Golf

This latest in an apparently never-ending stream of golf books comes from Beach, former Yale golfer and scratch amateur, and Ford, head pro at Oakmont and recipient of many PGA awards. They provide a synthesis of advice on the physical and mental aspects of golf, followed by a lengthy section on putting, some "final thoughts," and a welcome bibliography of 65 instructional books (1935-1990), plus a few recent videos. There are certain failings here, though: repetition of points made in other instructional golf books; not enough illustrations; and, finally, excessive emphasis on the (admittedly important) role played by the legs and trunk in the swing to the virtual exclusion of the arms and hands. Despite these defects, the book is well written and could be helpful to the intermediate golfer. For large collections.