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The 18 best golf books for 2024

From the best golf biographies to the golf instruction books, this selection of 18 bestselling golf books can improve your enjoyment and playing of the game.

The American writer Mark Twain may have famously joked that golf was “a good walk spoiled” but the sport has contributed a great deal to his former profession, as this collection of 18 the best golf books illustrates.

Our selection includes some of the best golf biographies, including two sides of the Tiger Woods story, an honest and humorous account of professional life from England’s Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, and how rivalry turned to friendship for Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.

These top golf books also include life stories of players who made playing the game look far easier than it is in Seve Ballesteros and Phil Mickelson. But a trio of the best golf instruction books reflect the struggles of most amateur players to master the skills of the game, while our best golf psychology books highlight its always challenging mental side.

Finally, for those who love reading about the sport, our pick of the best golf history books covers a famous private match to settle a side bet, a behind-the-scenes look at life on the PGA Tour and the story of the breakaway LIV Golf series that threatened a revolution.

Eighteen good golf books: nothing can spoil that. And if one of them does rekindle your love of playing, you may also want to check out these great golf deals. But for now, read on…

Many of the best golf books focus on the sport’s stars. This pick of the best golf biographies features two mavericks in Severiano Ballesteros and Phil Mickelson, two takes on the sport’s biggest name, Tiger Woods, and some English humour from Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston.

Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian

Investigative journalists Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian conducted more than 400 interviews in compiling this 360-degree portrait of the man who has transcended his sport. The result is a compelling profile of Woods, whose parents instilled in him the drive to achieve greatness only for scandal and injury to dramatically change his life.

Seve: The Official Autobiography by Severiano Ballesteros

Often acclaimed as the most naturally gifted golfer the sport has seen, Seve Ballesteros was more than just a magical player. The Spaniard put European golf on the map in the 1980s, winning the World Matchplay five times and matching that tally at the Ryder Cup, with four victories as a player and one as a captain that, fittingly, came on home soil at Valderrama.

Phil by Alan Shipnuck

The subtitle of this book bills Phil Mickelson as golf’s most colourful superstar. Those who have thrilled to his attacking style of play will know that description fits his game well, while those who know little of the man away from the course will learn of his love for high-stakes gambling, the salacious rumours that have dogged him and his generous personality.

The Secret of Golf by Joe Posnanski

Journalist Joe Posnanski chronicles the intense rivalry between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson that evolved into a lasting friendship. His book spans more than four decades from their first meeting at an exhibition match in 1967 to Watson’s second place at the 2009 Open Championship, at the age of 60, and covers all their great battles on the course.

Golf is Hard by Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston

The popular English golfer offers a candid and humorous take on tour life. With insights into what it’s like to share a locker room with Tiger Woods and how it feels to shank a shot in front of millions of TV viewers. Johnston charts his journey from pitch and putt to the professional ranks in a way that will endear him even more to the sport’s fans.

The Big Miss by Hank Haney

American golf instructor Hank Haney tells the story of the six years he spent working with Tiger Woods from 2004 onwards. Already the world’s best golfer, Woods wanted to improve further and, with Haney as his coach, collected six major championships. However, as this intimate and compelling account details, everything was about to change.

For improving players, the best golf books are ones that can help them reduce their scores. This trio of top golf books includes a timeless classic from one of the greatest players in the sport’s history and the scientific approach of a Columbia Business School professor.

Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons by Ben Hogan

One of the greatest golfers in history, American Ben Hogan believed that any player could break 80. All it required, he reasoned, was average co-ordination plus the diligence to apply themselves with patience and intelligence. First published in 1957, this book distills Hogan’s principles into five lessons and remains pertinent - and effective – to this day.

Play Better Golf by Colin Howe

Colin Howe’s book – boldly subtitled The Only Golf Instruction Manual You Will Ever Need to Buy – covers technical, physical, mental and competitive aspects of the game. It includes everything from step-by-step photographic sequences of the perfect swing to tips on golf fitness and course management. For players of all levels.

The Science of Golf by Will Haskett

If you think the only golf data that matters are the numbers on your scorecard, broadcaster Will Haskett invites you to think again. His book describes in layman’s terms the science that has helped the world’s best players to improve further, from club technology and course agronomy to the mechanics of both the swing and a player’s mind.

These five golf history books reflect the breadth of literature the sport has inspired, with tales of upheaval in the professional ranks, a remarkable match inspired by a side bet and two compendiums of original pieces, on why we love the game and its most bizarre rounds.

Golf Wars by Iain Carter

Journalist and writer Iain Carter explores the story of the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf tour and assesses its impact on the future of professional golf. Led by golf great Greg Norman, the lucrative breakaway tour signed many of the world’s top players and Carter’s detailed account hears from all sides of an often bitter conflict.

A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein

Three decades before LIV Golf, 1993 had marked the start of another turbulent time for the PGA Tour, as Feinstein’s behind-the-scenes account documents. It begins with a Ryder Cup victory for the United States and serves up numerous insights into the non-stop demands on players to preserve their place on tour and, at times, their sanity.

The Match by Mark Frost

Aged 10, Eddie Lowery caddied for Francis Ouimet when he won the 1913 US Open. Forward to 1956 and Lowery, a car dealer, bets fellow millionaire George Coleman that two amateurs he employs – Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward – cannot be beaten in a match. Coleman takes the bet and persuades golf legends Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan to play in the match.

So Help Me Golf by Rick Reilly

This personal history of the game features 80 original pieces by the American sportswriter that cover all manner of things golf. There are the 18 most unforgettable holes in the world (all played by the author), the story of the Tour player who robbed banks by night to pay his motel bills plus tales of the game’s stars from Bobby Jones to Phil Mickelson.

Golf’s Strangest Rounds by Andrew Ward

The author of Football’s Strangest Matches turns his attention to golf and discovers a rich seam of bizarre stories. Greats such as Nick Faldo and Greg Norman find their way into this eclectic, eccentric compendium, along with one of the world’s best players who refused to compete in tournaments and other weird and wonderful tales.

Golf has arguably spawned more titles than any other sport on mental mastery. This selection of the best golf psychology books explores a few theories, from Zen wisdom to insights from the top professionals and the importance of attitude and mindset.

Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Dr Bob Rotella

The American sports psychologist known simply as ‘Doc’ to the many professionals with whom he has worked has written several books on improving your game, of which this is the most renowned. Attitude and mindset are the key aspects he invites players to focus on and, almost 30 years after it was first published, the tips still work.

Zen Golf by Dr Joseph Parent

Mastering the Mental Game is the subtitle of this book by Dr Parent, who is also a PGA Tour coach and Buddhist teacher. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong with us – as many a golfer tweaking their swing is apt to do – he suggests looking at what is right, combining Zen wisdom with learnings from lessons with top golfers.

The Inner Game of Golf by W. Timothy Gallwey

First published in 1979, Gallwey’s book tackles the psychological aspects of the game that can affect golfers of all levels, such as self-doubt, tension and anxiety. The lessons outlined here translate to other sports, but it’s worth noting that by applying only his own principles, the author knocked 15 shots off his average score in a year.

Mind Game by Michael Calvin and Thomas Bjorn

Shortlisted for the Telegraph Sports Book Awards, this collaboration between the captain of Europe’s Ryder Cup team and journalist Calvin examines what separates the great from the good in elite golf. Granted unprecedented access to members of Bjorn’s 2018 cup-winning side, the pair elicit revealing contributions from some of the sport’s biggest names.

Want to discover more reading suggestions from Books by Telegraph Media Group? Browse our unique collection of custom books, exercise your mind with the Telegraph Puzzles titles or stay on top of the best-recommended books with our best books of 2023.

We also have a wide array of other book suggestions and lists for you to browse through. For example, why not check out our curated selection of the best self-help books?

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