Dead Solid Perfect

by Dan Jenkins

The legendary golf novel, rereleased in a special edition with a new foreword by the author.

Don Imus said it "Dan Jenkins is a comic genius." And nowhere is that genius more evident than in Dead Solid Perfect , his uproarious 1974 novel about life on the PGA Tour. To some, Kenny Lee Puckett, the star of Jenkins's ribald saga, is a more important figure in the history of golf than Bobby Jones himself.

Genres: Sports, Fiction, Humor, Comedy, Modern

242 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Dan Jenkins was an American author and sportswriter, most notably for Sports Illustrated.

Jenkins was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended R.L. Paschal High School and Texas Christian University (TCU), where he played on the varsity golf team. Jenkins worked for many publications including the Fort Worth Press, Dallas Times Herald, Playboy, and Sports Illustrated. In 1985 he retired from Sports Illustrated and began writing books full-time and maintained a monthly column in Golf Digest magazine.

Larry King called Jenkins "the quintessential Sports Illustrated writer" and "the best sportswriter in America." Jenkins authored numerous works and over 500 articles for Sports Illustrated. In 1972, Jenkins wrote his first novel, Semi-Tough.

His daughter, Sally Jenkins, is a sports columnist for the Washington Post.

Reviews

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required F$@&ing Reading

Dead Solid Perfect was a masterwork when my dad tossed it on my bed, which happened to sit 45 yards from the 17th tee on the north course of Turf Valley Country Club in roughly 1976.

Dan Jenkins is an original wit, a sports writing sage, and a literary hero.

I downloaded the book to reread a scene so that I can recall it in front of a large crowd of people next month in Seattle. And I caught myself laughing hard while trying not to cry as I reread the damn thing all the way to the end.

The book is pure genius. Dan Jenkins is a Texas Treasure. Buy the damn thing.

[Angus McKeogh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. More thoughtful than I probably anticipated. A lot about golf obviously, but also race relations, life and death, marriages, and high jinks. Maybe not laugh out loud funny (and some of the games played with words and phrasing is potentially outdated due to the publication date) but very much a fun read. And you don't have to be a huge golf fan to enjoy it either. Not bad. Not bad at all.

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

To love this book you need to love four things: 1) golf; 2) casual racism; 3) sexism; 4) homophobia. As I like only one of the four (golf) I give this one star.

This book was written in 1974 and has not aged well. In some books, the language was of the time period and you accept it because it adds to the story. Unfortunately here, it is gratuitous and offensive.

It's unfortunate, because Dead Solid Perfect is otherwise an interesting fictionalized history of the PGA tour in the 1970's. Parts of it are very funny. But the overall tone of the book was off-putting for me.

[Kyle Boedeker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed this more if it focused more on the golf. I didn't really like any of the characters and the juvenile humor got old pretty quickly. It was entertaining enough to read in the airport, but I was happy when it was over.

[G.T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I’ve always heard so much about Jenkins’ writing but never got around to read any of his stuff. This really didn’t do much for me.

[Steve Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've know about this book forever but somehow never got around to reading it. If you thought Caddyshack cast the game of golf in a new light, you should read Mr. Jenkins' treatment. Profane, non-PC, and hilarious, Dead Solid Perfect is packed with "I've gotta remember that one" turns of phrase and laugh out loud passages. I thought the story meandered briefly in the third part but rallied strong as Mr. Jenkins account of the final round of the US open was pure page-turning joy.

[Tristan Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite possibly the funniest novel I have ever read. Dan Jenkins, a former columnist for Playboy and the New York Times has a style all his own. With more curse words per page than any other novel while talking about a guy on the professional golf tour, Jenkins makes an already laughable lifestyle absolutely ridiculous. Another easy, very quick read yet I have read this book four times. So funny.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was reading this book, there were a couple of times that I just had to put it down and roar with laughter. It is absolutely hilarious. For every golfer who ever played Goat Hills.

[Gerald Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, profane, raunchy book about life on the PGA tour. Published in 1974. Very politically incorrect, and couldn’t possibly have been published today with its casually racist and misogynistic remarks. A product of its times. Still, for someone who lived in the 70’s, and isn’t easily offended, it was a little comedy gem!

[Joel Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As enjoyable a beach read as you'll find. Jenkins' characters are profane and a little off-kilter, but the wild setup of Kenny Puckett's life rings true, and it's about as funny a book as you're ever going to find.

[Chris Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great reading for golf fans. Some great insights on what it is like to battle against yourself and other golfers on the course, along with some decent background plot.

This isn't a masterpiece, but it is fun.

[Edward Redd · Rating 1 out of 5]

After Dan Jenkins passed away I decided to read this book as a tribute to him. Plus, it was repeatedly mentioned as a golf masterpiece. I love golf. I did not like this book. Too much casual racism for me. I stopped and started 3 times but I could not finish. Really painful to read.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read this book decades after it was published. The humor in many areas is still pretty good but many of the recial comments would not likely be acceptable today, although probably conceptually accurate.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half-way through I was ready to give it 2 stars. There were a lot of parts that were terrible- but there was some funny stuff too. The golf story was good. That’s about it.

[Dennis Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenkins is always a treat to read- keeps a smile on your face constantly. Read this book about 15 years ago and on the reread it still amuses.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought this book was hilarious about the PGA tour in the 1970s. I did not care for the racist remarks though. Fun, easy read.

[Bob Box · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in 1975. Another enjoyable book by Jenkins. Funny, crass and shameless.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read, especially for a golf fan

[John]

Was looking forward to reading it. In my opinion, it doesn't hold up. Unfunny vulgarity.

[Candice W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t play golf, but oddly… this is not my first golf book. A lot like Tin Cup... Characters are flawed, dialogue is hilarious.

[Phillip Hatfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Profane Golf Novel

Stupid and profane with unbelievable derogatory language for current times (was written in the 70s), but a decent quick read.

[Rob Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun if you're in the mood for adolescent humor. Mercifully short. So-so for me.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this one back in 1974.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really fun, quick read. Jenkins' writing is mostly hilarious, definitely not politically correct, but also surprisingly good. While the book is about a golf pro playing in the US Open, Jenkins brings all sorts of other topics into the story, and none are spared his sarcasm. Golf, love, life, Texas, and gambling all receive hilarious treatments. And while a lot of the book is poking fun at things and people, the overall feeling of the book is not cynical. The main character is well written and sympathetic, and the reader gets completely behind his quest for the US Open. If you like golf you will really like this book, but I would imagine it would still be a good read for people who aren't golf fans.

[Lauri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly a book written in a different era, and certainly not for everyone. I listened to this while packing up my house, which it was perfect for.

Some of the language is 100% offensive (as I said, writing of a different era), and that is coming from me. The story is fun and silly, and the characters are all unlikable in their own way.

Entertaining, if you can get around the use of several offensive words used repeatedly.

[Richard Lister · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you don't smile often and occasionally catch yourself laughing out loud when reading Dan Jenkins as he brings life to his characters like Kenny Lee Puckett, then you're in the wrong section of the library.

No one has--nor likely will anyone ever--bring so much fun to satire of our games and those (especially Texans) who play them.

"Dead Solid Perfect," like his other novels, is just more fun than sometimes I think ought to be allowed.

[Alan Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The funniest novel I ever read. (All of Jenkin's books are good). It is remarkable how Jenkins can keep you smiling on almost every page of the book. Maybe being a golfer helps you to relate to the situations, but I think anyone would enjoy this.

2nd Read, 50 years later. I am now an opinionated old curmudgeon and I might not have rated this book 5- stars today, but it is still hilarious and I am not going to change the rating. Check out Semi-Tough and all of Jenkins novels.

[Linda M]

Hmm. . . well I didn't even read the first page b/c I picked it up for a little blurb and found this totally not my kind of book. Too foul and attempting to be funny about a game I care nothing about. I must be careful about getting book recommendations from talk show hosts in the future.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot remember who recommended this book to me. It's an interesting tale once you get past the language. Being a fan of The Colonial and having heard the stories of the antics from the 1970s, made it interesting. Otherwise, I'm not sure I would have liked it.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't compare to Missing Links (by Rick Reilly) in my opinion...not a waste of time, but nothing overly memorable either. I was slightly disappointed.