Golf in the Kingdom

More than one Million Copies Sold

The iconic word-of-mouth classic that is at once a spiritual journey, a lush travelogue, and a parable of sports and philosophy. “A masterpiece on the mysticism of golf.” —San Francisco Chronicle

When an American traveler on his way to India stops to play a round on one of the most beautiful and legendary golf courses in Scotland, he doesn’t know that his game—and his life—are about to change forever. He is introduced to Shivas Irons, a mysterious golf pro whose sublime insights stick with him long after the eighteenth hole. From the first swing of the Scotsman’s club, he realizes he is in for a most extraordinary day.

By turns comic, existential, and semi-autobiographical, Michael Murphy’s tale traces the arc of twenty-four hours, from a round of golf on the Links of Burningbush to a night fueled by whiskey, wisdom, and wandering—even a sighting of Seamus MacDuff, the holy man who haunts the hole they call Lucifer’s Rug.“Murphy’s book is going to alter many visions,” The New York Times Book Review declared. More than an unforgettable approach to one of the world’s most popular sports, Golf in the Kingdom is a meditation on the power of a game to transform the self.

Praise for Golf in the Kingdom:

“The definitive book on golf.” —Golf Magazine

“A golf classic if any exists in our day.” —John Updike

“A fascination . . . Golf in the Kingdom should have a long and prosperous life.” —Joseph Campbell

“Every writer gets one book that is a gift from God.” —Norman Mailer