A Son of the Game

On March 25, 2009, I wrote about the books of James Dodson. Mr. Dodson, wrote for Golf magazine for 20 years. He has written a number of wonderful books. I have been lucky to have developed, at least on my end, a friendship with Mr. Dodson, although we have never met or even spoken. I was bold enough to send him an email a year or so ago and since then we have corresponded by email a few times. Mr. Dodson’s newest book, A Son of the Game has just come out.

After reading A Son of the Game, I can honestly say that if you have a son, a wife or friends that means more to you than you can express, you need to read this book. If you love to play golf with your son, your wife or your friends, you need to read this book. If you have made life altering decisions about the direction you are headed, you need to read this book.

It’s a book about golf but it really isn’t. It’s a book about a journey through a portion of one man’s life and the people who affected that journey; a son, a wife, old friends and new friends. It’s a book about the simple pleasure of sitting on the porch of an old hotel, petting a big orange cat while talking about life. Its a book about walking and talking with your friends about life, golf and philosophy. It’s a book about loving your kids and worrying whether your advice to them is sound and hoping they will make the right decisions. Most poignantly, it’s a book about going home.

Returning to his beloved North Carolina with an idea in the back of his mind about moving back to live and work, he walked through the village of Pinehurst. Hearing church bells in the distance, Mr. Dodson wrote:

“In the near distance, I heard the hourly carillon serenely drifting from the bell tower of the historic Village Chapel, its steeple rising through the longleaf pines. I knew this stately hymn, I realized, “Blessed be the Tie That Binds,” a bittersweet anthem from my vanished boyhood. But for the life of me, having been away too long, I couldn’t recall the words.”

I know you will love the book. It will make you think about your own life. It will help you remember the words of those anthems you remember.