Tales from Q School

Inside Golf's Fifth Major

By: John Feinstein

Narrated by: John Feinstein

From the author of Raise a Fist, Take a Knee and A Good Walk Spoiled, this "must-read" national bestseller takes you inside the dramatic world of the highest-pressure golf tournament in the world (Tampa Tribune).

It is the tournament that separates champions from mortals. It is the starting point for the careers of future legends and can be the final stop on the down escalator for fading stars. The annual PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament is one of the most grueling competitions in any sport. Every fall, veterans and talented hopefuls sweat through six rounds of hell at Q school, as the tournament is universally known, to get a shot at the PGA Tour, vying for the 30 slots available.

The grim reality: If you don't make it through Q school, you're not on the PGA tour. You're out. And those who make it to the six-day finals are the lucky ones: hundreds more players fail to get through the equally grueling first two stages of the event. John Feinstein tells the story of the players who compete for these coveted positions in the 2005 Q school as only he can. With arresting accounts from the players, established winners, rising stars, the defeated, and the endlessly hopeful, America's favorite sportswriter unearths the inside story behind the PGA Tour's brutal all-or-nothing competition.

Close to home

I admit that my experience is different than most. I played professional golf on the mini-tours and internationally before there was a Nike or Hooters tour, and when you had to make the top 60 to stay on the PGA tour.
Nevertheless, if you have any interest in golf (and I quit 30 years ago), the fleshing out of individual sagas is very compelling. Feinstein gets into the minds of the up-and-coming and those trying to hang on, and this is what makes it a great book.

Great read

Would love to have the author write an updated version of this book featuring some of the guys on tour that came up after Tiger.

Exepcted more 'golf geekiness'

Feinstein provides a loose structure of describing first stage, second stage, finals and touches on the adventures of many players as they go through Q school. The problem is that there was not nearly enough of what I call the golf "geek factor": extreme detail of how a sequence of holes is being played--club selection, lie, strategy, mis-hits, etc. He does provide this for a couple of players in the finals, but it seemed too little, too late. Anyone reading this book is waaaaay into golf and like that level of detail--usually.

As it was, I was left with what felt like a ton of names and totals for their rounds and how far they missed "the number." It got a little distracting and hard to follow. He does get across what an ordeal Q school is (it is being phased out now, I believe, or at least revised) and how heartbreaking and costly small mistakes--or the whims of fate--can be. If you're into golf, read it but be aware that it's a little general at times in its approach.

Tales from Q school

I did not find this to be John's best effort. However, it is golf and if you enjoy golf you will enjoy the inside knowledge that he brings to the game.

The book’s title says it all

The book’s title says it all. This is a nice collection of stories of experiences of players that have both made it and failed in Q school. It’s a compelling look at what actually happens behind the ropes at Q school. It’s relevant to me as I explore the possibilities for my son as a young golfer that has expressed interest in pursuing this as a career. However, I do wish that the author put some numbers to make a compelling story. You can show a better picture and answer the why’s and how’s with statistics.