Publisher's Synopsis
THREE UP ON SEVENTEEN: A Collection of Chip Shots and Cheap Shots is a book by a golf junkie for golf junkies. As both a passionate player and former USGA/PGA Rules Official, Bill Murphy brings his own unique perspective of the game, cleverly connecting golf's often difficult dots with an engaging, witty, and brilliantly clear viewpoint.
The author gives a view from "inside the ropes" of South Florida's bustling, hustling professional mini-tour and amateur circuits-including some extraordinary encounters with professional golf great Bubba Watson and a unique friendship with Julius Boros. The book includes Murphy's often hilarious takes on some of the game's inevitable subjects: from the Runyon-esque characters that are drawn to the game, to the gamblers, cheaters and players of every questionable ilk, and even the occasional alligator. Follow "Murph" to some of Westchester County's most prestigious golf clubs to get a first-hand look at their infamously lush fairways and the "suits" that inhabit them.
In its final pages, the golf course also becomes a bittersweet and poignant stage for author and reader alike as Murphy recalls the events of November 1963 and September 2001, his accessible narrator's voice becoming all the more engaging, moving and indelible.
Bill Murphy grew up in New York's Westchester County during the '50s and '60s. As a teen, he caddied at the many private country clubs in this storied golf community and continued to play as both a member and guest until 1977, when he and his family relocated to South Florida. While always an avid player, he became more directly involved in the game when he joined the staff of a public golf facility in Ft. Lauderdale in the early '90s. For the next twenty-five years, he served in multiple roles throughout South Florida's robust, year-round golf culture. As a Certified USGA/PGA Rules Official, he officiated for South Florida's professional mini-tour and amateur circuits, giving him a unique insight into the game the pros play-and found that the characters and stories "behind the ropes" were remarkably, and sometimes hilariously similar to everyone else who loves the game. He was inspired to bring together his experiences in THREE UP ON SEVENTEEN: A Collection of Chip Shots and Cheap Shots, and he is confident you will enjoy reading (and relating to) them as much as he enjoyed living them. He is currently retired and continues to live in South Florida.
