The Golf 100

Praise

“Mr. Arkush understands that personal opinions are part of the fun…. One could easily treat The Golf 100, with its informative, anecdote-rich, three-to-four-page profiles of each player, as a kind of reference book, ever handy to settle bets…. Yet there are rewards to reading the book straight through.”
—Wall Street Journal

“An index of insightful, lively profiles rife with anecdotes centered on their most joyous and miserable moments… One hundred is a somewhat arbitrary number to cap excellence, impact and irresistible storytelling. It’s plenty for Arkush to mine, though, and relate the history of golf through the very best golfers.”
—Los Angeles Times

“A fun exercise open to debate but with a solid system behind Arkush’s ratings. You might not agree with them all, but that’s part of the beauty of this exercise. For each player ranked, Arkush offers a nice, tidy recap of the player’s career, with tidbits you might not have known. His top 10 is interesting, and it might not be in the order for which you expect, leading to plenty of good conjecture.”
—Sports Illustrated

“What we have here is the most fun, comprehensive argument settler—and starter—in the history of golf. Have at it!”
—Mark Frost, author of The Greatest Game Ever Played and co-creator of Twin Peaks

“An engrossing collection of vignettes featuring 100 of golf’s historically important champions. Michael has written a gem.”
—David Fay, Executive Director of the United States Golf Association

“Every golfer should buy this book and let the arguments begin about who’s best, but you better be as knowledgable to defend your choices as Michael Arkush is with his.”
—Ron Shelton, director of Tin Cup

“Some people are skilled writers, some are dogged reporters. Michael Arkush, for as long as I’ve known him (which is a long time,) has always been both. In The Golf 100, he again marries fluid prose and effortless storytelling with deep and solid research to attack one of golf’s favorite bar-room arguments; such an easy read, I was done before I knew it and only wanting more.”
—Jimmy Roberts, Emmy Award-winning broadcaster

“Award-winning sportswriter and golf historian Michael Arkush has given golf readers everywhere a marvelous present with his latest, The Golf 100. His portraits of the game’s greatest 100 players—beginning with hard-luck Johnny McDermott’s poignant rise and fall from grace—is a feast of intimate storytelling that hones in on the legends, loners, and forgotten champions who shaped the game we know and love today. This is a book to savor and share (and maybe even debate!) with friends, a glorious guided walk through the game’s colorful characters that you won’t soon forget.”
—James Dodson, author of Final Rounds

“Sure to make you laugh, [The Golf 100] will touch the heart of any and everyone who has played this hardest of games.”
—Kris Tschetter, former player on the LPGA tour

“I have been a golf nut for 30 years. I even married a golf pro! I love the history of the game just as much as I love to play. It’s always difficult to compare history’s greatest players to today’s best, but Michael Arkush gives great history and compelling reasons for his choices of the top 100. This is one of the best golf books to come out in years!”
—Dan Jansen, Olympic Gold Medalist, speed skating

“Michael Arkush is just the right person to take us on a journey through the annals of golf history with this captivating book. Perfect for enthusiasts and historians alike, this book is a tribute to the champions who left an indelible mark on golf.”
—Ray Allen, Hall of Famer

“A great read that is sure to generate plenty of debate.”
—WisconsinGolf

“If one or more of your favorite golfers appear on the list in Arkush’s book, it is likely that you’ll discover something new about them.”
—Chicago Golf Report

“One man’s crazy attempt to judge golfing greatness. Prolific sportswriter Arkush admits early on that ranking the 100 best male and female golfers was an “impossible task” but does it anyway…. Arkush provides colorful, entertaining profiles of each player in numerical order…. A fine primer for all those upcoming arguments about who was better than who.”
—Kirkus Reviews