CHECK IT OUT

For duffers inspired by the Toshiba Senior Classic, scores of library

resources focus on the skills, artistry and history of a pastime enjoyed

by millions.

No matter what your skill level, you can improve your golf game with

tips from the high school coach of one of the sport’s greatest talents in

“Tiger Woods Made Me Look Like a Genius.” Along with a liberal sprinkling

of personal recollections, Dan Crosby offers five simple ways to take 10

strokes off your game in this new volume.

Also new on the shelves is “Golf Skills,” an illustrated guide by

Roget Hyder, head professional at the East Sussex National Golf Club.

Separate sections concentrate on types of shots, causes of poor

performance and drills designed to help with chipping, putting and other

fundamental skills.

According to behavioral psychiatrist Phil Lee, a golfer’s greatest

obstacle is the brain. Lee collaborates with golf instructor Jeff Warne

in “Shrink Your Handicap,” written for players interested in

understanding the psychological processes that impact performance.

Psychological warfare can be used to break an opponent’s

concentration, says Jon Winokur in “How to Win at Golf: Without Actually

Playing Well.” Even for those who never venture onto a course, this witty

work provides an entertaining take on the game, with a gambit of ploys

aimed at outthinking other players.

Al Barkow offers a more serious, historical perspective in “The Golden

Era of Golf,” an examination of how America rose to dominate the old

Scots game over the last half century. History also provides a framework

for Bob Cullen’s exploration of the mystery of the sport and its hold on

players and fans in “Why Golf?”

There are biographies of great golfers, including “Payne Stewart,”

Tracey Stewart’s homage to her late husband, who was at the top of his

game when he died in a plane crash in 1999. Great finishes are the theme

of “The Fairway Game,” offering descriptions of final rounds of such

champions as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus by some of the best sports

writers to cover the game.

If you’d rather play golf than read about it, find information about

617 courses in “The Best Public Golf Courses in the United States,

Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico.” Or, curl up with great golf fiction

between the covers of “The Putt at the End of the World,” a hilarious

farce by Dave Barry, Tami Hoag, Tim O’Brien and six other well-known

authors.

You can enjoy virtual passage on the PGA Tour with 13 audiocassettes

of “A Good Walk Spoiled,” in which John Feinstein gets inside the heads

of great players. See some of the same professionals on “The History of

the PGA Tour,” a 76-minute video.

Finally, for a real celebration of the sport, check out “Golf, The

Greatest Game,” a lavishly illustrated look at 100 years of golf in

America that is possibly the next best thing to finding your way onto a

course.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with

Sarah Barnicle. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers

by accessing the catalog at https://www.newportbeachlibrary.org.