Just a Range Ball in a Box of Titleists

McCord, professional golfer, CBS commentator and coauthor of Golf for Dummies, now offers his view of the players, the courses and his experiences over the years. McCord has an opinion about everything, and while usually he's blunt and honest, occasionally his search for the good line takes him a bit far. ""The great thing about a U.S. Open is that anybody can enter, as long as he has a two handicap or less, or he can get a fake verification from a local pro at a course that has sand greens and three-wheeled electric carts. Usually these deals are negotiated at the local racetrack after a furious day of losing on the long shots, and the pro is more open to a bribe."" The routine of golf he makes less so through humor (""I have hunted the wayward golf ball in many streams and ecologically sensitive areas inhabited by hunter-gatherer celebrities.""). Even a bum year of tour tedium is described in wry, self-effacing style--""I was awash in the urinal of life and limited success was now an exaggeration."" This is a breezy, easy insider's look at a sport. It's probably best enjoyed not by spectators but by players, people who know the pure joy and unmitigated aggravation of trying to get a tiny ball in a tiny hole 400 yards away. (Apr.)