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In Review

04 December 2008 05:05 BST

With Friends Like These – A Selective History Of The Ryder Cup by Martin Vousden

Published by Time Warner Books, out now, hardback, 240pp, £18.99.

In a nutshell…

Golf. Golf. Golf. Transatlantic. Golf.

What's it all about?

The Ryder Cup, three days of thrilling head-to-head matchplay between the very best golfers from Europe and the US, has taken place more or less every two years for the past eight decades. All of golf's greatest figures have graced the competition with dominance ebbing and flowing across the Atlantic. Martin Vousden presents the epic clashes in an article format, focusing on two or three different key moments from each tournament. Some of the incidents covered are well-known – the two-foot putt Jack Nicklaus conceded to tie the 1969 Cup, for example – while others are a little more from the archives. This is a comprehensive history of the Cup and is a well-timed release for the 2006 Ryder Cup, which is being held in Ireland this autumn.

Who's it by?

Martin Vousden has made a career out of writing about golf, and his passion for the game shows throughout his latest work. He currently edits Scottish Golf magazine from his home north of the border and, perhaps fortunately, has an "understanding wife".

As an example…

"There have been times when the passion of competition has boiled over, which has caused some people to question whether the spirit of the Ryder Cup is in danger of being forgotten. Let me reassure you, that is never going to happen."

Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster

Although the heady emotions of the Ryder Cup could provide a backdrop to an awkward rom-com in the same way SW19 did for the tennis-oriented Wimbledon, it's fair to say that the antics of Tony Jacklin, Lee Trevino et al are probably best left to the armchair enthusiast rather than the Hollywood director.

What the others say

"We are excited to get over there and trying to win the Cup and bring it back home" – Tom Lehmann, the US' 2006 Ryder Cup captain

"The Ryder Cup has been a big part in the lives of my wife and I. I have great affinity for Irish golf and especially the Irish golf fans" – Ian Woosnam, Europe's 2006 Ryder Cup captain

So is it any good?

This is a book to give your dad for Christmas. It reads fairly well and evocatively describes the tensions and controversies which have made the Ryder Cup the important sporting event it is today. But the informal tone adopted by the author helps his narrative become almost too keen on the subject matter – so enthusiastic it becomes alienating to the idle page-turner.

Despite this, there are lots of strong points – the controversial heightening of the rivalry between the two teams which culminated in the infamous "pitch invasion" at Brookline in 1999 is dealt with appropriate relish – and the commanding confidence with which the author tackles his subject is without doubt. Aesthetically it has been well published, with a plethora of well-observed photographs making it a pleasant coffee-table book.

Unfortunately, however, that's what it is. If you don't have a desperate, yearning hunger to acquaint yourself with every nook and cranny of the Ryder Cup, you might find that the regular supply of statistics and trivia becomes a bit much. Although the hardcore golf geek is likely to gulp the anecdotes down enthusiastically and come back hungry for more, for the average sport fan it's little more than par for the course.

5/10

Alex Stevenson