Playing Partners: A Father, a Son, and Their Shared Addiction to Golf

by George Peper

The editor-in-chief of Golf magazine examines the friendship that took root while he and his son set out to dispel the myth that golf is a good walk spoiled.




Teenagers are notorious for differences with their parents, but George Peper has been lucky to share a special friendship with his 18-year-old son, Scott. For the past decade, the two have bonded over a mutual passion for golf, spending hundreds of hours together they would never have enjoyed if not for their love of chasing around a little white ball. Now, Peper examines their relationship, analyzing how their roles have morphed from faultless father and worshipful son to teacher and pupil, dictator and insurgent, and ultimately, target and assassin, as son tries to outscore father over 18 holes. In an endearing portrait, George Peper hits on the universal lessons of life, love, and golf-as he's learned them from his teenage son.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2003

Reviews

[David Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of sons will relate to this book, or at least have their own memories brought up while reading it. Unfortunately, it was a bit uncomfortable to get through at times because while the author learns a bit throughout the book, he doesn't come across as a great father to his kids. This is despite his going through his having every reason to be a better father than he describes having had growing up himself. It can be hard to distill the nuances of a father-son relationship and how it changes over time in spare moments of a single book, but the author may have focused too much on certain negative moments, as by the end of the book they seem to have grown into a better situation.

[Tim Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book details the golf life of George Peper with his two sons and the connections it made as they got older. Great book for a golf dad with sons or daughters.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me this was really two separate books....the first half really dragged on for me but then when the focus changed to another relationship the book became interesting...