Golf in the Kingdom

Part of Compass

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Paperback
$18.00 US
5.07"W x 7.76"H x 0.67"D   | 7 oz | 56 per carton
On sale Oct 01, 1997 | 240 Pages | 978-0-14-019549-1
"...for golf’s soul surfers, Golf in the Kingdom is holy scripture." -- Golf

A spiritual journey, a lush travelogue, a parable of sports and philosophy—John Updike called this unique novel “a golf classic if any exists in our day.”

Now for the 50th anniversary, a beautiful new design and an introduction from Michael Murphy himself

Paired with a mysterious teacher named Shivas Irons, Michael Murphy is led through a round of phenomenal golf, swept into a world where extraordinary powers are unleashed in a backswing governed by “true gravity.” A night of adventure and revelation follows, and leads to a glimpse of Seamus MacDuff, the holy man who haunts a ravine off Burningbush’s thirteenth fairway—the one they call Lucifer’s Rug.
 
“A masterpiece on the mysticism of golf.” —San Francisco Chronicle
 
“A fascination . . . Golf in the Kingdom should have a long and prosperous life.” —Joseph Campbell
© Jake Stangel
In 1961 Michael Murphy cofounded, with Richard Price, the Esalen Institute, a learning center in California that fosters change in individuals and society, and has hosted thousands of human potential workshops and conferences led by such notables as Joseph Campbell, Aldous Huxley, Joan Borysenko, Allen Ginsberg, and Linus Pauling, to name a few. In 1980, he helped create the Esalen Institute’s Soviet American Exchange program, which, among other things, initiated the first live television space bridges and hosted president of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin during his first visit to the United States. Murphy is the author of The Future of the Body, Golf in the Kingdom, and An End to Ordinary History, and the coauthor of The Psychic Side of Sports. He lives in San Rafael, California. View titles by Michael Murphy
Named one of "The Fifty Best Golf Books Every Golfer Should Read" by Golf Digest

"Mystical" -- The New York Times

"Almost 50 years ago, Michael Murphy penned what many consider to be the definitive book on golf — not that he knew it at the time. But to this day, the magical power and mystical musings of golf in the kingdom inspire" -- Golf

“In the late ’70s, I discovered my caddie Mike [Fluff] Cowan had one book in his possession — a copy of Golf in the Kingdom, which was all torn apart and held together by tape and rubber bands. I said, ‘What is this?’ He growled, ‘Only the best golf book ever written.’ And he was right.” -- Peter Jacobsen

“It gives us the language to talk about the spiritual side of the game, which I have always believed in.” -- Brad Faxon

“a golf classic if any exists in our day.” -- John Updike


"...this book is a slow burn that relies on dialogue to make the reader think and examine why they play golf. As such, the book is best enjoyed by golfers who enjoy the mental aspects of the game and especially those that live for the feeling of peace the sport brings." -- Golflink.com


About

"...for golf’s soul surfers, Golf in the Kingdom is holy scripture." -- Golf

A spiritual journey, a lush travelogue, a parable of sports and philosophy—John Updike called this unique novel “a golf classic if any exists in our day.”

Now for the 50th anniversary, a beautiful new design and an introduction from Michael Murphy himself

Paired with a mysterious teacher named Shivas Irons, Michael Murphy is led through a round of phenomenal golf, swept into a world where extraordinary powers are unleashed in a backswing governed by “true gravity.” A night of adventure and revelation follows, and leads to a glimpse of Seamus MacDuff, the holy man who haunts a ravine off Burningbush’s thirteenth fairway—the one they call Lucifer’s Rug.
 
“A masterpiece on the mysticism of golf.” —San Francisco Chronicle
 
“A fascination . . . Golf in the Kingdom should have a long and prosperous life.” —Joseph Campbell

Creators

© Jake Stangel
In 1961 Michael Murphy cofounded, with Richard Price, the Esalen Institute, a learning center in California that fosters change in individuals and society, and has hosted thousands of human potential workshops and conferences led by such notables as Joseph Campbell, Aldous Huxley, Joan Borysenko, Allen Ginsberg, and Linus Pauling, to name a few. In 1980, he helped create the Esalen Institute’s Soviet American Exchange program, which, among other things, initiated the first live television space bridges and hosted president of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin during his first visit to the United States. Murphy is the author of The Future of the Body, Golf in the Kingdom, and An End to Ordinary History, and the coauthor of The Psychic Side of Sports. He lives in San Rafael, California. View titles by Michael Murphy

Praise

Named one of "The Fifty Best Golf Books Every Golfer Should Read" by Golf Digest

"Mystical" -- The New York Times

"Almost 50 years ago, Michael Murphy penned what many consider to be the definitive book on golf — not that he knew it at the time. But to this day, the magical power and mystical musings of golf in the kingdom inspire" -- Golf

“In the late ’70s, I discovered my caddie Mike [Fluff] Cowan had one book in his possession — a copy of Golf in the Kingdom, which was all torn apart and held together by tape and rubber bands. I said, ‘What is this?’ He growled, ‘Only the best golf book ever written.’ And he was right.” -- Peter Jacobsen

“It gives us the language to talk about the spiritual side of the game, which I have always believed in.” -- Brad Faxon

“a golf classic if any exists in our day.” -- John Updike


"...this book is a slow burn that relies on dialogue to make the reader think and examine why they play golf. As such, the book is best enjoyed by golfers who enjoy the mental aspects of the game and especially those that live for the feeling of peace the sport brings." -- Golflink.com