"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."
- Jacqueline Kennedy
I am not so sure there is anything that can make a person more powerful, more amazing, more of a superhero, and more purposeful, than a person reading to a child. We love golf and we believe so deeply in the life lessons inherent in golf; sportsmanship, critical thinking, integrity, work ethic, coordination, and on and on. We truly believe that a person who can navigate their way in and around the game of golf, can more easily navigate their way through life. Golf mirrors life, and life mirrors golf. But books... Books are like the paint to life’s canvas. Albert Einstein, who was not a huge golf fan, and actually tried it once, but quit because it was too complicated, did have an opinion about reading to children. He said, "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."
I am not sure if our books would qualify as ‘fairy tales,’ but I am fairly confident that we would get a little nod of approval from Mr. Einstein, or at least a little something for the effort. We feel that reading, whether at bedtime or not, is important; as important as changing diapers. And like changing diapers, sometimes you’re tired, and hope it is not ‘your turn!’ In honesty though, it is an honor. To hear a child call your number, whether it be ‘mommy,’ ‘daddy,’ ‘grandma,’ ‘grandpa,’ etc. You are who they want to take them on a journey, the one they are choosing to have a huge experience with - you are the bomb! I do not remember a time when reading a story, where I was not living up to my highest purpose. One sentence in, and it is like finding the zone, like bettering your handicap!
As in golf, there are hazards, like reading the same book a million times, or worse, not getting to read ‘your’ favorite book. Our books are about golf, or at least they relate directly to golf. The most common question we get is “I didn’t see an age for your book, what age are they for?” The short answer is: all ages! The longer answer is: ‘All of our books are to be read to a child, until that child is reading them to you!’ And our signature turtles, Putter and Sandy, are there to guide the way, and introduce children to the game of golf in a fun and engaging way.
Our first book, “How Putter learned his ABC’s,” is a journey through the alphabet, on a golf course, and is filled with golf terms throughout the round. This book not only introduces kids to the ABC’s, but familiarizes them with terms found in the game of golf. Who knows, maybe your child will be the only one in preschool who says ‘birdie’ for ‘B’, but doesn’t mean “the kind in a tree.”
Our second book, “The Clubs in my Bag” is a fun and exciting tour of the elements of a golf course and an introduction to the basic equipment used to play the game of golf. Putter and Sandy explore the tools of the trade, and there is even a review at the end. The world of golf can be filled with such foreign terms, that it can be more than a little intimidating. In “The Clubs in my Bag,” Putter and Sandy explore the course with your children, in a way that makes it fun. Putter and Sandy are great guides, who are not there to merely inform about golf, but to invite little ones to explore the wonderful world of golf themselves.
“Putter and Sandy’s Great Golf Adventure” is the first Book in our ‘Adventure Series.’ Our ambition was to not only continue to gently introduce children to some of golfs slightly intimidating aspects, but to send you and your child on an adventure with Putter and Sandy through golf's wonderful and storied past. A journey back in time to some of golf’s most historical moments, and famous locales. After meeting a strange Scottish dog named Mulligan (and asking permission from their mom and dad), Putter and Sandy set out for an amazing adventure back in time, and actually play on the Old Course at St. Andrews, with none other than Old Tom Morris himself. This fun book will surely become a family favorite, to be passed around and handed down.
The second book in our adventure series, “Putter and Sandy’s Great Golf adventure No. 2”, finds Putter and Sandy traveling with Mulligan back in time to Pinehurst, where they meet Donald Ross himself. Mr. Ross plays his famous Pinehurst No. 2 course with Putter and Sandy through various points in time, from the days of oiled sand putting surfaces, to the way the course is today, following a re-design by the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. We are certain that this too, will become a family favorite.