Best Golfing Books Every Golf Enthusiast Should Read: Learn Everything There Is To Know About The Sport

Practice is vital when it comes to learning and improving at a particular sport. Being on the green is undoubtedly the best golf book way to enhance your grip, stance, swing, judgment, and ultimate performance. However, leveling up your theoretical knowledge of golf can be an extremely helpful exercise, too. Whether you’re looking to learn more about where and how golf originated, how it grew to become one of the most popular sporting practices, tips and tricks to improve your game, golfing etiquette, or you simply want to know what other golfing enthusiasts are reading, there’s an extensive list of golf books you can choose from. Here’s a short list of the very best golf books to read to sharpen your knowledge and indulge in your love of golf. 

 

Best sellers: Best Golf Books of All Time

Just like in any genre, there are classic golf books that stand the test of time. These are the reads that every golf enthusiast starts with and continues to revisit when they need an informative refresher. 

One of the best golf books of all time was published in 1953 by Tommy Armour, a professional Scottish-American golfer nicknamed The Silver Scot. How To Play Your Best Golf of All Time might be dated, but the techniques and advice it generously doles out are still helpful to golfers today. It includes content regarding why clubs matter and how to choose the best ones for you, how to get ready to swing, how to perfect your footwork and stance, and the philosophy of putting. 

On Learning Golf by Percy Boomer is also a delightful golfing classic still widely read by golfers today. Published in 1946, this valuable instruction guide that details how one can master the sport truly proves that the game has changed little in the past 70 years. 

Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf by none other than Ben Hogan and Herbert Warren Wind is another golfing classic to add to your reading list. It outlines professional techniques to improve your game to ultimately break eighty, and readers have said it feels as though Hogan is giving you a private lesson himself with each enriching chapter. 

 

Best Golf Books for Beginners 

If you’ve only recently taken your first swing and want to improve at golf and learn more about this unfamiliar sport, there are excellent books available that are well-suited to a beginner golf club set. 

Golf Annika’s Way by Annika Sörenstam, published in 2004, explains the details of golf and gives helpful tips and tricks to improve your game. Written by one of the best female golfers of all time, it shares delightful anecdotes about how Annika grew in her golfing journey.

The Golf Handbook: The Complete Guide to the Greatest Game, published in 1989 by Vivien Saunders, really breaks down the game to its fundamentals and makes it easy to understand. It makes for one of the best golf instruction books and succeeds in helping you enjoy the game, improve your technique, and get your golfing journey started on the right foot. 

While these books can certainly help you become a better golfer, you can also read this informative article and learn about the most important aspects of golf quickly.

 

Best Golf Books About Golf by Golfers 

Reading autobiographies is one of the most effective ways to learn a particular exercise, technique, or profession because the knowledge imparted in these stories is based on real experience. Many iconic professional golfers have taken the time to share their expertise and advice with readers. 

Bunker Play by Gary Player is a book every golfer can learn from. Written by a respected global champion of the sport, it details his journey to becoming one of the best golf players of all time and the techniques he has learned along the way. 

How I Play Golf by Tiger Woods imparts five golfing secrets that Woods himself uses to improve his world-class game. It speaks to the physical, psychological, and emotional practices that can be useful in the everyday lives of golfers. With 15 major championship victories under his belt, it’s no wonder readers the world over are eager to learn everything this sporting icon has to teach. 

A Life Well Played: My Stories by Arnold Palmer tells the story of Palmer’s rise to become one of the world’s most recognized sporting icons. Published in 2016, the immediate bestseller shares wisdom, advice, and anecdotes from the fascinating life of a true golfing giant. 

 

Best Golf History Books 

As one of the oldest sports still being widely played today, golf has a rich history originating in Scotland and dating back to 1457. 

It’s easy to underestimate the effect that historical knowledge can have on your golfing technique and overall handicap, but having a holistic understanding of the sport and its origins can help make sense of some of the stringent rules, restrictions, and etiquette. 

For a shorter read, you can learn more about the history of golf here.  Here are some of the best golf history books to enhance your understanding.

The Match: The Day The Game Changed Forever by Mark Frost details one particular event in golf history when golfing icons Ben Hogan and Bryon Nelson played against amateurs Harvie Ward and Ken Venturi in 1956. The atmosphere of this memorable day is expertly captured in this story, making it a thrilling read as well as an informative one. 

A History of Golf: The Royal and Ancient Game by Robert Browning displays the author’s authority on golf and shows evidence of a great deal of research. It outlines a comprehensive history of the game, dating back to its earliest beginnings. However, the writing style still makes for an easy and enjoyable read. 

If history books aren’t exactly to your taste, you can learn more about golfing history by visiting a golf museum. Here are some of the best ones: Golf Museum to Visit

While golf can be frustrating and complicated, it’s equally addictive and enchanting. If you want to improve your game and indulge your passion for this sport, the books we’ve listed here are sure to get you there. Whether you’re a lover of books, golf, or both, this comprehensive list of the best golf books, and best books about golf, is certain to provide your new favorite read.