Book Review: Little Balls Big Dreams

You know that feeling you get when you hit a ball on the sweet spot of the club? When everything clicks - a smooth, fluid swing; perfect balance; solid contact...And, of course, the ball goes exactly where you intended it to go. You think to yourself; "If I could only hit it that way all the time."

We all have those "perfect" shots inside us, we just need to work on hitting more than one a round (or season...or lifetime). But what if one perfect shot led to another and another and before you knew it, everything you ever learned about how to correctly swing a golf club connected both physically and mentally on a regular basis? Sounds a bit fantastical, doesn't it? One shot and BAM! You're a scratch golfer. Come on, that's the stuff of fiction.

Well, actually, it is the stuff of fiction - in James Wolf's novel "Little Balls Big Dreams" that's exactly what happens to Matt True, the story's lead character. Matt is your average guy in his 40s with a wife, kids and an 11 handicap. That is, until one day at his local club, he hits that "perfect" shot on the par 3, 6th hole. Everything connected - a smooth, fluid swing; perfect balance; solid contact...And, of course, the ball went exactly where he intended it to go...in this case, right in the hole for an ace.

But things didn't end there for Matt. He knew deep down that the ace changed him. He was confident that he could reproduce that swing every time and with similar results...and he was correct - he finished his round at two under par (pretty impressive for an 11 handicap). After that, Matt continued to play scratch golf and he quickly began to resurrect his teenage dreams of becoming a pro golfer on tour. And that's where the story really begins.

In Little Balls Big Dreams, Mr. Wolf takes you on an adventure of "what if." What if you could become a scratch golfer after just one, game-changing shot? What would you do? Would you put yourself through Q-school when most of the players there are half your age? Would you sacrifice your family life and your stable job for a shot at life on the PGA Tour? Would your spouse even let you give it a go?

This short novel (167 pages) takes you on Matt's journey to answer these questions and follow his dreams. I found myself seriously thinking about what I would do if I suddenly were a scratch golfer. And I could relate to the conversations Matt had with his wife over him pursuing his dream. And I could also relate to his concerns about being away from his children for long stretches of time. The only thing I couldn't relate to was the feeling of being an awesome golfer - so until that happens, I guess I'm not really sure what I would do.

But in the book, you can sit back and enjoy how the story unfolds - how Matt's decisions lead him to where he ends up when the last page is turned. Little Balls Big Dreams is a thought-provoking and entertaining story of golf, family, dreams and what really matters when you get right down to it.

You can purchase Little Balls Big Dreams HERE. Remember, Father's Day is coming up!

Posted in: ace,golf,golf stinks,golfstinks,hole in one,james wolf,little balls big dreams,PGA TOUR,q-school