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Missing Links #1
Missing Links
From Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly comes this spoof of all things golf and country club. Missing Links is the story of four middle-class buddies who live outside Boston and play golf together at Ponkaquoque Municipal Course and Deli, not so fondly known as Ponky. An eighteen-hole garbage dump with hazards that include a concrete river surrounded by a chain-link fence and the pillars of the elevated train track that runs through the course, it is reputed to be the worst golf course in America. Just adjacent to the municipal course lies the Mayflower Country Club, the most exclusive private course in all of Boston. The rollicking plot includes a bet to see who will be first to sneak in a round at the Mayflower, as well as the narrator's attempts to reach some sort of reasonable understanding with his overbearing father.
7 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
May 19, 2014
UPDATE: Still, arguably, the funniest book I've ever read (Forrest Gump)!!!!
This was "oh my god" funny. This is one of those books that has people staring at you, wondering what you are reading because you are laughing out loud. I don't mean chuckles. I was full out belly laughing as I read this. Missing links is a book about golf. However, the colorful characters transcend the game of golf and make this a comical ride for anyone. It is over the top if you like and understand golf. If you don't, that is ok as well. Ive read this a couple of times just for the laugh factor.
This was "oh my god" funny. This is one of those books that has people staring at you, wondering what you are reading because you are laughing out loud. I don't mean chuckles. I was full out belly laughing as I read this. Missing links is a book about golf. However, the colorful characters transcend the game of golf and make this a comical ride for anyone. It is over the top if you like and understand golf. If you don't, that is ok as well. Ive read this a couple of times just for the laugh factor.
April 11, 2019
I stumbled upon this book as I was searching for my next read. I was hoping to read some poetry, but instead was gifted this fantastic piece of sports literature.
As someone who has no interest in golf whatsoever, I totally expected to find this book boring and hard to follow. Instead, I was led on an exciting tale of golf betting, midnight marauding, and some not-so-appropriate jokes. Set on the "worst golf course in America," Missing Links tells the story of a bet that almost ruins their course's existence. With petty thievery, false names, and breaking and entering all on the table, no one is safe.
This book was truly enjoyable due to its constant twists and turns, and the main character slowly and naturally revealing his own personal motivations in the sport of golf. The jokes are funny, the tone is relatable, and story feels real. Despite my lack of interest in golf, the simple and nonchalant way that Rick Reilly explains the game allowed me to understand what was happening. With the real, raunchy comedy used, the tale just feels incredibly natural and the story benefits tremendously for it.
However, the book occasionally became confusing with its use of Ponky vocabulary. As the terms are explained early in the book, I found myself wanting to go back and check what different terms meant. This led to frustration and a small bit of confusion in the story, but it was not enough to bother my enjoyment of the novel.
As someone who has no interest in golf whatsoever, I totally expected to find this book boring and hard to follow. Instead, I was led on an exciting tale of golf betting, midnight marauding, and some not-so-appropriate jokes. Set on the "worst golf course in America," Missing Links tells the story of a bet that almost ruins their course's existence. With petty thievery, false names, and breaking and entering all on the table, no one is safe.
This book was truly enjoyable due to its constant twists and turns, and the main character slowly and naturally revealing his own personal motivations in the sport of golf. The jokes are funny, the tone is relatable, and story feels real. Despite my lack of interest in golf, the simple and nonchalant way that Rick Reilly explains the game allowed me to understand what was happening. With the real, raunchy comedy used, the tale just feels incredibly natural and the story benefits tremendously for it.
However, the book occasionally became confusing with its use of Ponky vocabulary. As the terms are explained early in the book, I found myself wanting to go back and check what different terms meant. This led to frustration and a small bit of confusion in the story, but it was not enough to bother my enjoyment of the novel.
December 19, 2007
Another quick read that will have you laughing out loud every couple pages, and falling off the couch every couple chapters. if you've ever played on a team, competed with friends, and enjoy heckling, you will get a kick out of this book.
August 5, 2020
Hilarious book about golf with a bunch of friends. I've read this probably five times - just re-read it and getting my son and future-son-in-law to read it.
January 27, 2022
Surprisingly good. Initially I was going to give itv50 pages b/c it started off poorly. But then as I read more and more I got hooked. It's a combo of golf, romance, low brow humor and silly gag jokes. The blue collar guys win out over the white collar hoity-toity country club wienies.
Like the Denver Post book cover blurb said: "Part Damon Runyon, part Raymond Chandler, and part Caddyshack... I was was hooked for the full 18."
Like the Denver Post book cover blurb said: "Part Damon Runyon, part Raymond Chandler, and part Caddyshack... I was was hooked for the full 18."
January 20, 2025
Missing Links was a solid story of contrasting golf cultures. The book read like a buddy telling a tall tale of good times between friends. The story had good pacing and was fun throughout with great characters around. Huge fan and enjoyable read.
September 10, 2023
I had to read this in college, so some time back in 2006, maybe? I don’t remember specifics anymore but I know I loved it. It was hilarious! I recently found a used copy at a local bookstore so I bought it for my fiancé because he enjoys playing and watching golf. Maybe I’ll re-read it myself.
September 19, 2024
Book is great as is the sequel, “Shanks for Nothing.” Great characters, great games, great book.
I can’t believe Top Golf stole Reilly’s idea!
I can’t believe Top Golf stole Reilly’s idea!
August 12, 2023
A fun, easy read with some surprises, “ Missing Links” is for those golf-lovers who love the game and the camaraderie. Dialogue driven with quite a bit of male humor and bar guy language, the novel centers on a cast of characters who play golf at Ponky, considered one of the worst public courses in the US located near Boston ( loosely based on Ponkapoag in Canton, Ma). They make a bet to see who can be the first to play 18 holes at the nearby exclusive club, the Mayflower ( ? The Country Club in Brookline). The first 50 pages were slow but the plot picked up. If you liked the film Caddyshack, you will enjoy this. Quite entertaining and funny.
May 10, 2019
I chose this book because it was recommended to me by a friend.
This book is about a group of friends who love to play golf. They always play at ponky, rated the worst golf course in the country. But nevertheless, they still play there every day of the week and twice a day on weekends. These friends have never even thought about playing at a different golf course than Ponky. But, one day, a hole emerged in one of the hedges at the edge of the course. Through this hole, was the Mayflower Country Club, rated in the top 10 courses in the country. The Chops (What the friends call themselves) convinced each other that it's no better over there than it was at Ponky, but every time they reach the green at hole 16, they have a front row view of the Mayflower, and curiosity soon gets the better of all of them. One of the chops, known as Two Down, decides to place a HUGE bet. 1 grand from each Chop for the first person to play a full round of golf at the Mayflower. This bet is only accepted by three people. Ray, Two Down, and a girl at Ponky, Dannie. One day, Ray is playing a round at Ponky with his buddies, when he sees someone through the hole at the Mayflower. Something about this man seems familiar to him, and soon enough he realizes that is his father, teeing off at the Mayflower. Ray's father and him were mortal enemies. Ray swore to never see him again after he moved out. But, Ray finally decided to ask his father if he could play a round with him. He was finally able to win the bet, but Ray did not like the round of golf at all, his dad being a perfectionist and constantly trying to fix Rays game.
What I think worked well in this book was the comedy. I think the book was very funny and had a lot of funny scenes, and the golf setting helped a lot to provide lots of comedy throughout the book. The book kept me interested throughout the whole story because it was so humorous.
What I think could have been better was the characters. I think there were a lot of scenes that had too many characters throughout, and it gets hard to remember who each person is. The fact that everyone in the story had names like Cementhead didn't help. I think if they kept only about 2 or 3 characters in each scene, it would be much easier to understand what is happening.
This book is about a group of friends who love to play golf. They always play at ponky, rated the worst golf course in the country. But nevertheless, they still play there every day of the week and twice a day on weekends. These friends have never even thought about playing at a different golf course than Ponky. But, one day, a hole emerged in one of the hedges at the edge of the course. Through this hole, was the Mayflower Country Club, rated in the top 10 courses in the country. The Chops (What the friends call themselves) convinced each other that it's no better over there than it was at Ponky, but every time they reach the green at hole 16, they have a front row view of the Mayflower, and curiosity soon gets the better of all of them. One of the chops, known as Two Down, decides to place a HUGE bet. 1 grand from each Chop for the first person to play a full round of golf at the Mayflower. This bet is only accepted by three people. Ray, Two Down, and a girl at Ponky, Dannie. One day, Ray is playing a round at Ponky with his buddies, when he sees someone through the hole at the Mayflower. Something about this man seems familiar to him, and soon enough he realizes that is his father, teeing off at the Mayflower. Ray's father and him were mortal enemies. Ray swore to never see him again after he moved out. But, Ray finally decided to ask his father if he could play a round with him. He was finally able to win the bet, but Ray did not like the round of golf at all, his dad being a perfectionist and constantly trying to fix Rays game.
What I think worked well in this book was the comedy. I think the book was very funny and had a lot of funny scenes, and the golf setting helped a lot to provide lots of comedy throughout the book. The book kept me interested throughout the whole story because it was so humorous.
What I think could have been better was the characters. I think there were a lot of scenes that had too many characters throughout, and it gets hard to remember who each person is. The fact that everyone in the story had names like Cementhead didn't help. I think if they kept only about 2 or 3 characters in each scene, it would be much easier to understand what is happening.
August 11, 2025
Here’s a book that I read around 13 years ago for a Sports Literature class I took in my second-to-last year at Pitt. That class was just the kind of fluff that I needed in my life… and frankly, I still need in my life. The reading list for that class was legitimately interesting, none moreso than this humorous fiction book set at the also-fictional-but-only-barely-so worst public golf course in America.
Now I’ll be the first to admit that you’ll feel a lot more comfortable reading this book if you count yourself as a fan of golf, which I do not, but even to the layperson, the writing is crisp and occasionally gently funny. I never found myself doubled over laughing, so I’m not sure I’m comfortable calling it a comedy, and what humor there is is ever so slightly dark. Still, there are clever lines and well-described absurd situations that might inspire a gentle snort laugh. It’s a classic slobs-versus-snobs story, but it never feels derivative of the silver screen golf classic, “Caddyshack.”
To be fair, in a house that fairly contains hundreds of books, I may have all of five books that one might assign to the genre of comedy, so our bookshelves aren’t festooned with belly-laugh content. That alone makes this a standout book in my collection, and I may someday revisit the crew from Ponkaquoque Municipal Course and Deli in the sequel book. I wouldn’t even be surprised if, someday, I remember my fondness for this book and pick it up for a third time. There are far too many serious things going on in life right now, though, and I appreciated a light, breezy read.
Now I’ll be the first to admit that you’ll feel a lot more comfortable reading this book if you count yourself as a fan of golf, which I do not, but even to the layperson, the writing is crisp and occasionally gently funny. I never found myself doubled over laughing, so I’m not sure I’m comfortable calling it a comedy, and what humor there is is ever so slightly dark. Still, there are clever lines and well-described absurd situations that might inspire a gentle snort laugh. It’s a classic slobs-versus-snobs story, but it never feels derivative of the silver screen golf classic, “Caddyshack.”
To be fair, in a house that fairly contains hundreds of books, I may have all of five books that one might assign to the genre of comedy, so our bookshelves aren’t festooned with belly-laugh content. That alone makes this a standout book in my collection, and I may someday revisit the crew from Ponkaquoque Municipal Course and Deli in the sequel book. I wouldn’t even be surprised if, someday, I remember my fondness for this book and pick it up for a third time. There are far too many serious things going on in life right now, though, and I appreciated a light, breezy read.
December 6, 2021
I loved this book! I expected it to be funny after reading Rick Reilly for years in Sports Illustrated. What I wasn't expecting was good character development, a real story and many surprises and plot twists. I also listened to this book with Bronson Pinchot as the reader and it was one of the best performances I have heard
November 10, 2025
I found this book the same way I find par on a golf course - completely by accident. I’ve played the real Ponkapoag - years ago, then again earlier this year. It hasn’t changed.
Rick Reilly originally wrote about the hard-luck course for an article in Sports Illustrated back in the 1900s. The article was about the real course. This book is about a fictional Ponkquepoag, and it’s really, really funny. Years ago I had to stop reading Portnoy’s Complaint on the subway one morning because I kept laughing out loud, and you just don’t do that on a subway if you want to stay out of jail.
Missing Links should not be read on a subway. You will be locked up in three pages.
This book is fantastic. The storyline (routing) is crisp, the characters are all really well thought out, and unveiled slowly as the story progresses. The plot is not terribly complicated, but it is also unpredictable. Yeah, the good guys win in the end, but in a Ryder Cup, ‘man in the envelope’ type of way. You don’t see coming what you’ll see coming.
This book was a lot of fun, from the course map end papers, to the golfgeek that Reilly interspersed throughout.
One hosel-hit: Reilly has a character drop
the ‘f-word’ (not ‘fat’) during a visit to the Mayflower Pro Shop. The book was published in ‘96, but still…. It’s not ‘said’ ironically, or comically. It’s just there. Shouldn’t be, but it is. No book is perfect.
But this one comes pretty damn close.
If able I’d give it 4.5 stars. Rounding down because it’s not Moby Dick! But Reilly is funnier than Melville.
Rick Reilly originally wrote about the hard-luck course for an article in Sports Illustrated back in the 1900s. The article was about the real course. This book is about a fictional Ponkquepoag, and it’s really, really funny. Years ago I had to stop reading Portnoy’s Complaint on the subway one morning because I kept laughing out loud, and you just don’t do that on a subway if you want to stay out of jail.
Missing Links should not be read on a subway. You will be locked up in three pages.
This book is fantastic. The storyline (routing) is crisp, the characters are all really well thought out, and unveiled slowly as the story progresses. The plot is not terribly complicated, but it is also unpredictable. Yeah, the good guys win in the end, but in a Ryder Cup, ‘man in the envelope’ type of way. You don’t see coming what you’ll see coming.
This book was a lot of fun, from the course map end papers, to the golfgeek that Reilly interspersed throughout.
One hosel-hit: Reilly has a character drop
the ‘f-word’ (not ‘fat’) during a visit to the Mayflower Pro Shop. The book was published in ‘96, but still…. It’s not ‘said’ ironically, or comically. It’s just there. Shouldn’t be, but it is. No book is perfect.
But this one comes pretty damn close.
If able I’d give it 4.5 stars. Rounding down because it’s not Moby Dick! But Reilly is funnier than Melville.
April 2, 2020
Clever as could be. A witty, punchy dialogue rich story of both sides of the track. A world apart brought together by family, friends, tragedy and competition. A father/son story with heartbreak and humor.
Reilly can really spin it and his full bag of metaphors and analogy's bring about snickers and laughs nearly every page.
The plot is simple, old school "Breaking Away" style all charged with more one liners than a stand-up act. This can make for a thickness to the narrative that leaves you looking for breaks in the "action". Farce and folly need a few timeouts and the author does a good job weaving in family drama and relational challenges.
Recommended for golf fanatics. A guys guy book if there ever was one.
Reilly can really spin it and his full bag of metaphors and analogy's bring about snickers and laughs nearly every page.
The plot is simple, old school "Breaking Away" style all charged with more one liners than a stand-up act. This can make for a thickness to the narrative that leaves you looking for breaks in the "action". Farce and folly need a few timeouts and the author does a good job weaving in family drama and relational challenges.
Recommended for golf fanatics. A guys guy book if there ever was one.
May 16, 2020
Things I didn't like about this book:
1. Too many indistinguishable secondary characters.
2. Grimly predictable plot.
3. Mawkish feel-good ending.
4. Representative of everything the Americans have ruined about golf.
5. Clumsy, contrived similes masquerading as jokes like a Callaway Epic Flash aggressively squeezed into a Scotty Cameron headcover after a chunked pitch shot.
6. Writing standard generally poor.
Things I liked about this book:
1. It is about golf.
2. I would like to play The Mayflower.
1. Too many indistinguishable secondary characters.
2. Grimly predictable plot.
3. Mawkish feel-good ending.
4. Representative of everything the Americans have ruined about golf.
5. Clumsy, contrived similes masquerading as jokes like a Callaway Epic Flash aggressively squeezed into a Scotty Cameron headcover after a chunked pitch shot.
6. Writing standard generally poor.
Things I liked about this book:
1. It is about golf.
2. I would like to play The Mayflower.
March 16, 2017
This book was very good. It was funny and interesting. It was fun to meet all the characters and see how they handle different situations. My favorite part was the bet that the first person to play at the rich golf club wins. I also enjoyed when they snuck in at night. They got into a huge golf cart chase. I would recommend this book to anyone. Overall I would rate it a 4/5 because it was boring at times.
July 22, 2023
The book has a little of everything: Humor (OK a lot of humor!), real life struggles, a love/hate/love affair with golf, acceptance of life, and the amazing feeling of finding the love of your life has always been there. Haven’t read it? Should! Haven’t re-read it? Should! Thank you, Mr. Reilly - “Missing Links” spoke volumes to me! 2 emphatic thumbs up - hell I’d give it 4 thumbs up if I had them!!
January 30, 2020
It's an understatement to say this book hasn't aged well since it's publication 25 years ago. There are plenty of cringe worthy moments including blackface, gender stereotyping, and homophobia - it's practically a clean sweep.
The plot itself had potential - but I couldn't get over the sense that this story was from a different era.... like maybe 3 eras ago. Just not my jam.
The plot itself had potential - but I couldn't get over the sense that this story was from a different era.... like maybe 3 eras ago. Just not my jam.
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April 28, 2025(E-Lib) I decided to read this to get in golf mode prior to the PGA Championship. Apparently I'm in the minority, because I didn't find this to be fall-off-the-couch funny. There were some funny moments, but they were overshadowed by all the stupid nicknames and jargon that were shoehorned into the story. I won't be reading the follow-up book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2016
A raunchy grab bag of golf jokes; also non-golf jokes that have been converted to golf jokes. It gets the third star because there is some suspense at the end. Also because some of the jokes are funny.
February 12, 2018
Offbeat, and irreverent. Good insight into the world of competitive golf. It’s like the banter you would hear if you sat in the locker room with serious golfers. I’m only a social golfer, so this other side of golf is new to me. Really well written.
January 14, 2019
This is one of the worst books I have ever read. I wanted to read something light and golfy, but getting through the terrible jokes, the weak plot, the predictable ending was brutal. I knew I should have stayed away from Rick Reilly...
May 27, 2022
I was handed this book as a light read. I had read some pretty dense and frankly, quite awful books this year. My ratings is due to the fact that I enjoyed this quick read tremendously. Sometimes this is all I need to replenish my appetite for reading.
November 14, 2022
Yes it's a silly little book with quirky characters and off color humor. But underneath it all there is a touch of sadness and a touch of darkness which really gives the characters some depth and make the story more substantial.
April 2, 2025
funny novel about crazy golf friends
Two much going on with different characters and family and friends issues. Funny at times, but, the author has written some other notable books that I have really enjoyed, much more than this one.
Two much going on with different characters and family and friends issues. Funny at times, but, the author has written some other notable books that I have really enjoyed, much more than this one.
August 11, 2017
Fun story of a down-at-heel golf course and its neighboring country club. A lot of the jokes try a bit too hard, but a fair number of them land; the characters are overdone but still amusing.
March 24, 2018
Hilarious and touching story!
October 23, 2018
fantastic read - need more golf books
February 16, 2019
A Golfer’s Giggle
A fun, light, moral-filled read for all, but especially for golfers. Hang on tightly or you just might miss a few jokes, or a putt.
A fun, light, moral-filled read for all, but especially for golfers. Hang on tightly or you just might miss a few jokes, or a putt.
June 15, 2020
I loved this. I bet non-golfers would enjoy it too!!!???
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews