Everyone who plays golf dreams of long drives, below-par scores, and holes-in-one. Unfortunately, not everyone succeeds. But there is an easy way for golfers to knock a dozen strokes off their handicap. No, it doesn’t require new clubs--just new rules, designed for the game mortals actually play: Bad Golf. Here at last, in one compact, illustrated guide, are 62 of the commonly accepted Mulligans, gimmes, waivers, escape clauses, and extenuating circumstances that sensible amateurs have employed for years to level the playing field just a bit with the likes of Arnold, Jack, and Tiger. It’s a must-have for every golf bag!

It was a moment seen by millions on television. During play at the 1999 Phoenix Open, Tiger Woods had a "loose impediment? removed to play his shot -- an everyday occurrence under golf's rules. But that impediment was not a leaf or twig, it was a 350-pound boulder that took six people to move! The gallery and television audience buzzed with disbelief. How could this be legal under the rules? Indeed it could, says golf legend Arnold Palmer, who throughout his distinguished career has taken part in a sizable share of rules controversies. Despite the fact that golf has fewer rules than such sports as baseball or football or rugby, it is a contest of honor, and all players, be they tour professionals or casual weekend hackers, respect the rules. But, as Palmer points out, sometimes the rules are a little confusing -- and from time to time, even the pros are puzzled. When exactly is a ball considered "lost?? How is "slow play? defined? And when is a "drop? allowed? Palmer helps makes sense of it all with simple-to-understand language and hundreds of "infamous? pictures of some of the more controversial rulings -- affording readers a visual recall of memorable moments involving Greg Norman, Lee Janzen, Mark O'Meara, John Daly, even Palmer himself. If you're one of the millions who taketo the links every year, need a clear explanation of all the rules of the game you love, and more important, don't want to be speechless when an argument over the "coefficient of restitution? pops up, then Playing By The Rules will be an invaluable guide you'll refer to time and again.

According to Murphy's Law, "If anything can go wrong, it will." This humorous hardcover compilation offers variations on the well-known adage, including comic truths related to business matters, excuses, efficiency, and legal jargon.

As a serious player, a high handicapper, or simply a baffled onlooker to the awesome nonsense that is golf, have you ever wondered why, say, the golf balls have dimples, and the tee is both the thing you stick in the ground and the place you hit from, and the hole is so small, and the courses have all these big pits full of sand where any sane person would put grass? Well, so did noted humor writer and avid hacker Henry Beard, who brought twenty-first-century computer search-engine technology to bear on this thousand-year-old game, tapping the internet's inherent capacity to confer a thin veneer of authenticity to far-fetched accounts of great moments in the history of golf, warped portraits of its legendary players, and fanciful conjectures about its origins and evolution. Employing an easy-to-read and simple-to-fudge timeline format, he chronicles the amazing process through which this screwy pastime with wacky equipment and loony rules played for penny wagers by a bunch of bored-silly shepherds was gradually transformed into a screwy sport with wacky equipment and loony rules played for million-dollar purses by superstar athletes. As he peers through the mists of time to the birthplace of the game, Beard resolves once and for all its many mysteries, like where those weird-looking pants came from, when the fi rst telling of the "Hit, drag Harry" joke was, what a Stimpmeter is, and who dreamed up the idea of those stupid blimps. Here, then, in one convenient golf-bag-side-pocket-sized volume is a rich, wildly embroidered, ludicrously embellished tapestry of colorful fabrications and highly entertaining but thoroughly dubious speculations that tell the tall tale of golf -- the game that deranged the world.

It is a great truism of golf that the game cannot be learnt from a book. Yet it is equally true that there are some things every golfer must know before setting foot on the course, lest he risk making an utter ass of himself. These are things your local golf pro can't or won't tell you: the unwritten rules of golf. This humble little volume gathers together a collection of the wisest counsel and advice on the Noble Sport in all its forms. Whether you are making up a friendly foursome with your choicest cronies or entering into a vicious fight for this year's club cup, G.O.L.F. will ensure you come off with top honours even when the odds are against you.

This book covers a variety of situations that the golfer may encounter and unravels some of the intricacies of the rulebook.

Columbia Business School professor Mark Broadie’s paradigm-shifting approach that uses statistics and golf analytics to transform the game. Mark Broadie is at the forefront of a revolutionary new approach to the game of golf. What does it take to drop ten strokes from your golf score? What part of Tiger Woods’ game makes him a winner? Traditional golf stats can't answer these questions. Broadie, a professor at Columbia Business School, helped the PGA Tour develop its cutting-edge strokes gained putting stat. In this eye-opening new book, Broadie uses analytics from the financial world to uncover the secrets of the game of golf. He crunches mountains of data to show both professional and amateur golfers how to make better decisions on the course. This eagerly awaited resource is for any player who wants to understand the pros, improve golf skills, and make every shot count.

How to stick to the rules -- and avoid the traps of the game Filled with tips and anecdotes from the pros plus the 34 rules of golf, this ideal companion to the top-selling Golf For Dummies, 2nd Edition includes: Expert advice on the do's and don'ts of golf etiquette -- from dress code to betting on the game Advice on how to survive a business golf outing -- plus tips on behavior as both a spectator and a player The inside scoop on proper etiquette, from replacing divots to using your cell phone

"Golf%ing" is even funnier than when it was originally published as Beard--now an avid golfer--brings the same passion to writing about golf as he does to playing it. This humorous pocket dictionary is the perfect gift for the golfer in the family. Drawings throughout.