cover image Strokes of Genius

Strokes of Genius

Thomas Boswell. Doubleday Books, $19.95 (240pp) ISBN 978-0-385-19968-1

Washington Post sports columnist Boswell here collects his newspaper pieces and Golf magazine articles to provide a full and entertaining look at ""the sport that ruins dreams.'' He considers stars like Nicklaus, Watson and Trevino, and examines some of the courses, like Pebble Beach and St. Andrews. These selections are good, but even better are those chronicling elements of the golfer's life: PGA qualifying school, making or failing to make the cut and life on the tour, especially the caste system that draws a sharp line between the winners of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars and those who barely win enough money to buy gas to travel to the next event on the tour. A top volume for linksters. Photos not seen by PW. (April 17)