Golf in the Kingdom - Hardcover

Murphy, Michael

3.73

1,918 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0914178954 ISBN 13: 9780914178958

Publisher: Golf Digest, 1993

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While on his way to India, Michael Murphy, founder of the Esalen Institute, stopped in Scotland to play a round of golf at the famous Burningbush course. There he met Shivas Irons, golf pro and mystic, and in a single day and night he had his life -- and his game -- transformed. In the two decades since it was first published, Golf in the Kingdom has been recognized as a classic on the deeper mysteries of golf, a gospel for those who suspect, or know, that golf is more than a mere pastime.

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Review:

Esalen Institute founder Michael Murphy's divine meditation on the royal and ancient game defied categorization when it was first published in 1972, and it still does. Instantly hailed as a classic, Golf in the Kingdom is an altogether unique confluence of fiction, philosophy, myth, mysticism, enchantment, and golf instruction. The central character is a wily Scotsman named Shivas Irons, a golf professional by vocation and a shaman by design, whom Murphy, as participant in his own novel, meets in 1956 on the links of Burningbush, in Fife. The story of their round of golf together culminates in a wild night of whiskey and wisdom where, as Shivas demonstrates how the swing reflects the soul, their golf quite literally takes on a metaphysical glow. The events alter not only Murphy's game, but they also radically alter his mind and inner vision; it's truly unforgettable. For a golfer, Murphy's masterpiece is as essential as a set of clubs.

From the Publisher:

A classic tale of sport and mysticism, here in a brand new audio production.

"Michael Murphy was on his way from California to India when he met Shivas Irons on a golfing links he calls Burningbush, in Scotland. They played 18 holes together and had a second go at the devilish 13th hole in the middle of a wild whiskey night--a mythic round that profoundly altered Murphy's game and his vision. . . Murphy's book is going to alter many visions. He's written a mystical tale capable of winning a constituency. I totally believed it and loved it."
--Nancy Weber, The New York Times Book Review

"Golf in the Kingdom is a fascination...[Murphy has] put a lot of fine thoughts together here, most gracefully, and the book should have a long and prosperous life."
--Joseph Campbell

"Golf a mere game? A mirror of life? Something metaphysical and/or mystical? All of the above? Shivas Irons, a magical Scottish golf professional, puts those questions to all of us. Superb."
--C. Grant Spaeth, President, United States Golf Association

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