Best Golf Books 2023

This must be one of the most digestible books ever written as Penick and his co-author Bud Shrake take you through one of the greatest instruction books of all time through a collection of anecdotes. 

It was only written in 1992 when Penick, who coached the Hall of Famers Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Mickey Wright, Betsy Rawls and Kathy Whitworth, was in his late 80s – and he would die in 1995 just before Crenshaw won his second Masters. It is the highest-selling golf book and is an absolute must-read if you’re looking for some practical and mental help which, basically, all of us are.

If ever there was a player that you would want to pick the brains on the golf swing it would be Ben Hogan, who many still regard as the greatest ball striker of all time. The nine-time major winner believed that any golfer with a modicum of skill could break 80 and in the Five Lessons he breaks down the swing into five parts – grip, stance, backswing, downswing and the swing process.

In each chapter he explains and demonstrates each part of the swing with clear illustrations and, along with Penick, it is the most thumbed golf illustration book of all time. Given how insightful this book is, it is probably one of the best golf training aids you can buy!

Rip-roaring by name and rip-roaring by nature, this New York Times best seller gives a bold and insightful look into the life of one of golf's biggest characters, Phil Mickelson. It is a frank and gritty tale of the life of the six-time major winner, covering everything from his thrilling victories to Leftie's crazy controversies. 

And if you're looking for something that's going to captivate you for a good couple of weeks, this rollercoaster of a book is something that any golf fan will enjoy reading, delving into everything from Mickelson's lifelong rivalry with Tiger Woods to celebrating his generosity and love of the game. It is a thrilling insider's look into the life of one of golf's biggest stars. 

Peter Alliss’ Reflections On A Life Well Lived reads as if the reader is eavesdropping on a chat between two friends reminiscing, those people being Alliss himself and Bill Elliott. Aliss' last book before his death in 2020, Reflections uses his trademark style, whimsical, digressive, avuncular but occasionally sharp, to talk about his life. 

Alliss had requested Elliott’s voice in the book, so Bill often contributes introductions and closing words to the eleven chapters. He also provides a prologue, and Jackie Alliss has written an epilogue. She writes: “When Peter talked of writing the ultimate book, he said he wanted to do it with Bill. My abiding memory is of the two of them giggling away in Peter’s study as they reminisced.” Additionally it includes tributes from fellow commentators like Hazel Irvine.

For years we’ve been hearing about Mark Broadie’s excellent and fascinating Strokes Gained analysis and Every Shot Counts is a must-read for every golf nut. Broadie, a professor at Columbia Business School, helped the PGA Tour develop their stats program and now every player and coach relies on these to make improvements. In this book he uses analytics from the financial world to uncover the game’s secrets. 

It answers great questions like what part of Tiger Woods’ game made him a winner and how much emphasis we should put on certain elements of the game. For example, Broadie interestingly only puts a 15 per cent importance in determining a player’s score with their putting. 

Frost is best known as the co-creator of Twin Peaks but his contribution to golf writing is immense. The Match is set in 1956 at Cypress Point, one of the most iconic and beautiful courses on the planet, and the story of the greatest private match is then told through the recollections of the four players.

The match was pulled together when Eddie Lowery, once upon a time caddy to Francis Ouimet, claimed that two of his car salesmen – US Amateur champion Harvie Ward and the young Ken Venturi – could beat anyone. Fellow millionaire George Coleman then turned up with Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson. Other outstanding golf books by Frost are The Greatest Game Ever Played and The Grand Slam.

This might not have lived up to the hype but it’s a great reveal into certain aspects of Tiger’s swing and life after their six years together - TW himself called it ‘unprofessional and very disappointing. I think people understand this book is about money’. If you want a few tidbits, Woods is allegedly a bad tipper, he was put out by Ian Poulter ‘mooching’ a lift on his private jet, he thinks Phil Mickelson is ‘too opinionated’ and, while Haney is quick to point out how grateful he is to work with Tiger, he picks plenty of holes in his character. 

As for Tiger’s indiscretions Haney is quick to point out that caddie Steve Williams was ignorant of anything. Ahead of his resignation, Haney, in a series of texts, wrote to Woods, ‘I feel like I have been a great friend to you, I don’t feel I have gotten that in return’. Which probably explains plenty.

The game of golf has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, with powerful, big-hitting players dominating at the elite level. With limitation and regulation of equipment being mandated by the R&A, players are increasingly looking to alternative options to increase their physicality to improve likelihood of winning. However, many players and coaches lack confidence or knowledge to train with strength and conditioning techniques, which is where this book will help.

Strength and Conditioning for Golf provides golfers and coaches with the evidence and practical suggestions to ensure that the choices they make about their training are informed and objective. This book examines why strength and conditioning techniques are important for golf, blending scientific principles with real-world, practical advice and tips.

A book that would make a fantastic gift for any golf-loving colleague or friend, this insightful look into the stats and data behind how to play golf will certainly get you thinking about how to perfect your game. Written by sports broadcaster Will Haskett, it examines the numbers and figures behind the sport we all love. 

It goes over everything from the topics of the swing to the mind, analyzing the science that goes into each aspect of golf. Interestingly, if you're currently working on how to alter or re-configure your swing, Haskett goes into great detail on how different swing types can achieve different results and their impact on the flight of the ball. Insightful and knowledgeable, this book also picks up on some opinions and views from some of the most knowledgeable people in sports science. 

Bamberger wrote this after caddying the 1991 season on the European Tour and then playing the linksland in Scotland. The journeyman Peter Teravainen, a practicing Buddhist and graduate from Yale, was his player and the story takes them through Europe and into the lives of those playing the tour in the early 90s.

In Scotland Bamberger meets John Stark, a teaching pro at Crieff GC, and a mystic who taught the American that ‘to feel the proper tempo of a swing, you have to hear the swing’. From there he tackles the likes of the Old Course, Cruden Bay, Prestwick and Royal Dornoch with the new ‘secret’ before a ground-breaking trip to Machrihanish. A great book for your golfing soul from a journalist who remains at the top of his game to this day.

There are few things better than poring over some incredible photos of the best golf holes on the planet. This brilliant coffee table offering puts forward 500 of the most iconic holes from the likes of Pebble Beach and St Andrews to some of the lesser known greats like Yarra Yarra in Australia. 

The editors have narrowed it down to their favorite 100 and it makes for a great debate as, like with all these things, it’s a very subjective topic. They also put together some fun lists like the ‘best of the best’ and the most scenic or heroic. There are nearly 800 color photographs to enjoy here and the top 18 even have full schematics.

How could you not include a book from the leading major winner of all time? Unlike other books by the Golden Bear, which have focused solely on tips, this gives us a proper look into his approach to the game. 

New material has been added to include a ‘Reflections and Recommendations’ chapter which tells the reader why he added a certain element to his game and how his mental game evolved over the years. If you think how fascinating he is in a 10-minute chat on Sky Sports then this promises to be an enlightening read. How could it not be?

Ever wondered how the GOAT came to be? Well, in this whirlwind autobiography Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian walk us through the unknown stories about 15-time major winner Tiger Woods. 

Based on years of reporting and many interviews with people in Wood's inner circle, the authors of this autobiography reveal how Tiger came to be one of the most influential athletes on the planet. Using interviews from people within every corner of Wood's life, the authors tell a fantastic story, delivering all the answers that you'll want to know about the most successful golfer ever. 

Dr Joseph Parent is both a noted PGA Tour coach and a respected Buddhist teacher. In this book, he teaches golfers how to play with more consistency and less frustration, and consequently how to lower their scores. 

Specifically, Dr Parent’s PAR approach (preparation, action and response) will guide readers through the various aspects of their game, whether amateur or professional and a glance through the contents should be enough to garner significant attention. Chapters such as ‘How to get from the practice tee to the first tee’, and ‘You produce what you fear’ will hit home with many golfers, as they did with us.

Possibly one of the best golf books out there in terms of instruction, Tiger Woods reveals the five secrets to his amazing success in this book. It features a combination of physical, metaphysical and psychological practices that he used daily to stay at the top. 

Released in 2001, a few months after the 15-time major champion completed the “Tiger Slam”, this book uses a mixture of text, pictures and slow-motion photography to help golfers find success at whatever level they compete at.