At first glance, one would assume that this book was
about golfing. One may also assume, based on the fact that most books about golf gods are about that perfect day at the golf
course that this book is about that as well. However, you have to dig slightly beneath the surface to see that this book uses
golf and golf courses symbolically to represent life and living.
I don't know that much about golf, therefore some of
the terminology escaped my comprehension. However, as I read the second half of the book I began to understand the message
and once that message was understood, everything that I had read prior in this novella meant something totally different.
The story was told in first-person and the main character
was mysteriously transported to an alternate reality where golfing is a way of life. The citizens of this world are paid based
on the condition of their Golf course. The main character is the course inspector and is responsible for inspecting and evaluating
each course to determine how much the owner of that course is paid. He is lead by an Angel named Michael and guided by a mysterious
book that seems to change and alter its text depending on the situation. He quickly finds out that a group of citizens called
the Committee of Moral, Ethical and Economic Development are not happy with his performance. They want to get rid of him due
to the fact that he is not enforcing the Golf Gods rules to their satisfaction.
The previous paragraph describes what is written in
the book, but as you begin to analyze the plot, you may see things differently, just as I did. I see the golf course being
symbolic of life and the game is basically how you live and how you choose to obey or disobey the rules. In life you get back
what you put into it in the form of financial reward or career advancement. I'm reluctant to see the course inspector as a
Christ-like figure, but I do see some similarities as the Committee of Moral, Ethical and Economic Development expresses interest
in killing the inspector merely because of his ideas. Finally, about the mysterious book the one that seems to have all of
the answers there's only one book that can fit that category. It is just my opinion that this book is the Bible, again, in
my humble opinion, I see that book as the bible.
This book may be thin, but the knowledge contained is
universal and can be applied to many situations. Perhaps I overanalyzed the book and written a lengthy review, however, it
is because of the ideas and images created by this book that I will recommend this for your reading.
Reviewed by Tyrone V. Banks
