'The Swinger' by Michael Bamberger & Alan Shipnuck


This is a fictional account of professional golfer Tree Tremont. The story reads like the life of Tiger Woods, so the authors did not have to think to hard to get a plot.

Against my better judgment, I read the whole book out of curiosity because the two authors are good writers for Sports Illustrated and they do move the narrative along at a good pace.

Was reading the whole book a waste of my time? Definitely! Bamberger and Shipnuck spent 98 percent of the time relating Tree's problems and in the last 2 percent he suddenly becomes a really great person, actually talking to his fellow pros.

The ending read like I should all of a sudden worship this new person. Guess I had better things to do than read this book, like wash the car.

"The Swinger" by Michael Bamberger & Alan Shipnuck, Simon and Schuster, $25, ISBN 978-1-4516-5755-5 or ISBN 978-1-4516-5757-9 (ebook).

Dr. John Wagner has been a Seattle dentist for 37 years. He's been published in several dental journals as well as had several articles appear in the turf magazine for Pacific Northwest golf course superintendents. John has served as a guest lecturer at the University of Washington Business School for several years and as a guest lecturer for several dental societies. Dr. Wagner is the co-designer (with Steve Shea of the Berger Partnership) of a golf course in Japan that cost over $120 million and was built by Wadsworth Golf Construction. He's a Past President of the Washington State Golf Association and a Trustee of the Pacific Coast Golf Association. A 7 handicap, John is currently a member of the USGA Green Section and a Director of the WSGA.