What causes a golf ball to hook or slice? What are the origins of the terms “bogey” and “birdie”? Why was Jack Nicklaus called “The Golden Bear”? “Why is the Masters champion presented with a green jacket? How many tournaments did Byron Nelson win in 1945? With Golf Miscellany, the fascinating history and lore of golf are finally revealed! For example, the reason a golf ball hooks or slices is that its spin drags a layer of air across one surface of the ball faster than it does across the opposite surface. “Bogey” refers to a score of one over par on a golf hole, the term originating from a British song from the late nineteenth century. Jack Nicklaus was dubbed The Golden Bear by his former agent, Mark McCormick, because he was “large, strong, and blonde.” Every Masters champion since 1949 has been presented with a green jacket, indicating their membership in the exclusive private club. And the great Byron Nelson won a whopping eighteen tournaments in 1945 including eleven in a row, both records which stand to this day. Packed with all manner of delightful surprises, beautiful illustrations and photos, and surprising nuggets of information, Golf Miscellany demystifies the origins and customs of one of the world’s most celebrated game. From the driving range through the U.S. Open, you’ll be entertained with fun, little-known facts. Why do golfers wear collared shirts? Who invented the modern putter? What golfer was famous for saying he dug his golf game out of the dirt? Settle into your favorite armchair, sip on an Arnold Palmer, and find out!

Impossible to read at one sitting, but utterly unputdownable, Schott's Original Miscellany is a unique collection of fabulous trivia. What other book boasts an index that includes shoelace lengths, sign language, and the seven deadly sins; dueling and dwarves; the hair color of Miss America and the Hampton Court maze? Where else can you find, packed onto one page, the names of golf strokes, a history of the Hat Tax, cricketing dismissals, nouns of assemblage, an unofficial motto of the US Postal Service, and the flag of Guadeloupe? Where else but Schott's Original Miscellany will you stumble across John Lennon's cat, the supplier of bagpipes to the Queen, the labors of Hercules, and the brutal methods of murder encountered by Miss Marple? A book like no other, Schott's Original Miscellany is entertaining, informative, unpredictable, and utterly addictive.

From the crazy to the classy, "Fore! Gone." rediscovers and relives more than 80 abandoned golf courses in Minnesota.

There is something for everyone in The Golf Miscellany. Now fully revised and updated up to and including the US Masters 2011, within these pages the reader will learn fascinating facts about the sport on a wide range of topics, from the players and the tournaments (both individual and team) to the great courses that have provided the stage on which the sport's stars have performed. As the items appear completely at random, The Golf Miscellany is not really a book that should be read from cover to cover; it is more a book that should be dipped into sporadically and enjoyed in short breaks. Painstakingly researched, and offering a refreshing insight into the game - from the essential to the downright quirky - The Golf Miscellany will bring hours of pleasure to every sports fan.

Provides color photographs and miscellaneous information about some of the fascinating individuals, lore, facts, and statistics in America's national pastime.