Updated on November 8, 2026
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What is the best golf book? Two books are mentioned in the six major lists we've come across: Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella, on the mind, and the Little Red Book by Harvey Penick, on technique. Right behind it, the Five Lessons by Ben Hogan. Here are our top 15 best golf books, including those available in French, and a selection of books written in French.
Header image: covers of The New Book of Golf (edited by Horace Hutchinson, 1912) and How to Play Golf (James Braid and Harry Vardon, Spalding Publishing), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
The 15 Best Golf Books, Ranked
15 books shown.
| Rank | Book | Author | Year | Theme | Selections | In French |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect | Bob Rotella | 1995 | Mental game | 6 out of 6 | Yes |
| 2 | Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book | Harvey Penick | 1992 | Instruction | 6 out of 6 | Yes |
| 3 | Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons | Ben Hogan | 1957 | Instruction | 5 out of 6 | Yes |
| 4 | The Greatest Game Ever Played | Mark Frost | 2002 | History | 4 out of 6 | Yes |
| 5 | A Good Walk Ruined | John Feinstein | 1995 | Nonfiction | 4 out of 6 | No |
| 6 | The Golf Omnibus | P. G. Wodehouse | 1973 | Fiction | 3 out of 6 | No |
| 7 | Practical Golf | John Jacobs | 1972 | Instruction | 3 out of 6 | No |
| 8 | Golf in the Kingdom | Michael Murphy | 1971 | Fiction | 3 out of 6 | Yes |
| 9 | To Linksland | Michael Bamberger | 1992 | Nonfiction | 2 out of 6 | No |
| 10 | The Match | Mark Frost | 2007 | History | 2 out of 6 | No |
| 11 | A Course Called Ireland | Tom Coyne | 2009 | Nonfiction | 2 out of 6 | No |
| 12 | Bobby Jones on Golf | Bobby Jones | 1966 | Instruction | 2 out of 6 | No |
| 13 | Every Shot Counts | Mark Broadie | 2014 | Instruction | 2 out of 6 | No |
| 14 | Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible | Dave Pelz | 1999 | Instruction | 2 out of 6 | No |
| 15 | Golf My Way | Jack Nicklaus | 1974 | Instruction | 2 out of 6 | No |
Selections: the number of major lists—out of six—that mention the book. In French: a French translation exists (according to the catalog of the Bibliothèque nationale de France).
How We Ranked the Golf Books
We came across six well-known selections: Golf Digest, GOLF.com, Golf Monthly, MyGolfSpy, National Club Golfer and Goodreads. Books are ranked based on the number of lists that include them, and in the event of a tie, based on their average rating on Goodreads. We have verified the existence of French translations in the BnF catalog. We do not include these lists here; you can view them on the publishers’ websites. This ranking is updated annually.
The Top 15 in Detail
1. Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect (Bob Rotella)
The classic guide to mental preparation, cited by all six selections. The sports psychologist Bob Rotella explains trust, pre-shot routine, and the art of dealing with setbacks, with stories about players on the tour. Translated into French: Jouer au golf sans viser la perfection (Éditions de l’Homme, 1997).
2. Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book (Harvey Penick)
Lessons and anecdotes from Harvey Penick, the Texas coach of Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw, compiled in a small red notebook and published when he was 87 years old. Simple, timeless advice. Translated into French: Le petit livre rouge de Harvey Penick: leçons et enseignements d’une vie consacrée au golf (Albin Michel, 1995).
3. Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons (Ben Hogan)
Ben Hogan’s Five-Lesson Method (grip, stance, swing), published in 1957 and illustrated with Anthony Ravielli’s famous drawings. The swing bible for generations of golfers. Translated into French: Les principes fondamentaux du golf moderne (O. Lesourd, 1958).
4. The Greatest Game Ever Played (Mark Frost)
The story of 20-year-old amateur Francis Ouimet’s victory over legends Harry Vardon and Ted Ray at the 1913 U.S. Open. A historical book that reads like a novel and has been adapted for the screen. Translated into French: La plus grande partie de tous les temps: la naissance du golf moderne (Albin Michel, 2004).
5. A Good Walk Spoiled (John Feinstein)
Journalist John Feinstein followed the U.S. tour throughout the 1994 season, from the stars to the unknown players. A definitive report on the lives of professional golfers.
6. The Golf Omnibus (P. G. Wodehouse)
The humorous short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, often recounted by the club’s “Oldest Member.” Only a selection of them has been translated into French (Le doyen du club-house, Losfeld, 2002).
7. Practical Golf (John Jacobs)
The method of the renowned English golf instructor John Jacobs: reading the ball's trajectory to understand your swing. An approach that is still taught today.
8. Golf in the Kingdom (Michael Murphy)
Michael Murphy's cult classic novel: A young American meets a mysterious teacher in Scotland, Shivas Irons, who turns golf into an almost spiritual experience. Translated into French: Golf dans le royaume (Stanké, 1994).
9. To the Linksland (Michael Bamberger)
Journalist Michael Bamberger worked as a caddie on the European Tour in 1991 before traveling to Scotland in search of the game's roots. A very engaging travelogue.
10. The Match (Mark Frost)
The story of a private golf match in 1956 at Cypress Point: two amateurs, Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward, versus two legends, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson. By Mark Frost, the author of The Greatest Game Ever Played.
11. A Course Called Ireland (Tom Coyne)
Tom Coyne walked the length and breadth of Ireland, playing every links course along the coast—with a few stops at the pub. The perfect book to read before a golf trip to Ireland.
12. Bobby Jones on Golf (Bobby Jones)
Technical advice from Bobby Jones, taken from the columns he wrote after his 1930 Grand Slam. Simple, clear, and always spot-on.
13. Every Shot Counts (Mark Broadie)
Professor Mark Broadie, the creator of the “strokes gained” metric, shows where strokes are really lost. The book that changed the way the game is analyzed.
14. Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible (Dave Pelz)
Dave Pelz, a former NASA scientist, has analyzed and broken down the short game: wedges, chips, and bunker shots from less than 100 yards. The definitive guide to the short game.
15. Golf My Way (Jack Nicklaus)
Jack Nicklaus explains his entire method, from technique to course management. A classic of golf instruction, written by the greatest champion in history.
The Best Golf Books Written in French
- Golf (Pierre Lafitte, 1910) by Arnaud Massy, the first Frenchman to win the British Open, in 1907.
- Golf: la technique, la tactique, l’entraînement (Robert Laffont, 1976), by Jean Garaïalde, the best French professional of the 1960s and 1970s, with André-Jean Lafaurie.
- Psycho-golf (Robert Laffont, 1988), one of the first books in French on the psychology of golf.
- Golf 1987: le roman de l’année (Calmann-Lévy, 1987), the 1987 season as told by L’Équipe reporter Denis Lalanne.
- Les clefs de votre swing: maîtrisez vos trajectoires (Prolongations, 2009), Éric Douennelle’s method of trajectories, reprinted with Jean Van de Velde.
- Je veux jouer au golf avec régularité: la méthode En phase golf (Solar, 2012), with a foreword by Thomas Levet.
- Les légendes du golf (Éditions Jourdan, 2013), portraits of great champions.
- Le bouquin du golf: la planète golf (essai), dictionnaire, anthologie (Bouquins, 2025), an essay, a dictionary, and an anthology combined into a single volume.
Fred's Take on Golf Books
If I had to keep just one book, it would be Bob Rotella’s: you never play better than when you accept your bad shots. And for the sheer pleasure of reading, The Greatest Game Ever Played, which reads like a novel.
Frequently Asked Questions About Golf Books
What is the best golf book?
"Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect" by Bob Rotella and "The Little Red Book" by Harvey Penick are the only books mentioned in the six major lists we came across.
What's the best book for learning to play golf?
Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons (translated into French as Les principes fondamentaux du golf moderne) and Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book remain the two standard works in golf instruction.
What book should I read about the mental aspect of golf?
Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella, translated into French as Jouer au golf sans viser la perfection (Éditions de l’Homme, 1997).
Are there any good golf books in French?
Yes: Les clefs de votre swing by Éric Douennelle and Jean Van de Velde, Je veux jouer au golf avec régularité by Jean-Emmanuel Elbaz, or Le bouquin du golf, published in 2025.