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The Secret of Golf: The Story of Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus
New York Times Bestseller
The first time they met, at an exhibition match in 1967, Tom Watson was a seventeen-year-old high school student and Jack Nicklaus, at twenty-seven, was already the greatest golfer in the world. Though they shared some similarities—they were both Midwestern boys who had learned how to play golf at their fathers’ country clubs—they differed in many ways. Nicklaus played a game of consummate control and precision. Watson hit the ball all over the place. Nicklaus lacked charm and theatrics, and he was thoroughly despised by most golf fans because he had displaced Arnold Palmer as king of the golf world. Watson was one of those Arnold Palmer fans. Yet over the next twenty years their seemingly divergent paths collided as they battled against each other again and again for a place at the top of the sport and drove each other to ever-soaring heights of accomplishment.
Spanning from that first match through the “Duel in the Sun” at Turnberry in 1977 to Watson’s miraculous near-victory at Turnberry as he approached sixty, and informed by interviews with both players over many years, The Secret of Golf is Joe Posnanski’s intimate account of the most remarkable rivalry and (eventual) friendship in modern golf.
The first time they met, at an exhibition match in 1967, Tom Watson was a seventeen-year-old high school student and Jack Nicklaus, at twenty-seven, was already the greatest golfer in the world. Though they shared some similarities—they were both Midwestern boys who had learned how to play golf at their fathers’ country clubs—they differed in many ways. Nicklaus played a game of consummate control and precision. Watson hit the ball all over the place. Nicklaus lacked charm and theatrics, and he was thoroughly despised by most golf fans because he had displaced Arnold Palmer as king of the golf world. Watson was one of those Arnold Palmer fans. Yet over the next twenty years their seemingly divergent paths collided as they battled against each other again and again for a place at the top of the sport and drove each other to ever-soaring heights of accomplishment.
Spanning from that first match through the “Duel in the Sun” at Turnberry in 1977 to Watson’s miraculous near-victory at Turnberry as he approached sixty, and informed by interviews with both players over many years, The Secret of Golf is Joe Posnanski’s intimate account of the most remarkable rivalry and (eventual) friendship in modern golf.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2015
36 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
About the author
Joe Posnanski
21 books547 followersJoe Posnanski is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of eight books, a Writer at Large at Esquire, and the co-host of The PosCast with Michael Schur. He writes a newsletter called JoeBlogs. He has been named national sportswriter of the year by five different organizations including the Associated Press Sports Editors and the National Sports Media Association. He also won two sports Emmys as part of NBC's digital Olympic coverage.
His newest book is Why We Love Baseball, which will be published by Dutton on Sept. 5, 2023. His last book, The Baseball 100, won the Casey Award as the best baseball book of 2020.
His newest book is Why We Love Baseball, which will be published by Dutton on Sept. 5, 2023. His last book, The Baseball 100, won the Casey Award as the best baseball book of 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 22, 2015
Beautiful. But, I'm biased, since my husband wrote it.
August 19, 2021
I'm a big golf fan - I don't watch weekend by weekend, but I watch all of the men's and women's major tournaments that I can. The (British) Open Championship is my favorite because I love the vagaries of links golf. Of course not all of the Opens are played on links courses, but I'm especially locked in to those that are. In 2017 I went to Scotland and played Turnberry, Gleneagles, St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. For a golfer, that is a pilgrimage. I was prepared for crazy bad weather, but I was very fortunate, and in 5 rounds, I dealt with one short-lived rain. I played decently, and brought home lots of photos, stories and memories.
When I learned that Joe Posnanski had written a book that covered the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry, I was all over it. Kansas Citians are familiar with Posnanski as a longtime sports writer for the Kansas City Star. I don't follow sports quite closely enough to be likely to have strong negative reactions to what sports writers say about this or that athlete, so I can't critique the accuracy of his opinions over the years (and that's what sports writing is, largely, opinions, isn't it?), but I found his articles to be well-written and entertaining. And Joe has won plenty of accolades from his peers over the years.
Of course Tom Watson is a Kansas Citian, and his career was just coming into view when I first moved here in 1975. I remember that his rivalry with Jack Nicklaus was the subject of some of Howard Cosell's Speaking of Sports radio broadcasts. This book recounts the basic facts of both men's careers. Nicklaus was still in his prime at 37, and Tom was coming into his at 26 when they ran away from the rest of the field that weekend at Turnberry. Posnanski spends quite a bit of time on the details of the epic final round between the two, and how they related to each other that day. It makes for exciting reading for golf fans.
Posnanski was able to do extensive interviews with Watson and Nicklaus, not just about that tournament, but about their very different approaches to the game. One of the most interesting storylines was the relationship between Watson and his caddy Bruce Edwards. I knew about the latter part of their careers together, and Watson's work to raise awareness of and funds for ALS, which ended Bruce's life. But what I didn't know at all was that Watson had hired him as an unproven 18 year-old kid!
When I learned that Joe Posnanski had written a book that covered the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry, I was all over it. Kansas Citians are familiar with Posnanski as a longtime sports writer for the Kansas City Star. I don't follow sports quite closely enough to be likely to have strong negative reactions to what sports writers say about this or that athlete, so I can't critique the accuracy of his opinions over the years (and that's what sports writing is, largely, opinions, isn't it?), but I found his articles to be well-written and entertaining. And Joe has won plenty of accolades from his peers over the years.
Of course Tom Watson is a Kansas Citian, and his career was just coming into view when I first moved here in 1975. I remember that his rivalry with Jack Nicklaus was the subject of some of Howard Cosell's Speaking of Sports radio broadcasts. This book recounts the basic facts of both men's careers. Nicklaus was still in his prime at 37, and Tom was coming into his at 26 when they ran away from the rest of the field that weekend at Turnberry. Posnanski spends quite a bit of time on the details of the epic final round between the two, and how they related to each other that day. It makes for exciting reading for golf fans.
Posnanski was able to do extensive interviews with Watson and Nicklaus, not just about that tournament, but about their very different approaches to the game. One of the most interesting storylines was the relationship between Watson and his caddy Bruce Edwards. I knew about the latter part of their careers together, and Watson's work to raise awareness of and funds for ALS, which ended Bruce's life. But what I didn't know at all was that Watson had hired him as an unproven 18 year-old kid!
September 28, 2020
If you were a fan of golf during the Watson/Nicklaus era, this purchase is a no-brainer. There's a lot of insight into the mindset of these two great players from them directly and from others who played with them. What I wasn't expecting was learning about how their golf personalities developed and just how much of that had to do with their fathers. It's about golfers but it's just as much about fathers and sons.
June 10, 2020
You pick up this kind of book because you like the subject hoping that the writing is good enough not to put you to sleep. I’m happy to report that Posnanski is a stream of continuous smooth prose with nary a white cap to disrupt the story.
The book seems more Watson centric to me which is fine because there is much more written about Jack although Jack is better commerce. I was a Watson fan growing up after seeing him beat Jack at Pebble Beach. Little did I know that would be the last highlight of his career for decades.
I think most of what I know about Watson comes from Feinstein’s book on Watson’s Caddy which the author references several times. Although ten years apart in age, Jack and Tom both learned the game at their father’s respective country club and didn’t think of golf as a career until after they turned 20. Nicklaus grew up idolizing Bobby Jones while Watson favored Jack’s early rival Arnold Palmer.
Jack was always good at befriending his closest competitors like Player, Palmer, and Watson. Watson was more standoffish and had fewer friends on the tour as a result. This explains a couple of things that surprised me during Watson’s career. First was a dust up between Watson and Gary Player that Nicklaus defused. I don’t remember what it was about but Player, I think, accused Watson of using illegal gear or something. Second was his second stint as captain of the Ryder coup team that had him at odds with Phil Mickelson, someone I wouldn’t expect to confront a legend. And yet people will surprise you. The gregarious Lee Trevino was one of Watson’s closest friends on tour.
Jack won the most and yet there was Tom Watson at 59 years of age with a chance to win the British Open in 2009. Jack was sweating him from the states like a true friend. Golf is a game of gentlemen and watching it has been a pleasure much like reading this book.
The book seems more Watson centric to me which is fine because there is much more written about Jack although Jack is better commerce. I was a Watson fan growing up after seeing him beat Jack at Pebble Beach. Little did I know that would be the last highlight of his career for decades.
I think most of what I know about Watson comes from Feinstein’s book on Watson’s Caddy which the author references several times. Although ten years apart in age, Jack and Tom both learned the game at their father’s respective country club and didn’t think of golf as a career until after they turned 20. Nicklaus grew up idolizing Bobby Jones while Watson favored Jack’s early rival Arnold Palmer.
Jack was always good at befriending his closest competitors like Player, Palmer, and Watson. Watson was more standoffish and had fewer friends on the tour as a result. This explains a couple of things that surprised me during Watson’s career. First was a dust up between Watson and Gary Player that Nicklaus defused. I don’t remember what it was about but Player, I think, accused Watson of using illegal gear or something. Second was his second stint as captain of the Ryder coup team that had him at odds with Phil Mickelson, someone I wouldn’t expect to confront a legend. And yet people will surprise you. The gregarious Lee Trevino was one of Watson’s closest friends on tour.
Jack won the most and yet there was Tom Watson at 59 years of age with a chance to win the British Open in 2009. Jack was sweating him from the states like a true friend. Golf is a game of gentlemen and watching it has been a pleasure much like reading this book.
November 20, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Very well told story. I learned alot about these 2 iconic players.
October 22, 2020
역시 스포츠의 명장면들은 드라마보다 더 드라마틱. 두 라이벌 골퍼의 경쟁과 우정. 골프는 너무 어려워서 포기하고 싶은면서 도저히 포기할수 없는...
April 25, 2023
Some day I’ll know the secret
June 17, 2015
http://www.themaineedge.com/sports/re...
“Every golfer has his own secret.” – Tom Watson
“There isn’t a secret to golf, of course. But no real player believes that.” – Jack Nicklaus
Every professional sport has its greats, individuals or teams who elevate their games beyond those of their peers. But the truly legendary, they tend to have something more.
Rivalries have the power to help the greats make that leap into lore. The best of them have the ability to ascend to the very top of – or even transcend – their sport.
One such rivalry is explored by Joe Posnanski in “The Secret of Golf: The Story of Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus”. He shares the story of these two men – men who managed to be so alike, and yet so different – brought out the very best in one another over the course of their years as competitors on the PGA Tour.
Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus came from similar backgrounds – young men from the Midwest who learned the game alongside their fathers – but they grew into very different players. Nicklaus played a game of calculation, an intimate knowledge of not only what he had to do to win, but what others had to do to defeat him. Watson, on the other hand, devoted unending hours to practice so that when the time came to play, he never had to think about anything but the shot in front of him.
Nicklaus was already on his way to becoming one of the greats when Watson joined the Tour, but it wasn’t long before the two of them met up in some epic clashes on the course – clashes that often came down to the final holes. For nearly two decades, these two brilliant golfers met again and again, driving one another to ever-increasing heights.
“The Secret of Golf” shines its light on a time when these two were professional golf. From Watson’s early pressure problems to his subsequent dominance of the Tour in general (and the Open Championship in particular); from Nicklaus’s controlled domination of his earlier days to his later refusal to acquiesce to the realities of age and continued high-level performance – these are the men with whom Posnanski invites us to spend our time.
Interspersed with the story of these two titans are more personal insights about them and their games, each one sporting a heading related to one of the many, MANY supposed “secrets” to becoming a good golfer. It’s a great glimpse at the vast and varied intricacies required to be truly great – and while these vignettes are about golf, their lessons are often much more universal ones.
When it all comes together, we’re left with an insightful portrait not only of the rivalry forged between these two men, but also of the idiosyncrasies upon which their individual strengths and weaknesses were built.
Posnanski is one of the best sportswriters out there, with an intimately informed style that is uniquely his own. He’s a gifted storyteller with a deep and abiding love for sport – two qualities that come together beautifully in “The Secret of Golf.” There’s a conversational nature to the narrative that gives the entire book a sense of life all its own, dropping the reader into the midst of the reminiscences of the times gone by for these two giants of their game.
There’s an anecdote in the book in which Posnanski – at the time a sports columnist for the Kansas City Star – tells of his first contact with Watson, in which the golfer called to chide him for his habit of writing inconsequential list columns on a regular basis. Watson’s question was ultimately a simple one, but one we rarely take the time to truly ask ourselves: “Do you want to be great?”
Posnanski’s answer was a yes. And if his work since – including this book – is any indication, it’s an answer that he has taken to heart. For any fan of golf or sports in general, “The Secret of Golf” will make for an exceptional reading experience.
“Every golfer has his own secret.” – Tom Watson
“There isn’t a secret to golf, of course. But no real player believes that.” – Jack Nicklaus
Every professional sport has its greats, individuals or teams who elevate their games beyond those of their peers. But the truly legendary, they tend to have something more.
Rivalries have the power to help the greats make that leap into lore. The best of them have the ability to ascend to the very top of – or even transcend – their sport.
One such rivalry is explored by Joe Posnanski in “The Secret of Golf: The Story of Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus”. He shares the story of these two men – men who managed to be so alike, and yet so different – brought out the very best in one another over the course of their years as competitors on the PGA Tour.
Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus came from similar backgrounds – young men from the Midwest who learned the game alongside their fathers – but they grew into very different players. Nicklaus played a game of calculation, an intimate knowledge of not only what he had to do to win, but what others had to do to defeat him. Watson, on the other hand, devoted unending hours to practice so that when the time came to play, he never had to think about anything but the shot in front of him.
Nicklaus was already on his way to becoming one of the greats when Watson joined the Tour, but it wasn’t long before the two of them met up in some epic clashes on the course – clashes that often came down to the final holes. For nearly two decades, these two brilliant golfers met again and again, driving one another to ever-increasing heights.
“The Secret of Golf” shines its light on a time when these two were professional golf. From Watson’s early pressure problems to his subsequent dominance of the Tour in general (and the Open Championship in particular); from Nicklaus’s controlled domination of his earlier days to his later refusal to acquiesce to the realities of age and continued high-level performance – these are the men with whom Posnanski invites us to spend our time.
Interspersed with the story of these two titans are more personal insights about them and their games, each one sporting a heading related to one of the many, MANY supposed “secrets” to becoming a good golfer. It’s a great glimpse at the vast and varied intricacies required to be truly great – and while these vignettes are about golf, their lessons are often much more universal ones.
When it all comes together, we’re left with an insightful portrait not only of the rivalry forged between these two men, but also of the idiosyncrasies upon which their individual strengths and weaknesses were built.
Posnanski is one of the best sportswriters out there, with an intimately informed style that is uniquely his own. He’s a gifted storyteller with a deep and abiding love for sport – two qualities that come together beautifully in “The Secret of Golf.” There’s a conversational nature to the narrative that gives the entire book a sense of life all its own, dropping the reader into the midst of the reminiscences of the times gone by for these two giants of their game.
There’s an anecdote in the book in which Posnanski – at the time a sports columnist for the Kansas City Star – tells of his first contact with Watson, in which the golfer called to chide him for his habit of writing inconsequential list columns on a regular basis. Watson’s question was ultimately a simple one, but one we rarely take the time to truly ask ourselves: “Do you want to be great?”
Posnanski’s answer was a yes. And if his work since – including this book – is any indication, it’s an answer that he has taken to heart. For any fan of golf or sports in general, “The Secret of Golf” will make for an exceptional reading experience.
December 21, 2020
There's a certain aura of heavyweight boxing champion that surrounds the world's best golfer, at least to the public. Usually there's one player who is the person to beat in a given major tournament.
This might have started with Arnold Palmer, who came along in the late 1950s just as the television age was arriving and the sport was exploding. They didn't call Arnold "the King" for nothing. But soon someone came along, younger and better. Jack Nicklaus proved to be tough to push off the mountain. Plenty of books have been written about the dynamics involving Palmer and Nicklaus.
Jack's reign was a long one, and he had some challengers over the years who eventually fell by the wayside. It took until Tom Watson came along in the late 1970s before there was a new No. 1.
The trees needed to chronicle that change of command have mostly stayed in the ground, but finally we have a book on the subject - and it's a good one. "The Secret of Golf" is about their relationship.
Joe Posnanski is the author here, and he's well suited for the job. He got to know Watson when he worked in Watson's home of the Kansas City area. Posnanski's first two books about the Reds of the 1970s and Buck O'Neil were nostalgic and sweet. Then he started working on a book on Joe Paterno, and, well, you probably know what happened to the ending of that story - an unexpected curve ball that was anything but sweet.
Here Posnanski is back writing about mythical figures from the past, who have the ability now to put their relationship into perspective. The book mostly focuses on Watson, who was a little unheralded when he arrived on the PGA Tour but quickly became one of its most promising young players. His problem was, he couldn't close the sale at first. The phrase "you have to learn how to win" may not have been invented for Watson but it was close. Eventually, though, he figured things out and won eight major titles. The moment that torch was passed probably was the 1977 British Open, when Watson and Nicklaus played magnificent golf for four days and left the world's best golfers in their dust. And Watson won by a stroke. Winner, and new champion.
Watson stayed number one for quite a while, and some of the most interesting parts of the book deal with what Watson lost that title. His swing changed a little at the age of 35 or so, and he stopped drilling nearly impossible putts into holes at opportune times. Watson was still good, but rarely good enough to win. A side-effect comes across as unexpected - this golfer who had such discipline to hit practice balls until his hands bled, apparently had a little too much alcohol a little too often. It didn't help matters. Watson found his swing eventually and lost the desire to quench his thirst, but the putting stroke never came completely back.
The main story is divided into 18 holes, and between chapters is a short section devoted to a "secret" of golf as told by either Nicklaus or Watson. You may think you're reading a golf book at the beginning of these sidebars, but you may be reading about life in some cases. For example, when Watson hit a bad shot - these guys do hit bad shots once in a while, because golf is difficult - he tried to remember not to overcome it by trying to hit a spectacular shot. Watson preferred to hit a safe shot, get back in the fairway, make a par, and move on. There's something to be said for that approach to life - don't let the mistakes snowball.
Posnanski is always enjoyable to read, and here he makes the pages flow by quickly. It's not a long book, and it certainly doesn't take long to get through it. But the publication still feels fulfilling, along the lines of an extended short story.
Admittedly, stories about 1970s golfers aren't for everyone. Maybe someone will write a book about Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth like this someday, which today's 20-somethings will enjoy. But the publisher certainly had a thinking cap on when it decided to release "The Secret of Golf" within a couple of weeks of Father's Day. It's a fine June present for the older golfer on the gift list.
This might have started with Arnold Palmer, who came along in the late 1950s just as the television age was arriving and the sport was exploding. They didn't call Arnold "the King" for nothing. But soon someone came along, younger and better. Jack Nicklaus proved to be tough to push off the mountain. Plenty of books have been written about the dynamics involving Palmer and Nicklaus.
Jack's reign was a long one, and he had some challengers over the years who eventually fell by the wayside. It took until Tom Watson came along in the late 1970s before there was a new No. 1.
The trees needed to chronicle that change of command have mostly stayed in the ground, but finally we have a book on the subject - and it's a good one. "The Secret of Golf" is about their relationship.
Joe Posnanski is the author here, and he's well suited for the job. He got to know Watson when he worked in Watson's home of the Kansas City area. Posnanski's first two books about the Reds of the 1970s and Buck O'Neil were nostalgic and sweet. Then he started working on a book on Joe Paterno, and, well, you probably know what happened to the ending of that story - an unexpected curve ball that was anything but sweet.
Here Posnanski is back writing about mythical figures from the past, who have the ability now to put their relationship into perspective. The book mostly focuses on Watson, who was a little unheralded when he arrived on the PGA Tour but quickly became one of its most promising young players. His problem was, he couldn't close the sale at first. The phrase "you have to learn how to win" may not have been invented for Watson but it was close. Eventually, though, he figured things out and won eight major titles. The moment that torch was passed probably was the 1977 British Open, when Watson and Nicklaus played magnificent golf for four days and left the world's best golfers in their dust. And Watson won by a stroke. Winner, and new champion.
Watson stayed number one for quite a while, and some of the most interesting parts of the book deal with what Watson lost that title. His swing changed a little at the age of 35 or so, and he stopped drilling nearly impossible putts into holes at opportune times. Watson was still good, but rarely good enough to win. A side-effect comes across as unexpected - this golfer who had such discipline to hit practice balls until his hands bled, apparently had a little too much alcohol a little too often. It didn't help matters. Watson found his swing eventually and lost the desire to quench his thirst, but the putting stroke never came completely back.
The main story is divided into 18 holes, and between chapters is a short section devoted to a "secret" of golf as told by either Nicklaus or Watson. You may think you're reading a golf book at the beginning of these sidebars, but you may be reading about life in some cases. For example, when Watson hit a bad shot - these guys do hit bad shots once in a while, because golf is difficult - he tried to remember not to overcome it by trying to hit a spectacular shot. Watson preferred to hit a safe shot, get back in the fairway, make a par, and move on. There's something to be said for that approach to life - don't let the mistakes snowball.
Posnanski is always enjoyable to read, and here he makes the pages flow by quickly. It's not a long book, and it certainly doesn't take long to get through it. But the publication still feels fulfilling, along the lines of an extended short story.
Admittedly, stories about 1970s golfers aren't for everyone. Maybe someone will write a book about Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth like this someday, which today's 20-somethings will enjoy. But the publisher certainly had a thinking cap on when it decided to release "The Secret of Golf" within a couple of weeks of Father's Day. It's a fine June present for the older golfer on the gift list.
October 7, 2020
I should start by saying that I have never played a hole of golf, nor have I read a book about golf or even watched it on television extensively (though I have occasionally watched the last few holes of tournaments on a Sunday because of the drama that sometimes lurks there). So unlike the author of a negative review I just read of this book, the author didn't have to show me stuff I haven't already read in numerous magazines and books over the years.
With Nicklaus and Watson and Trevino and others, however, it concerns golfers I remember seeing on TV and in Sports Illustrated back when I was more of a sports fan - even though I didn't follow the sport back then either. So I guess that is what grabbed me so I decided to read it. I really enjoyed it. It is a behind the scenes peek at the pressures of the pro golf tour, the dedication it takes to succeed there, and it highlights how important mental toughness can be to the golfer.
I gather that balls are made to fly farther now, and I am sure golf courses are designed differently, so like any sport, it is difficult to compare golfers of different eras to make a list of the best golfers. But I think all I needed to hear about the golfers in this book was near the end when it discussed Tiger Woods briefly and these golfers, now much older, said they would love to have played against Tiger in their prime. The competitive drive that made them great did not diminish with age.
Anyway, as a non-golfer I highly recommend it to other non-golfers who may not otherwise read a book on the subject. There is stuff about life to be learned here.
With Nicklaus and Watson and Trevino and others, however, it concerns golfers I remember seeing on TV and in Sports Illustrated back when I was more of a sports fan - even though I didn't follow the sport back then either. So I guess that is what grabbed me so I decided to read it. I really enjoyed it. It is a behind the scenes peek at the pressures of the pro golf tour, the dedication it takes to succeed there, and it highlights how important mental toughness can be to the golfer.
I gather that balls are made to fly farther now, and I am sure golf courses are designed differently, so like any sport, it is difficult to compare golfers of different eras to make a list of the best golfers. But I think all I needed to hear about the golfers in this book was near the end when it discussed Tiger Woods briefly and these golfers, now much older, said they would love to have played against Tiger in their prime. The competitive drive that made them great did not diminish with age.
Anyway, as a non-golfer I highly recommend it to other non-golfers who may not otherwise read a book on the subject. There is stuff about life to be learned here.
July 17, 2025
Joe Posnanski is one of my personal favorite sports writers, which is what led me to picking up this book. Although it is ostensibly billed as the story of the friendship between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, that is really a small undertone of the story, when in reality, it is the story of how Tom Watson approached golf, his career, and the many lessons or “secrets” of golf that led to his success. There are a lot of valuable lessons here for any golfer, or for anyone just interested in learning lessons for life. This book can definitely be meandering, wandering from one topic to another, and while always interesting, they still nonetheless have a very loose structure that can be less appealing to those not intimately involved in golf or aware of it’s history and the meaning of it’s game. All in all, this is a solid book, more good work from Posnanski, but I would not label it as amongst his best. For golf fans, this remains a worthy and easy read.
October 17, 2024
The search for the Secret of golf is a never ending quest for that one thing that will make the difference between mediocre play and near-perfect execution of the golf swing. It happens on all levels. This book describes the search as it plays out in the lives and careers of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson during the years when they were fierce competitors and in the years when their times on the tour were winding down. Their approaches to the game were quite different but in the end they developed a close friendship built on mutual respect for each others’ accomplishments. The temptation in books about sports is to present a shot by shot account of crucial rounds of golf. The author keeps that to a minimum which helps to make this an interesting study of the two men and what drove them to the levels of success that few golf pros will ever know.
September 1, 2020
My wife bought me this book. I'm glad she did because I probably wouldn't have bought it for myself. Although it meets my qualifications of being a 4+ on goodreads I just don't read that much about golf. I really enjoyed it though. I even learned a couple pointers for my game. I grew up watching Tiger and always just wanted to see him win. Since starting to play on my own though I'm a fan of the history of the game and also like a bunch of different golfers because Woods. A quick read that you'll probably keep close by to re-read some of the 'secrets' on occasion.
August 13, 2024
A simple read narrating the story of Tom Watson—his early childhood and influences, his beaten and obstacle-ridden path to his first major win on Tour, his stubborn mentality throughout his career, and of course, his “secrets” to golf (which you find is ubiquitous in nature). I really enjoyed the golf “advice” mini-chapters after each main chapter, things that actually affect the way you think when you’re out and playing.
Recommend to anyone who enjoys golf or wants to learn more about one of the game’s hallmark players.
Recommend to anyone who enjoys golf or wants to learn more about one of the game’s hallmark players.
August 17, 2020
My father was a very good golfer and while I played very little golf in my life, I did develop a great appreciation for the sport and a tremendous respect for the genius that is Jack Nicklaus. As such I found this book very interesting and engrossing with a very engaging presentation (thus the completion in 24 hours). For golf fans (especially of the 1970's) this will be a great experience.
April 27, 2023
Simply a heartwarming story about a few of the greatest golfers of all time. Highs and lows and real glimpses into the mind of the great when contending for a major on Sunday afternoon. Gives a different perspective on the game we all love and stresses the need for positive swing thoughts and expectations to play well, score well, and embrace the beautiful game.
March 2, 2024
Posnanski is amiong the very finest sport writers and this book is a pleasure like the best chocolate cake you ever ate.
I cant put his books down once startred. Somehow, he captures more than sport but how sport reflects upon life and lives and the miracle that sport brings to our world.
If you enjoiy golf then this is a must read.
If you. love golf then you have already read this!
I cant put his books down once startred. Somehow, he captures more than sport but how sport reflects upon life and lives and the miracle that sport brings to our world.
If you enjoiy golf then this is a must read.
If you. love golf then you have already read this!
June 14, 2024
This is very much a book that you buy your father-in-law. You don't know him that well, but you know he likes golf and you don't like him enough to spend anything more than the price of a hardcover book so this is what you land on.
Truly, painfully boring if you don't care about golf or these men already. It's short at least.
Truly, painfully boring if you don't care about golf or these men already. It's short at least.
June 25, 2024
I never know quite what to make of nonfiction that is only glancingly critical of its subjects. It seems to me that more nuance ought to be applied to our documentation of true events and real humans. That said, if I'm going to read a quippy hagiography, I would want it to be written but someone as kind-hearted and talented as Joe Posnanski.
April 24, 2025
This was a really fun, quick read. I knew a little bit about Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus before, but this book does a great job intertwining their careers, and showing how they competed throughout their careers. Definitely would recommend for any golf fans. And to top it off, Posnanski is one of my favorite writers!
July 19, 2017
Title is Misleading but Great Read
I will say this is more of a biography of Mr. Watson than of the the friendship between Mr. Watson and Mr. Nicklaus. That friendship comes into play late in the book. Overall very enjoyable and if I could would have given 4.5
I will say this is more of a biography of Mr. Watson than of the the friendship between Mr. Watson and Mr. Nicklaus. That friendship comes into play late in the book. Overall very enjoyable and if I could would have given 4.5
November 28, 2017
Joe Posnanski is one of my favorite sports writers and I enjoyed this treatise on Tom Watson. Not sure if you aren't a golfer or golf fan that this would be your thing. But I love golf and I enjoyed this book. And I picked up a few good golf tips, too. A quick read well told.
October 28, 2020
This is a book about the game of golf, some of the men who played it and how their winning strategies and perseverance kept them coming back for more. The friendships that were formed, the courses walked, the history made. That’s what golf is about, life and the pursuit of its secrets.
January 31, 2023
A familiar story to golf fans. More focus on Watson than Nicklaus but that's a good thing as there is no biography of or autobiography by Watson. Towards the end the book brings out some touching stories about the rivals who became friends.
August 10, 2024
Joe Posnanski is exactly the kind of sportswriter I like to read. I'm not a golf fan, but I love sports and the stories of the great one at their craft. I get the feeling Posnanski is drawn to the same thing, as evidenced by his great book The Baseball 100. This story of golf greats Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus is fantastic and surprisingly touching. A great quick read.
February 16, 2025
Exceptional book. The relationship between Nicklaus and Watson as their careers developed was so interesting and Posnanski’s descriptions were spot on. The book was great and the author couldn’t have made it any more enjoyable!
May 30, 2017
Great read! And more special because my daughter was a research assistant to Joe Posnanski.
May 23, 2018
Breezy, conversational history of Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, interspersed with chapters from each on some vital tips for any golfer. A very manageable entrance into two of the game's greats.
March 1, 2018
An enthralling tale of two greats, mixed in with excellent tips to help a golf game.
August 9, 2019
Great story of the relationship between Jack and Tom written by the most talented sports writer in the country.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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