The Downhill Lie A hacker’s Return to a Ruinous Sport by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf) is part memoir and part diary of his return to golf after a thirty-three year hiatus from the sport he used to play with his father every Sunday.
The last time Carl has played golf was 1973, when Richard Nixon was still in the White House, Hank Aaron was one home run shy of tying Babe Ruth’s home run record, and the Who had just released Quadrophenia . So what posses a man to return to a game in midlife, that he did not excel in his prime, and has dealt him a lot of frustration and failure? According to Carl Hiaasen it’s because “I’m one Sick Bastard.”
What makes this book so good is that you can relate to what Carl writes about and laugh about those moments, as an experienced or beginning golfer.
Carl’s foray back into golf begins with trip to Barbados, to write a fictional piece on The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shoot. But little did Carl know that this was just the beginning of a long journey of getting back in the game, from joining the local country club, playing Toad Golf, sinking a golf cart, buying multiple infomercial products, to ultimately playing in the Quail Valley Member-Guest Invitational.
For instance, when Carl is looking to update his golf clubs, his long time friend tells him to purchase a rescue club, because they are so easy to hit. Carl laments, “The equipment can’t save you from yourself. On a good day, a good golfer will shoot lights-out using any set of clubs. On a bad day, a bad golfer will butcher the easiest course in the country with $2000 worth of plasma-welded hardware in his bag.”
Golf, like many sports has its own rituals that we all partake in one fashion or another, but Carl takes it to a new level.Don’t say the dreaded “SH___ word, The Swing Disorder That Must Not Be Mentioned By Name. ” If uttered you will Shank the golf ball. This is borderline being a little crazy and superstitious, but nonetheless amusing
In the end Carl learns a valuable lesson about the game of Golf from his son Quinn. “When the sport is new,every crisp shot is a wonder and a thrill. I believe this is how you’re supposed to feel with a golf club in your hands: Full of heart free of mind.” This in my opinion really captures what the game of golf is all about.
If you play golf, left golf, or coming back to golf, you’ll find this book entertaining and true to life.
The Downhill Lie A hacker’s Return to a Ruinous Sport by Carl Hiaasen $22.00
