Fathers, Sons, & Golf: Lessons in Honor and Integrity

by Andrew Shanley

Fathers, Sons and Golf is Andrew Shanley's account of the memorable summer when he and his boys hit the fairways and learned as much about the daily conduct of life, and the love they have for each other, as they did about the elements of a good swing. The book is structured as a series of golf lessons that at the same time are instruction for building character.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jef Sneider · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't have a category for this one, but when I saw it sitting in the Little Library at the beach, I had to at least give it a look. I play golf and I have 2 sons, so, although my boys are grown and my golf game is beyond repair, I found this little book engaging and sweet.

In deciding to teach his two boys, ages 10 and 13, to play golf, Mr. Shanley is being much more explicit about what he wants to teach the boys and how he wants to teach it than I ever was, and perhaps, more than most fathers. He wanted to teach the boys about honesty and integrity and other values that he sees growing out of the golf experience.

Each boy is different and takes to the game differently, but the author succeeds in engaging both boys in golf and discussions of the values which can be taught and learned. In the end, they are a better family with more open communication than most and the men (his father and brother included) have found a way to use golf as a bonding experience.

I suppose that he could have taught the boys golf without all the thought that he put into the effort and still arrived at the same conclusion, but as a very literate man of his time and place, Shanly made it a project that few men could or would undertake. Young fathers could learn from it to be more conscious of how they are teaching values to their children, and what those values are, but most fathers lack the awareness or discipline to pull it off. For those of us with grown children, it just makes us nostalgic.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A divorced dad teaches his teenage sons about golf and life, and learns much in return. Andrew opens his heart and soul to readers, making this a book with true universal appeal. I am neither a father nor a golfer, but I loved this book. [Full disclosure: The author is a friend of mine, but that's not the reason I gave it 5 stars.] If it is the golf aspect of the book that appeals to you, you should also check out Shanley's newer book, Match Play at Penny Whistle, available as a Kindle download through amazon.com.

[John Lago · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, just for the pure joy of reading! Every golfer should read this book.

[E.A. Briginshaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book started off well, but I was skimming through pages at the end just to get through it.