9 Best Golf Autobiographies Ever Written
There are many people who influenced the world in different ways throughout history. The autobiographies below focus on the people who have impacted the world of golf and who inspired some of us to take up golf after watching them.
Listed below are several golfing legends from Europe, United States and the rest of the world Ranging from Ben Hogan to Sandy Lyle to Seve Ballesteros, these men are regarded as legendary in the golf world. Rightfully so as they’ve broken and set records, won numerous tournaments worldwide and left behind amazing legacies.
These high earning famous golfers are inspirations to people everywhere with their hard work, determination, and drive to succeed and become the best of their sport. These biographies chronicle the lives of the men including their highs and lows and allowing insight into the lives of these elite athletes.
Despite suffering some serious setbacks, these men have pushed forward and continued to live fulfilling lives. Each one of these men is an extraordinary and amazing role model to all. These autobiographies are truly outstanding and a must read for anyone who love golf!
1. Severiano Ballesteros
Seve: The Official Autobiography by Seve Ballesteros is about the life and career of world-famous golfer Severiano “Seve” Ballesteros. Ballesteros was a Spanish golfer and a world-renowned athlete. He was born April 9th, 1957 in Pedreña, Cantabria, Spain He has many accomplishments including but, not limited to: winning over 90 international tournaments, several major championships, and the Ryder Cup.
Visit Seve’s biography here!
In addition to those accomplishments, he also won 50 European Tour titles. His last professional win was the Peugeot Spanish Open of 1995. While Ballesteros stopped competing himself, he continued working in the professional golf industry as a captain and operating business designing golf courses. Unfortunately, Ballesteros was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2008. He passed away on May 7th, 2011 of brain cancer. He was 54 years old. This autobiography is Ballesteros’ story in his own words. It details his life from the beginning in Pedreña to before his death.
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2. Ian Poulter
No Limits: My Autobiography by Ian Poulter details the personal and professional life of Ian Poulter as told by him. Born January 10, 1976, in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England, UK but raised in Stevenage, Poulter is a professional English golfer. He has won two World Golf Championships and was ranked number 5 in the world rankings of golf. He is also a world’s top two professional golf tours, the PGA Tour and the European Tour. His golfing career started at the tender young age of four.
From there, he started out working at a golf club to playing it professional with hard work and dedication. As well as his golf career, Poulter’s autobiography discusses his clothing line, Ian Poulter Design (IJP Design) in 2007. With almost 20 professional wins and vibrant personality, it’s not hard to see why Poulter is embraced in the golf world. Fans everywhere can appreciate this autobiography.
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3. Arnold Palmer
A Life Well Played: My Stories by Arnold Palmer is an autobiography about famous American golfer Arnold Palmer. Palmer was born September 10th, 1929 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Palmer has almost 100 professional wins ranging from the PGA and the European tour. He also has won 7 major championships including, 4 Master Tournament and a U.S. Open. His nickname “The King” is very fitting.
On top of his achievements in the professional golf world, Palmer also influenced the general golf community. He helped make golf accessible to the general public with him coming from a humble background. Golf stopped being an elite sport with private clubs to lower and the middle class with public courses. He is considered an American icon and an important member of golf due to his accomplishments. There’s an even a drink named in his honor. Sadly, Palmer passed away on September 25th, 2016 of heart complications while awaiting heart surgery.
4. Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian is an autobiography about legendary golfer Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods. Woods was born December 30th, 1975 in Cypress, California. Woods is considered to be the best golfer of all time due to his ranking in PGA tours, major championships, and that he has set numerous golf records. He’s won 15 Major Championships and 18 World Golf Championships.
He was ranked number 1 in the world rankings less than a year after being a professional golfer. This is due to him winning 3 PGA tours and the 1997 Masters. The latter of which he set a record by winning in 12 strokes. From August 1999 to September 2004, he was ranked number 1 in golf. Then again from June 2005 to October 2010, Woods again was ranked number one. Sadly, Woods has had to take a step back from the golf world due to injuries and various personal problems. Despite that, Tiger still managed to win yet another Major by winning the Masters in 2019 which made history!
5. Darren Clarke
An Open Book – My Autobiography: My Story to Three Golf Victories by Darren Clarke is about professional golfer Darren Clark. Clarke was born August 14th, 1968 in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He has won 21 golf tournaments worldwide. His greatest achievement is winning the 2011 Open Championship in England, something he had been attempting to do for over 20 years. Clarke has won 2 World Golf Championships. The more notable one is a 2000 golf tournament where he defeated the legendary Tiger Woods.
Clarke was ranked top 10 in golf from 2000 to 2002 for 43 weeks. His professional wins include 14 European Tours, 3 PGA Tours, 3 Japan Golf Tours, and a few other competitions. He was also the only player to win the English Open 3 times. Despite losing his wife, Heather, to cancer in 2006, he has managed to continue a successful golf career and has even remarried.
6. John Daly
John Daly: My Life In and Out of the Rough by John Daly is one of the better golf books around and is all about American golfer John Daly. Daly was born April 26th, 1966 in Carmicheal, California. His nickname is “Long John” because of his tee driving distance. His golfing career is quite shaky. While he’s had some great plays and won some championships, his performance is inconsistent. Daly has had 18 professional wins. He won 5 PGA Tours, 3 European Tours, as well as various other tournaments. He has also won both the PGA and The Open Championships.
Daly has suffered some losses as well, he’s been disqualified from several tournaments and numerous poor performances. While having a struggling golf career, his personal life has been chaotic as well. He’s been divorced several times, gambling addiction, and suffered from alcoholism. Daly also has a music career with 2 country albums. Fortunately for Daly, he seems to have his life on track again.
7. Sandy Lyle
To the Fairway Born: The Autobiography by Sandy Lyle is about professional Scottish golfer Alexander Walter Barr “Sandy” Lyle. Lyle was born on February 9th, 1958 in Shrewsbury, England. With his love of golf starting at a young age, it’s no surprise he has gone on to many achievements in the golf world. He has 32 professional wins including 18 European Tours, 6 PGA Tours, and several other tournaments. He also won 2 major championships, The Open Championship, and the Masters Tournament.
Lyle was in the top 10 rankings from 1986 to 1989 for 167 weeks. In May of 2012, Lyle was initiated into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Lyle was one of the 3 golfers to be Britain’s top golfers in the 1980s. His calm demeanor and persistence earned him a spot in the hearts of golf fans. He continues to be a public avoiding controversy and coaching other golfers.
8. Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus: My Story by Jack Nicklaus is an autobiography about professional American golfer Jack William Nicklaus. Nicklaus was born January 21, 1940, in Columbus, Ohio. His nickname is The Golden Bear. Nicklaus began golfing as a child at the young age of 10. He has the third most PGA tour wins at 73 victories. He has won 18 major championships with 6 Master Tournaments, 4 U.S. Opens, and 3 Open Championships. Most people acknowledge him as the greatest golfer of all time.
In addition to golfing, Nicklaus also designs golf courses. His golf course design company is one of the biggest ones globally. He also has written numerous golf books. One of the best known to be an instructional golf manual called Golf My Way. He also has a successful golf computer game series called Jack Nicklaus with the series starting in 1988 and the latest one coming out in 2016.
9. Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan: A Life by James Dodson is about American golfer William Ben Hogan. Hogan was born on August 13th, 1912 in Stephenville, Texas. He has won 64 PGA Tour tournaments. He also won 9 major championships including but not limited to 4 U.S. Opens, 2 PGA Championships, and 2 Masters Tournaments. He’s tied with Gary Player for the 4th best golfer of all-time behind Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Walter Hagen. His achievements in golf are not only in his wins but he also helped change the swing theory of golf.
Despite almost dying and then possibly having his golf career cut short, in a horrific car accident, less than a year later he was competitively playing golf again. With his passion for golf and work ethic, Hogan is beloved in the golf world. Sadly on July 25, 1997, he died in Fort Worth, Texas at 84 years old.
Great Golf Books – More Options
The above nine golf biographies are a great start if you want to read about the best in golf’s long and complex history. However, there are of course some other legends you might also want to read about:
Bob Rotella
Bob Rotella was a coach of over 74 golf champions, both men and women, and is one of the most famous doctors in the specialty of applied sport psychology. He has a whole lot to say in writing about the subject, the people and the sport and is well worth checking out if you want to take a deeper dive into the minds of champions.
Other golf book authors worth reading: Hank Haney, Harvey Penick and Mark Frost.
No matter which country you’re from or what golfer you like, there’s a great golf book out there to suit all. I always take a book with me when I’m on holiday and love to read and dream about some of the golf courses and places these golfers have played.
I can’t think of anything better on a long lazy summer day than to sit in the garden with a cold beer and read about my favorite golfers and their achievements.
OH, Apart from one thing….. playing golf!
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22 great golf books every golfer should read (according to you)
If you’re a golf nut, there’s no shortage of amazing golf books out there. From page-turning biographies about your favorite pros to self-help manuals to improve your own mindset to brilliant fictional pieces and more. There’s something for everyone.
Looking for recommendations, I recently polled Twitter asking for your favorite golf books. And you, faithful GOLF.com readers, came through big time. More than 100 responses rolled in and more than 80 different titles were mentioned. So I decided to turn this into a tidy list for you golf junkies looking for a new book to read. Granted, this isn’t the most scientific way to create a list of some of the best golf books, but you can’t argue the logic behind golf fans recommending golf books for fellow golf fans. If there’s anyone who knows golf books, it’s you.
So here is a condensed list of your recommendations. To make this list I included any book that was mentioned more than once. But if you want the full list of book mentions, scroll through this feed to find the book that’s right for you (or that’s right to buy for someone else). Enjoy.
The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever, by Mark Frost
The Match was the runaway winner based off our informal poll, receiving three-times as many votes as the books succeeding it. And it’s hard to argue against it. In 1956 amateurs Harvie Ward and Ken Venturi faced off against pros Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson in what is still touted as the greatest private match ever played. Frost captures all of its page-turning suspense and glory. BUY NOW
Harvey Penick’s Little Big Book, by Harvey Penick
Legendary teacher Harvey Penick penned the best-selling instruction book of all time — which he started in his red notebook, hence the title — and several years after its original release it’s sill wildly popular for its golf and life teachings. If there were a bible for golfers, this would be it. This was tied for the second-most recommended book via your submissions. BUY NOW
Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game, by Dr. Joseph Parent
Dr. Parent teaches golfers (even several pros) how to clear their minds, focus and play in the moment. One of golf’s most famous self-help books for your mind, this was tied for the second-most recommended book via your submissions. Parent has also helped me with my own on-course demons. BUY NOW
The Greatest Game Ever Played: A True Story, by Mark Frost
The story of Francis Ouimet and Harry Vardon, who both broke down social barriers to play the game and later met in the 1913 U.S. Open at Brookline in Massachusetts. The 20-year-old Ouimet beat Vardon and Ted Ray in an 18-hole playoff, and his upset victory is still wildly credited with helping grow the sport in the States. BUY NOW
Extraordinary Golf: the Art of the Possible, by Fred Shoemaker, with Pete Shoemaker
Do you head to the course and the first tee thinking about what’s wrong instead of what’s possible? If so, this book is for you and will help you think in a positive way to help your game. BUY NOW
Caddy for Life: The Bruce Edwards Story, by John Feinstein
This is the story of Tom Watson’s long-time caddie Bruce Edwards, who died of Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2004 at age 49. The duo won eight majors together, and John Feinstein tells the story of Edwards’ extraordinary life and gets him to open up about the secrets of golf that only a life-long caddie would know. BUY NOW
Bud, Sweat, & Tees: Rich Beem’s Walk on the Wild Side of the PGA Tour, by Alan Shipnuck
Rich Beem went from zero to hero after winning the 2002 PGA Championship, but who is this guy, anyway? Shipnuck was given unprecedented access to tell the story behind the story, and it’s one fun and rowdy ride as you’re taken behind the scenes with one of golf’s most popular folk heroes of the 2000s. (Alan Shipnuck is a GOLF senior writer.) BUY NOW
Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf Paperback, by Ben Hogan
Another one of golf’s most well-read and timeless books, Hogan’s Five Lessons is fully illustrated with drawings and diagrams to make learning from one of golf’s all-time greats a breeze. BUY NOW
Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible: Master the Finesse Swing and Lower Your Score, by Dave Pelz
Want to improve your short game? Learn from the master. Pelz has coached stars such as Phil Mickelson and was the visionary behind the 60-degree wedge. BUY NOW
Missing Links, by Rick Reilly
One of America’s most famous sportswriters, Reilly pens this laugh-out-loud novel about a group of golf-obsessed buddies who make a $1,000 bet as they compete to be the first to get on an exclusive nearby course. BUY NOW
Golf is Not a Game of Perfect, Dr. Bob Rotella
Dr. Rotella’s highly acclaimed work will change your competitive mindset in no time. There’s no shortage of insightful and helpful quotes for swing thoughts, either. BUY NOW
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The Grand Slam, by Mark Frost
No golfer has ever achieved the calendar year grand slam — except for 28-year-old amateur Bobby Jones in 1930. In The Grand Slam, author Frost takes you through that epic year and pulls back the curtain on one of golf’s most legendary figures. BUY NOW
Unconscious Putting: Dave Stockton’s Guide to Unlocking Your Signature Stroke, by Dave Stockton
Teacher and putting guru Dave Stockton has helped some of the game’s top stars flourish on the greens and win the sport’s biggest events. Now his mental and physical approach can help you shave strokes as well. BUY NOW
The Last Stand of Payne Stewart: The Year Golf Changed Forever, by Kevin Robbins
The tale of Stewart and his final year on the PGA Tour, 1999, which culminated with the tragic plane crash that took his life. Author Kevin Robbins beautifully captures the man behind the knickers and the legacy he left behind. BUY NOW
Golf in the Kingdom, by Michael Murphy
A classic every golf fan must read (or at least be aware of, since people love to debate this one). It’s a spiritual adventure that takes place in the 1950s when a student stops for a round at the Links of Burningbush in Scotland. His life was never the same again. BUY NOW
To the Linksland: A Golfing Adventure, by Michael Bamberger
In 1991, Michael Bamberger quit his job and picked up a looping gig on the Euro Tour. He chronicled every step of the way, including his adventures to some of the greatest (and most remote) golf courses in the world. (Michael Bamberger is a GOLF senior writer.) BUY NOW
Dream Golf: The Making of Bandon Dunes, by Stephen Goodwin
This one is required reading for anyone making the lengthy journey to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort , which sits on the Pacific Ocean in Bandon, Ore. It’s the in-depth story of one of golf’s great destinations and a behind-the-scenes look at how it all came to be. BUY NOW
The Natural Golf Swing, by George Knudson
Dear inconsistent golfers: this one is for you. Are you going against your natural swing? Perhaps you are, and it’s holding you back. This one teaches you how to beat those bad habits by using the talents you already possess. BUY NOW
A Course Called Ireland, by Tom Coyne
A must-read for any golfer planning a trip to one the greatest golf destinations in the world. Coyne spent 16 weeks playing every seaside course in Ireland, and he learned so much more than just golf. BUY NOW
Golf My Way, by Jack Nicklaus
There are few better ways to learn the game than devouring tips from the sport’s ultimate champion. Nicklaus’ “Golf My Way” has sold more than two million copies since it was released in 1974, and it remains an enjoyable and informative read for any golf fan. BUY NOW
A Good Walk Spoiled: Days and Nights on the PGA Tour, by John Feinstein
Feinstein covered, went behind the scenes and traveled with some of the best players in the game to unveil what Tour life is really like, and tell the stories behind the stories of life as a pro golfer. BUY NOW
Dead Solid Perfect, by Dan Jenkins
Legendary golf writer Dan Jenkins will have you laughing with every turn of the page in this novel about life on the PGA Tour. It was even made into a movie in 1988. BUY NOW
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