Gettin' to the Dance Floor: An Oral History of American Golf

The ""dance floor'' is golfers' jargon for the putting green; this book offers reminiscences from master performers on the links. The only disappointing aspect of the book, by a former editor of Golf magazine, is that some of the most interesting chapters occur at the outset: recollections by ``Wild Bill'' Mehlhorn, now in his late 80s, and Gene Sarazen, who set a record as the youngest winner of the U.S. Open in 1922, when he captured the title at age 20. But there are other fine contributions as well, from the likes of Sam Snead, Byron Nelson and Willie Turnesa, who talk about the game of the pre-WW II era. In another segment, Patty Berg remembers that the woman's ``pro tour'' in 1940 offered total prize money of about 500, and ``Chink'' Stewart candidly describes the difficulties black players encountered in seeking acceptance into the pro world. Photos not seen by PW. January 31