Afternoons with Mr. Hogan: A Boy, A Golfing Legend and the Lessons of a Lifetime

by Jody Vasquez

Offering firsthand anecdotes about the legendary golfer, the author--who as a teenager had been hired to assist the golfer in retrieving his balls--describes his twenty-year friendship with Ben Hogan, how he taught the boy his famous swing, and how he shared his ideas on practice, golf, course management, character, values, and more. 60,000 first printing.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published March 30, 2004

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and informative stories that are almost all about practice and business, unusual for a book about a sport, and with a distinctly 'retro' feeling, starting with the cover. Is that the author out shagging balls beyond the green? Detailed information about club-making was interesting to me because I play Apex irons. The soul of the book is a collection of Hoganisms:
"If he was hitting a 7-iron and hadn't attained full trust in the shots he hit with that club, he'd practice with it until he did. I innocently joked that if I applied that standard I'd never get past hitting my sand wedge. In typical Hogan fashion, he looked dead at me and asked, "Why would you want to?" (p. 24)

[Barbara Kleber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the read

Jody told his story out of his eyes as a youth. He was very fortunate to have the experience being in Ben Hogan presence for a long time.

[Alan Livingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating read for any fan of golf and its legendary personalities. While I am admittedly biased here as a long-time Hogan aficionado and someone who grew up in Fort Worth many years ago, I find this a story of a young man touched by fate, given the opportunity to learn about both golf and life from Ben Hogan. The author's life from then through today seems indicative of the positive affect he gained from these afternoons with Hogan. He is rightfully both respectful and appreciative of that time during which a kid shagging balls for a practicing professional developed into a lifelong friendship. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Lucinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well...I didn't know anything about the golf legend, Ben Hogan until reading this book to my kids. Now we've seen a glimpse into what makes him great. Reading about his passion and dedication to the one thing that he loved more than anything will hopefully inspire my boys to find what they love and put in the same energy and hours to be great.

[Charles M.]

Delightful recounting of author's days as a shagger for one of golf's greatest, Ben Hogan---during Hogan's twilight years spent just conducting daily practices at Shady Oaks CC in Texas. Great insights into Hogan's personality and rigid daily regimen to reach perfection with various golf shots...also reveals Mr. Hogan's "secret" about his masterful golf swing!

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for golf junkies like me.