Sports Illustrated scores an ace with a must have -- The Golf Book

With the holiday season just around the corner, Sports Illustrated recently released the perfect go-to-gift for any golf-loving friend or family member.

What began five years ago with Sports Illustrated 50: The Anniversary Book, a New York Times bestseller that marked the 50th anniversary of this venerable sports institution, became a publishing success story with four subsequent titles beloved by sports fans of all stripes: The Baseball Book, The Football Book, The Basketball Book, and The College Football Book.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED THE GOLF BOOK By the Editors of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Foreword by Roy Blount, Jr. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Books Publication date: October 13, 2009 $29.95 hardcover ISBN 10: 1-60320-085-1

Now, SI delivers Sports Illustrated: The Golf Book, which features more than 300 black-and-white and full-color photographs, including spectacular double-spreads, showcases the game's greatest players, performances and vistas.

All the legends are accounted for in The Golf Book -- Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Nancy Lopez, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, and more -- captured in some of the most glorious moments in their respective careers at some of golf's most breathtaking venues, among them St. Andrews, Pebble Beach and Augusta National.

SI's comprehensive illustrated golf book also contains classic images, such as W.C. Fields using his driver as a fishing rod; Fidel Castro watching Che Guevara line up a putt shortly after the two revolutionaries conquered Cuba in 1959; President Richard Nixon proudly displaying the ball he used to ace Bel-Air Country Club's third hole; and Capt. Jason Conroy of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division practicing his swing while stationed in Iraq.

Sweden's Henrik Stenson is also featured in The Golf Book from his memorable moment at Doral during the 2009 CA Championship, when photographer Kyle Auclair happened to stumble upon the Swede as he stripped down to his boxer briefs to play a shot from the water's edge.

Included with these rare photos, artifacts, and memorabilia are sidebars that highlight fascinating facts and shining milestones from each time period and a special gatefold that assembles the 20 Greatest Golfers of All Time, a ranked list that SI commissioned from a panel of experts with the PGA, USGA, LPGA, Golf Magazine, Golf Plus, Golf.com, as well as their own staff of esteemed writers and editors.

Along with the magnificent photography, The Golf Book also boats SI's award-winning writing with essays by Frank Deford, George Plimpton and Gary Smith, among others. Here you can relive the "Fun Times in the Thirties," Dan Jenkins' stylish piece about golf's rat pack of that era; enjoy Gerald Holland's lively portrait of Slammin' Sam Snead in "Sam Snead and the Serpent"; relish "More Fun than a Barrel of Monty's," Steve Rushin's humorous take on his jaunt to Scotland for the British Open; and "Hurts So Good," Alan Shipnuck's account of Tiger Woods enduring four rounds of play at Torrey Pines on a broken leg, which strikingly illustrates the strength and mettle of golf's legendary athletes.

Vividly portraying all of the talent, drama, and arresting backdrops that make golf a unique, world-class sport, The Golf Book marks a singular tribute to the game and a must-have collection for golfers and golf fans alike.