Books: The Fine Green Line

If you're a golfer, you know someone like Newport, a civilian who hits it straight and long, scores in the mid-to-low 70s and, you sometimes think, could make it on the tour if only he got serious. That's sort of what Newport believed, and his chronicle of a year devoted to the task explains why the fine green line--the boundary between the worst of the touring pros and the best club champions--is as wide as the Pacific. Newport may be a very good golfer, but he's an even better writer. From a distressing little story about Michael Jordan to some superb explorations of the golfer's soul, there's a revelation or a delight on every page.

--By Daniel Okrent