golf

John Feinstein finds a lot more interesting things about the preparations for the 2002 U.S. Open than I would. He writes about parking pressures and vendor pilfering the way Cornelius Ryan wrote about D-Day.

Those expecting a play-by-play on the golf played during those four days in June, which saw Tiger Woods break away the first day and never look back, may be disappointed. Even when the book's narrative finally reaches the event itself, after some 260 pages, the focus remains on the behind-the-scenes organizers, the USGA, NBC, and state officials. It's a unique situation, Feinstein reminds us, to have used a municipal course to host the U.S. Open, but maybe it's not worth writing a book about.

That said, Feinstein's book is an interesting read, especially for those who care about things like event management, sports broadcasting, or professional golf. As an author, Feinstein is much more engaged than he was when he wrote "The Majors," his style coming up to that of his classic "A Good Walk Spoiled."

Some of his wit is back in evidence. When a volunteer realizes Tiger used the Porta-John he helped set up, he calls a friend to share the good news. "Yes, Woods thrilled people in many different ways," Feinstein concludes.

I also liked the fact he doesn't hold back with the players, something I noticed and minded with "The Majors" after his no-holds-barred approach in "Good Walk Spoiled." Woods still won't shake a TV reporter's hand 18 months after that reporter said Woods was in a "slump." Sergio Garcia has his star moments, while Jeff Maggert comes across as totally unpleasant. At least Feinstein whipping boy John Daly's on his best behavior this time around.

The portraits of the organizers and staff that center this book are smoother, and maybe Feinstein finds more of interest about them than you will. It's an interesting tack to take, though, writing not about the game's stars but those who help to make such marquee events happen. Feinstein is in uncharted territory here, and maybe reclaiming some lost ground as golf's most original working writer.

That said, "The Open" is still a bore in parts, and lacks a strategic or historical overview of what makes Bethpage's Black Course so special. What did course designer A.W. Tillinghast do with the track that was so unique, and how did it preserve that notoriety over the decades as an overused Long Island muni? There's a splendid tale about golf course architecture waiting to get out here that never quite does.

All the same, "The Open" is good for what it is, an appreciation of a very underappreciated aspect of sport. Too bad it isn't a little more interesting, but for those who care (and there are many, given golf's popularity), it will probably be worth your while to check it out.

He writes with a lot of descriptive detail, to a fualt. Every person he mentions gets their biography put in. Way too much extra junk about people no one would ever here of. Chapters start out with the continuing story and quickly break down into the life story of some high ranking account for the PGA, and so on. Read only if you need to get some sleep.

Probably my favorite sports writer, Feinstein takes a different tack in The Open versus his previous golf books, A Good Walk Spoiled and The Majors. Instead of stories about the players on the tour, this story focuses on the people behind the transformation of the worn-out municipal golf course Bethpage Black into the great course that hosted the 2002 U.S. Open championship. I found I couldn't stop reading, as Feinstein's prose is once again funny, heartwarming, and flowing. My only critique is that I wished for more detail on Rees Jones' changes to A.G. Tillinghast's design, with illustrations. For a book about the transformation of the golf course, there isn't enough about the physical changes that were done. The book does a great job portraying the enormity of the project that was undertaken, so the satisfaction that is felt with the success of the championship seems to be well deserved.