Kellie Stenzel Garvin, a PGA and LPGA class-A teaching professional, has been golfing since she was 3 years old. In her book, The Women's Guide to Golf, she attempts to teach the woman golfer who has not. Assuming the reader has no prior knowledge of the game, she explains everything. The chapters are set up as lessons, the first ones covering the course, the ball, the hole, and the equipment. The simplicity of these first lessons may seem a little insulting--after all, a beginning golfer is not the same as a beginning reader. But when she discusses grip in lesson 5, pay attention--that's when Stenzel Garvin starts to shine. With the aid of 75 black-and-white photos, she takes the novice golfer through the basic points of putting and the short game before moving on to the full swing. Two of the most valuable lessons aimed at helping the beginner avoid the pitfalls that would make her stand out: step-by-step instructions for going to the driving range to hit a bucket of balls and playing a round of golf. "Fake it 'til you make it" is her mantra. Left-handed golfers be warned, this book is written strictly from a right-handed perspective, so all instructions will have to be translated. --Suzanne Sexton


From Library Journal
Teaching pro Garvin clearly aims this book at beginners, those afraid of being embarrassed on the course. Thus, the book is not quite as technical as Judy Rankin's Play Better Golf (LJ 12/95). In a friendly, forgiving tone (she even recommends that beginners take practice shots from traps), Garvin covers basic golf swing mechanics, rules, etiquette, lessons, cost-cutting, training aids, range practice, handicaps, gender discrimination, and even how to drive a golf cart. Her approach is "fake it 'til you make it"; in other words, she helps beginners become familiar with golf behavior and terms before they are really proficient. Most useful are the cues or tips she gives her students to increase their success. Also unique is her discussion of dealing with the "Prince Charming Syndrome": men who give unsolicited advice to women golfers. An excellent guide from a savvy teacher, this is highly recommended to public libraries.-Kathryn Ruffle, formerly with Coll. of New Caledonia Lib., Prince George, BC Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
Throughout her teaching career, Kellie Stenzel has been continually asked to recommend a beginning golf instruction book for her female students to read. She researched the market and found nothing suitable—most books are too technical for the beginner and assume that the reader already has some familiarity with the game. This became the inspiration for The Women’s Guide to Golf, a well-crafted and easy-to-understand golf instructional for women who are new to the game.

Each section of the book provides a complete explanation of the skills needed to play golf. Ideas are presented in a clear and simple manner—golf lingo is translated into every-day English whenever possible so the reader can easily understand. Since students must have an idea of what they are trying to accomplish before they can learn, Kellie Stenzel starts at the very beginning and gives detailed explanations of basic concepts. For example, she explains what a putter looks like, what a putting green looks like, and what the goal of putting is, before teaching the reader how to putt. In addition, since women’s learning style is very different from men’s, this book also addresses specific women’s issues, such as posture and lack of distance.

This book includes

- a thorough explanation of the game
- easy-to-understand instructions
- suggestions on how to avoid embarrassment as a beginner
- simple ways to remember what you’ve read
- great anecdotes from the author’s experiences as a golfer and a teacher
- over 75 black-and-white photos

The Women’s Guide to Golf is one of the most accessible and comprehensive golf instructionals ever written for women—it is the perfect book for any woman who wants to learn the game.



About the Author
Kellie Stenzel is a PGA class A teaching professional who teaches at the Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton, New York, and at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. She is a contributing writer for Golf for Women magazine and is the author of The Women’s Guide to Consistent Golf.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Throughout her teaching career, Kellie Stenzel has been continually asked to recommend a beginning golf instruction book for her female students to read. She researched the market and found nothing suitable--most books are too technical for the beginner and assume that the reader already has some familiarity with the game. This became the inspiration for The Women's Guide to Golf, a well-crafted and easy-to-understand golf instructional for women who are new to the game.

Each section of the book provides a complete explanation of the skills needed to play golf. Ideas are presented in a clear and simple manner--golf lingo is translated into every-day English whenever possible so the reader can easily understand. Since students must have an idea of what they are trying to accomplish before they can learn, Kellie Stenzel starts at the very beginning and gives detailed explanations of basic concepts. For example, she explains what a putter looks like, what a putting green looks like, and what the goal of putting is, before teaching the reader how to putt. In addition, since women's learning style is very different from men's, this book also addresses specific women's issues, such as posture and lack of distance.

This book includes

- a thorough explanation of the game
- easy-to-understand instructions
- suggestions on how to avoid embarrassment as a beginner
- simple ways to remember what you've read
- great anecdotes from the author's experiences as a golfer and a teacher
- over 75 black-and-white photos

The Women's Guide to Golf is one of the most accessible and comprehensive golf instructionals ever written for women--it is the perfect book for any woman who wants to learn the game.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal