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Cinderella Story: My Life in Golf
One of the funniest, most beloved, and most often quoted entertainers in the world tells his tale of Life and Golf and somehow surviving both--one pilgrim's bemused path through the doglegs.
With his brilliant creation, groundskeeper Carl Spackler, and the outrageous success of the film Caddyshack firmly etched into the American consciousness, Bill Murray and golf have become synonymous. Now Bill tells the hilarious tale behind the tale.
The love of the game was with Bill long before Carl uttered the now famous words, "Cinderella story outta nowhere. Former greenskeeper and now about to become the Masters champion." Born and raised in Wilmette, Illinois, Bill felt the lure of the links at a tender age. Following his older brothers Ed and Brian into the rarified world of private country club golf as a caddy, Bill learned life lessons at the caddyshack. "How to smoke, curse, play cards. But more important, when to."
And long before he caught the acting and writing bug, Bill protected the Evanston Community Golf Course from gophers and golfers as a "There must be a bent chromosome somewhere in man that urges him to wound that which he cannot conquer--" And throughout his career, the pull of the links has been constant. A summa cum laude graduate of golf school, specializing in the flop shot, Bill's escapades on the Pro-Am golf circuit, at Augusta National, and as a fan at the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the Western Open make for an irresistible read.
Filled with the kind of deadpan and dead-on hilarity that only Bill Murray could create, Cinderella Story is an up-by-the-bootstraps chronicle of a man, his muse, and his critical examination of our society's fascination with a little white ball.
With his brilliant creation, groundskeeper Carl Spackler, and the outrageous success of the film Caddyshack firmly etched into the American consciousness, Bill Murray and golf have become synonymous. Now Bill tells the hilarious tale behind the tale.
The love of the game was with Bill long before Carl uttered the now famous words, "Cinderella story outta nowhere. Former greenskeeper and now about to become the Masters champion." Born and raised in Wilmette, Illinois, Bill felt the lure of the links at a tender age. Following his older brothers Ed and Brian into the rarified world of private country club golf as a caddy, Bill learned life lessons at the caddyshack. "How to smoke, curse, play cards. But more important, when to."
And long before he caught the acting and writing bug, Bill protected the Evanston Community Golf Course from gophers and golfers as a "There must be a bent chromosome somewhere in man that urges him to wound that which he cannot conquer--" And throughout his career, the pull of the links has been constant. A summa cum laude graduate of golf school, specializing in the flop shot, Bill's escapades on the Pro-Am golf circuit, at Augusta National, and as a fan at the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the Western Open make for an irresistible read.
Filled with the kind of deadpan and dead-on hilarity that only Bill Murray could create, Cinderella Story is an up-by-the-bootstraps chronicle of a man, his muse, and his critical examination of our society's fascination with a little white ball.
211 pages, Hardcover
First published May 18, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
December 6, 2021
Bill Murray's somewhat scatter-shot style is hard to follow at first. His "stream of consciousness" narrative d. Takes you many places. (However the guy is a comedic genius, so any criticisms are probably due to my limitations.) I especially enjoyed the recounting of his boyhood caddie adventures. The book "swings" ..wink-wink, from the hilarious to philosophical, much like life and Golf! ...echoing one of Murray's points.
November 16, 2021
Bill Murray is my spirit animal. I mean, the way this guy approaches life, it's damn inspirational. A guy who started out being "Chevy Chase's replacement" on the original SNL and then went on to star in some of the best movies of his generation. He experienced a career revival thanks to Wes Anderson, becoming a part of that director's ensemble cast in many of the most quirky films of the 2000's. And he's been nominated for an Oscar. Not bad for a kid who grew up caddying at the nearby golf course in his native Illinois.
"Cinderella Story: My Life In Golf" is a charming, whimsical, and funny look at Murray's life-long love affair with the sport of golf. Personally, I don't care for golf much myself, but Murray makes it sound fantastic, and he has a great way of looking at life in this book. I doubt we'll ever get a memoir of his acting career (Murray doesn't strike me as the type to pen the sort of book that dishes dirt on all the behind-the-scenes drama, maybe), so this will have to do as a memoir/philosophical tract. It's a bit meandering, like any good story told over a beer at the clubhouse after a long round on the back nine, but that's part of its charm. I bought this on a Saturday, started it on a Sunday, and finished it just now, on Monday night. It's a quick, fun read.
Bill Murray loves golf, and his memoir is a testament to how it's been important in his life. I may not share his devotion to the game, but I can enjoy this book because it's pure Bill Murray.
"Cinderella Story: My Life In Golf" is a charming, whimsical, and funny look at Murray's life-long love affair with the sport of golf. Personally, I don't care for golf much myself, but Murray makes it sound fantastic, and he has a great way of looking at life in this book. I doubt we'll ever get a memoir of his acting career (Murray doesn't strike me as the type to pen the sort of book that dishes dirt on all the behind-the-scenes drama, maybe), so this will have to do as a memoir/philosophical tract. It's a bit meandering, like any good story told over a beer at the clubhouse after a long round on the back nine, but that's part of its charm. I bought this on a Saturday, started it on a Sunday, and finished it just now, on Monday night. It's a quick, fun read.
Bill Murray loves golf, and his memoir is a testament to how it's been important in his life. I may not share his devotion to the game, but I can enjoy this book because it's pure Bill Murray.
January 12, 2016
I would love to meet Bill Murray. I am fascinated by the stories of the man and would love the opportunity to meet him and talk with him. I enjoy his movies and his acting. I don't believe I understood this book a bit. there are humerus bits, but they are lost among the confusing bits. there are bits of Bill's life, but even they are confusing stuck somewhere between believable and unbelievable. I believe a reader will need to know much more than I about golf to understand the majority of the book and the majority of its humor, yet somehow my perception of an authentic golfer leads me to believe s/he would not enjoy this book beyond a few anecdotes. the last few pages are the most poignant, offering the most insight into the man and his perceptions. I have very mixed reactions to this title, but overall I fear I wasted my time reading it.
November 15, 2019
This book is not for those who are not fans of the game of Golf or Bill Murray, but seeing as I love both this book was right up my alley.
March 17, 2020
Way more golf than I expected. It was great though. My favorite were the little snippets about Murray from those that played golf with him.
February 1, 2012
To enjoy this autobiography, you better like golf or like Bill Murray enough to sit through a lot of talk about golf. If you do, you'll find some very humorous and humble moments inside.
"The job also develops a service personality. Not indentured or slavish, but capable of putting another person's needs first. Do you know what I mean? If you are sick, if you're in trouble, out of your element, someone with more than kindness is needed—someone Samaritan. Someone with the ability to do for another what needs to be done. They say you can tell a lot about a person by the way he treats a waiter. Or a caddy, you might add. It's the manners and ease with which one accepts being served. Those who can't serve graciously can't be graciously served. This is more easily learned from service."
"The job also develops a service personality. Not indentured or slavish, but capable of putting another person's needs first. Do you know what I mean? If you are sick, if you're in trouble, out of your element, someone with more than kindness is needed—someone Samaritan. Someone with the ability to do for another what needs to be done. They say you can tell a lot about a person by the way he treats a waiter. Or a caddy, you might add. It's the manners and ease with which one accepts being served. Those who can't serve graciously can't be graciously served. This is more easily learned from service."
November 13, 2010
I really wish I could give this a higher rating as much as I admire Bill, but the book is about 60% Golf 40% stories outside of that. I loved the stories outside of that, but I don't really know enough about golf to see the full benefit of the rest of the book. Check it out anyway if you're a huge Murray fan, and if you're into golf definitely check it out.
June 18, 2013
I love Bill Murray and appreciate golf - I've read and immensely enjoyed John Feinstein's "The Majors". This is just too disjointed to be very satisfying. Maybe that wasn't the point. The stories are fun, his rambling is charming, the memories from friends and others are nice, and the photos are a hoot. It's clearly Bill Murray's style.
January 31, 2025
Got this on a lark while walking around the sports section in WPL. After reading medieval British history for the better part of the year, it felt like I had earned it.
It's just a general memoir of his life in golf: playing as a kid, caddying, eventually the Pro-Ams. Learned a couple of things, beyond just that he lived across from a nunnery in Wilmette, about a mile from my house. I had always told the story that he caddied at Canal Shores, b/c that's what I thought I had heard. But I was never sure. Turns out that he only caddied at Indian Hills in Winnetka, not Canal Shores.
BUT -- near the end of the book he mentions that he got a job at Evanston Community Golf Course -- what we now know as Canal Shores. But he was a maintenance guy, not a "loop". Still, I was partially right.
There's also some interesting tidbits about Wisconsin, b/c he went up there as a kid with his family. He also mentions a meal he had later in life at Paul Bunyan's in Minocqua (he says in Woodruff, but I think that's factually in error). And he also went to Loyola Academy, so all the local tidbits and remembrances made it more fun to read.
It's just a general memoir of his life in golf: playing as a kid, caddying, eventually the Pro-Ams. Learned a couple of things, beyond just that he lived across from a nunnery in Wilmette, about a mile from my house. I had always told the story that he caddied at Canal Shores, b/c that's what I thought I had heard. But I was never sure. Turns out that he only caddied at Indian Hills in Winnetka, not Canal Shores.
BUT -- near the end of the book he mentions that he got a job at Evanston Community Golf Course -- what we now know as Canal Shores. But he was a maintenance guy, not a "loop". Still, I was partially right.
There's also some interesting tidbits about Wisconsin, b/c he went up there as a kid with his family. He also mentions a meal he had later in life at Paul Bunyan's in Minocqua (he says in Woodruff, but I think that's factually in error). And he also went to Loyola Academy, so all the local tidbits and remembrances made it more fun to read.
February 9, 2018
The three star rating is not based upon Bill's stories, but on the writing style. While Bill is a great story teller, I felt like his approach (no golf pun intended) here was a little off the fairway (golf pun intended). Most of the book felt forced in a stylistic sense, which detracted from the stories and humor that Bill is known for. When the stories took center stage during the last few chapters, however, it became a much more enjoyable read.
August 16, 2018
Well this was the quickest most humorous read that I have had in awhile and it ties in with one of my favorite movies, Caddyshack! If you want a book that is fun, has anecdotes that delight and just want a laugh; look no further!
Would definitely read more from Bill Murray because he has done so much more comedy and movies. Plus he is just hilarious.
Would definitely read more from Bill Murray because he has done so much more comedy and movies. Plus he is just hilarious.
December 19, 2018
Bill Murray writing about anything is worth the read. Even golf, which is boring to me. But in his capable hands, the sport--and his life experiences with the game--are funny, wise and pretty cool. I love Murray's writing style. It feels like he's telling his stories in person. A nice little book for the golf fan and the bigger Murray fan.
May 6, 2020
This is a very funny book. Thanks to the success of "Caddyshack" and his portrayal of Carl Spackler, Bill Murray has become a golfing legend. It tells story's of Bill golfing and being just a legend. If you love any of Murray's movies and golfing you will love this funny book.
October 29, 2020
Bill is very witty and his stories both on the golf course and film sets are delightful. The book is unfocused at times and strays off to one tale before finishing another, but for a quick, light read, fans of Murray’s brand of humour will certainly enjoy.
April 30, 2023
I enjoyed the book, but as one reviewer called it, Murray's "scatter-shot" approach to the narrative was somewhat hard to follow. But the book is pretty funny and I found myself chuckling many times.
September 25, 2017
Really???? Dear Bill Murray, please stick to acting and making good movies forget about writing as an author.
December 26, 2017
I don't like golf. I DO like Bill Murray. many on GR did not like this book. I enjoyed it.
February 10, 2018
Bill Murray is one of my favourite actors and yet I don’t think his voice translated well to print. I’d rather listen to him read this book than read it myself.
January 21, 2019
You have to love Bill Murray & golf to get into this book. I love both; which made it a fun, easy read.
February 28, 2019
Pretty good!
September 17, 2019
Fine light read - could here Bill in my head
June 5, 2020
Wild, wacky, scatterbrained (although probably not to him) and zany. Yep, it’s Bill Murray.
January 16, 2021
7 short, rambling, anecdotes set in the style of days of the week. Quick reading, humorous and somewhat informative. If you like Bill Murray, or golf, you'll enjoy the book. If you don't, you won't.
March 9, 2022
It's dated. But if you like golf and are a fan of the man who played Carl Spackler, Peter Venkman and Ernie McCracken, you'll probably enjoy it, like I did.
November 29, 2022
Fun read!
April 4, 2024
ADD fun, he is all over the place in his golf narrative but clearly, he loves golf. Some fun stories and insights but be prepared for a disjointed ride.
May 5, 2024
silly and lighthearted but best quote: “He was a real man. Fearlessly kind.”
May 9, 2024
Recollections of Murray’s time as a caddy, his play in Pebble Beach Pro-Ams and lessons learned from the game. Slight book, but still an enjoyable read.
December 19, 2024
Enjoyable corkscrew read. Loved the Wisconsin experiences and Orel Hershiser part.
February 15, 2025
I did not care much for this book. I felt it was disjointed and hard to follow. I guess I didn't know anything about Bill Murray and his golf so it didn't grab me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews