Book excerpt: In this golfer's ultimate delight, Charles McGrath and David McCormick have compiled a unique combination of golf history and original essays by some of golf's greatest (and best-selling) writers and enthusiasts. Anchoring the book is a colorful, loose-limbed history of the sport by the Sports Illustrated senior writer John Garrity. He travels the globe and the links, covering the key personalities and golfing events, advances in technique and technology, the expanding interest in the sport, and the curious mysteries of this international obsession. Complementing the narrative are wonderfully diverse and entertaining essays on everything from the Age of Tiger to the woes of the lowly club pro, the charms of playing in the dead of winter, and even giving up the game altogether. With its mix of unsurpassed literary writing and superb history, this armchair companion is a must-have for any serious student of the game--truly The Ultimate Golf Book.