Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy
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What We're Reading:
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My challenge here is to write a sincere
review of a book in which the characters play golf, in the dark, with a baffing
spoon. (My own experiences on the course would indicate that the game is hard
enough in the daylight with real clubs.) Golf in the Kingdom takes place
at a fictional course in Scotland, however, where ordinary principles of lining
up your tee shot do not appear to apply. The protagonist in this adventure is
the author himself, Mr. Murphy, who stops at the famous Scotland links and gets
a game with Shivas Irons, the local instructor who is steeped in mysticism and
"finding your gravity." Murphy plays a memorable round with Shivas, going
through the various states of hope and despair that plague most golfers during a
round. Murphy then accompanies Shivas to a 19th-hole soiree where those in
attendance trade philosophies over a glass. By this time, I was not wholly
surprised to learn that a ghost, Seamus MacDuff, has been haunting the course
all along, helping Shivas with his game and his philosophy. You might be under
the impression that I find this story to be a bit far-fetched. In truth, I know
that ghosts haunt golf courses. I simply need to get on the good side of the one
that haunts number five at MacDonald Park. Review by Todd Robins, July 31, 2006 |
