The Complete Golfer

Harry Vardon was the greatest golfer of his age. When he wrote this book he had already won the Open Championship four times and the United States Open once; he would win two more Opens, for a record six.

The Complete Golfer is part memoir and part manual. The opening chapters tell the story of his boyhood in Jersey, where the local boys made their own clubs and played by moonlight, and of his rise through the professional game. The instructional chapters, on clubs, driving, approaching, bunkers and putting, describe equipment from another era, but the advice on balance, rhythm and temperament has aged remarkably well. So has his description of the overlapping grip that still bears his name.

Each chapter opens with Vardon’s own summary of its contents, printed here in italics. The final chapter, “Reflections and Recollections,” is a lovely look back at the great players and matches of his time.