John Strege – författare

In this love letter to his father, former professional golfer Nathaniel Crosby shares memories of Bing Crosby on the golf course, and the lessons he taught him about the game and about life. With a Foreword by Jack Nicklaus."Bing Crosby was a great ambassador for our game, as well as a great man," hails longtime friend and golf partner, Jack Nicklaus. The beloved singer and star was also an extraordinary teacher who instilled an abiding passion and mastery of the game in his youngest son, Nathaniel. Winning the US Amateur at nineteen, Nathaniel went on to compete in high-level professional tournaments for his entire life.In 18 Holes with Bing, Nathaniel introduces us to the Bing Crosby he and his family knew—not the beloved singer who played golf, but a golfer who sang to pay his country club dues. Nathaniel shares exclusive stories about this American icon golfing, working, and playing with some of the most famous people in history—royalty, titans of industry, stars of stage and screen, and champions of the green, including Bob Hope, Dwight Eisenhower, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and Louis Armstrong. At the book''s heart is an intimate account of a father and a son—how a mutual love of golf formed an exceptional emotional bond.Full of anecdotes, vignettes, and recollections of Bing''s time on the course, the tournaments he created and later sponsored, and the constant encouragement he showed his son, 18 Holes with Bing honors this celebrated golfer, entertainer, and father, and illuminates his life as never before.

Record-breaking media sensation Tiger Woods has moved beyond the fairway to take the world by storm. After becoming the first golfer in history to win three straight U.S. Amateur titles, his win at the 1997 Masters Tournament gave him a permanent place in the record book: youngest player to win, lowest score ever, and first African-American player to win. In Tiger, John Strege, golf writer and longtime friend with unparalled access to Woods and his family, takes us behind the scenes of this incredible life--from the time Tiger picked up a golf club at age nine months, to his first hole in one at age six, to his unprecedented domination of junior, amateur, and now high-stakes professional golf.Packed with personal anecdotes from family, friends, teammates, and coaches, as well as what it''s like to play on a course with Tiger from golf greats such as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, Tiger provides a riveting shot-by-shot account of Woods''s life up through the 1997 season. It details the unshakable relationship with his parents, the racial issues that have surrounded him, and the string of almost mythical successes that have carried him all the way to Niketown.A role model for young and old alike, Tiger Woods and his story will capture the minds and hearts of sports fans everywhere.From the Trade Paperback edition.

World War II transformed the American home front, and golf was no exception. The world-famous Masters course at Augusta National became a farm to ease food shortages. Ben Hogan and Sam Snead were drafted, and Bobby Jones enlisted. Rubber rationing forced pros and amateurs alike to play with well-worn golf balls—and created a black market for new ones. The 1942 U.S. Open was canceled, replaced by the Hale American Open—whose winner Ben Hogan was awarded $1000 in war bonds—while golfers across the country raised millions of dollars for the war effort.

When War Played Through brings to life these little-known aspects of an endlessly fascinating period in golf’s history. Bestselling golf author John Strege’s narrative extends overseas, to captured soldiers in Germany who constructed golf courses in a POW camp and English golfers who devised rules for playing around bomb craters and shrapnel during the Blitz. Many golfers returned home from battle with commendations for valor, finding unmatched solace on the links after a dark time.

When War Played Through is the compelling story of how an elite sport became a selfless one—and how golf became, for a nation at war, much more than a game.