The Golf Channel, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, throws its substantial resources into this book, which taps the cable and satellite network’s archives and connections to present multiple facets of the sport. There are reviews of the greatest moments at major championships during the past two decades as well as some of the most untimely errors and collapses. How technology has changed the game, some of the world’s most intriguing courses, and what the future might hold for golf during the next 20 years also are addressed.
Here’s an excerpt from “The Golf Book”:
“The Tiger Woods era has brought with it all kinds of comparisons. We compare Tiger with Jack, Woods with Jones, the persimmon era with the metal wood era, hickory with steel and graphite, and the merits of wound balata or modern balls. These are fun arguments, but any fair comparisons between the golf of our era and its preceding sepia-toned decades typically misses an obvious element. It’s right under our toes. Grass.
“Technology has made massive leaps in the four hundred years of golf history, but its not all in our clubs and balls. Advances in agronomy have had a massive impact on the game and how it’s played. New varieties of turf grass that can thrive on less water and at lower-cut heights add rollout on drives and make putting surfaces more severe.”
