With Masters week upon us, golf fans are eagerly awaiting the start of major championship season. But let’s not let this overshadow another staple of the annual golf calendar: Golf book season.
From March to May each year, authors and publishers typically look to capitalise on recreational players awakening from their golf slumbers with a host of golf-related reads. From the playful to the practical, novels to non-fiction, there are a variety of new page-turners to choose from this year, each capable of striking a chord with your inner golfer.
The Story of Golf in 50 Tournaments 
Tony DearBack Nine Press
A sequel of sorts to his The Story of Golf in 50 Holes, Dear takes readers on a breezy stroll through golf history by exploring 50 tournaments that showcase the game’s competitive evolution from the first organised event in 1744 to Rory McIlroy’s triumph at the Masters in 2025. You’ll find many memorable championships on the list – 1913 US Open (Francis Ouimet), 1930 US Amateur (Bobby Jones caps Grand Slam), 1954 US Women’s Open (Babe Zaharias wins after cancer battle), 1986 Masters (Jack Nicklaus’ sixth green jacket victory) – but also some lesser known tournaments – 1857 Grand National, 1945 Glen Garden Open, 1994 Curtis Cup – that will make you a more knowledgable golf fan.
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Project Tiger: The Birth of Genius and the Price of Greatness 
Gavin Newsham Diversion Books
Tiger Woods’ professional career, both the highs and lows, has been well chronicled. Far less familiar, or appreciated, however, is how the 15-time major winner developed during his junior and college years into that superstar/flawed individual. Newsham offers a well-reported look at this period of Woods’ life with insight into how those years and the people around Tiger shaped him.
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The Houston Dynasty: Tales from College Golf’s Greatest Team 
Jim McLean Radius Book Group
Before making a name for himself as a renowned golf instructor, McLean was an aspiring tour pro with the chance to play for the premier college golf power of the time – the University of Houston, led by famed coach Dave Williams. During his stint with the Cougars (1968 to 1973), he saw dozens of top players coming in and out of the program, trying to crack the starting five of this perennial NCAA title team. McLean relives that experience, sharing stories of campus life, cutthroat team qualifiers, rivalries and more.
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All Carry 
Gene Wojciechowski Crown Press Coming March 31
Wojciechowski, a long-time ESPN golf reporter, is making his fiction debut, writing about … a laid-off golf reporter. Joe Riley is given a magical set of golf clubs by his estranged son Buddy that once belonged to Jack Nicklaus and turn him into an elite golfer. After connecting with a down-on-his-luck caddie, Hard Way, Joe pursues the fanciful dream of competing – and winning – the Masters. It’s a father/son/unlikely friendship/comeback story all wrapped into one.
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A Quick Nine Before Dark: A Life in Golf 
Bill Fields Tatra Press Coming April 1
A standout writer and photographer who produced award-winning work for years at Golf Digest and Golf World, Fields tells the story of his life and distinguished journalism career dating back to his childhood growing up in the golf mecca of Pinehurst, North Carolina, and how it shaped a passion for the game that became a career. With Fields’ usual knack for insightful, descriptive storytelling, this memoir offers an intriguing account of the changing landscape of the golf media during Fields’ four decades in the business and how the sport always held a place in his heart.
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Rory: The Heartache & Triumph of Golf’s Most Human Superstar 
Alan Shipnuck Avid Reader Press Coming April 7
Similar in spirit to his previous books on Phil Mickelson and the rise of the LIV Golf League, Shipnuck weaves together stories gathered while chronicling McIlroy’s golf journey, from child phenom to career Grand Slam winner, all the while attempting to contextualise the golfer – and the person – that the Northern Irishman has become.
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The Weight of Rory 
Kyle Porter and Jason Page Normal Sport Coming late April
Part anthology, part post-tournament analysis, this ode to Rory McIlroy focuses on his dramatic 2025 Masters victory, bringing back to life the feelings and emotions from those fateful few days at Augusta National. Porter and Page repackaged much of their Normal Sport content from the run-up to the week, the tournament proper and the days after, sprinkling in fresh thoughts for additional context. Neither hide their Rory enthusiasm, using it instead to provide a deeper appreciation for McIlroy’s accomplishments and why they resonated with so many fellow McIlroy fans.
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Tiger v. Jack: Golf’s Great Debate 
Bob Harig St. Martin’s Press Coming May 5
There are few topics that can get as rancorous among golf fans as that of who was better: Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? Harig, a Sports Illustrated golf writer whose previous work includes an insightful look at the juxtaposition between Tiger and his closest modern-day rival, Phil Mickelson, explores the victories, majors, rivalries, dominance and intangibles that made both Tiger and Jack legends of the game, while establishing the argument for why both can be viewed as No. 1.
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Solo Golf: The Zen of Playing Alone and How It Can Transform Your Game 
Gary BelskyWorkman Publishing Coming May 5
Golf is often thought of as a communal game, but Belsky, a former editor-in-chief of ESPN The Magazine, goes a different direction in exploring the benefits of playing golf alone. He argues it’s good not only for your mental health but also a great way to develop your game. The book offers meditative essays to unlock the mental benefits of solo golf, practical ways to use solo rounds to develop golf skills, and best practices and course etiquette when you’re a onesome. The book’s design and rich photos offer its own Zen-like quality.
