Book "Golf for Dummies" by Gary McCord

In the process of remaking our blog to a brand new domain, the archived post has been transferred to:

About the Book: If you don't know the difference between a lob wedge and a lemon wedge, check out Golf for Dummies, by CBS commentator Gary McCord, one of the game's most colorful--and knowledgeable--characters. It's a wonderful, often hilarious, never boring introduction to the game. Don't let the foreword by Kevin Costner or the afterword by Hootie and the Blowfish confuse the issue; this is a terrifically sound, easy-to-follow primer. McCord's potato-chip drill--yes, potato-chip drill--will revolutionize your swing, and your thinking, with overtones that could spill directly into off-the-course existence, as well.

About the Author: Gary Dennis McCord (born May 23, 1948) is an American professional golfer, commentator, author, and actor.
McCord was born in San Gabriel, California and raised in southern California. He was a two-time Division II All-American at UC Riverside. He won the NCAA Division II individual championship in 1970 and turned professional in 1971.
McCord's best two finishes on the PGA Tour were at the Greater Milwaukee Open, placing second in both 1975 and 1977. During his years on the PGA Tour, he had nearly two dozen top-10 finishes.
McCord credits golf pro Brad Britton for teaching him the ins and outs of the golf swing and especially the mental game.
At age 37 in 1986, McCord joined CBS Sports as a golf analyst, a capacity in which he still serves. He is noted for his outspokenness, a trait that has seen him barred from the CBS commentary team for The Masters. During the network's coverage of the 1994 Masters, he remarked that the 17th green was so fast that it seemed to be "bikini-waxed", and that "body bags" were located behind that green for players who missed their approach shots. Augusta National Golf Club, which organizes The Masters, used its influence with CBS to have him removed from The Masters commentary team. While McCord has continued to cover virtually all other golf events aired by CBS, he has yet to return to Augusta with the network.
Aside from his CBS commentary duties, McCord also plays on the Champions Tour. After turning 50 in May 1998, he won his first event at the Toshiba Senior Classic in March 1999, and also won that year's Ingersoll-Rand Senior Tour Championship. Back in 1991, he won the Gateway Open on the Ben Hogan Tour, the second-tier tour in the U.S., now called the Nationwide Tour.
McCord has also written two books, Just a Range Ball in a Box of Titleists and Golf for Dummies. In 1996, he appeared as himself in the Kevin Costner movie Tin Cup. He and Peter Kostis are partners in the Kostis/McCord Learning Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is also a co-announcer on the EA Sports' Tiger Woods PGA Tour series along with David Feherty.

My Review: I received my first golf clubs as a gift from my dearest friend Alexey. He patiently tried to make me learn how to play golf. In order not to disappoint him, I tried to improve my swing and in this matter this book was a big factor, contributing with detailed description and photos on how to swing. The style of the author makes this book very easy reading and his humor is appropriate under the circunstances. He first suggest which golf clubs are appropriate for you and what else you need to play this game. He mentions the importance of being in shape, where to play, how to swing and improve your move, short-game secrets, putting, banker play, solving common problems and much more, including etiquette, rules and keeping score.

This is an outstanding result for an effort from the author to introduce the most important topics for beginners on this game. The book was published by For Dummies in March 2011. I recommend this book for those who are serious about learning and improving their golf swings and the game overall, as well as learning some curious facts and history of this game.

Amazon.com was kind enough to provide this book for me through their Vine Program for reviewing and I was not request to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.

If you read this review, fell free to leave a comment!