The Fine Green Line: My Year of Golf Adventure on the Pro-Golf Mini-Tours

by John Paul Newport

What happens when a man leaves home for a year to pursue his dream?

One day, playing a particularly spectacular round of golf, husband and father John Paul Newport suddenly tastes what it's like to be a pro. Deciding to take a year off and hit the road playing golf's mini-tour circuit, Newport embarks on a wild trip through America's fairways. Over the course of his journey inside the somewhat shady, often hilarious underbelly of professional golf, he uncovers a world of people so totally addicted to golf, to the delusion of achievable perfection, that they sacrifice everything else to the quest. He also discovers the nature of his own obsession with the game, and how this constant pursuit of perfection on the golf course reflects the same challenges and frustrations one encounters in life. What does it take to master such an intricate, unpredictable game? In golf, as in life, why is one so consistently incapable of acting up to one's clearly established potential?

As Newport struggles to cross that Fine Green Line --the infinitely subtle yet critical difference between the top golf professionals and those who never quite make it--he realizes that life, like golf, doesn't let you get away with anything. This is a story about letting go of fear, facing challenges, and embracing risks--a compelling personal journey that captures many of the frustrations and elations of midlife both on and off the course.

Genres: Sports

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2000

Reviews

[Margot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Golf, an adventure shared.

One year in the life of a 3 handicapper, learning and testing with the goal of Q school at the end. Funny and heart wrenching account with incite on what it really takes to become one of the best in the field. Today is my first round after reading this….of course I expect great things….or will at least just have fun!

[Dan Panke · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Paul Newport decided to take a year off and live the life on Golf's Mini-Tour Circuit. Like most of us passionate golfers we have lofty goals of what we'd like to achieve but not many of us take the chance and try to make our dreams come true. The Fine Green Line is a great example of what will probably be the outcome when you take a decent (but not great) golfer and put them under the pressure of trying to make a living on golf's minor circuit.

I enjoyed reading The Fine Green Line because I could see myself in John's footsteps throughout the book. I understand the frustration of trying to succeed when the skill set isn't there. Humiliation can saddle us all. And I'm certainly glad to see that John Paul Newport has a writing career awaiting him after golf.

[Russ Jarvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author lived one of my fantasies and lived to tell about it. Good descriptions of the various mini-tours as well as a look into the inner world of the expectations we lay upon ourselves and the consequential joys and sorrows. I found myself rooting for him and grew discouraged with his seemingly inevitable self-destructions. But at the same time I was on the verge of winning my first tournament on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 and blew up on 16 and 17 to finish tied for third. Arghhh!!

[Erwin Su · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining read if you like golf. I also like how the author was able to parlay his status as a writer/golfer to gain access to athletes, golfers, clubs and equipment. He does a nice job describing his endeavors at several minitour campaigns but unfortunately his lack of tournament golf success became the overriding theme of the book. I guess I was hoping for a Cinderella, rags to riches story but it didn't happen here.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny account of one man's efforts to see how much he can improve at golf if he takes one year to focus solely on the sport. Easy read and entertaining.

[Gordon Loud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Is this a funny book!!