The Haunted Major

by Robert Marshall

Introduced by John Updike and published in America for the first time, The Haunted Major recounts a golf match of epic proportions between adversaries. In this uproarious tale about human conceit and the supernatural, Major the Honorable John William Wentworth Gore, an English gentleman of sublime self-esteem, challenges crack golfer Jim Lindsay to a game for the chance to propose marriage to Mrs. Gunter, a beautiful American millionairess. Although "Jacky" Core, the narrator, alleges to be a marvelously accomplished sportsman, he has never set foot on a fairway and has only seven days to learn to pitch, putt, and drive the course like a veteran. To prepare for the match, which is to take place on the fictitious St. Magnus links in Scotland (based on the Old Course at St. Andrews), Gore secretly hires a coach and transforms his hotel room into a golf studio, outfitted with turf, a moveable hillock, a bunker, and specially padded walls to absorb drives. Gore is set to win or lose like a gentleman when the revengeful ghost of a Scottish cardinal with some odd-shaped clubs materializes, adding an otherworldly twist to the story. This new edition, with John Updike's spirited introduction and Harry Furniss's humorous original illustrations, fixes The Haunted Major in the uppermost tier of sports classics.

Hardcover

Published July 30, 1999

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this in a collection entitled "Scottish Ghosts: Ghouls, Ghosts, and Beasties" (which I purchased in Dublin, Ireland). It's almost perfect (perhaps a bit repetitive and the accents are sometimes challenging) but it's often very funny. If you love humourous ghosties, seek this out!

[Jasminlavender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original, humoristic and great approach to a horror story. The story and accompanying illustrations had me cracking up several times. Though the story in itself is hardly scary, it's an enticing read, even for non-golf lovers.

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Golf sort of a supernatural game anyway. This book just goes a little further.