Smart Golf: Wisdom and Strategies from the "Thinking Man's Golfer"

He was never considered to be the best driver, chipper, or putter on the PGA Tour, but Hale Irwin did manage to do one thing consistently--win. His 20 PGA Tour victories, including three U.S. Open victories, place him fifth on the all-time list. Today, he is the most formidable player on the Senior PGA Tour.

In Smart Golf, Irwin shares the secrets he used to forge a reputation as the thinking man's golfer--smart game management and smart course management. Focusing less on mechanics and more on practical and tactical strategies, Irwin shows you how to steer your game and handle the course to arrive at a better score. Smart Golf is a practical, easy-to-follow guide for golfers frustrated with complex swing diagrams and cryptic putting physics. Although the fundamentals of golf are addressed, Smart Golf is not overburdened with mechanics. Instead, it focuses on practical and tactical strategies to help golfers--at any level--get the most out of their game.

"Every golfer, regardless of age, skill, or physique, has a brain--so every golfer should know how to use it. I've learned the hard way that playing smart and getting the most out of my game was the only way to succeed. Put another way, there are a lot of ways to play golf. You just have to find the one that's right for you.

"To that end, Smart Golf differs from other golf books. It won't just show you an ideal swing and then tell you that's how you should be swinging. Instead, it will focus on getting the most out of the game you already have. And as everything we discuss will be firmly rooted in logic, a smarter game will be something you can hold on to, unlike so many swing changes that golfers make."
-- Hale Irwin, from the Introduction to Smart Golf

Hale Irwin has been a major force on the PGA and Senior PGA Tour for 30 years. He owns three U.S. Open titles and is one of only 32 players in PGA history with 20 or more career victories. At age 45, he became the oldest player to win the U.S. Open. In 1995, he carried nearly three decades of success on the PGA Tour over to the Senior PGA Tour with instant results. Last year, he became the first player in half a century to capture three consecutive Senior Tour Championships, and only the fourth player in tour history to win the same event three straight times. Today, Irwin is regarded as the premier player on the Senior Tour.

Robin McMillian is Editor-in-Chief at Golf Magazine Properties. He has been a gold writer and editor for 16 years, and has written or edited seven golf books.

Jim Hartley is a lifelong amateur golfer who began incorporating many of the principles found in this book into his own game with instant results, more than 10 years ago.

Robin McMillan is editor in chief of Golf Magazine's Custom Publishing Division. Scottish by birth, he has lived in New York City for the past twenty-five years. He is married with two children.

Hale Irwin has been a major force on the PGA and Senior PGA Tour for 30 years. He owns three U.S. Open titles and is one of only 32 players in PGA history with 20 or more career victories. At age 45, he became the oldest player to win the U.S. Open. In 1995, he carried nearly three decades of success on the PGA Tour over to the Senior PGA Tour with instant results. Last year, he became the first player in half a century to capture three consecutive Senior Tour Championships, and only the fourth player in tour history to win the same event three straight times. Today, Irwin is regarded as the premier player on the Senior Tour.

Robin McMillian is Editor-in-Chief at Golf Magazine Properties. He has been a gold writer and editor for 16 years, and has written or edited seven golf books.

Jim Hartley is a lifelong amateur golfer who began incorporating many of the principles found in this book into his own game with instant results, more than 10 years ago.