GOLF

Given the fact that the first book entirely devoted to golf was published in 1743, this breezy overview of the game can be said to emerge from a very lengthy tradition. McCord (The Golf Connosseur, etc.) provides what are essentially lengthy captions to accompany some 100 photographs. As most of the photos are of golfing greats, the book offers not so much a history of the game as an overview of some of its most famous and influential players. (One chapter is devoted to a terse summary of the evolution of golf equipment and technique.) Too brief for serious students, the book would likely be of most use to newly minted enthusiasts, whose numbers are legion. A deft but very compressed overview. (100 b&w photos, 8 pages in color)