Running is strictly forbidden at Augusta National Golf Club. But run don’t walk to your nearest bookseller – or order it online without haste – because “All Carry,” the debut novel from Gene Wojciechowski, which has its climax at the home of the Masters, is that good.
“Woj” is one of the best writers in the biz, having been on the frontlines for more than 40 years, first as a sportswriter at some of the biggest newspapers in the country and then covering golf for ESPN. He writes with an authenticity of having been there and a hard-earned understanding of the players, caddies and life among the colorful characters that is the traveling circus we know as the PGA Tour. He is also a master at writing with humor, which is an underrated skill, and he does it effortlessly, particularly through the character of a down-on-his-luck caddie, Max “Hard Way” Mitchell, who dishes out better one-liners than Lee Trevino.
Just prepare to suspend belief because in the spirit of “Bagger Vance” and “Golf in the Kingdom,” the plot defies reason. A set of MacGregor clubs built by real-life legendary clubmakers Jack Wullkotte and Don White and intended for Jack Nicklaus is purchased at a garage sale, and they work the way they were supposed to for Nicklaus, except for a laid-off TV broadcaster.
He suddenly goes from barely able to break 100 to bashing 400-yard drives and, with the help of a few tips from a swing coach who offers shades of Butch Harmon, a competitor in the Masters. I don’t want to spoil the fun, but suffice it to say that Woj sticks the landing at the 18th green, and this book is a winner.
The premise is very simple — What if life gave you a mulligan? All Carry is golf’s Field of Dreams and The Natural all in one – and there will be a movie version of All Carry, there has to be.
But don’t sit back and wait for Adam Sandler or Mark Wahlberg to put this feel-good father-son, unlikely friendship, comeback story on the big screen. Run to your bookstore because the book is always better than the movie.