Haunted Golf: Spirited Tales from the Rough

Anthony Pioppi · Chris Gonsalves

Apr 2009 · Rowman & Littlefield

About this ebook

The world of golf is rife with unexplainable happenings that seemingly defy the rules of gravity and logic: There are those badly hit shots last seen disappearing into a grove of trees, only to be rediscovered on the putting green. And what of those perfectly struck drives that rocketed into the crisp blue beyond never to be seen again? Players have learned to lay blame on “the Golf Gods,” and go about their rounds.

There are, however, the other stories—tales of apparitions gliding across a course, unexplained noises emanating from uninhabited rooms of a clubhouse, or the phantom golfer who appears out of nowhere to play a shot and vanishes just as suddenly. Haunted Golf explores such stories from the clubhouses of New England to the fairways of New Orleans and the links of Great Britain.

Bringing readers on a journey that will enlighten, entertain, and send shivers, this book also delves into the history and flavor of the locations, painting evocative portraits of the courses and the communities. It includes a foreword by English golfer and golf analyst Peter Oosterhuis.

About the author

Anthony Pioppi is a Contributing Editor and Editor-at-Large for Golfdom and Golfdom Europe, and is the golf columnist for Newsmax.com.

From 1985 until 1998, Pioppi was a general-assignment news reporter, sportswriter and police reporter for newspapers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. In 1998, he left writing to work on golf courses grounds crews in Florida and Connecticut. Pioppi returned to writing in 2000 and since then has contributed to a number of golf magazines in the United States and United Kingdom, writing about such topics as golf course architecture and maintenance, as well as golf travel.

In 2006, Sports Media Group published his first book, "To the Nines," a celebration of notable and memorable nine-hole golf courses throughout the United States. It was nominated for the United States Golf Association's Herbert Warren Wind Book Award.

Pioppi, his Fender Stratocaster guitar and vintage Ampeg amplifier live a less-than-quiet existence in Middletown, Conn.

Chris Gonsalves has spent two decades writing about murder, mayhem ...and golf! As a waterfront and crime reporter for The Standard-Times in New Bedford, Mass., Chris spent countless hours prowling the deliciously spooky cobblestone streets of the historic Whaling City, a favorite haunt of Herman Melville and a cadre of lesser known spirits of the sea. Later, he covered luxury lifestyles as Executive Editor of Gulfshore Life Magazine in Naples, Fla., a city with more golf holes per capita than any place in America. He lives and works from the PGA National resort community in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. where he always finds the championship course's famous Bear Trap a spine-chilling experience... day or night.
Peter Oosterhuis is a Sr. PGA Tour player and golf analyst for CBS. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

CBS golf analyst and Sr. PGA Tour player Peter Oosterhuis got his start in broadcasting with Sky Sports in Great Britain, analyzing PGA Tour events from a London studio. He also worked for the venerable BBC at the 1996 and 1997 Open Championships. For three years beginning in 1995, Peter was the lead analyst for The Golf Channel coverage of the PGA European Tour, reporting from some 90 events.

Prior to his telecasting career, Peter was one of the leading players in Great Britain and Europe. He was a member of six Ryder Cup teams: 1971, '73, '75, '77 and '81, and was unbeaten in his first seven singles matches. Peter stood atop the PGA European Tour Order of Merit for 4 consecutive seasons, 1971 to 1974, a record that stood until 1997. He captured 19 international tournaments and was the runner-up in the 1974 and 1982 Open Championships.

Between commentating, participating in tournaments and taking part in corporate events Peter enjoys traveling with his wife, Ruth Ann.