Little Balls Big Dreams Book Review

image
Little Balls, Big Dreams
by James Wolfe

Grade: B-
Teacher’s Comments: A nice little book

James Wolfe’s Little Balls, Big Dreams is a cute little fantasy about a guy who – after hitting a hole-in-one – finds that he is magically transformed into a tour caliber player.

It’s every golfer’s dream, of course, to suddenly discover the magic swing. It’s also the case that nearly every serious golfer has gone through a streak that—for a short while—makes it seem possible. But few among us are foolish enough to believe that it will last. And none would quit their jobs to take a shot at joining the Tour on the basis of a few hot rounds.

And yet, that’s exactly what Matt True does in the novel. In spite of a lifetime of playing solid, but uninspired golf, he abandons his career and sets out to join the Tour.  While it all doesn’t go according to plan and there is a price to be paid, there’s no Faustian bargain. Matt True gets a shot at his dream while maintaining a grip on his soul.

A leap of faith is required to make the story work. The reader has to believe that True somehow knows the transformation is real, and not temporary or imagined. I had a hard time with it. My brushes with brilliance have been fleeting; the perfect swing never lasts for more than a couple of rounds.

Strangely, part of the problem was that the story was not fantastic enough.  Had there been an appearance by a golf god or a course fairy it somehow would have been more believable. Wolfe briefly touches on the teachings of a wacky golf guru, and later on mysterious effects of a True’s former high school golf coach, but leaves both those ends dangling.

Before I go quit my job and try out for the tour, I’m going to need a direct revelation from a higher power.

The novel is, for the most part, well written. There were a few paragraphs that seemed awkward and a couple of sections of forced dialog, but those were easy to overlook. Wolfe’s style is casual and easy to read.

I can give this book a cautious recommendation.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from GolfBlogger Golf Blog

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading