Most of us who love the game of golf - and "love" is a word used deliberately here - would love to have had the game, the courage and the imagination to do what John Paul Newport did - put his life on hold for a year and test his game and himself to better understand both. I have, as an interested observer, hung around a fair amount of the kinds of tournaments that JP played in during that year described in the book, as an observer. I have seen some interesting talents and even more interesting characters. They are people you will probably never see on the PGA Tour, but you would die for some of their abilities as golfers. What keeps them in the hinterlands of the golf tours is "The Fine Green Line" which Newport describes with grace, insight and humor. This is an interesting and highly entertaining insight into the tournament game, the game of golf itself and how it blends into one's life. I recommend it without hesitation to those who find the game to have a compelling fascination, regardless of your own personal talents.

I found the book to be enormously entertaining. As others, I found myself laughing out loud as Mr. Newport writes of his journey. For all those who have played golf competitively at any level, this is a must read. For us weekend warriors who find ourselves choking under the pressure of $2 putt at our favorite golf course, the author lives our fantasy. Read this book, you'll love the game alittle more because of it!

The author, John Newport, a very good amateur (handicap 3) spent a year taking lessons, practicing, and competing on the mini tours, trying to improve enough to make it through PGA Q-School to the Nike/Hooters/Whatever Tour. The book is a good read for us amateur golfers, including those who are not as talented as the author but aspire to be. I could relate to the main character and his experiences more than I could relate to the PGA Tour heroes in other books about golfers. Newport tried hard. But it seemed that every step forward was followed by a step back, with occasional joyful exceptions. Ultimately, Newport was undone by his inability to play his best under the pressure of formal competition. And that is the fine green line that separates the best golfers from the rest of us: the ability to play well under pressure. The book was entertaining, with Newport's personal, sometimes hopeful, often agonizing reminiscences, and his descriptions of fellow mini-tour travelers and their exploits. Most of us amateurs like golf tips, and there are some good ones here as Newport passes on what he learned in his golf lessons. The book is a good read. And it reminds us that no matter how much we love golf, we should keep our day jobs.