An inspiring book that will help readers see both life and the game of golf in a whole new way. Includes anecdotes from famous names in golf, as well as inspiring tales of ordinary golfers, together with meditations and prayers using the vocabulary and metaphors of the game, to illustrate uplifting lessons of faith.

The golfer lines up the shot. It's a long one, and the chances of acing it are nil. He says a prayer, swings, and - hallelujah! - he scores a hole in one. Many golfers confess to murmuring earnest prayers that they, too, may join the 42,000 people a year who catch lightning in a bottle and score a hole in one. It's an excitement that many lucky golfers say they remember with more clarity than their first kiss. That's because nothing in the grand old game is as mysterious yet mundane as the ace. Scott Hoch has had 26; fellow pro Fred Couples just two. Blind men and women have hit them, as have first-time golfers, three-year-old toddlers, and hundred-year-old widows. Richard Nixon is the only president to have scored one and he said it was a greater thrill than winning an election. Filled with fun facts and anecdotes, Hole in One! is a comprehensive clearinghouse of unusual stories involving the aura and accomplishment of scoring an ace. Readers will find out how duffers call upon unusual good luck charms and customs from foreign countries to ensure their swinging success. Hole in One! is the perfect book for all golfers who love the game, whether they're accomplished players or rank amateurs.

The Buddha’s seven years of wandering in search of enlightenment ended in frustration. So did the author’s thirty years of traversing golf courses. Neither found what they were looking for until they stopped searching outside and started looking within. The result for James Ragonnet was the kind of “second birthday” Eastern thinkers describe when “you wake up to everything happening around you.” Through delightful anecdotes and practical lessons, Ragonnet reveals the power of awareness, balance, and unity to banish the dissatisfaction and stagnation so many golfers experience. He shows how “all golf Buddhas — Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Annika Sorenstam, Tiger Woods — play with their outer and inner eyes wide open,” describes his twelfth-green OOGE (“out-of-golf-experience”), and offers readers simple truths that prompt flashes of understanding. These insights invite birdies, drop handicaps, and transform experience both on and off the course.

Golfers and non-golfers alike will be moved by this powerful story of transformation revealing the secrets to success in life beyond success in our game or work. Luke Chisolm is a talented young golfer set on making the pro tour. But when his first big shot turns into a very public disaster, he escapes the pressures of the game and finds himself unexpectedly stranded in Utopia, Texas. There, he meets Johnny Crawford, an eccentric rancher with a passion for teaching truth, whose faith forces Luke to question not only his past choices, but his direction for the future. Written by author and performance psychologist Dr. David Cook--who has worked with NBA World Champions, National Collegiate Champions, PGA Tour Champions, Olympians, and many Fortune 500 companies--this remarkable and encouraging story reminds us to get our game, and our life, back on course. Now a major motion picture starring Academy Award Winner Robert Duvall and Lucas Black! Also published as Golf's Sacred Journey.

An inspirational and heartwarming novel for lovers of Mitch Albom and Andy Andrews, blending elements of It's a Wonderful Life and Field of Dreams into a moving story all its own. Four rounds. Four heroes. Four life-changing lessons. On the morning of his fortieth birthday, Randy Clark believes the only way he can help his family is to end it all. Standing on the Tennessee River Bridge in Decatur, Alabama, with his dreams of a pro golf career long gone, his marriage struggling, and facing financial ruin, Randy sees no other alternative to help his wife and daughter but to jump, which he plans to do in the next twenty-four hours. But his plans are put on hold when the ghost of his best friend--who did live out the fantasy of playing the PGA tour--reveals to Randy that he will be given a wonderful gift: four rounds of golf with his four heroes, the champions he's looked up to his whole life, each with a life-changing lesson to impart. For anyone who has ever dealt with tragedy, adversity, or failure, The Golfer's Carol will bring grace that stays with you long after you've turned the last page.

Heart and Humor That Are far Above Par Hit the links with popular humorist and golf enthusiast Phil Callaway as he shares stories of friendship, faith, and failure he found while on the fairway. From tee to green and all points in between, join Phil in a celebration of one of the world’s most exhilarating and exasperating pastimes. Aim for the flag as you enjoy anecdotes such as… The Itch—A long Canadian winter does nothing to stop some dedicated and determined early risers. The Backyard Classic—Scarcity and ingenuity give birth to the Airport Golf and Country Club, a unique course with 18 fairways and only one green. Escape from the Hanoi Hilton—A prisoner of war passes time and wins the battle for his mind. Prayer on a Golf Course—Will one man’s wish for an elusive hole-in-one be granted by God? Fore Is Short for Forgiveness—A dangerously errant drive leads to a lesson in mercy. Packed with unforgettable quotes, helpful tips, and amusing asides, Under Par will inspire you to never give up on the game you love…even when it doesn’t love you back.