Not About Golf: The Life Changing Joy of Playing the Game

by Mike Berland

Not About Golf is a handbook for the golf curious that can inspire you to enhance your business connections, fall in love, and build a unique and fun community.

You’ll also get in shape while walking, talking, and learning the language of golf. And, if you’re really lucky, as Mike Berland has been, you may have the opportunity to travel the world experiencing beautiful natural settings, the great outdoors, and lasting relationships, both personal and professional.

Golf is also getting more diverse, rapidly becoming the game everyone can play. Women have broken the mold of golf tradition, as golf becomes one of the fastest growing sports for women in the country. There are now over 6.4 million female golfers in the United States and 38% of all golfers under the age of 18 are girls. People of color, especially black and Latinos are embracing the sport as they never have before. And an influx of young players is challenging the stereotype of golf as just a game for seniors.

The good news about golf is it’s never too late to start. Golf is a sport you can play for the rest of your life, whether you play on simulators at indoor bars, or you score an invitation to one of the most spectacular golf courses in the world. This character building sport which requires emotional control and honesty is a laboratory for positive life-skills, such as; generosity, humility, humor, kindness, and friendship.

Golf teaches us to live in the moment, it teaches us to network and to do business, but at the end of the day this book isn’t about golf. It’s about how each swing, each course, each day can always be better than the last. It's about hope, optimism, and enjoying nature with your community. It’s not about golf. It’s about you

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published June 24, 2025

About the author

Mike Berland is a strategic advisor, communications consultant, and expert in consumer behavior and trends with more than 30 years of experience. MSNBC named him "The Genius Pollster" for his political and business insight.

Mike is the founder of Decode_M, acquired by Penta, where he is now a Senior Partner. He is the former CEO of Edelman Berland and president of Penn, Schoen & Berland. He has advised leading brands such as Airbnb, OpenAI, Crocs, Estée Lauder Companies, StockX, Microsoft, Meta, and the National Hockey League. His commentary has appeared widely in the media, including on Fox Business Network's Mornings with Maria.

He is the author of four books, including bestsellers Maximum Momentum, Become a Fat-Burning Machine, What Makes You Tick. His latest book, Not About Golf, explores how golf's momentum fosters joy, connection, and opportunity.

Mike is a Commonwealth Scholar from the University of Massachusetts and a former chair of the Gotham Chapter of New York City’s Young Presidents’ Organization. An avid golfer, he enjoys playing courses around the world and building relationships through the game.

Reviews

[Antony Wairiuko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Putts Wisdom into Empowering Pages

Not About Golf is a four-part, June 2025 book by Mike Berland. The 212-page self-help book is all about leveraging your personal and professional lives beyond golf courses. Infused with interesting autobiographical elements, the book has 18 aptly subtitled chapters: Part 1: The Promise of Golf, with five chapters; Part 2: The Social Power of Golf, with six chapters; Part 3: Business and Pleasure, with four chapters; and Part 4: Mastering the Game, with three chapters.

Earlier on, Berland, a decades-long golf player, writes thus: “I sensed there was something more to golf… the person it helped me become.” So, it is Not just About Golf—a befitting title.

For starters, the golfing insider analyzes the game—the basics, personalities, techniques, social aspect, business context, vocabularies, facts, personal experiences, real-life stories, common value system, and many more—which loops every reader in on his motivating, well-rounded narrative. Most importantly, however, the researcher Berland’s lived experience promises to improve people’s lives: not merely from “a score perspective”, but from “an enhancement perspective.”

The soulful Promise of Golf section sets the pace for the engrossing narrative, especially the autobiographical insights into his personal and professional backgrounds, including the earliest chapter’s life-saving advice—a burnout-inspired prescription, a vacation, that prompted the driving range visit, where he swung a golf club, kickstarting his newfound passion and soul-searching activity. Thus, he found the golden thread and social glue necessary for enhancing his professional and personal lives.

I loved the author’s set of “do you…” and “are you…” questions determining the reader’s compatibility with golf—examining factors like thrill, traveling, life-long, quest for challenges, personal attributes, community engagement, self-expression, and diversity. 

However, Chapters 8 and 10 are my favorite sections: chapter 8 for its encouraging experiences, globetrotting, and appealing personal stories; and chapter 10 for its listings and step-by-step guides, including the buildings, formats, types of golfers and clubs, tees, lie angles, shots, scores, rules, performance metrics, phases, and dress codes. 

I will skip the essentials of this engaging self-improvement gem to avoid spoilers. But you probably should grab this book to avoid missing out on great life opportunities! 

From busting myths and down memory lane to inspiring quotes and takeaways to social aspect and business context, Not About Golf putts wisdom into its empowering pages. 

[Valery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Berland didn’t set out to become a golfer. His early career took him from the bustling streets of Chicago to the high-stress environment of a political polling firm in New York. Burnt out and searching for a reset, he stumbled into golf during a much-needed vacation—and that’s where everything changed. What began as a recreational escape quickly became a personal passion and a path to a more fulfilling life.

Not About Golf is Berland’s love letter to the sport that transformed his mindset. This isn’t a technical manual or a guide for perfecting your swing. Instead, it’s an honest, engaging exploration of what golf offers beyond the game itself—community, clarity, connection, and joy. It’s equal parts memoir, myth-buster, and motivational guide.

Berland debunks some of golf’s biggest misconceptions: that it’s only for the wealthy, the elite, or the highly skilled. He’s none of those things himself—he’s not a professional, not an instructor, and by his own admission, not even a particularly good golfer. But what he is is passionate. He writes with humor and heart about how golf can enhance your personal life, deepen friendships, strengthen business relationships, and reconnect you with nature and play.

One of the book’s most memorable lines—“My worst day of golf with friends is still one of the best days of my life”—perfectly captures the spirit of this read. Berland’s message is clear: golf isn’t about being great; it’s about being present.

Not About Golf is ideal for beginners, casual players, or even those who’ve never touched a club but are looking for something new and enriching. It’s a thoughtful, funny, and inspiring invitation to a sport—and lifestyle—that’s more accessible than you think.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised reading Mike Berland’s “Not About Golf.” I thought it was going to be a technical manual on how to improve my swing or score a birdie, but it ended up being more of a personal development book. What I liked was how the author provided all the ways golf can improve your life, including developing patience and building relationships, personal and professional. It turned out to be less of a sports book and more of a guide that uses golf to illustrate life lessons.

Although I enjoyed Berland’s fresh perspective on golf as a way of life, the book felt overly idealistic. I can appreciate the message that golf is becoming more diverse and accessible, but it overlooks the very real frustrations and high costs that can deter a lot of people from playing the sport. The “life-changing joy” may be there to be found, but only by those who have the means and opportunity to play. Perhaps the book should have acknowledged the grind and less glamorous side of the sport a bit more. Overall, it’s a great read for golf enthusiasts and anyone who is curious about golf and wants to understand its appeal.

[Rebecca Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A lot of people think of momentum as a trend that comes on like a runaway train. The science of momentum harkens back to Sir Isaac Newton's laws of motion. The second law states that an object's movement is dependent on two factors: mass (size) and force (velocity). If we apply this science to today's marketplace, something has momentum when it has mass (awareness, reach, impressions, conversations, share of market) and velocity (excitement and engagement)."

I actually don't know much about golf. I've occasionally watched the Masters and that's about it. I do, however, adore sport, its economic conditions, why certain sports outrun others in the race for popularity, and why some garner such large fan clubs so quickly compare to others. Mike Berland confesses to not being the best or most experienced golfer from the offset, and that's why he's such a great person to tell the story of golf's current and roaring popularity.

For someone who has never really become that invested in golf, I figured this book would be a good way to gain some insight. Berland threads in his own tales of golf with the sport's economic and cultural status, as well as its changing format in recent years. How has golf become more accessible? What has actually caused it to become so widely popular? What is the value of being able to play golf, even if you play it badly? These are all questions Berland seeks to answer. As someone who has watched Netflix's Full Swing and lives near a newly opened indoor golf facility, Berland made the practical and cultural value of golf extremely accessible to someone who had only ever viewed the sport passively.

Whilst the book starts to feel slightly longer than it needed to be (but likely only because I don't already have any vested interest in the sport in the first place), I thoroughly enjoyed learning about it through Berland's lens. He writes in an engaging manner, makes the hardest golfing topics and rules easily digested, and I now certainly have a newfound appreciation of the sport, its place in society now, and what accessibility has meant to its scene. For anyone with even the slightest fascination with golf, this is the place to start. And, if you're already a seasoned golfer, then this book will surely deepen your appreciation more.

[Iron John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect much when I gave this book a go as I just thought it’d be a light read about someone’s love for golf. But wow, it turned out to be so much more. This isn’t really a book just about playing golf. It’s about what the game can teach you, which is about yourself, about slowing down, about being present.

Mike Berland writes in such a relaxed, personal way that you feel like you’re walking the course with him, talking life and not keeping score. It’s not preachy or too polished. It’s honest. You get stories, reflections, and reminders to pay attention to what really matters.

Even if you’re not into golf, the message hits. And if you are into golf? You’ll probably nod your way through the whole thing. Recommended for anyone who needs a mental reset, or just a good, thoughtful read.

[Phin Ejike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me a solid introduction to the world of golf. In this informative guidebook, Mike Berland explains why he fell in love with golf, how it saved his life, and how it can improve yours. But its not all sentiments and personal anecdotes, Berland also described a surprising number of facts about golf. I was especially wowed by the chapter titled “Momentum of Golf”. Golf, once seen as a sport reserved for the wealthy elite, has become one of the fastest-growing sports in America. It was interesting to know how members of Gen Z are embracing golf, and that chapter, for me, truly established the book’s credibility.

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

After growing up in Chicago and acquiring his first job at a political polling firm in New York, Mike Berland quickly fell sick from the gloomy reality that was his life- but a vacation with golf helped him fix that. It was through this that Berland fell in love with the sport.

Not About Golf is the culmination of Berland's years of experience, where he details golf both as a lifestyle choice and a growing sport. It’s informative, entertaining, and fact-driven.

I recommend this book for new and aspiring players of the game, or even for those looking for an engaging new hobby. Great read.

[LiA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike Berland loves golf. He is a true amateur, you would say. His book “Not about golf” is not about golf, and yet it is. It does not include too many sports tips, nor coaching recommendations or information about the best equipment. It actually reads like the diary of an adult, who loves to speak about his favorite sport, i.e. golf, It’s entertaining, if you are interested in golf or human stories. A quite nice read, I’d say. I’m not into golf, but several of my friends are. I’m not sure, whether the sport really so socially accessible, as he says. But then, Germany - or Europe in general - are still a bit different from the United States.

[Bookcritic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author does a great job of making the game of golf seem like it's about more—character, determination, and grit. I liked how the author describes that it’s a sport for everyone. Yes, when someone thinks of golf, their mind probably zooms to white men in their 40s. However, anyone of any race can play. Even kids can learn golf.

I never thought about how it brings people together but he made a good point about that too. Basically, this book surprised me. It’s not just for golfers; it’s for everyone.

[Maheen Zahid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not About Golf: The Life Changing Joy of Playing the Game by Mike Berland’s book is a book especially for those who are interested about golf. It’s packed with value information for avid gold lovers. The book goes beyond the game of golf itself; it emphasizes that is more of a lifestyle than just a game.

Anyone who is interested or wants to take up the sport as a hobby, will find this book entertaining. Overall, a decent read and will recommend it to sports enthusiasts.

[Akhil]

This is a really interesting book that can speak to anyone. I would never in my life think to write a book like this but it’s a very interesting project that Mike Berland has made. It’s really not about golf like the title says.

It’s kind of about life and how golf—which could have been a number of other activities, like running or something—helped him change his mindset and take a break from his stressful life. I liked the message about not taking things for granted and being present. At least, that’s what I took away from the book.

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick read that would have been one seat if I had more time on day one. Fittingly, read it on the train to and from a golf course. I like how Berland integrates life and business into the game of golf as he seeks to break through the real and perceived barriers to the game. Good read.

[Kibet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A feel good guide to life

This is a joyful, eye opening invitation, not just to the game, but to the relationships, values, and personal growth it quietly cultivates. What begins as a book about golf becomes a much larger reflection on community, character, and the surprising ways sports can shape our lives off the course.
Berland dismantles long standing myths about golf with both charm and insight. He reframes the game not as a symbol of exclusivity, but as an accessible platform for building diverse connections, social, romantic, and professional. His enthusiasm isn’t technical or skill focused, it’s human focused. This makes the book feel like a conversation with a close friend who’s discovered something meaningful and wants you in on it, too.
Where the book shines most is in its broader message, that joy, presence, and connection are always within reach, and that the rituals of play, whether on a course or in life, can foster generosity, humility, and emotional resilience. Golf is simply the metaphor; the real game is how you show up for yourself and others.