The Common Golfer

The Common Golfer is an entertaining read that examines the "why" of golfers everywhere - the men, women and children who are drawn to the game and entwined by its charms, challenges, intricacies and idiosyncrasies. Following the success of his The Common Angler (2021), author Jack Wollitz continues his introspection of the passion of people who pursue participation sports. Through more than 40 essays, The Common Golfer asks and answers why we play golf, whether it is work or fun, why we worship the hallowed golf courses around the world, why every golf course has its share of loyal golfers. Wollitz also explores the relationships we share with golfing friends, how we cope with poor weather, wild animals, and dangerous mishaps, and the quirks and eccentricities of people who drill deep in their obsessions with certain aspects of the game. He also looks at the whimsical side of golf, from the question of music in the carts to the clothing considered proper to the tradition of celebrating with a nip or two of strong beverage. The Common Golfer plays forward from hardscrabble cow pastures to country club refinement to Pebble Beach splendor - all the while keeping the foundation of the book at heart: Why are we so passionate about the game? Wollitz writes, "We are common golfers with an uncommon passion for the great game and true believers that regardless of what has transpired up to this point in our round, the next shot we are about to hit may very well be the best we've ever struck." The Common Golfer is a must-read for golfers and their friends who seek acknowledgement about why they are so driven to the fairways and greens.

Jack Wollitz has been a passionate angler ever since he went on his first fishing trip at the age of five. He wrote The Common Angle:r A Celebration of Fishing in 2021. He grew to love writing about fishing as much as actually fishing and has published more than two hundred magazine feature stories along with nearly 1,700 weekly columns in the Youngstown Vindicator and Warren Tribune Chronicle. After graduating with a bachelor of arts in English from Youngstown State University, he worked as a newspaper reporter for The Salem News in Ohio and then joined the editorial staff of the Warren Tribune Chronicle. He later worked in marketing and public relations for ad agencies, retiring in 2018 as director of public relations at positioning agency Innis Maggiore in Canton, Ohio. Jack and wife, Barb, reside in Poland, Ohio, and are the parents of a daughter, Betsy, of Columbus, Ohio.