Mulligans: Timeless Essays from the Archive of a Best-Selling Golf Writer

Discover Mulligans

Mulligans offers timeless essays drawn from the archive of a best-selling golf writer renowned for The Masters, Hogan, and The Eternal Summer. The mulligan itself — a second chance at the first shot of the day — becomes a lens for exploring optimism over experience and the deeply human rhythm of the game.

Origin stories tell of a May day in Montreal in the mid-1920s when a player’s first tee shot drew a knowing look from the group, prompting a do-over. These anecdotes and reflections frame golf as a practice in resilience, memory, and the quiet art of choosing how to begin again. The author’s voice, at once exacting and humane, invites readers to linger on the moment when a misstrike becomes a moment of possibility.

The essays span nearly four decades of reporting and writing, weaving grit, folly, anger, humor, anguish, and the occasional spark of joy. They move beyond trophies to illuminate the emotional landscape of golf — the patience, the pressure, the subtle shifts in mood that accompany each round. Readers will sense the cadence of a life lived in light and shadow, translated through precise storytelling that never loses sight of the human side of sport.

Included are celebrated excerpts that appeared in well-known publications, such as FAR from Golf Digest and Back to the Mariposas from Sports Illustrated. These pieces underscore the enduring appeal of the author’s voice and the stories that remain relevant across time and generations.

As Desmond Muirhead advised, “Golf has enough press agents.” Mulligans answers with honesty — not hype, but a clear-eyed, reflective examination of performance, failure, and the ways we carry those experiences forward. The essays collected here trace a broader arc of interests — grit, folly, humor, and the persistent question of what a life in golf can reveal about commitment, ambition, and accountability.

Whether you’re an avid golfer or a reader who savors thoughtful nonfiction, Mulligans offers a thoughtful companion to the game’s history and its folksy wisdom. Each piece invites a pause, a chance to reconsider a shot, a moment to see how second chances can shape a journey rather than guarantee a result.