One of our finest young purveyors of witty prose, 14 Nov 2008
I haven't played golf in years, but I write lots of golf speeches, which means I need to get some ideas and a feel for the game. I took a risk on Tom Cox, and I was handsomely rewarded. His prose is just sublime, like Guy Browning or Marcus Berkmann, he rolls out beautiful self-deprecatory sentences, one after the other, that keep you giggling for hours. Pity he couldn't play golf like that.

What I really liked about it was the rather melancholy wisdom. To play at the highest level you need to be very narrowly focused, and take everything incredibly seriously. My childhood dream was to be a politician, but it's the same thing in that field, the ones who are heading to the top, limit and constrain themselves in ways that I find perverse and sad. Tom Cox is a 'character' and humorous English prose is richer for it, even if golf isn't.

Mr A. Allwright. Philistine. My advice - A MUST BUY., 16 Sep 2008
Mr Allwright seems to have missed the point in its entirety (see his (weak) amazon review). He is clearly a (golfing, humour, general) philistine.

Managed to nick this literature from husband who was annoying me by laughing every page, per night, up until Chapter 3. So I swooped. It was mine.

I laughed until it was completed, and like the best books, looked forward to getting to bed to savour the next unfolding.

Cox depicts the soul destroying nature of life on (Europro.........if you say it quick enough it sounds like European.....) Tour heart wrenchingly and acutely. Cox is self depreciatingly honest throughout. His conclusions are appropriately respectful, but endearingly reassuring that real life exists above and beyond life on tour....... if that's what you want....

I think why this book appeals is rooted in the fact the challenges, magic, frustrations and joy of golf are the same whether you are Tiger Woods or Jim Bob Novice Amateur. This is why the book is so clever. It tells a story of golf at a very specific level, but anyone at all who has experienced any level of the game will empathise with the tale it tells - with all the up and downs along the way (no pun intended).

So buy it, and ignore Mr Allwright who has clearly had a personality and soul bypass.




MUST READ FOR ALL GOLF FANATICS, 08 Aug 2008
A great, great read. A real pleasant change from autobiographies and coaching manuals. Tom's year as a professional is a real emotional rollercoaster and the caracters in Tom's book relate to people in golf clubs the length and bredth of the UK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I'm glad somebody did it for me, so I didn't have to!, 04 Feb 2008
A hugely enjoying and highly entertaining read from start to finish.

Once Tom got my interest in the opening pages of the book, my interest only intensified as I got further and further into the book. The anticipation of seeing what new mini disaster he could get himself into, coupled with the slight glimmer of hope that there would be some success for him towards the end, just meant that I couldn't put the thing down. Quite literally read in a day!

There is some success for him in the end, although not quite in the way you expect. I guess ultimately the real success to come from Tom's experiment is this brilliantly witty and self deprecating warts and all account of his trials and tribulations throughout his year of swinging with the big boys.

This comes highly recommended.

Great Golfing read!, 03 Feb 2008
A very funny and honest account of another bite at the pro circuit cherry! If you like golf, or even if you don't you will enjoy this book. The ups and downs of the human emotions are all here and it was a pleasure to read. A must for the bedside table or plane or swimming pool!

One of our finest young purveyors of witty prose, 14 Nov 2008
I haven't played golf in years, but I write lots of golf speeches, which means I need to get some ideas and a feel for the game. I took a risk on Tom Cox, and I was handsomely rewarded. His prose is just sublime, like Guy Browning or Marcus Berkmann, he rolls out beautiful self-deprecatory sentences, one after the other, that keep you giggling for hours. Pity he couldn't play golf like that.

What I really liked about it was the rather melancholy wisdom. To play at the highest level you need to be very narrowly focused, and take everything incredibly seriously. My childhood dream was to be a politician, but it's the same thing in that field, the ones who are heading to the top, limit and constrain themselves in ways that I find perverse and sad. Tom Cox is a 'character' and humorous English prose is richer for it, even if golf isn't.

Mr A. Allwright. Philistine. My advice - A MUST BUY., 16 Sep 2008
Mr Allwright seems to have missed the point in its entirety (see his (weak) amazon review). He is clearly a (golfing, humour, general) philistine.

Managed to nick this literature from husband who was annoying me by laughing every page, per night, up until Chapter 3. So I swooped. It was mine.

I laughed until it was completed, and like the best books, looked forward to getting to bed to savour the next unfolding.

Cox depicts the soul destroying nature of life on (Europro.........if you say it quick enough it sounds like European.....) Tour heart wrenchingly and acutely. Cox is self depreciatingly honest throughout. His conclusions are appropriately respectful, but endearingly reassuring that real life exists above and beyond life on tour....... if that's what you want....

I think why this book appeals is rooted in the fact the challenges, magic, frustrations and joy of golf are the same whether you are Tiger Woods or Jim Bob Novice Amateur. This is why the book is so clever. It tells a story of golf at a very specific level, but anyone at all who has experienced any level of the game will empathise with the tale it tells - with all the up and downs along the way (no pun intended).

So buy it, and ignore Mr Allwright who has clearly had a personality and soul bypass.




MUST READ FOR ALL GOLF FANATICS, 08 Aug 2008
A great, great read. A real pleasant change from autobiographies and coaching manuals. Tom's year as a professional is a real emotional rollercoaster and the caracters in Tom's book relate to people in golf clubs the length and bredth of the UK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I'm glad somebody did it for me, so I didn't have to!, 04 Feb 2008
A hugely enjoying and highly entertaining read from start to finish.

Once Tom got my interest in the opening pages of the book, my interest only intensified as I got further and further into the book. The anticipation of seeing what new mini disaster he could get himself into, coupled with the slight glimmer of hope that there would be some success for him towards the end, just meant that I couldn't put the thing down. Quite literally read in a day!

There is some success for him in the end, although not quite in the way you expect. I guess ultimately the real success to come from Tom's experiment is this brilliantly witty and self deprecating warts and all account of his trials and tribulations throughout his year of swinging with the big boys.

This comes highly recommended.

Great Golfing read!, 03 Feb 2008
A very funny and honest account of another bite at the pro circuit cherry! If you like golf, or even if you don't you will enjoy this book. The ups and downs of the human emotions are all here and it was a pleasure to read. A must for the bedside table or plane or swimming pool!

Triumph of a Q School book, 19 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed John Feinstein's books on the PGA Tour and Qualifying Schools, but GOLF ON THE EDGE takes the idea to a whole new dimension.

Instead of just reporting on who qualified and who didn't from the 2007 PGA Tour School, the author looks at the stories behind seven of the players involved in the process.

These are real people with mortgages and lives outside of the golf course like you and I. Tiger Woods is in one world, we all live in the other. And so do the likes of Sion Bebb and Andrew Raitt who aspire to be just like Tiger.

This is a magnificent book and one that will lead me to not just follow the careers of these seven players from now on, but also to take a look further down the leaderboard of all events on the European Tour.

In terms of birdies, pars and bogeys in golf books, this is a driver, 6-iron on the green and 20 foot putt for eagle.

One of our finest young purveyors of witty prose, 14 Nov 2008
I haven't played golf in years, but I write lots of golf speeches, which means I need to get some ideas and a feel for the game. I took a risk on Tom Cox, and I was handsomely rewarded. His prose is just sublime, like Guy Browning or Marcus Berkmann, he rolls out beautiful self-deprecatory sentences, one after the other, that keep you giggling for hours. Pity he couldn't play golf like that.

What I really liked about it was the rather melancholy wisdom. To play at the highest level you need to be very narrowly focused, and take everything incredibly seriously. My childhood dream was to be a politician, but it's the same thing in that field, the ones who are heading to the top, limit and constrain themselves in ways that I find perverse and sad. Tom Cox is a 'character' and humorous English prose is richer for it, even if golf isn't.

Mr A. Allwright. Philistine. My advice - A MUST BUY., 16 Sep 2008
Mr Allwright seems to have missed the point in its entirety (see his (weak) amazon review). He is clearly a (golfing, humour, general) philistine.

Managed to nick this literature from husband who was annoying me by laughing every page, per night, up until Chapter 3. So I swooped. It was mine.

I laughed until it was completed, and like the best books, looked forward to getting to bed to savour the next unfolding.

Cox depicts the soul destroying nature of life on (Europro.........if you say it quick enough it sounds like European.....) Tour heart wrenchingly and acutely. Cox is self depreciatingly honest throughout. His conclusions are appropriately respectful, but endearingly reassuring that real life exists above and beyond life on tour....... if that's what you want....

I think why this book appeals is rooted in the fact the challenges, magic, frustrations and joy of golf are the same whether you are Tiger Woods or Jim Bob Novice Amateur. This is why the book is so clever. It tells a story of golf at a very specific level, but anyone at all who has experienced any level of the game will empathise with the tale it tells - with all the up and downs along the way (no pun intended).

So buy it, and ignore Mr Allwright who has clearly had a personality and soul bypass.




MUST READ FOR ALL GOLF FANATICS, 08 Aug 2008
A great, great read. A real pleasant change from autobiographies and coaching manuals. Tom's year as a professional is a real emotional rollercoaster and the caracters in Tom's book relate to people in golf clubs the length and bredth of the UK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I'm glad somebody did it for me, so I didn't have to!, 04 Feb 2008
A hugely enjoying and highly entertaining read from start to finish.

Once Tom got my interest in the opening pages of the book, my interest only intensified as I got further and further into the book. The anticipation of seeing what new mini disaster he could get himself into, coupled with the slight glimmer of hope that there would be some success for him towards the end, just meant that I couldn't put the thing down. Quite literally read in a day!

There is some success for him in the end, although not quite in the way you expect. I guess ultimately the real success to come from Tom's experiment is this brilliantly witty and self deprecating warts and all account of his trials and tribulations throughout his year of swinging with the big boys.

This comes highly recommended.

Great Golfing read!, 03 Feb 2008
A very funny and honest account of another bite at the pro circuit cherry! If you like golf, or even if you don't you will enjoy this book. The ups and downs of the human emotions are all here and it was a pleasure to read. A must for the bedside table or plane or swimming pool!

Triumph of a Q School book, 19 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed John Feinstein's books on the PGA Tour and Qualifying Schools, but GOLF ON THE EDGE takes the idea to a whole new dimension.

Instead of just reporting on who qualified and who didn't from the 2007 PGA Tour School, the author looks at the stories behind seven of the players involved in the process.

These are real people with mortgages and lives outside of the golf course like you and I. Tiger Woods is in one world, we all live in the other. And so do the likes of Sion Bebb and Andrew Raitt who aspire to be just like Tiger.

This is a magnificent book and one that will lead me to not just follow the careers of these seven players from now on, but also to take a look further down the leaderboard of all events on the European Tour.

In terms of birdies, pars and bogeys in golf books, this is a driver, 6-iron on the green and 20 foot putt for eagle.

Seve, his story for once., 11 Jan 2008
Contrary to the previous review, this autobiography is not a 'boring rant' but is very revealing about Seve's upbringing and his battles with various authorities to sell the great game of golf to his home country and the European tour.The Ryder Cup, especially, would not be what is today without the influence of Seve.

The book also made me aware of how early in his career his back problems started and how through great determination and self belief he became the most dominant and charismatic golfer of his era.

Fiercely competitive but with a genuine love of the game and its traditions, anyone who saw him play will always have fond memories of how he lit up the world of golf in the 70's and 80's.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a glimpse of the behind the scenes world of the 'European Arnold Palmer'. A book, written genuinely from the heart and I only wished he could have expanded more on the people he came across and the players he battled with.






A boring rant, 26 Dec 2007
Before i say this, let me tell you i love Seve. I think he is the greatest ever golfer, and i love watching the guy. With that said, his book bored me.
I enjoyed reading the first third of this book, but after a while, you begin to notice a pattern. It is basically just one big rant about all the things the golf world did during his career that he didnt agree with, what he felt about it, and then tells us how what he was doing was always right and how great he is.
When someone writes an autobiography, chances are i buy it because i already think they are great, and so i dont need them to keep telling me that throughout the book. Its fine for them to write down their successes, but there is no need to keep saying "look at me, wow, i did this, im fantastic"
I found this book very boring, needless to say

A legend, 17 Dec 2007
Seve is a legend and this book is a great read for golf fanatics with fond memories of the maestro in his prime. He tells his story with passion, humour and honesty which gives you fantastic insight into the fiercely competitive boy caddy that became the world number one golfer, a husband, a father and a businessman and the rebelious nature that always ensured Seve took the non conformant path less travelled by his golfing peers.

One of our finest young purveyors of witty prose, 14 Nov 2008
I haven't played golf in years, but I write lots of golf speeches, which means I need to get some ideas and a feel for the game. I took a risk on Tom Cox, and I was handsomely rewarded. His prose is just sublime, like Guy Browning or Marcus Berkmann, he rolls out beautiful self-deprecatory sentences, one after the other, that keep you giggling for hours. Pity he couldn't play golf like that.

What I really liked about it was the rather melancholy wisdom. To play at the highest level you need to be very narrowly focused, and take everything incredibly seriously. My childhood dream was to be a politician, but it's the same thing in that field, the ones who are heading to the top, limit and constrain themselves in ways that I find perverse and sad. Tom Cox is a 'character' and humorous English prose is richer for it, even if golf isn't.

Mr A. Allwright. Philistine. My advice - A MUST BUY., 16 Sep 2008
Mr Allwright seems to have missed the point in its entirety (see his (weak) amazon review). He is clearly a (golfing, humour, general) philistine.

Managed to nick this literature from husband who was annoying me by laughing every page, per night, up until Chapter 3. So I swooped. It was mine.

I laughed until it was completed, and like the best books, looked forward to getting to bed to savour the next unfolding.

Cox depicts the soul destroying nature of life on (Europro.........if you say it quick enough it sounds like European.....) Tour heart wrenchingly and acutely. Cox is self depreciatingly honest throughout. His conclusions are appropriately respectful, but endearingly reassuring that real life exists above and beyond life on tour....... if that's what you want....

I think why this book appeals is rooted in the fact the challenges, magic, frustrations and joy of golf are the same whether you are Tiger Woods or Jim Bob Novice Amateur. This is why the book is so clever. It tells a story of golf at a very specific level, but anyone at all who has experienced any level of the game will empathise with the tale it tells - with all the up and downs along the way (no pun intended).

So buy it, and ignore Mr Allwright who has clearly had a personality and soul bypass.




MUST READ FOR ALL GOLF FANATICS, 08 Aug 2008
A great, great read. A real pleasant change from autobiographies and coaching manuals. Tom's year as a professional is a real emotional rollercoaster and the caracters in Tom's book relate to people in golf clubs the length and bredth of the UK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I'm glad somebody did it for me, so I didn't have to!, 04 Feb 2008
A hugely enjoying and highly entertaining read from start to finish.

Once Tom got my interest in the opening pages of the book, my interest only intensified as I got further and further into the book. The anticipation of seeing what new mini disaster he could get himself into, coupled with the slight glimmer of hope that there would be some success for him towards the end, just meant that I couldn't put the thing down. Quite literally read in a day!

There is some success for him in the end, although not quite in the way you expect. I guess ultimately the real success to come from Tom's experiment is this brilliantly witty and self deprecating warts and all account of his trials and tribulations throughout his year of swinging with the big boys.

This comes highly recommended.

Great Golfing read!, 03 Feb 2008
A very funny and honest account of another bite at the pro circuit cherry! If you like golf, or even if you don't you will enjoy this book. The ups and downs of the human emotions are all here and it was a pleasure to read. A must for the bedside table or plane or swimming pool!

Triumph of a Q School book, 19 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed John Feinstein's books on the PGA Tour and Qualifying Schools, but GOLF ON THE EDGE takes the idea to a whole new dimension.

Instead of just reporting on who qualified and who didn't from the 2007 PGA Tour School, the author looks at the stories behind seven of the players involved in the process.

These are real people with mortgages and lives outside of the golf course like you and I. Tiger Woods is in one world, we all live in the other. And so do the likes of Sion Bebb and Andrew Raitt who aspire to be just like Tiger.

This is a magnificent book and one that will lead me to not just follow the careers of these seven players from now on, but also to take a look further down the leaderboard of all events on the European Tour.

In terms of birdies, pars and bogeys in golf books, this is a driver, 6-iron on the green and 20 foot putt for eagle.

Seve, his story for once., 11 Jan 2008
Contrary to the previous review, this autobiography is not a 'boring rant' but is very revealing about Seve's upbringing and his battles with various authorities to sell the great game of golf to his home country and the European tour.The Ryder Cup, especially, would not be what is today without the influence of Seve.

The book also made me aware of how early in his career his back problems started and how through great determination and self belief he became the most dominant and charismatic golfer of his era.

Fiercely competitive but with a genuine love of the game and its traditions, anyone who saw him play will always have fond memories of how he lit up the world of golf in the 70's and 80's.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a glimpse of the behind the scenes world of the 'European Arnold Palmer'. A book, written genuinely from the heart and I only wished he could have expanded more on the people he came across and the players he battled with.






A boring rant, 26 Dec 2007
Before i say this, let me tell you i love Seve. I think he is the greatest ever golfer, and i love watching the guy. With that said, his book bored me.
I enjoyed reading the first third of this book, but after a while, you begin to notice a pattern. It is basically just one big rant about all the things the golf world did during his career that he didnt agree with, what he felt about it, and then tells us how what he was doing was always right and how great he is.
When someone writes an autobiography, chances are i buy it because i already think they are great, and so i dont need them to keep telling me that throughout the book. Its fine for them to write down their successes, but there is no need to keep saying "look at me, wow, i did this, im fantastic"
I found this book very boring, needless to say

A legend, 17 Dec 2007
Seve is a legend and this book is a great read for golf fanatics with fond memories of the maestro in his prime. He tells his story with passion, humour and honesty which gives you fantastic insight into the fiercely competitive boy caddy that became the world number one golfer, a husband, a father and a businessman and the rebelious nature that always ensured Seve took the non conformant path less travelled by his golfing peers.

Extraordinary is an understatement, 11 Sep 2008
Not being much of a golf fan, I decided to read Tommy's Honour purely on the merits of its William Hill Sports Book of the Year shortlisting, and I'm very glad I did.

The story revolves around Tom Morris in Victorian Scotland, considered to be the founding father of golf. His golfing prowess is envied by all and sporadically matched by a few, until his son, Young Tommy, takes up the sport and surpasses his father's achievements. To reveal any more would give too much away, but it is a story of tragedy told wonderfully by Kevin Cook, who recreates the age and the golfers with no shortage of skill.

This is a book that will appeal to more than just golf fans, as the centrepiece of the story - the relationship between Old Tom and Young Tommy - is both touching and tragic. Very highly recommended.

One of our finest young purveyors of witty prose, 14 Nov 2008
I haven't played golf in years, but I write lots of golf speeches, which means I need to get some ideas and a feel for the game. I took a risk on Tom Cox, and I was handsomely rewarded. His prose is just sublime, like Guy Browning or Marcus Berkmann, he rolls out beautiful self-deprecatory sentences, one after the other, that keep you giggling for hours. Pity he couldn't play golf like that.

What I really liked about it was the rather melancholy wisdom. To play at the highest level you need to be very narrowly focused, and take everything incredibly seriously. My childhood dream was to be a politician, but it's the same thing in that field, the ones who are heading to the top, limit and constrain themselves in ways that I find perverse and sad. Tom Cox is a 'character' and humorous English prose is richer for it, even if golf isn't.

Mr A. Allwright. Philistine. My advice - A MUST BUY., 16 Sep 2008
Mr Allwright seems to have missed the point in its entirety (see his (weak) amazon review). He is clearly a (golfing, humour, general) philistine.

Managed to nick this literature from husband who was annoying me by laughing every page, per night, up until Chapter 3. So I swooped. It was mine.

I laughed until it was completed, and like the best books, looked forward to getting to bed to savour the next unfolding.

Cox depicts the soul destroying nature of life on (Europro.........if you say it quick enough it sounds like European.....) Tour heart wrenchingly and acutely. Cox is self depreciatingly honest throughout. His conclusions are appropriately respectful, but endearingly reassuring that real life exists above and beyond life on tour....... if that's what you want....

I think why this book appeals is rooted in the fact the challenges, magic, frustrations and joy of golf are the same whether you are Tiger Woods or Jim Bob Novice Amateur. This is why the book is so clever. It tells a story of golf at a very specific level, but anyone at all who has experienced any level of the game will empathise with the tale it tells - with all the up and downs along the way (no pun intended).

So buy it, and ignore Mr Allwright who has clearly had a personality and soul bypass.




MUST READ FOR ALL GOLF FANATICS, 08 Aug 2008
A great, great read. A real pleasant change from autobiographies and coaching manuals. Tom's year as a professional is a real emotional rollercoaster and the caracters in Tom's book relate to people in golf clubs the length and bredth of the UK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I'm glad somebody did it for me, so I didn't have to!, 04 Feb 2008
A hugely enjoying and highly entertaining read from start to finish.

Once Tom got my interest in the opening pages of the book, my interest only intensified as I got further and further into the book. The anticipation of seeing what new mini disaster he could get himself into, coupled with the slight glimmer of hope that there would be some success for him towards the end, just meant that I couldn't put the thing down. Quite literally read in a day!

There is some success for him in the end, although not quite in the way you expect. I guess ultimately the real success to come from Tom's experiment is this brilliantly witty and self deprecating warts and all account of his trials and tribulations throughout his year of swinging with the big boys.

This comes highly recommended.

Great Golfing read!, 03 Feb 2008
A very funny and honest account of another bite at the pro circuit cherry! If you like golf, or even if you don't you will enjoy this book. The ups and downs of the human emotions are all here and it was a pleasure to read. A must for the bedside table or plane or swimming pool!

Triumph of a Q School book, 19 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed John Feinstein's books on the PGA Tour and Qualifying Schools, but GOLF ON THE EDGE takes the idea to a whole new dimension.

Instead of just reporting on who qualified and who didn't from the 2007 PGA Tour School, the author looks at the stories behind seven of the players involved in the process.

These are real people with mortgages and lives outside of the golf course like you and I. Tiger Woods is in one world, we all live in the other. And so do the likes of Sion Bebb and Andrew Raitt who aspire to be just like Tiger.

This is a magnificent book and one that will lead me to not just follow the careers of these seven players from now on, but also to take a look further down the leaderboard of all events on the European Tour.

In terms of birdies, pars and bogeys in golf books, this is a driver, 6-iron on the green and 20 foot putt for eagle.

Seve, his story for once., 11 Jan 2008
Contrary to the previous review, this autobiography is not a 'boring rant' but is very revealing about Seve's upbringing and his battles with various authorities to sell the great game of golf to his home country and the European tour.The Ryder Cup, especially, would not be what is today without the influence of Seve.

The book also made me aware of how early in his career his back problems started and how through great determination and self belief he became the most dominant and charismatic golfer of his era.

Fiercely competitive but with a genuine love of the game and its traditions, anyone who saw him play will always have fond memories of how he lit up the world of golf in the 70's and 80's.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a glimpse of the behind the scenes world of the 'European Arnold Palmer'. A book, written genuinely from the heart and I only wished he could have expanded more on the people he came across and the players he battled with.






A boring rant, 26 Dec 2007
Before i say this, let me tell you i love Seve. I think he is the greatest ever golfer, and i love watching the guy. With that said, his book bored me.
I enjoyed reading the first third of this book, but after a while, you begin to notice a pattern. It is basically just one big rant about all the things the golf world did during his career that he didnt agree with, what he felt about it, and then tells us how what he was doing was always right and how great he is.
When someone writes an autobiography, chances are i buy it because i already think they are great, and so i dont need them to keep telling me that throughout the book. Its fine for them to write down their successes, but there is no need to keep saying "look at me, wow, i did this, im fantastic"
I found this book very boring, needless to say

A legend, 17 Dec 2007
Seve is a legend and this book is a great read for golf fanatics with fond memories of the maestro in his prime. He tells his story with passion, humour and honesty which gives you fantastic insight into the fiercely competitive boy caddy that became the world number one golfer, a husband, a father and a businessman and the rebelious nature that always ensured Seve took the non conformant path less travelled by his golfing peers.

Extraordinary is an understatement, 11 Sep 2008
Not being much of a golf fan, I decided to read Tommy's Honour purely on the merits of its William Hill Sports Book of the Year shortlisting, and I'm very glad I did.

The story revolves around Tom Morris in Victorian Scotland, considered to be the founding father of golf. His golfing prowess is envied by all and sporadically matched by a few, until his son, Young Tommy, takes up the sport and surpasses his father's achievements. To reveal any more would give too much away, but it is a story of tragedy told wonderfully by Kevin Cook, who recreates the age and the golfers with no shortage of skill.

This is a book that will appeal to more than just golf fans, as the centrepiece of the story - the relationship between Old Tom and Young Tommy - is both touching and tragic. Very highly recommended.

Good fun, 26 Oct 2008
This book is great fun, and a nice read for a cold autumn evening, while you're enjoying your cognac.
It's an advantage if you know a lot about The European Tour. But as a golf fan, you probably do!

A different view of the PGA tour, 20 Dec 2007
A quirky and sometimes funny story about the other side of the PGA tour from the view of a caddy. The author captures the life of someone who has worked with some of the best golfers ever to walk the fairways in a way that shows the highs and lows of life on tour as a caddy. From the humour of the tricks that caddies play on each other to the seriousness of having your livelihood curtailed through a simple accident. A good read.

One of our finest young purveyors of witty prose, 14 Nov 2008
I haven't played golf in years, but I write lots of golf speeches, which means I need to get some ideas and a feel for the game. I took a risk on Tom Cox, and I was handsomely rewarded. His prose is just sublime, like Guy Browning or Marcus Berkmann, he rolls out beautiful self-deprecatory sentences, one after the other, that keep you giggling for hours. Pity he couldn't play golf like that.

What I really liked about it was the rather melancholy wisdom. To play at the highest level you need to be very narrowly focused, and take everything incredibly seriously. My childhood dream was to be a politician, but it's the same thing in that field, the ones who are heading to the top, limit and constrain themselves in ways that I find perverse and sad. Tom Cox is a 'character' and humorous English prose is richer for it, even if golf isn't.

Mr A. Allwright. Philistine. My advice - A MUST BUY., 16 Sep 2008
Mr Allwright seems to have missed the point in its entirety (see his (weak) amazon review). He is clearly a (golfing, humour, general) philistine.

Managed to nick this literature from husband who was annoying me by laughing every page, per night, up until Chapter 3. So I swooped. It was mine.

I laughed until it was completed, and like the best books, looked forward to getting to bed to savour the next unfolding.

Cox depicts the soul destroying nature of life on (Europro.........if you say it quick enough it sounds like European.....) Tour heart wrenchingly and acutely. Cox is self depreciatingly honest throughout. His conclusions are appropriately respectful, but endearingly reassuring that real life exists above and beyond life on tour....... if that's what you want....

I think why this book appeals is rooted in the fact the challenges, magic, frustrations and joy of golf are the same whether you are Tiger Woods or Jim Bob Novice Amateur. This is why the book is so clever. It tells a story of golf at a very specific level, but anyone at all who has experienced any level of the game will empathise with the tale it tells - with all the up and downs along the way (no pun intended).

So buy it, and ignore Mr Allwright who has clearly had a personality and soul bypass.




MUST READ FOR ALL GOLF FANATICS, 08 Aug 2008
A great, great read. A real pleasant change from autobiographies and coaching manuals. Tom's year as a professional is a real emotional rollercoaster and the caracters in Tom's book relate to people in golf clubs the length and bredth of the UK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I'm glad somebody did it for me, so I didn't have to!, 04 Feb 2008
A hugely enjoying and highly entertaining read from start to finish.

Once Tom got my interest in the opening pages of the book, my interest only intensified as I got further and further into the book. The anticipation of seeing what new mini disaster he could get himself into, coupled with the slight glimmer of hope that there would be some success for him towards the end, just meant that I couldn't put the thing down. Quite literally read in a day!

There is some success for him in the end, although not quite in the way you expect. I guess ultimately the real success to come from Tom's experiment is this brilliantly witty and self deprecating warts and all account of his trials and tribulations throughout his year of swinging with the big boys.

This comes highly recommended.

Great Golfing read!, 03 Feb 2008
A very funny and honest account of another bite at the pro circuit cherry! If you like golf, or even if you don't you will enjoy this book. The ups and downs of the human emotions are all here and it was a pleasure to read. A must for the bedside table or plane or swimming pool!

Triumph of a Q School book, 19 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed John Feinstein's books on the PGA Tour and Qualifying Schools, but GOLF ON THE EDGE takes the idea to a whole new dimension.

Instead of just reporting on who qualified and who didn't from the 2007 PGA Tour School, the author looks at the stories behind seven of the players involved in the process.

These are real people with mortgages and lives outside of the golf course like you and I. Tiger Woods is in one world, we all live in the other. And so do the likes of Sion Bebb and Andrew Raitt who aspire to be just like Tiger.

This is a magnificent book and one that will lead me to not just follow the careers of these seven players from now on, but also to take a look further down the leaderboard of all events on the European Tour.

In terms of birdies, pars and bogeys in golf books, this is a driver, 6-iron on the green and 20 foot putt for eagle.

Seve, his story for once., 11 Jan 2008
Contrary to the previous review, this autobiography is not a 'boring rant' but is very revealing about Seve's upbringing and his battles with various authorities to sell the great game of golf to his home country and the European tour.The Ryder Cup, especially, would not be what is today without the influence of Seve.

The book also made me aware of how early in his career his back problems started and how through great determination and self belief he became the most dominant and charismatic golfer of his era.

Fiercely competitive but with a genuine love of the game and its traditions, anyone who saw him play will always have fond memories of how he lit up the world of golf in the 70's and 80's.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a glimpse of the behind the scenes world of the 'European Arnold Palmer'. A book, written genuinely from the heart and I only wished he could have expanded more on the people he came across and the players he battled with.






A boring rant, 26 Dec 2007
Before i say this, let me tell you i love Seve. I think he is the greatest ever golfer, and i love watching the guy. With that said, his book bored me.
I enjoyed reading the first third of this book, but after a while, you begin to notice a pattern. It is basically just one big rant about all the things the golf world did during his career that he didnt agree with, what he felt about it, and then tells us how what he was doing was always right and how great he is.
When someone writes an autobiography, chances are i buy it because i already think they are great, and so i dont need them to keep telling me that throughout the book. Its fine for them to write down their successes, but there is no need to keep saying "look at me, wow, i did this, im fantastic"
I found this book very boring, needless to say

A legend, 17 Dec 2007
Seve is a legend and this book is a great read for golf fanatics with fond memories of the maestro in his prime. He tells his story with passion, humour and honesty which gives you fantastic insight into the fiercely competitive boy caddy that became the world number one golfer, a husband, a father and a businessman and the rebelious nature that always ensured Seve took the non conformant path less travelled by his golfing peers.

Extraordinary is an understatement, 11 Sep 2008
Not being much of a golf fan, I decided to read Tommy's Honour purely on the merits of its William Hill Sports Book of the Year shortlisting, and I'm very glad I did.

The story revolves around Tom Morris in Victorian Scotland, considered to be the founding father of golf. His golfing prowess is envied by all and sporadically matched by a few, until his son, Young Tommy, takes up the sport and surpasses his father's achievements. To reveal any more would give too much away, but it is a story of tragedy told wonderfully by Kevin Cook, who recreates the age and the golfers with no shortage of skill.

This is a book that will appeal to more than just golf fans, as the centrepiece of the story - the relationship between Old Tom and Young Tommy - is both touching and tragic. Very highly recommended.

Good fun, 26 Oct 2008
This book is great fun, and a nice read for a cold autumn evening, while you're enjoying your cognac.
It's an advantage if you know a lot about The European Tour. But as a golf fan, you probably do!

A different view of the PGA tour, 20 Dec 2007
A quirky and sometimes funny story about the other side of the PGA tour from the view of a caddy. The author captures the life of someone who has worked with some of the best golfers ever to walk the fairways in a way that shows the highs and lows of life on tour as a caddy. From the humour of the tricks that caddies play on each other to the seriousness of having your livelihood curtailed through a simple accident. A good read.


Golf, Heroin and Improper Postures, 25 Oct 2008
This is a fantastic book, even if one's not into golf. It reassured me that I was normal: I was getting so obsessed with going to the driving range, it was embarrassing -- I even lied to my dad once about where I was going, because he kept making remarks like, 'Everything in moderation.' As if it were a heroin addiction...well, I suppose heroin isn't good even in moderation.

Anyway, the people in the book actually slept with their clubs, which I don't do, and built their own backyard courses out of tin cans and dirt (which I can't do, because I live in an apartment).

But, my swing is still erratic. Sometimes I go and can't get the ball in the air, and then men insist on coming up to me and giving me tips, which I've gotten better at politely ignoring. One reason I got really bad for awhile was because I had so many mutually contradicting tips in my head -- some guy even came up and told me to 'spread my legs.' That just does not seem like a thing you should ever be able to tell a stranger.

Simply awesome, 09 Sep 2007
Today I've just come back from Florida. I picked this book up over there purely by chance. I was in a book store looking for a 'good golf book' to read whilst relaxing. I picked this because of the title of the book, the fact Harry Vardon was in it (I have heard of him but didn't know that much) and also because it said 'the birth of modern golf'. I started to play golf in my spare time last April and have always been fascinated about the origins of the game.

This book isn't short, but I finished it in under 7 days. Its a real page turner and I couldn't put it down. The author does a fantastic job of bringing the action to life.

Highly recommended ! In fact I've just come back off holiday and found out a film was produced based on the book in 2005. I'm off to buy that right now !

The start of something big, 11 Jul 2007
When I first started to read this book I wasn't sure of the history behind the story, however once I got in to it I couldn't put it down. The way Mark manages to capture the real events and characters within the story I was fully engrossed in the event and could feel the excitement of the game. During the final chapters of the book I was totally captivated and felt like I was on the course.

A must read for all golf fans.


The Greatest Book about the Greatest Game, 16 Apr 2005
The Greatest Book about the Greatest Game, September 1, 2003
Reviewer: Geoff Urie from Paisley, Scotland
Having read widely on all aspects of golf, including classics such as A good walk spoiled, Final Rounds, Golf in the Kingdom, Four-iron in my soul, the Legend of Bagger Vance, the Miracle on the 17th Green, To the Linksland and A Duel in the Sun - to name but a few, I can declare that Mark Frost's book "The Greatest Game Ever Played: Vardon, Ouimet and the Birth of Modern Golf" is in my opinion the most informative and entertaining of all. It brings to life a vital chapter in the development of the game both in Britain and the United States. For anyone wishing to learn about how the game of golf was played in the early years this is the book for you.
Harry Vardon is one of the greatest golfers of all time but the general golfing public probably know very little about him and the difficulties he overcame.
Francis Ouimet has always been an obscure name from the past - this book will explain that his standing in world golf was no fluke result.
I thoroughly recommend this book - you will not be disappointed.
For any film makers reading this - If you roll The Natural, Tin Cup and Chariots of Fire together it will not come anywhere near the story of Ouimet versus Vardon !

best sporting event book so far, 10 Aug 2004
As the title of this review suggests for once this book matches and exceeds the expectation of a book of this type. This is the account of a truly, globally important sporting event that changed golf forever.
The author sets the event up very skillfully with detailed backgrounds of the all the main protagonists which gives a real flavour of the time and the mood.
Some of the crowd reaction described as the competition reaches it's climax is a reminder of the scenes at the same course (Brookline)at the last Ryder Cup in the US a few years back.
Surely somebody with the necessary skills could turn this into the best Golf Film ever.
I recommend that you do as I intend which is to give a copy to all close friends who play the game, it's a real must read.

One of our finest young purveyors of witty prose, 14 Nov 2008
I haven't played golf in years, but I write lots of golf speeches, which means I need to get some ideas and a feel for the game. I took a risk on Tom Cox, and I was handsomely rewarded. His prose is just sublime, like Guy Browning or Marcus Berkmann, he rolls out beautiful self-deprecatory sentences, one after the other, that keep you giggling for hours. Pity he couldn't play golf like that.

What I really liked about it was the rather melancholy wisdom. To play at the highest level you need to be very narrowly focused, and take everything incredibly seriously. My childhood dream was to be a politician, but it's the same thing in that field, the ones who are heading to the top, limit and constrain themselves in ways that I find perverse and sad. Tom Cox is a 'character' and humorous English prose is richer for it, even if golf isn't.

Mr A. Allwright. Philistine. My advice - A MUST BUY., 16 Sep 2008
Mr Allwright seems to have missed the point in its entirety (see his (weak) amazon review). He is clearly a (golfing, humour, general) philistine.

Managed to nick this literature from husband who was annoying me by laughing every page, per night, up until Chapter 3. So I swooped. It was mine.

I laughed until it was completed, and like the best books, looked forward to getting to bed to savour the next unfolding.

Cox depicts the soul destroying nature of life on (Europro.........if you say it quick enough it sounds like European.....) Tour heart wrenchingly and acutely. Cox is self depreciatingly honest throughout. His conclusions are appropriately respectful, but endearingly reassuring that real life exists above and beyond life on tour....... if that's what you want....

I think why this book appeals is rooted in the fact the challenges, magic, frustrations and joy of golf are the same whether you are Tiger Woods or Jim Bob Novice Amateur. This is why the book is so clever. It tells a story of golf at a very specific level, but anyone at all who has experienced any level of the game will empathise with the tale it tells - with all the up and downs along the way (no pun intended).

So buy it, and ignore Mr Allwright who has clearly had a personality and soul bypass.




MUST READ FOR ALL GOLF FANATICS, 08 Aug 2008
A great, great read. A real pleasant change from autobiographies and coaching manuals. Tom's year as a professional is a real emotional rollercoaster and the caracters in Tom's book relate to people in golf clubs the length and bredth of the UK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I'm glad somebody did it for me, so I didn't have to!, 04 Feb 2008
A hugely enjoying and highly entertaining read from start to finish.

Once Tom got my interest in the opening pages of the book, my interest only intensified as I got further and further into the book. The anticipation of seeing what new mini disaster he could get himself into, coupled with the slight glimmer of hope that there would be some success for him towards the end, just meant that I couldn't put the thing down. Quite literally read in a day!

There is some success for him in the end, although not quite in the way you expect. I guess ultimately the real success to come from Tom's experiment is this brilliantly witty and self deprecating warts and all account of his trials and tribulations throughout his year of swinging with the big boys.

This comes highly recommended.

Great Golfing read!, 03 Feb 2008
A very funny and honest account of another bite at the pro circuit cherry! If you like golf, or even if you don't you will enjoy this book. The ups and downs of the human emotions are all here and it was a pleasure to read. A must for the bedside table or plane or swimming pool!

Triumph of a Q School book, 19 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed John Feinstein's books on the PGA Tour and Qualifying Schools, but GOLF ON THE EDGE takes the idea to a whole new dimension.

Instead of just reporting on who qualified and who didn't from the 2007 PGA Tour School, the author looks at the stories behind seven of the players involved in the process.

These are real people with mortgages and lives outside of the golf course like you and I. Tiger Woods is in one world, we all live in the other. And so do the likes of Sion Bebb and Andrew Raitt who aspire to be just like Tiger.

This is a magnificent book and one that will lead me to not just follow the careers of these seven players from now on, but also to take a look further down the leaderboard of all events on the European Tour.

In terms of birdies, pars and bogeys in golf books, this is a driver, 6-iron on the green and 20 foot putt for eagle.

Seve, his story for once., 11 Jan 2008
Contrary to the previous review, this autobiography is not a 'boring rant' but is very revealing about Seve's upbringing and his battles with various authorities to sell the great game of golf to his home country and the European tour.The Ryder Cup, especially, would not be what is today without the influence of Seve.

The book also made me aware of how early in his career his back problems started and how through great determination and self belief he became the most dominant and charismatic golfer of his era.

Fiercely competitive but with a genuine love of the game and its traditions, anyone who saw him play will always have fond memories of how he lit up the world of golf in the 70's and 80's.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a glimpse of the behind the scenes world of the 'European Arnold Palmer'. A book, written genuinely from the heart and I only wished he could have expanded more on the people he came across and the players he battled with.






A boring rant, 26 Dec 2007
Before i say this, let me tell you i love Seve. I think he is the greatest ever golfer, and i love watching the guy. With that said, his book bored me.
I enjoyed reading the first third of this book, but after a while, you begin to notice a pattern. It is basically just one big rant about all the things the golf world did during his career that he didnt agree with, what he felt about it, and then tells us how what he was doing was always right and how great he is.
When someone writes an autobiography, chances are i buy it because i already think they are great, and so i dont need them to keep telling me that throughout the book. Its fine for them to write down their successes, but there is no need to keep saying "look at me, wow, i did this, im fantastic"
I found this book very boring, needless to say

A legend, 17 Dec 2007
Seve is a legend and this book is a great read for golf fanatics with fond memories of the maestro in his prime. He tells his story with passion, humour and honesty which gives you fantastic insight into the fiercely competitive boy caddy that became the world number one golfer, a husband, a father and a businessman and the rebelious nature that always ensured Seve took the non conformant path less travelled by his golfing peers.

Extraordinary is an understatement, 11 Sep 2008
Not being much of a golf fan, I decided to read Tommy's Honour purely on the merits of its William Hill Sports Book of the Year shortlisting, and I'm very glad I did.

The story revolves around Tom Morris in Victorian Scotland, considered to be the founding father of golf. His golfing prowess is envied by all and sporadically matched by a few, until his son, Young Tommy, takes up the sport and surpasses his father's achievements. To reveal any more would give too much away, but it is a story of tragedy told wonderfully by Kevin Cook, who recreates the age and the golfers with no shortage of skill.

This is a book that will appeal to more than just golf fans, as the centrepiece of the story - the relationship between Old Tom and Young Tommy - is both touching and tragic. Very highly recommended.

Good fun, 26 Oct 2008
This book is great fun, and a nice read for a cold autumn evening, while you're enjoying your cognac.
It's an advantage if you know a lot about The European Tour. But as a golf fan, you probably do!

A different view of the PGA tour, 20 Dec 2007
A quirky and sometimes funny story about the other side of the PGA tour from the view of a caddy. The author captures the life of someone who has worked with some of the best golfers ever to walk the fairways in a way that shows the highs and lows of life on tour as a caddy. From the humour of the tricks that caddies play on each other to the seriousness of having your livelihood curtailed through a simple accident. A good read.


Golf, Heroin and Improper Postures, 25 Oct 2008
This is a fantastic book, even if one's not into golf. It reassured me that I was normal: I was getting so obsessed with going to the driving range, it was embarrassing -- I even lied to my dad once about where I was going, because he kept making remarks like, 'Everything in moderation.' As if it were a heroin addiction...well, I suppose heroin isn't good even in moderation.

Anyway, the people in the book actually slept with their clubs, which I don't do, and built their own backyard courses out of tin cans and dirt (which I can't do, because I live in an apartment).

But, my swing is still erratic. Sometimes I go and can't get the ball in the air, and then men insist on coming up to me and giving me tips, which I've gotten better at politely ignoring. One reason I got really bad for awhile was because I had so many mutually contradicting tips in my head -- some guy even came up and told me to 'spread my legs.' That just does not seem like a thing you should ever be able to tell a stranger.

Simply awesome, 09 Sep 2007
Today I've just come back from Florida. I picked this book up over there purely by chance. I was in a book store looking for a 'good golf book' to read whilst relaxing. I picked this because of the title of the book, the fact Harry Vardon was in it (I have heard of him but didn't know that much) and also because it said 'the birth of modern golf'. I started to play golf in my spare time last April and have always been fascinated about the origins of the game.

This book isn't short, but I finished it in under 7 days. Its a real page turner and I couldn't put it down. The author does a fantastic job of bringing the action to life.

Highly recommended ! In fact I've just come back off holiday and found out a film was produced based on the book in 2005. I'm off to buy that right now !

The start of something big, 11 Jul 2007
When I first started to read this book I wasn't sure of the history behind the story, however once I got in to it I couldn't put it down. The way Mark manages to capture the real events and characters within the story I was fully engrossed in the event and could feel the excitement of the game. During the final chapters of the book I was totally captivated and felt like I was on the course.

A must read for all golf fans.


The Greatest Book about the Greatest Game, 16 Apr 2005
The Greatest Book about the Greatest Game, September 1, 2003
Reviewer: Geoff Urie from Paisley, Scotland
Having read widely on all aspects of golf, including classics such as A good walk spoiled, Final Rounds, Golf in the Kingdom, Four-iron in my soul, the Legend of Bagger Vance, the Miracle on the 17th Green, To the Linksland and A Duel in the Sun - to name but a few, I can declare that Mark Frost's book "The Greatest Game Ever Played: Vardon, Ouimet and the Birth of Modern Golf" is in my opinion the most informative and entertaining of all. It brings to life a vital chapter in the development of the game both in Britain and the United States. For anyone wishing to learn about how the game of golf was played in the early years this is the book for you.
Harry Vardon is one of the greatest golfers of all time but the general golfing public probably know very little about him and the difficulties he overcame.
Francis Ouimet has always been an obscure name from the past - this book will explain that his standing in world golf was no fluke result.
I thoroughly recommend this book - you will not be disappointed.
For any film makers reading this - If you roll The Natural, Tin Cup and Chariots of Fire together it will not come anywhere near the story of Ouimet versus Vardon !

best sporting event book so far, 10 Aug 2004
As the title of this review suggests for once this book matches and exceeds the expectation of a book of this type. This is the account of a truly, globally important sporting event that changed golf forever.
The author sets the event up very skillfully with detailed backgrounds of the all the main protagonists which gives a real flavour of the time and the mood.
Some of the crowd reaction described as the competition reaches it's climax is a reminder of the scenes at the same course (Brookline)at the last Ryder Cup in the US a few years back.
Surely somebody with the necessary skills could turn this into the best Golf Film ever.
I recommend that you do as I intend which is to give a copy to all close friends who play the game, it's a real must read.

Go on JD !, 20 Aug 2007
I'm a fan of JD & read this book with great interest. JD shares some very funny stories along the way & is very honest. I really enjoyed this book.

If only JD's golf was as good as this book, 07 Jan 2007
At first when you watch Daly play golf you begin to believe he is just a fat american who can hit a ball far...well you'd be wrong...very wrong. John daly seems to talk about his career highlights and lowest points without relative abandon about who cares. This is truly remarkable when you consider the trauma he has been through. From his marriages, alcohol problems and so on. His opinion comes across in a strange way, on one hand thought provoking and from the heart and on the other hand laughable. I've never read a book with so much charisma and variety in the story. The book is slighly thin, it's only a couple of centimetres wide and thats because it's a hardback. And when you look inside!!! I've seen smaller writing on billboards, but i didn't care, and neither should you. There is know-one quite like JD when it comes to saying things the way they are. I was captivated reading this book and as the title suggests it really is a case of one mans success and torture. And he's still going strong. Quality.

Tom Cox's parents are worried. With good reason. At an age when most boys are doing their best to offend their elders with loud music and outrageous fashion, Tom is practising his golf swing. According to Nice Jumper Tom's universe is defined by the limits of the Cripsley Edge Golf Club, his ambitions dictated by the quest for golfing stardom. But his parents-who'd rather their son would attend protest marches than walk round in Pringle jumpers-needn't worry. Unbeknown to them, Tom is the East Midlands' enfant terrible of golf. A rebel genius, whose socks are never quite the right shade to satisfy the Captain, and whose triumphs on the fairway are matched by the wickedness of his deeds in the back room of the Golf Shop. Freak fires, dead rodents in shoes and random outbreaks of nudity are Tom's trademarks. But how long can Tom spread anarchy in this staid world before he is corrupted himself? Can he achieve the perfect shot, before his heart is claimed by more conventional pursuits, like girls and rock and roll?

This is a hugely funny, real-life tale of teenage obsession, made all the more unique for being about a subject few people can discuss without yawning. If you share even a tenth of Tom's passion for golf, you will want to preserve this book in a glass case. Unfortunately if you don't, you might come to the conclusion--rather like Tom himself--that there are better things you could be doing with your life. --Matthew Baylis

One of our finest young purveyors of witty prose, 14 Nov 2008
I haven't played golf in years, but I write lots of golf speeches, which means I need to get some ideas and a feel for the game. I took a risk on Tom Cox, and I was handsomely rewarded. His prose is just sublime, like Guy Browning or Marcus Berkmann, he rolls out beautiful self-deprecatory sentences, one after the other, that keep you giggling for hours. Pity he couldn't play golf like that.

What I really liked about it was the rather melancholy wisdom. To play at the highest level you need to be very narrowly focused, and take everything incredibly seriously. My childhood dream was to be a politician, but it's the same thing in that field, the ones who are heading to the top, limit and constrain themselves in ways that I find perverse and sad. Tom Cox is a 'character' and humorous English prose is richer for it, even if golf isn't.

Mr A. Allwright. Philistine. My advice - A MUST BUY., 16 Sep 2008
Mr Allwright seems to have missed the point in its entirety (see his (weak) amazon review). He is clearly a (golfing, humour, general) philistine.

Managed to nick this literature from husband who was annoying me by laughing every page, per night, up until Chapter 3. So I swooped. It was mine.

I laughed until it was completed, and like the best books, looked forward to getting to bed to savour the next unfolding.

Cox depicts the soul destroying nature of life on (Europro.........if you say it quick enough it sounds like European.....) Tour heart wrenchingly and acutely. Cox is self depreciatingly honest throughout. His conclusions are appropriately respectful, but endearingly reassuring that real life exists above and beyond life on tour....... if that's what you want....

I think why this book appeals is rooted in the fact the challenges, magic, frustrations and joy of golf are the same whether you are Tiger Woods or Jim Bob Novice Amateur. This is why the book is so clever. It tells a story of golf at a very specific level, but anyone at all who has experienced any level of the game will empathise with the tale it tells - with all the up and downs along the way (no pun intended).

So buy it, and ignore Mr Allwright who has clearly had a personality and soul bypass.




MUST READ FOR ALL GOLF FANATICS, 08 Aug 2008
A great, great read. A real pleasant change from autobiographies and coaching manuals. Tom's year as a professional is a real emotional rollercoaster and the caracters in Tom's book relate to people in golf clubs the length and bredth of the UK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I'm glad somebody did it for me, so I didn't have to!, 04 Feb 2008
A hugely enjoying and highly entertaining read from start to finish.

Once Tom got my interest in the opening pages of the book, my interest only intensified as I got further and further into the book. The anticipation of seeing what new mini disaster he could get himself into, coupled with the slight glimmer of hope that there would be some success for him towards the end, just meant that I couldn't put the thing down. Quite literally read in a day!

There is some success for him in the end, although not quite in the way you expect. I guess ultimately the real success to come from Tom's experiment is this brilliantly witty and self deprecating warts and all account of his trials and tribulations throughout his year of swinging with the big boys.

This comes highly recommended.

Great Golfing read!, 03 Feb 2008
A very funny and honest account of another bite at the pro circuit cherry! If you like golf, or even if you don't you will enjoy this book. The ups and downs of the human emotions are all here and it was a pleasure to read. A must for the bedside table or plane or swimming pool!

Triumph of a Q School book, 19 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed John Feinstein's books on the PGA Tour and Qualifying Schools, but GOLF ON THE EDGE takes the idea to a whole new dimension.

Instead of just reporting on who qualified and who didn't from the 2007 PGA Tour School, the author looks at the stories behind seven of the players involved in the process.

These are real people with mortgages and lives outside of the golf course like you and I. Tiger Woods is in one world, we all live in the other. And so do the likes of Sion Bebb and Andrew Raitt who aspire to be just like Tiger.

This is a magnificent book and one that will lead me to not just follow the careers of these seven players from now on, but also to take a look further down the leaderboard of all events on the European Tour.

In terms of birdies, pars and bogeys in golf books, this is a driver, 6-iron on the green and 20 foot putt for eagle.

Seve, his story for once., 11 Jan 2008
Contrary to the previous review, this autobiography is not a 'boring rant' but is very revealing about Seve's upbringing and his battles with various authorities to sell the great game of golf to his home country and the European tour.The Ryder Cup, especially, would not be what is today without the influence of Seve.

The book also made me aware of how early in his career his back problems started and how through great determination and self belief he became the most dominant and charismatic golfer of his era.

Fiercely competitive but with a genuine love of the game and its traditions, anyone who saw him play will always have fond memories of how he lit up the world of golf in the 70's and 80's.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a glimpse of the behind the scenes world of the 'European Arnold Palmer'. A book, written genuinely from the heart and I only wished he could have expanded more on the people he came across and the players he battled with.






A boring rant, 26 Dec 2007
Before i say this, let me tell you i love Seve. I think he is the greatest ever golfer, and i love watching the guy. With that said, his book bored me.
I enjoyed reading the first third of this book, but after a while, you begin to notice a pattern. It is basically just one big rant about all the things the golf world did during his career that he didnt agree with, what he felt about it, and then tells us how what he was doing was always right and how great he is.
When someone writes an autobiography, chances are i buy it because i already think they are great, and so i dont need them to keep telling me that throughout the book. Its fine for them to write down their successes, but there is no need to keep saying "look at me, wow, i did this, im fantastic"
I found this book very boring, needless to say

A legend, 17 Dec 2007
Seve is a legend and this book is a great read for golf fanatics with fond memories of the maestro in his prime. He tells his story with passion, humour and honesty which gives you fantastic insight into the fiercely competitive boy caddy that became the world number one golfer, a husband, a father and a businessman and the rebelious nature that always ensured Seve took the non conformant path less travelled by his golfing peers.

Extraordinary is an understatement, 11 Sep 2008
Not being much of a golf fan, I decided to read Tommy's Honour purely on the merits of its William Hill Sports Book of the Year shortlisting, and I'm very glad I did.

The story revolves around Tom Morris in Victorian Scotland, considered to be the founding father of golf. His golfing prowess is envied by all and sporadically matched by a few, until his son, Young Tommy, takes up the sport and surpasses his father's achievements. To reveal any more would give too much away, but it is a story of tragedy told wonderfully by Kevin Cook, who recreates the age and the golfers with no shortage of skill.

This is a book that will appeal to more than just golf fans, as the centrepiece of the story - the relationship between Old Tom and Young Tommy - is both touching and tragic. Very highly recommended.

Good fun, 26 Oct 2008
This book is great fun, and a nice read for a cold autumn evening, while you're enjoying your cognac.
It's an advantage if you know a lot about The European Tour. But as a golf fan, you probably do!

A different view of the PGA tour, 20 Dec 2007
A quirky and sometimes funny story about the other side of the PGA tour from the view of a caddy. The author captures the life of someone who has worked with some of the best golfers ever to walk the fairways in a way that shows the highs and lows of life on tour as a caddy. From the humour of the tricks that caddies play on each other to the seriousness of having your livelihood curtailed through a simple accident. A good read.


Golf, Heroin and Improper Postures, 25 Oct 2008
This is a fantastic book, even if one's not into golf. It reassured me that I was normal: I was getting so obsessed with going to the driving range, it was embarrassing -- I even lied to my dad once about where I was going, because he kept making remarks like, 'Everything in moderation.' As if it were a heroin addiction...well, I suppose heroin isn't good even in moderation.

Anyway, the people in the book actually slept with their clubs, which I don't do, and built their own backyard courses out of tin cans and dirt (which I can't do, because I live in an apartment).

But, my swing is still erratic. Sometimes I go and can't get the ball in the air, and then men insist on coming up to me and giving me tips, which I've gotten better at politely ignoring. One reason I got really bad for awhile was because I had so many mutually contradicting tips in my head -- some guy even came up and told me to 'spread my legs.' That just does not seem like a thing you should ever be able to tell a stranger.

Simply awesome, 09 Sep 2007
Today I've just come back from Florida. I picked this book up over there purely by chance. I was in a book store looking for a 'good golf book' to read whilst relaxing. I picked this because of the title of the book, the fact Harry Vardon was in it (I have heard of him but didn't know that much) and also because it said 'the birth of modern golf'. I started to play golf in my spare time last April and have always been fascinated about the origins of the game.

This book isn't short, but I finished it in under 7 days. Its a real page turner and I couldn't put it down. The author does a fantastic job of bringing the action to life.

Highly recommended ! In fact I've just come back off holiday and found out a film was produced based on the book in 2005. I'm off to buy that right now !

The start of something big, 11 Jul 2007
When I first started to read this book I wasn't sure of the history behind the story, however once I got in to it I couldn't put it down. The way Mark manages to capture the real events and characters within the story I was fully engrossed in the event and could feel the excitement of the game. During the final chapters of the book I was totally captivated and felt like I was on the course.

A must read for all golf fans.


The Greatest Book about the Greatest Game, 16 Apr 2005
The Greatest Book about the Greatest Game, September 1, 2003
Reviewer: Geoff Urie from Paisley, Scotland
Having read widely on all aspects of golf, including classics such as A good walk spoiled, Final Rounds, Golf in the Kingdom, Four-iron in my soul, the Legend of Bagger Vance, the Miracle on the 17th Green, To the Linksland and A Duel in the Sun - to name but a few, I can declare that Mark Frost's book "The Greatest Game Ever Played: Vardon, Ouimet and the Birth of Modern Golf" is in my opinion the most informative and entertaining of all. It brings to life a vital chapter in the development of the game both in Britain and the United States. For anyone wishing to learn about how the game of golf was played in the early years this is the book for you.
Harry Vardon is one of the greatest golfers of all time but the general golfing public probably know very little about him and the difficulties he overcame.
Francis Ouimet has always been an obscure name from the past - this book will explain that his standing in world golf was no fluke result.
I thoroughly recommend this book - you will not be disappointed.
For any film makers reading this - If you roll The Natural, Tin Cup and Chariots of Fire together it will not come anywhere near the story of Ouimet versus Vardon !

best sporting event book so far, 10 Aug 2004
As the title of this review suggests for once this book matches and exceeds the expectation of a book of this type. This is the account of a truly, globally important sporting event that changed golf forever.
The author sets the event up very skillfully with detailed backgrounds of the all the main protagonists which gives a real flavour of the time and the mood.
Some of the crowd reaction described as the competition reaches it's climax is a reminder of the scenes at the same course (Brookline)at the last Ryder Cup in the US a few years back.
Surely somebody with the necessary skills could turn this into the best Golf Film ever.
I recommend that you do as I intend which is to give a copy to all close friends who play the game, it's a real must read.

Go on JD !, 20 Aug 2007
I'm a fan of JD & read this book with great interest. JD shares some very funny stories along the way & is very honest. I really enjoyed this book.

If only JD's golf was as good as this book, 07 Jan 2007
At first when you watch Daly play golf you begin to believe he is just a fat american who can hit a ball far...well you'd be wrong...very wrong. John daly seems to talk about his career highlights and lowest points without relative abandon about who cares. This is truly remarkable when you consider the trauma he has been through. From his marriages, alcohol problems and so on. His opinion comes across in a strange way, on one hand thought provoking and from the heart and on the other hand laughable. I've never read a book with so much charisma and variety in the story. The book is slighly thin, it's only a couple of centimetres wide and thats because it's a hardback. And when you look inside!!! I've seen smaller writing on billboards, but i didn't care, and neither should you. There is know-one quite like JD when it comes to saying things the way they are. I was captivated reading this book and as the title suggests it really is a case of one mans success and torture. And he's still going strong. Quality.

Nice Jumper? Great Read!, 05 Nov 2008
If you like golf, buy this. If you don't like golf, still buy this because it's not a manual on swing-planes, it's about life and the fun that you can have making up games like Granny on Wheels (you have to read it to understand this!). Definitely recommended!

Quality, 04 Apr 2008
This is a quality book, whether you like golf or not. Well written, easy to read and repeatedly funny. The kind of book you will read again and again.

A time of gifts, 15 Feb 2005
Tom Cox made me uncomfortable. I read this a long way from home, in my thirty second year, and all I could do was think back to my teenage years as an aspiring Seve stuffing half eaten hamburgers in Howard Clarke's golf bag. This book describes to a tee (sorry) what it was like to grow up, not just with an aching desire to be good at golf but also what it is like to be associated with a middle aged man's sport when you're 14, many years before Tiger Woods made golf more fashionable.

Cox hits the jackpot here, I didn't want to like this book before I read it, as I imagined it would be something that didn't reflect my own experience. However, it infact reflected my teenage years more accurately than any other work of fiction ever has. So from a totally personal point of view, this book was excellent as it brought back a whole maxfli ballbag full of reminisence.

If you would have rather watched top of the pops than listened to Alliss and Hay in 1986, then this book may not be for you. However, if April means The Masters and you still judge backspin with delight, then purchase this book now, you will not be disappointed.

A MUST READ FOR GOLFERS AND NON-GOLFERS, 04 Jan 2004
An innovative and fresh book that vividly captures the essence of youth.
Although the background is golf, it will appeal to anyone who has been a teenager (everyone!)
If you ever played golf as a youngster, then this book will bring back vivid memories of all those sunny days.
The struggle between desire, expectation and reality are wonderfully brought together by the author.
A great treat if you are buying this book for yourself, a great gift for any golfer in your life, or simply anyone who's young at heart!

At last a chronicle of a teenage outdoor type, 28 Oct 2003
Not being particularly interested in golf didn't matter a bit for me as I found Nice Jumper said a lot of the things that I feel are true about being a teenager and not entirely fitting in with your mates. For me it was BMX bikes but I think anyone with memories of being obsessed about something and only later realising you may well have looked a bit of an idiot will find comfort in this book. It made me cringe in recognition and laugh out loud at the same time.

One of our finest young purveyors of witty prose, 14 Nov 2008
I haven't played golf in years, but I write lots of golf speeches, which means I need to get some ideas and a feel for the game. I took a risk on Tom Cox, and I was handsomely rewarded. His prose is just sublime, like Guy Browning or Marcus Berkmann, he rolls out beautiful self-deprecatory sentences, one after the other, that keep you giggling for hours. Pity he couldn't play golf like that.

What I really liked about it was the rather melancholy wisdom. To play at the highest level you need to be very narrowly focused, and take everything incredibly seriously. My childhood dream was to be a politician, but it's the same thing in that field, the ones who are heading to the top, limit and constrain themselves in ways that I find perverse and sad. Tom Cox is a 'character' and humorous English prose is richer for it, even if golf isn't.

Mr A. Allwright. Philistine. My advice - A MUST BUY., 16 Sep 2008
Mr Allwright seems to have missed the point in its entirety (see his (weak) amazon review). He is clearly a (golfing, humour, general) philistine.

Managed to nick this literature from husband who was annoying me by laughing every page, per night, up until Chapter 3. So I swooped. It was mine.

I laughed until it was completed, and like the best books, looked forward to getting to bed to savour the next unfolding.

Cox depicts the soul destroying nature of life on (Europro.........if you say it quick enough it sounds like European.....) Tour heart wrenchingly and acutely. Cox is self depreciatingly honest throughout. His conclusions are appropriately respectful, but endearingly reassuring that real life exists above and beyond life on tour..