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'Billy Boy' looks at life and golf
Posted: Friday April 11
By John Boyette
The Augusta Chronicle
With the recent death of his mother, and his father broke from an ill-fated gambling spree, the title character of Bud Shrake's novel turns to golf to get his life back on track.
Set in Fort Worth, Texas, in the 1950s, Billy Boy is more than another golf book: It is a coming-of-age tale that will resonate with readers of all ages. Shrake knows golf; he was a co-author of Harvey Penick's Little Red Book and several other books on the Texas teaching legend.
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Billy BoySPECIAL |
His latest effort starts as Billy Boy strikes out on his own after his father's run of bad luck. He gets a job as a caddie at posh Colonial Country Club, and soon finds himself with the usual assortment of problems that face adolescent boys.
Sandra Sandpaster, the granddaughter of a wealthy club member, becomes the object of Billy's desire. But she is already involved with Sonny Stonekiller, one of the best golfers at the club.
Along the way, Billy Boy has encounters with John Bredemus, known as the father of Texas golf, and the legendary Ben Hogan.
Billy Boy's luck begins to turn when he finds a 7-iron alongside the road. Bredemus soon appears and offers the teen advice on life and golf.
Hogan, a Colonial member who prefers to keep to himself, is drawn to Billy Boy by the magical club. The two-time Masters Tournament champion was well known for being a recluse, and Shrake does a good job of portraying him.
In one scene, Hogan gives Billy Boy some sound advice on how to properly swing a golf club, comparing it to the action used by baseball great Ted Williams.
"Hogan took the Bobby Jones 7-iron from the boy. He looked at the club for a moment, as if he almost remembered where he had seen it before," Shrake wrote. "Then he arranged himself in a baseball hitter's stance, with his hands cocked behind his right ear, waggled his wrists, and swung the club like a baseball bat. ... 'Except for Ted Williams being lefthanded, this is the swing,' Hogan said."
The tension between Billy Boy and Stonekiller builds until Hogan backs his young protege in a high-stakes match.
The ending contains a couple of surprises, but rest assured that Shrake's book will leave you with a good feeling.
SPECIAL
BOOK: Billy Boy
AUTHOR: Bud Shrake
PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster
COST: $12
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