Best Golf Books

The game of golf is quite an old sport. And like any other old sport, there are an abundant amount of stories to be told. Those of legends, of fabled myths, of triumph and defeat, and even lessons for everyday life can be found within the eternal fairways of the game. Many of golf’s greatest stories, history, and lessons can be found in the numerous books published on the subject.

Of course, not all books are of the same quality. So to help you find the best golf books ever written, we have put together this helpful review guide. In this guide, you will find 15 of the best golf books ever written that cover everything from historical golf figures, courses, golf lessons, and metal game preparation. So if you want to add to your golf library, these are the books you need!

Best Golf Books

1. Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons

Written by one of the greatest golfers to ever live, Ben Hogan takes readers through a step-by-step guide on how to build a winning golf game. Through the use of these building blocks and detailed illustrations by Anthoney Ravielli, Hogan believes that anyone with average coordination can consistently break 80. Each chapter brings with it a new lesson that gives you the same feeling as if you were learning from the legend himself.

Since its publishing in 1985, Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons have sold more than 1 million copies worldwide! Many of golf’s greatest instructors recommend Hogan’s book and specifically use its teachings when working with new and beginner golfers. This book is certainly a great read given its straightforward approach and is perfect for golfers both new and experienced.

2. Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book

Most golfers probably don’t know the name Harvey Penick, and we can’t blame you. But what makes Mr. Penick so special is that he became a master at teaching both the physical and mental aspects of golf. At the age of eight, Harvey Penick started his journey with the game as a caddie in Austin, Texas. Over the coming decades, all of Harvey’s greatest teachings and wisdom were recorded in his “little red book”. The greatest of these lessons were then published in this book.

Updated in 2012, Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book comes with all new photos, commentary, and a foreword by Davis Love III. Despite being written over 20 years ago this guide still rings true with its simple lessons and timeless philosophy. Do both yourself and your golf game a favor and give Harvey Penick’s golf theory a read in the Little Red Book.

3. The Greatest Game Ever Played

Author Mark Frost is perhaps the greatest author in all of golf. His books cover an array of historical golf topics in a gripping and fascinating way. In the case of The Greatest Game Ever Played, Frost delivers an encompassing study of golfers Francis Ouimet and Harry Vardon and their passion for golf that broke down social barriers.

Of course, this classic has had a film adaptation that does a great job explaining Frost’s work. But like with any movie adaptation, more details lie within the pages of the original book. So whether you have seen the movie or not, Frost’s original work will continue to have the most meaning to this incredible story. Any golf or sports fan will instantly fall in love with perhaps one of the greatest retellings of one of the most momentous moments in all of golf history.

4. Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect

As most have probably noted, while golf is an easy sport to play it isn’t exactly easy to master. Even the best PGA Tour players will admit that while they might score well week after week, they still run into problems out on the course. Understanding the game and its unique challenges is something that all players need to comprehend. Dr. Bob Rotella tackles this challenge in his book Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect.

Dr. Bob Rotella is a performance consultant that has worked with many professional golfers including Davis Love III and John Daly. Throughout the book, Dr. Rotella works with readers to create an attitude and mindset that sets them up for a successful round. And unlike most books written by doctors, Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect is written in a very conversational tone that makes it easy for readers to understand and apply any of the given techniques. So if you really want to work on your mental game, you got to give Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect a read!

5. A Life Well Played

One of the greatest losses to golf in the past decade has got to be the passing of the legendary Arnold Palmer in 2016. Arnold was one of the first “superstars” in golf and certainly was deserving of the title “The King”. Marching his way to 62 PGA tour wins and seven major championships, Arnold Palmer became a golfing legend. Palmer continued his legacy well after his competitive golfing days were over by donating his time and money to charities that helped those in need.

In his book A Life Well Played, Palmer reflects on his life, legacy, and values that were instilled upon him as a child. Chapters are relatively short and focus solely on an individual topic that ranges anywhere from his family to his golfing career. Palmer did keep the book neat and tidy, leaving out some of his characteristic humor. Despite this, A Life Well Played is perhaps the best look at Palmer’s life and how he was a legend both on and off the course.

6. The Match

The Match is Mark Frost’s answer to his golf classic The Greatest Game Ever Played. This time, Frost brings readers a look at one of the greatest rounds of golf ever played. It all starts in 1956 when Francis Lowrey makes a bet with fellow millionaire George Coleman. The bet: Lowrey’s two employees, amateur golfers Harvie Ward and Ken Venturi, can’t be beaten in a best-ball match.

But when Coleman brings in two legends of the game, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, the match becomes one for the ages. Frost’s retelling of the match keeps readers on the edge of their seats while offering extra insight into the match including recollections from the participants. Known as the greatest private match ever played, Frost’s impassioned writing brings The Match to everyone’s living room. Every fan of golf should certainly add The Match to their list of must-reads.

7. Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods has amassed a career in golf that makes him one of the greatest players of all time. With a massive amount of fans and followers, Woods has grown to become the face of golf throughout most of the 21st century. But Woods hasn’t gone without some controversy over his life off the golf course. To really get to know Tiger, authors Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian sat down with hundreds of people from all parts of Tiger’s life. These stories, insights, and views are the basis for the content in Tiger Woods.

This biography covers many parts of Tiger Woods’ life that haven’t been made public. Some topics include Tiger’s upbringing, psychology, and personal life. No publication has gone this deep or provides as much detail as Tiger Woods. Benedict and Keteyian certainly crafted a masterpiece that every Tiger Woods fan needs to read.

8. Zen Golf

Have you ever wondered how PGA stars keep their cool in the face of adversity? Put simply, it’s a mix of confidence, concentration, and a clear mind. These three factors are what give the pros the ability to hit the best shot they can time after time. But you too can master this mindset through the teachings of Dr. Joseph Parent in the book Zen Golf.

Zen Golf provides readers with a clear system for creating a purified mental game for golf that helps golfers control their emotions on the course. Dr. Parent’s teachings cover everything from learning to enjoy a bad round to avoiding self-fulfilling prophecies. Zen Golf isn’t written for professionals and through a clear and concise writing style, anyone can easily apply these teachings to their game. Take the first step to mastering your mental game with some help from Dr. Joseph Parent and Zen Golf.

9. The 500 World’s Greatest Golf Holes

With tens of thousands of golf courses spread across the world, there are over a million unique golf holes. Despite the challenge of choosing which holes are greatest, Golf Magazine’s Editors along with author George Peper set out to do just that. Along their journey, they found the 500 best holes in golf and presented them in the aptly named The 500 World’s Greatest Golf Holes.

More than six hundred photos can be found throughout the book and each captures a hole’s particular uniqueness. Of course, more than just pictures are found in the book. Each hole comes with a small biography that lists the hole number and course. The authors even created a layout that breaks the holes down into different categories. Although the price is a bit higher than other golf books, this is certainly worthy of a read.

10. The Practice Manual

Getting golf lessons can be quite an expensive ordeal. And if you are already an experienced golfer, you already know what needs work and what doesn’t. So why not get a book that teaches you how to improve your golf skills? That’s where golf instructor Adam Young and The Practice Manual comes into play. All of Young’s teachings are laid out in a simple fashion that gives golfers an easy way to immediately change how they play golf.

Topics covered range from ball flight laws, skill development, consistency, and variable practice. Lots of focus is also placed on continuous self-improvement both in practice and during a round of golf. The Practice Manual has been featured on the Golf Channel and has quickly become a best seller in the golf category. So whether you are a golfer looking to improve or an aspiring player looking to take their game to the next level, you need The Practice Manual.

11. Putting Out Of Your Mind

Putting is perhaps the part of the game that most golfers dread. Fast greens with heavy slopes can make even the most experienced putters weak in the knees. But with the right mindset and practice, any golfer can tackle even the hardest of greens. In Putting Out Of Your Mind, Dr. Bob Rotella digs into how to change your mindset to putt like the pros.

Dr. Rotella argues that most golfers should be focusing mostly on their putting rather than fixing their swings to achieve more distance. This argument is based on the idea that most pro players try to master putting before they look to increase shot distance. As the book progresses readers will be given a clear set of mental rules and unique putting practice drills that will immediately change the way a golfer looks at putting. It’s no wonder Putting Out Of Your Mind has become a hit among golfers and is a great guide to help you sink more putts.

12. Your Short Game Solution

Most amateur golfers can cut a lot of strokes off their game by simply improving their short game. From chunked or fluffed chips to over hit approach shots, lots of problems occur from about 100 yards and in. To find the solution to all your short game problems, you need to read James Sieckmann’s Your Short Game Solution. In this book, Sieckmann teaches you how to master your game from 120 yards and in.

The book is full of special tips and secrets that have been proven through motion capture technology. Sieckmann lays out these teachings in an easy to follow manner that starts with the basics and then slowly leads into specific short game lessons that anyone can do. The same teachings found in the book have been adopted by many different PGA and LPGA pros over the last two decades. Now you too can take control of your short game with Your Short Game Solution.

13. Be A Player

Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott present an easier set of golf lessons that focus less on the swing and more on the golfer themselves in the best selling golf book Be A Player. Both authors agree that a golfer’s state on the course is completely different from that of a driving range or practice green. So in that sense, golfers must become less focused on their swing and more focused on their body and mind.

Be A Player looks to explore and assess a golfer’s “Human Skills” which includes everything from balance, tempo, and even mental state. After assessing your human skills, the chapters then open up with assignments and mini-lessons that look to improve on these skills. A couple of chapters are also lent to helping create a better mental state for a more stress-free round of golf. While some golfers might not feel that focusing on their body is better than their swing, Nilsson and Marriott’s teachings in Be A Player make for a convincing argument.

14. Seven Days In Augusta

Augusta National is by far one of the most known courses in the world thanks to its hosting of the annual Masters major championship. Over the many decades, Augusta National has become a special place of golf where excitement, wonder, and beauty abound. But what many golfers don’t know, even those who have been to The Masters, is all that goes on behind the scenes to create the storied atmosphere.

In Mark Cannizzaro’s book, Seven Days In Augusta, Cannizzaro explores all the different elements both seen and unseen that make The Masters so recognizable. Everything Augusta is detailed including Amen Corner, Butler Cabin, and the preparation of the grounds. Even wider-ranging topics are discussed such as green jacket rituals and the lengths fans have taken to get tickets. For those that have never been to Augusta, Mark Cannizzaro’s Seven Days In Augusta provides a great look at all that goes on during that timeless tournament.

15. The Evolution Of Golf Course Design

Since golf’s beginning, golf courses have been changing and evolving. While most of the changes have come due to new styles and ideas, other factors such as economic conditions and social movements have also played a role. In The Evolution Of Golf Course Design, author Keith Cutten brings together a collection of images and architectural plans that demonstrate just how golf courses have changed over time.

The book is broken into two sections; the first focuses on golf course changes over the last 200 years and the second examines prominent golf course architects. Over 200 full-color images adorn this masterpiece. At $90, this book is quite expensive. But thanks to a hardcover and heavy-duty paper, The Evolution Of Golf Course Design is worthy of sitting on any golfer’s coffee table.

Bottom Line

Now that you have made it to the end of our review guide of the best golf books, it’s pretty clear there are a lot of outstanding golf reads. Since there are books that cover everything from biographies to lessons, there is certainly a golf book for anyone. But if you are a book worm that wants to stock up on some reading material here are our suggestions.

First, if you want to read to improve your game the best books have to be without a doubt Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons and Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect. These two books are the best when it comes to swing and mental training. Biographies are another great genre in golf with the best being Arnold Palmer’s Life Well Played. If you instead are after an easier read then you have to go with Mark Frost and his historical retelling of The Match.

No matter which golf book or group of books you choose, you can’t go wrong! So settle down with a good golf book and get inspired to hit the course with your best game. Visit the Golf Accessories Reviews homepage for more expert reviews and advice!