The Old Man and the Tee - by Turk Pipkin (Paperback)

About the Book

One man's hilarious and heartwarming quest to drop 10 strokes from his golf game in a year, using the top teachers, pros, and equipment money can buy.

Book Synopsis

The Old Man and the Tee presents one man's hilarious and heartwarming quest to drop 10 strokes from his golf game in a year, using the top teachers, pros, and equipment money can buy.

As a kid caddying for his father on the sunburned links of West Texas, Turk Pipkin had dreamed of great achievements in golf. Unfortunately, life got in the way. A lack of talent didn't help much either. It was not until his father passed away that Turk realized he'd forgotten his childhood dream and had lost the simple joy he'd once found in the game.

Deciding that the time for all his pitiful golf excuses was past, Turk embarked upon the golf quest of a lifetime. For twelve months, he'd ignore work and other distractions, and dedicate himself to the game. He'd seek instruction from golf's greatest teachers, put the best equipment in his bag, and play the world's finest courses. His seemingly impossible goal was to take ten strokes off his 16-handicap.

With lessons from David Leadbetter, Dave Pelz, and Ben Crenshaw, and with spiritual guidance from great old men like Willie Nelson, George Plimpton, and Byron Nelson, Turk's epic journey carries him from Pebble Beach to Scotland and back again, where he risks everything on one final round for his father.

Follow Turk on the journey of a lifetime, and learn to love golf-and life- all over again.

From the Back Cover

As a kid caddying for his father on the sunburned links of West Texas, Turk Pipkin had dreamed of great achievements in golf. Unfortunately, life (and a noticeable lack of talent) got in the way. It was not until his father passed away that Turk realized he'd forgotten his childhood dream and had lost the simple joy he'd once found in the game.
Deciding that the time for excuses was past, Turk embarked upon the golf quest of a lifetime. For twelve months he'd ignore work and other distractions and pursue his dream of becoming a dramatically better golfer. Turk sought instruction from the game's greatest teachers, put the best equipment in his bag, and played the world's finest courses, because his quixotic goal was to take ten strokes off his sixteen handicap.
With lessons from David Leadbetter, Dave Pelz, and Ben Crenshaw, and with spiritual guidance from wise old men like Willie Nelson, George Plimpton, and Byron Nelson, Turk undertook an epic journey that carried him from Pebble Beach to Scotland and back again, where he risked everything on one final round for his late father.
Follow Turk on the journey of a lifetime, and learn to love golf---and life---all over again.

Review Quotes

"With spiritual guidance from Willie Nelson and golf lessons from David Leadbetter, the author sets out on a hilarious quest to drop ten strokes from his game and learn a little bit about life in the process." --Esquire magazine

"Pipkin's West Texas dry wit and knack for storytelling, make this a most enjoyable year to follow him around." --The Austin Chronicle

"The best golf quest since Don Quixote birdied the windmill hole!" --Willie Nelson

"This bouncing, quixotic quest is hole-in-one reading for anyone who loves the game---or hates their own game and would love to love it more." --American Way Magazine

"Thanks to Pipkin's delightful self-deprecating humor (he is a former stand-up comic) and to his genuine humility in the face of so complex a game, this is one golf memoir that engenders more sympathy than envy." --Booklist

"Breezy and enjoyable memoir." --Publishers Weekly

"The Old Man and the Tee is a must for anyone who hasn't played with Willie Nelson and has given up this stupid game more than once." --David Feherty, bestselling author of A Nasty Bit of Rough and Somewhere in Ireland, a Village is Missing an Idiot

"A lot of fun to read. Turk Pipkin sets his course upon a voyage of vastly improving his golf game and discovers a renewed sense of life itself." --Ben Crenshaw, professional golfer and Masters winner

"Turk Pipkin is the most passionate golf nut I know. This book proves it. He actually thinks the game is fun." --Dan Jenkins, author of Rude Behavior, Semi Tough, and Fairways and Greens

"Turk Pipkin goes on the quest that all amateur golfers dream of but few dare to do---take a year off from life to cut ten strokes from his game. Go on this trip with him and you will improve your own game, meet some interesting people around the world, and have a grand adventure." --Bud Shrake, coauthor of Harvey Penick's Little Red Book

About the Author

Turk Pipkin has been a stand-up comedian and actor, appearing in Christopher Guest's Waiting for Guffman, as well as The Sopranos, The Alamo, and Friday Night Lights. He is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Fast Greens and has written for CBS, NBC, Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, Travel + Leisure Golf, Playboy, and Texas Monthly. He lives in Austin, Texas.