The Common Golfer (Paperback or Softback)

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 is a former newspaper editor and public relations executive. Now retired from the work-a-day world, he continues as a columnist for two Ohio newspapers and as a freelance magazine feature writer. Jack fills his retirement time with three to four rounds of golf each week in Ohio and Florida with friends and family. His experiences on and around golf courses are the feedstock for his new book, The Common Golfer,

aptly subtitled “Celebrating the Game’s Ordinary and Extraordinary People, Places and Things.” After sixty years of playing the game, Jack concludes that common golfers like himself, people with an uncommon passion for the game, are true believers that regardless of what has transpired during their round, the next shot they are about to hit

may very well be the best they’ve ever struck. His first book, The Common Angler, helped inspire The Common Golfer, as they both explore the whys of the respective sports and the optimism and enthusiasm of their participants. Jack and his wife, Barb, reside in Poland, Ohio, and Naples, Fla., and are proud that daughter Betsy and her husband, Dr. Irfan Khan, are continuing the family golf tradition.