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The Way of Golf is an inspiring, informative, and reflective volume of meditations on the core values of golf. Where golf has been and -- more important -- where it is going are the focus of these meditations, all mini-essays on such subjects as rules, traditions, sportsmanship, and stewardship of the game's future.

Most books about golf either discuss the challenges of playing some of the more prestigious courses in the country or purport to help players improve their swings. Brown (The Golfing Mind) takes a different stance and presents a meditative golfing book meant to tug at your emotions. This book will not improve your backswing or help you line up your putt any better, but it will open your eyes to the essence of what Brown believes the self-policed game of golf represents. He highlights the hidden values of the game and talks about the traditions handed down from generation to generation. Brown has been involved with golf as an author and advocate of keeping the traditions of the game alive, some of which he sees as threatened. This book is meant for the purist, someone who looks at how golf should be played as opposed to merely discovering ways to lower a score. Although the book is well written, its subject matter limits its appeal. Recommended to public libraries with healthy recreation and sports collections. Patrick Mahoney, Off-Campus Lib. Svcs., Central Michigan Univ. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

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Founder and director of the nonprofit organization Keepers of the Game, Brown believes passionately in golf's graceful traditions. For him, getting out on the course is a way to reconnect with his father and recall the times they spent putting together years ago. Brown believes that almost every player has a similar passion for golf whether it's a competitive instinct on the circuit or a spiritual connection with the game. Here, in a series of essays, Brown talks about the early days of golf, from the digging of crude holes in Scotland to today's computer-designed courses. He discusses the rules of the game, noting that "strict rules define the essence of golf... know the rules and follow the rules. Hardly anyone does but following the rules provides wonderful structure." Among the guidelines: players should drop the ball correctly on the ground to show the other players they know the game's conventions. People should play at a "reasonable pace." Players shouldn't bring their cell phones to the course. For Brown, golf should live up to its traditions, and he urges readers not to immediately adopt new trends, such as power carts or colored balls. Some sports fans may find Brown's serious approach to golf hard to take, but neophytes will find his essays an appealing introduction to the early, civilized days of the course. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.