Following is a list of recommended golf biographies and autobiographies. As one would expect, our list is heavy with books about some of the greatest golfers, but we've also included a few books by or about lesser-known golfers that we feel will be of interest.
1. "Ben Hogan: An American Life"
Hogan remains a fascinating figure, as much for his golf as for his murky personality. This book by James Dodson is one of dozens of bios of Hogan. There's another one on this list, and you can't go wrong with either of them. This one is a bit less reverential than the second one on this list, illuminating Hogan warts and all. It delves into areas about Hogan rarely discussed, including his father's suicide when Ben was 9, an event Hogan witnessed.
2. "The Grand Slam: Bobby Jones, America and the Story of Golf"
Mark Frost not only give Bobby Jones the biographical treatment, but weaves Jones' story into the larger fabric of the story of America in what has come be known as the Golden Age of sports.3. "Arnold Palmer: Memories, Stories, and Memorabilia from a Life ..."
The full title is "Arnold Palmer: Memories, Stories, and Memorabilia from a Life on and Off the Course," and it's not so much an autobiography as a reminiscence. Lots of scrapbook material, great photos and terrific stories straight from Arnie himself.4. "The Scrapbook of Old Tom Morris"
Old Tom Morris is an iconic figure in the history of golf, a great professional golfer, golf's first professional greenskeeper, a course designer and club builder. This scrapbook was compiled by a fan and given publication at the urging of a member of the British Royal Family. Chock full of amazing historical goodies, as illuminating of the times (second half of the 19th century) as they are of Old Tom.5. "Good Bounces & Bad Lies: The Autobiography of Ben Wright"
Many readers will remember Ben Wright as the British golf announcer for CBS who wound up being fired after a string of unfortunately on-air and off-air missteps. I've never been a fan of Wright's, and I'm not after reading his book. It is equal parts fascinating and infuriating as Wright tells tales, spreads gossip and levels charges. But that just serves to make it a very interesting read.6. "Babe: The Life & Legend of Babe Didrikson Zaharias"
Babe Didrikson Zaharias is, quite possibly, the greatest athlete of the 20th Century, male or female. She's almost certainly the greatest female athlete ever, and may also be the most important female golfer ever. She also was a foul-mouthed, arrogant braggart whose competitors disliked her as much as the fans loved her. This book goes into all.7. "Caddy for Life: The Bruce Edwards Story"
Bruce Edwards was the caddie for Tom Watson for much of Watson's career, and also caddied for Greg Norman at the height of Norman's career. Edwards and Watson shared an emotional scene at the 2003 U.S. Open, after Edwards had been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). He died early in 2004. After reading this moving biography, use the search box at the top of this page to search for "Driving 4 Life," the charity set up by Watson, and consider making a donation to help find a cure for ALS.8. "Getting up and Down: My 60 Years in Golf"
Venturi's autobiography debuted to some controversy because of comments regarding Arnold Palmer and possible rules violations at the Masters. But Venturi's life in competitive golf and in the broadcast booth offer far more of interest to readers. Venturi played golf with Hogan, Nelson and Snead, with Palmer, Nicklaus and Player, and called the careers of Watson, Norman, Faldo and Woods.9. "Hogan"
The second Ben Hogan biography on our list, this one is written by Curt Sampson and is considered by many to be the best bio of Bantam Ben available.10. "Out of the Rough"
The "sleeper" on our list, this autobiography is by Barclay Howard. Howard was a U.K. golf phenom who was driven from the game by alcoholism. He battled back against that disease to earn low-amateur status at the British Open, only to be diagnosed with leukemia shortly afterward. Now, he's won that battle, too. From the Amazon.com synopsis: "His story is both terrifying and heart warming, but first and foremost it is a tale of human courage."