Straits golf course in Kohler, about 7
miles north of Sheboygan. The Professional Golfers' Assn. of America
was founded in 1916 when a group of New York amateurs and
professionals (including the great Walter Hagen) met at the behest of
department-store magnate Rodman Wanamaker in order to promote and
encourage a game that was fast taking the country by storm.
The first PGA Championship was played in 1916 at Siwanoy Country
Club in Bronxville, N.Y. The first winner was British golfer, Jim
Barnes. Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus are tied at five for the most
wins. (Tiger has two.) And for the winner of the 2004 Wanamaker Cup,
we'll have to wait until Aug. 15 to find out.
In the meantime, the library is a treasure trove of golf material
including tips on how to improve your swing, the history of the game,
biographies of the game's greatest golfers, and the rules of
etiquette on the course.
There are beautifully illustrated books on the major courses and
tour events, as well as videos and DVDs that demonstrate the proper
way to play the game.
Some of the newer items on the shelves include "Playing by the
Rules: All the Rules of the Game, Complete with Memorable Rulings
from Golf's Rich History" by Arnold Palmer who writes books with
titles as big as his army of fans. The book is a wonderful
introduction to the rules of golf filled with anecdotes and photos to
illustrate the rules.
A slightly offbeat new book is "Newton on the Tee: A Good Walk
through the Science of Golf," which does exactly what the title would
imply; it gives the physics of the game and in doing so, it should
improve anyone's score.
If you are just beginning to play this exasperating but wonderful
game, there is the DVD "Golf for Dummies," which should start you off
in an understandable and entertaining way.
Got a low handicap? Or are you a scratch golfer? "Golf
Strategies," a DVD, features Simon Holmes, coach to Robert Karlsson,
Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros, covering the fine points of the
game.
Would you rather be an armchair golfer and just watch the pros?
While you are waiting for the sports highlights, take a look at
"Spectacular Golf: The Courses, People and Stories that Make the Game
Great" by Dave Gould. It's a thrilling book to look at, as is "Golf:
An Album of It's History," which features some of the greatest
golfers and courses of all times.
