The Caddie

Rating:
Summary: Destined to be a Classic!
Review: A uniquely crafted story of a self destructive golfer and the Caddie who, sometimes through mysterious ways, tries to help him restore his game and his life. The path they take gives one a rare insight into a golfers journey through Tournament Qualifying School(Q-School) to obtain a Tour Card (License) while also giving one a glimpse of the Author's extraordinary knowledge of players and the courses they played as well as the history of the game itself. One need not play golf to follow this well written and thoroughly enjoyable story that could be defined as "It's A Wonderful Life" of golf! This is easily Mike Veron's best effort yet and could be destined to be a Classic!!

Rating:
Summary: Destined to be a Classic!
Review: A uniquely crafted story of a self destructive golfer and the Caddie who, sometimes through mysterious ways, tries to help him restore his game and his life. The path they take gives one a rare insight into a golfers journey through Tournament Qualifying School(Q-School) to obtain a Tour Card (License) while also giving one a glimpse of the Author's extraordinary knowledge of players and the courses they played as well as the history of the game itself. One need not play golf to follow this well written and thoroughly enjoyable story that could be defined as "It's A Wonderful Life" of golf! This is easily Mike Veron's best effort yet and could be destined to be a Classic!!

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Fountain of Knowledge for Golfers of All Levels
Review: For those who firmly believe that a great novel lies somewhere in the recesses of their mind, J. Michael Veron may be an inspiration. Veron, a Louisiana attorney, did not publish his first novel until age 49. THE CADDIE is his third novel, completing a trilogy of golf sagas that mix the mysticism of Michael Murphy with detailed descriptions of some of America's most famous golf venues. Along the way there are some discerning observations about the game of golf, and how one can improve not only the quality of his game but the quality of life as well.

Veron's first novel, THE GREATEST PLAYER WHO NEVER LIVED, was a mythical account of Beau Steadman, a teenage companion of golfing legend Bobby Jones. One became a champion while the other was forced to spend his golfing career underground under a series of assumed names. In THE GREATEST COURSE THAT NEVER WAS, the reader unlocks the mystery of the golf course designed and constructed by Bobby Jones after the creation of his beloved Augusta National. Both of these novels have as their common thread the life and times of Bobby Jones. In THE CADDIE, the connection to Jones is through the eyes of Stewart Jones, a man who seemingly knows more about the life of his namesake than he does about himself.

Stewart Jones is an enigmatic figure who is knowledgeable in golf history and has influential friends throughout the golfing world. While Reeves finds this to be somewhat strange, he is willing to accept the benefits of Jones's many acquaintances. For the reader, the true identity of Stewart Jones becomes apparent early in the novel. Bobby Reeves may be the only character in THE CADDIE who does not know the true identity of his benefactor, but his lack of knowledge on this subject is vital to the events of the novel. Sometimes in a work of fiction, plot must trump common sense.

The relationship between a professional golfer and his caddie is unlike any other in sports. Perhaps the only analogous bond in sports might be between a jockey and his horse. The equine, however, cannot fly to a tournament with his rider, nor can they dine together or share a hotel room. A caddie is a coach, psychologist, travel companion and cheerleader toting a fifty-pound golf bag seven to eight miles a day. Unlike most golfer-caddie relationships, the selection process is reversed in the Stewart Jones-Bobby Reeves team. Jones seeks out Reeves, bails him out of jail after Reeves is arrested for stealing money from his employer, and convinces the young golfer that he has a future on the professional tour.

Bobby Reeves is a quintessential character for the golfing and life journey that occurs in THE CADDIE. As a college golfer his unfulfilled talent was drowned in alcohol and hampered by immaturity. Stewart Jones commences rebuilding his golf game and his mental outlook on life. Along the way there are lessons that readers can translate to their own individual game. Reeves has the physical talent to be an outstanding golfer, but the mental aspects of his game need substantial work. Many of those mental suggestions offered by Jones the caddie can be a benefit to any golfer. More attention to the mental side of the game can lower one's handicap just as well as time spent on the practice tee.

The journey of Bobby Reeves from Q-School to the United States Open is recounted in great and glorious detail. Along the way is a visit to Augusta National and several other golfing shrines. Stewart Jones offers many insights about golfing success to Reeves by way of historical anecdotes that golf enthusiasts will find appealing. While there are no plot twists or surprises in THE CADDIE, it is nonetheless a wonderful fountain of knowledge for golfers of all levels. J. Michael Veron loves the game of golf, and that love is apparent on each page of the novel. This is not a book for non-golfers, but anyone who has spent time on the golf course will find this a great summer read. After all, even golfers spend a little time at the pool or at the lake, reading during summer vacation.

--- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman

Rating:
Summary: Thin but Entertaining
Review: I have to admit that I enjoyed this book, but then almost anyone who likes or loves the game of golf would enjoy a book that pretty much has things going the way one would wish for a pro golfer down on his luck. Bobby Reeves is such a guy. He is getting to the bottom of the barrell when he steals money from a good friend and is not only found out, but jailed for his effort. From that point on, things start looking up for Bobby. Introducing Stewart Jones, the man who walks into Bobby's life and turns it around in spades as his caddie and his counselor. Along the way Jones reveals little about who he really is directly, but the hints that are dropped are as broad as an Arnold Palmer smile. There is some interesting lore about the PGA tour dispensed, there is some good golf advice, there is some history and there is a bit of a soap opera atmosphere created as Bobby seeks his PGA Tour card and then moves on from there to much bigger and better challenges. Don't look for any sudden twists and turns of plot. This pretty much plays out to the readers satisfaction, but the story is somewhat thin, even though it is fairly entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Bagger Vance Revisited
Review: I rated this book a five because it is a fast paced read about my favorite subject--golf. I must say, however, that the author's writing style is not nearly as good as it was in his first two books. This one is far too heavy on golf cliches, platitudes and "clever" Dennis Miller type analogies. It is also a very thinly disquised redeux of Bagger Vance (but then again, I liked Bagger Vance).

On the positive side, the author offers a number of presumably accurate insights into life on the PGA tour (even though his desciption of houses on the 18th at Pebble Beach is, to my memory, inaccurate).

Despite the flaws, I did enjoy the book.

Rating:
Summary: The Caddie
Review: Mike Veron has done it again. This is his third golf novel and each one is better than the one before. Bobby Reeves is a professional golfer at the bottom of the heap. He meets up with a very unusual man, Stewart Jones, who, agrees to caddie for him, takes him under his wing and changes his life. In the process Bobby learns a lot about himself, his game and life in general. A great read which will entertain as well as enlighten everyone. No need to be a golfer to enjoy this book!!!

Rating:
Summary: Let's be real, nothing was better than the Greatest Player..
Review: The Caddie is a nice story, and J. Michael Veron is a success story in his own right, but nothing is better than his first book, The Greatest Player Who Never Lived. That book kept you captivated from the first page to the last. It screamed movie, and from what I know, had bites from Hollywood, and if made correctly, has a chance to be the best golf movie ever made--why, because the book was more than golf--it was "Grisham-like."