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Men in Green
The instant New York Times bestseller from acclaimed Sports Illustrated writer Michael Bamberger—a warm, nostalgic, intimately reported account of golf’s greatest generation, and “maybe the best golf book I’ve ever read” (Bill Reynolds, The Providence Journal).With “exceptional insight into some of America’s greatest players over the last half-century” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Men in Green is to golf what Roger Kahn’s The Boys of Summer was to a big-hearted account of the sport’s greats, from the household names to the private legends, those behind-the-curtain giants who never made the headlines. Michael Bamberger, who has covered the game for twenty years at Sports Illustrated, shows us the big names as we’ve never seen them Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Curtis Strange, Fred Couples—and the late Ken Venturi. But he also chronicles the legendary figures known only to insiders, who nevertheless have left an indelible mark on the sport. There’s a club pro, a teaching pro, an old black Southern caddie. There’s a tournament director in his seventies, a TV director in his eighties, and a USGA executive in his nineties. All these figures, from the marquee names to the unknowns, have changed the game. What they all share is a game that courses through their collective veins like a drug. Was golf better back in the day? Men in Green weaves a history of the modern game that is personal, touching, inviting, and new. This meditation on aging and a celebration of the game is “a nostalgic visit and reminiscence with those who fashioned golf history…and should be cherished” (Golf Digest).
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2015
128 people are currently reading
501 people want to read
About the author
Michael Bamberger
29 books54 followersMichael F. Bamberger is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and the author of multiple books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
April 9, 2019
For someone with little golf knowledge, this book was at times tedious. That being said, I still learned a lot about many different players, feuds, has beens, legends, caddies and more. It was like taking a peak into a boys club and discovering they're gossiping just as much as the women! At times it felt a little gossipy, who was flirty with women, who had the most sex appeal, who refused to let go of a grudge, who didn't take care of his ex-wife, who didn't like Tiger Woods (a lot more people than I thought). Sports author, Michael Bamberger made a list of the 18 greatest golf legends and set out to drive around and interview them all. The front nine were living legends (Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Mickey Wright, etc.) and the back nine were "secret" legends (caddies, writers, aficionados, no pros). He road-trips along with his good friend Mike Donald (a golf pro and one of the living legends on his list) and they hobnob with the old golf crowd. Lies, legends, humor, and memories are shared and pieced together throughout the book. Interesting read, but not my favorite golf book.
June 25, 2020
Michael Bamberger is in pursuit of the true happiness of golf and the "edge" that the great golfers like Arnold Palmer, Lee Travino, Ken Venturi and Jack Nicklaus reach. Those two searches are combined in "Men in Green," Bamberger's fantastic book about his road trip across America to discuss with golfing legends (both obvious and "secret") those ideas, along with golf history, past tournaments, grudges, rule infractions, slights, wives and friendships.
At times some of the stories are repetitive, told in both persons' points of view. But they tie up nicely as a way to confirm if they are true or legend. (See the chapter on "Golf Ball," the caddie for Curtis Strange and later the piece on Strange's recollection of visiting Golf Ball in Jackson, Miss.)
Bamberger is an excellent writer. Some reviews here criticize him for being too full of himself. I didn't see that at all, but instead saw how he, while a caddie himself, crossed lines with some of the golfers he writes about. In fact, many of the stories he shares have crossed lines, or "edges," along the way, making for that era he writes of more like a family venture. Rather than flying in private jets, golfers of the 1970s, Bamberger's focal point, would drive cross-country in cars, often sharing rides with each other and staying in cheap Howard Johnson hotels.
Maybe it's because Bamberger and I are the same age, but I could relate with his idolizing of certain players from his childhood era. You were either an Arnold Palmer fan or a Jack Nicklaus fan, but there were other players we all were fans of, too. Trevino, Fred Couples, Ben Crenshaw, et al. Bamberger writes with a true love of golf and it shows. He's not bragging about caddying in the past, but instead writing about being amazed he was able to be on the same courses and same journeys as the professional golfers he followed then and later wrote about.
And he finds the "edge" with Arnold Palmer and carries that through his book as well. If the book seems disjointed at first, like some have said here, stick with it. The trip is well worth it.
At times some of the stories are repetitive, told in both persons' points of view. But they tie up nicely as a way to confirm if they are true or legend. (See the chapter on "Golf Ball," the caddie for Curtis Strange and later the piece on Strange's recollection of visiting Golf Ball in Jackson, Miss.)
Bamberger is an excellent writer. Some reviews here criticize him for being too full of himself. I didn't see that at all, but instead saw how he, while a caddie himself, crossed lines with some of the golfers he writes about. In fact, many of the stories he shares have crossed lines, or "edges," along the way, making for that era he writes of more like a family venture. Rather than flying in private jets, golfers of the 1970s, Bamberger's focal point, would drive cross-country in cars, often sharing rides with each other and staying in cheap Howard Johnson hotels.
Maybe it's because Bamberger and I are the same age, but I could relate with his idolizing of certain players from his childhood era. You were either an Arnold Palmer fan or a Jack Nicklaus fan, but there were other players we all were fans of, too. Trevino, Fred Couples, Ben Crenshaw, et al. Bamberger writes with a true love of golf and it shows. He's not bragging about caddying in the past, but instead writing about being amazed he was able to be on the same courses and same journeys as the professional golfers he followed then and later wrote about.
And he finds the "edge" with Arnold Palmer and carries that through his book as well. If the book seems disjointed at first, like some have said here, stick with it. The trip is well worth it.
November 16, 2015
The actual title of this book is "Men In Green." The title that came up in the scan comes from a line in the last chapter and does not reflect the essence of the book. This was a book that took the reader around the country for interviews with golf legends. Unfortunately most of the interviews that were reported in the book were generally so short that there was little depth and not much substance.
I thought that the section that dealt with Ken Venturi was in poor taste. Venturi had recently died and the author seemed intent on dishing as much dirt on Venturi as possible. Other interviews also turned toward the darker side of the lives of those being interviewed.
As you can probably tell, this was not my favorite golf book.
I thought that the section that dealt with Ken Venturi was in poor taste. Venturi had recently died and the author seemed intent on dishing as much dirt on Venturi as possible. Other interviews also turned toward the darker side of the lives of those being interviewed.
As you can probably tell, this was not my favorite golf book.
July 27, 2015
One of the better golf books I've read in a damn long while. Every time I picked it up to read it I'd wonder what the hell Jack was saying to Palmer to get him to laugh like he was in the picture on the books cover.
October 2, 2025
I liked it. The author was a pro golf tour caddy for a while and then a very accomplished sportswriter. He created his own list of impactful people in golf...his own hall of fame of sorts. Nine were "Living Legends" and nine were "Secret Legends". Eighteen total, a good number in golf. He embarks on a journey to interview them all for this book with Mike Donald, former tour pro, in tow.
What I loved is it covered a time in golf where I was deeply immersed in the game. It is likely that the author and I brushed paths and might have even interacted at the 1980 or 1981 Phoenix Open. He was caddying I ran the driving range. We charged $1.50 per bucket (today they practice for free). Several names on his list were people that I crossed paths with, and a few were surprises.
One of his Secret Legends was Chuck Will. As a kid of 13 or 14, many of my friends and I worked as spotters for CBS at the Phoenix Open in the mid and late 1970s. Chuck ran the TV coverage for CBS and was in the trailer with all the camera monitors covering the event. He would dictate what was shown. Our job as spotters was to feed information to Chuck Will and the announcers. It is safe to say that Chuck Will had the foulest mouth I had heard, before or sense. We naive kids had little idea that someone seemingly so important could spew such profanity with ease. We loved it.
Another surprise on his list was Randy Erskine. The author (I think) caddied for him. If he did in 1980 or '81, then he likely handed me $1.50 and we likely offered him free beer from our table side cooler. Randy was Michigan Open Champion and was struggling to succeed on tour. He hit balls all week right in front of my table on the range and I simple got enamored by his ball striking ability and swing. It was beautiful. Until I picked up this book, I had not heard his name in 40 years...pleasant surprise. He never had much tour success but the memory remained with me.
Others in his list of 18 that I was blessed to meet included, Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Ken Venturi, Fred Couples, Dolphus Hull (aka Golf Ball), and Tom Watson, who played number 1 at Stanford while my brother John played number 2. He stayed at our house when I was about 10, and a decade later he was the best player on the planet. It was cool when he knew the college kid running the driving range by name. Watson has always been my favorite player.
The book covers the "persimmon and sans a belt" era of the tour when it was more about family and community than the corporate game it is today. Golf was precision and finesse then and has evolved into smash and power. It nice to reminisce. A very enjoyable read for me.
What I loved is it covered a time in golf where I was deeply immersed in the game. It is likely that the author and I brushed paths and might have even interacted at the 1980 or 1981 Phoenix Open. He was caddying I ran the driving range. We charged $1.50 per bucket (today they practice for free). Several names on his list were people that I crossed paths with, and a few were surprises.
One of his Secret Legends was Chuck Will. As a kid of 13 or 14, many of my friends and I worked as spotters for CBS at the Phoenix Open in the mid and late 1970s. Chuck ran the TV coverage for CBS and was in the trailer with all the camera monitors covering the event. He would dictate what was shown. Our job as spotters was to feed information to Chuck Will and the announcers. It is safe to say that Chuck Will had the foulest mouth I had heard, before or sense. We naive kids had little idea that someone seemingly so important could spew such profanity with ease. We loved it.
Another surprise on his list was Randy Erskine. The author (I think) caddied for him. If he did in 1980 or '81, then he likely handed me $1.50 and we likely offered him free beer from our table side cooler. Randy was Michigan Open Champion and was struggling to succeed on tour. He hit balls all week right in front of my table on the range and I simple got enamored by his ball striking ability and swing. It was beautiful. Until I picked up this book, I had not heard his name in 40 years...pleasant surprise. He never had much tour success but the memory remained with me.
Others in his list of 18 that I was blessed to meet included, Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Ken Venturi, Fred Couples, Dolphus Hull (aka Golf Ball), and Tom Watson, who played number 1 at Stanford while my brother John played number 2. He stayed at our house when I was about 10, and a decade later he was the best player on the planet. It was cool when he knew the college kid running the driving range by name. Watson has always been my favorite player.
The book covers the "persimmon and sans a belt" era of the tour when it was more about family and community than the corporate game it is today. Golf was precision and finesse then and has evolved into smash and power. It nice to reminisce. A very enjoyable read for me.
August 18, 2025
The Masters at Augusta National is one of the most revered sporting events in the world, and the champions who claim the iconic green jacket live in immortality and fame. In exploring the lives before and after their time at Augusta, in the style of Roger Kahn’s The Boys of Summer, Bamberger traces his own history with the game he loves, and the history and legacy of the legends of the game. When discussing his own history, and many of the moments of legends like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, along with the stories of legendary caddies and forgotten players, the story that Bamberger tells is very engaging and fun. However, I did feel there were a couple of drawbacks to the story telling. The first is I would have liked to see some more of the impact that winning or losing the masters had on many of these players, rather than the kind of “catchup with the legends” approach that is used. I would have also liked more history of iconic moments, victories, and more at the Masters. There are moments reflected on, to be sure, but many of the moments are more anecdotal than historical. The other issue I had is that Bamberger spends what I found to be an excessive amount of time on Ken Venturi, who never won the Masters, and his closest shot at winning, returning chapter after chapter to the topic, and it gets old and tired really quickly, more like rambling than anything else. Outside of these two areas, there is still entertainment and joy to get out of this, but all in all I found this to be a “just fine” book of golf.
February 28, 2019
A rambling, wistful travelogue and series of mini-bios on 10 characters from the golden age of American golf. Interesting light reading, a bit disjointed and tending to dart off to a different subject just when something compelling is hit upon, but I mean really, I could hardly put the thing down so who am I to criticize? A misleading cover shot of Jack and Arnie's wearing o' the green which might lead you to believe it's mostly about them and the Masters, but it's really about the author's relationship with his travelling partner Mike Donald, what makes them happy and sad, and what they (especially the author but also Donald and the characters they run down) think about this or that guy or gal connected with the game of golf. (Hale Irwin comes off as an insensitive golf machine, Ken Venturi [and Donald] as a decidedly mixed bag of bad and good, and most everybody else as pretty darn good.) The book reads like an extended magazine article, understandable given the author's chosen trade. For a far more compelling character study of golfers from the golden age and the Masters tournament (a character all in itself) I highly recommend The Magnificent Masters by Gill Caps. (But again, despite its flaws which include Bamberger's relentless aw shucks I'm just a kid from fill-in-the-blank attitude, I couldn't put the durn thing down!)
April 10, 2022
Based on the title of this book, I thought it might be stories about the Masters and the golfers who won the coveted green jacket. This book was surprisingly not about the Masters at all. In fact, it seemed like a mixed bag of stories and conversations showing the less-glamorous side of golf. Bamberger focused on a few players, as well as their wives and caddies, and told stories of grudges and infidelities. Not at all the kind of book I thought it would be.
As a golf fan, I appreciated the stories and Bamberger’s ability to tell them, but this was not that good of a book. I wouldn’t recommend to people who aren’t golf fans. For those who are golf fans, I think there are much better books out there.
As a golf fan, I appreciated the stories and Bamberger’s ability to tell them, but this was not that good of a book. I wouldn’t recommend to people who aren’t golf fans. For those who are golf fans, I think there are much better books out there.
January 9, 2024
Not my favorite. The history and perspective of the author is cool… I just think it sort of took away and didn’t portray Tiger in a fair light at all. I think that was a little too much… this book was written before Tiger made his 2019 comeback and everyone saw a new side of him. The author recently wrote a book about him and his comeback. I just found it weird that he talked so negatively about him in this book and then of course, when everyone loves him again, takes advantage and writes a new book about him.
The insight into Arnold and Jack was interesting. That was the best part. Other than that, hard for me to relate much to the old golf times.
FYI, Tiger is the best golfer ever, not Jack as the author alleged.
The insight into Arnold and Jack was interesting. That was the best part. Other than that, hard for me to relate much to the old golf times.
FYI, Tiger is the best golfer ever, not Jack as the author alleged.
June 22, 2022
Really enjoyed this one.
I've long been familiar with Bamberger as a journalist, but had never read any of his long-form storytelling.
It was particularly refreshing to see interviewees like Palmer speak with such candor. It provided an excellent glimpse into what the tour was like during its alleged 'golden era.' I also appreciated Bamberger's fidelity to fact-checking, as many of the stories shared throughout this book (mostly by Venturi) made me immediately skeptical, and it was nice to see Bamberger seek corroborative accounts from other sources.
Also, what a writer this guy is. Great read.
I've long been familiar with Bamberger as a journalist, but had never read any of his long-form storytelling.
It was particularly refreshing to see interviewees like Palmer speak with such candor. It provided an excellent glimpse into what the tour was like during its alleged 'golden era.' I also appreciated Bamberger's fidelity to fact-checking, as many of the stories shared throughout this book (mostly by Venturi) made me immediately skeptical, and it was nice to see Bamberger seek corroborative accounts from other sources.
Also, what a writer this guy is. Great read.
July 7, 2017
My golf knowledge is limited and I learned little from this book. This book focuses on the backstories of famous golfers from the "Golden Age". The author's travel partner, Mike Donald travels with Bamberger as he researches about each famous golfer. This book is about the golfers' personalities and relationships. It is more of a gossip column than an actual golf book. I would only recommend this book to people well-versed in golf history.
April 25, 2024
I really enjoyed the book, the author and his fellow Mike (Donald) got tremendous interviews and some fantastic insights.
However, I have a similar rule with golf books that I do with books about cycling. Ken Venturi is the Greg LeMond of golf, he is never the problem and everyone else is. It is difficult and exhausting to read him talk. It’s part of the story, I get that and am fine with it, just too much for my taste.
However, I have a similar rule with golf books that I do with books about cycling. Ken Venturi is the Greg LeMond of golf, he is never the problem and everyone else is. It is difficult and exhausting to read him talk. It’s part of the story, I get that and am fine with it, just too much for my taste.
August 1, 2021
Among the Best
I’ve read a lot of golf books and this was among the very best. Was not expecting to enjoy it so much. Bamberger takes us on a wonderful tour of the well-known, slightly-known and unknown. Even the best had their personal flaws. In the end, both Mike’s love of the game come through.
I’ve read a lot of golf books and this was among the very best. Was not expecting to enjoy it so much. Bamberger takes us on a wonderful tour of the well-known, slightly-known and unknown. Even the best had their personal flaws. In the end, both Mike’s love of the game come through.
November 1, 2016
I expected more from this writer. The book deals with golfing legends and participants of the 50,60, 70's with reference to later day stars. Most of the biographies were fairly short and fairly limited in their scope. Even with that the book is very interesting for golf fans and sports fans.
August 6, 2017
Really interesting premise of visiting several famous and "secret" golf legends, but it ends up with some really interesting chapters and others that just drag. Not bad, but not my favorite golf book either.
March 6, 2018
An enjoyable and engaging read. Bamberger pleasantly meanders through interviews with some of golf’s all-time greats and discusses their achievements, setbacks, and paints a vivid picture of the tour life during that period.
January 24, 2025
Fantastic account of the author's and Mike Donald's road trip to talk to legends of the great game of golf! You are in the room with them as they talk to Palmer, Nicklaus, Venturi and other golf legends. Loved it!🏌️
April 5, 2019
Entertaining read, especially the stories of Arnie and other older golfers that I wasn't that familiar with. Rambles a bit for me. Any golf fan would enjoy.
March 11, 2020
The author is so self indulgent it is not worth my time to give a review.
July 26, 2020
Great little sport book - full of anecdotes but also lessons in being a "good sport" and player of principles - Jack Nicklaus comes out 5 star and Tiger at time of book writing didn't make his top 10
September 24, 2020
A concise love story to the golf game through anecdotes and interviews along the way ranging from Arnie to a looper dubbed Golf ball. Enjoyable and nostalgic
June 27, 2021
I listened to the audiobook. While some of the stories I didn’t know being a golf enthusiast, I found the audio version some what disjointed. Stories were repeated multiple times through the book.
March 24, 2022
A must read for a lover of the game
This is a fast moving book chock full of good information about the modern hero’s of golf. The stories are entertaining and insightful.
This is a fast moving book chock full of good information about the modern hero’s of golf. The stories are entertaining and insightful.
August 8, 2022
Unbelievable snooze fest. Found myself reading this and after a couple pages I’d have no idea what was going on.
March 21, 2023
some really great moments, but the whole doesn’t hang together as well as i would like; if i knew more about golf i suspect that wouldn’t be the case
June 14, 2023
brilliant writing.
You don’t have to be a golf nut to take pleasure from the chapters in this book that will have you laughing, crying and shaking your head in equal measure.
You don’t have to be a golf nut to take pleasure from the chapters in this book that will have you laughing, crying and shaking your head in equal measure.
August 3, 2023
Well done. if you love the game and history of golf it's a great book to read. So many fantastic stories.
October 20, 2023
I am only a golf fan by association but it was still enjoyable pop journalism with lots of good gossip.
May 6, 2024
3.5 star - rounded up. Solid golf stories - worth the read
March 1, 2025
Really terrific read. Fascinating and eye opening stories and insights
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews