Breaking Eighty: A Journey Through the 9 Fairways of Hell

by Lee Eisenberg

A former editor of Esquire magazine explains how he learned the dynamics of learning how to play golf and develop an effective swing, and offers empathy and advice to amateur players from a learner's perspective.

Genres: Sports

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Michael Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only book that ever enticed me to, and then not, take up golf. Mr. Eisenberg could a book about paint-drying fascinating.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the funniest and most honest books on golf I've read--golf, that is, as it's played by us hackers for whom hope springs eternal, luck is always welcome, occasional flashes of brilliance (or at least competence) renew our illusions and addiction, but no amount of money or practice ever seems to develop real skill or talent. Eisenberg's main subject is the problem of learning (and teaching) golf -- or anything difficult, really -- and his obsessive quest for the magical technique, the perfect teacher, the best equipment, the ideal combination of physical, spiritual, mental, and technical knowledge, take him through the "nine fairways of hell" and maybe don't get him to golf paradise but at least to a kind of enlightened limbo...

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author describes his concentrated quest to become an improved golfer with the goal of breaking 80, describing the many different theories and instructors who help and hinder his quest. He eventually improves by offers no magic solution.

[Misterb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great look at the muddled landscape of golf self-help books, written not from the perspective of a pro who's already figured it out, but from a fellow layperson.