Different Strokes: The Lives and Teachings of the Game's Wisest Women

"As everyone knows, all good golf swings are alike in that the club must make certain motions as it passes through a short space. The angle and speed of the clubface at the moment it strikes the ball are the test all swings must take. The golf club doesn't care if it is being swung by a woman or a man."

-- HARVEY PENICK

For as long as golf has been played, it has been played in roughly equal measure by men and women. Yet in America, when we tell the history of golf over the last century, we tell the tales of great men who have made golf a sport rife with legends. But for every Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, or Jack Nicklaus that has come along to inspire us with his accomplishments, there has also been a Betty Jameson, Wiffi Smith, Polly Riley, or Kathy Whitworth to amaze us and help us understand all that is great in the game of golf.

Until now, however, the stories of those women who have contributed to the aura of the sport with their words, wit, and wisdom have largely gone untold. But in Different Strokes, Mona Vold -- for the first time -- takes the reader on an unparalleled journey to the very soul of golf and reveals to us the remarkable lives and teachings of the game's wisest women. By giving voice to the women who have helped shape golf in the twentieth century, Mona Vold has given voice to every woman who has played the game -- from the weekend amateur to the pro on the LPGA Tour.

Much like the mystical golf master Shivas Irons in Michael Murphy's classic Golf in the Kingdom, the women in these pages offer up golf as an overarching metaphor for life. It is through a master's appreciation for the game and all of its magic that women of all ages come to understand the subtle beauty of the game with all its risks and rewards, frustrations and joys.

Through stories from and about these remarkable women, Mona Vold gathers the collective wisdom of a lost generation -- women whose swings were every bit as technically perfect as those of Byron Nelson or Sam Snead, whose battles to overcome injury were every bit as heroic as those of Ben Hogan, and whose achievements were every bit as impressive as those of Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, and the other heroes of the men's game.

Complete with delightful portraits, sound technical advice, and inspiring nuggets of wisdom, and written in a beautiful, inimitable style, Different Strokes does for women's golf what Harvey Penick's Little Red Book did for golfers of every generation.

The women Mona Vold writes about in her book, "Different Strokes", are national treasures worthy of any reader's time. And although the common thread of their journeys is the world of golf, the passion of their hearts, the clarity of their minds and the strength of their voices both dig deeply into and transcend that rich and humbling game.

Without reservation, I highly recommend this wise and thoughtful book.


Inspirational reading for all golfers   February 17, 2001
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Fun to hear what the other half has to say about the game. Great stories a good read for any golfer. Not to sure about the technical information. You might want to purchase GOLF IS A WOMAN'S GAME to set you straight on that. Both books really elevate women's golf.


Top Book on Women's Golf   October 27, 1999
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This book has it all....contemporary history of women who love the game and made the LPGA what it is today, nostalgia, technique and lots of food for thought. Any woman who has a passion for golf must read this one. I seldom read a book more than once...I'm on my third time through in less than three months. Do yourself a favor by buying it and keeping it near your nightstand to refer to again and again.


Loved this book!   September 9, 1999
I don't play golf but I LOVED Ms. Vold's book, read every word, hated to have it end! I would recommend this book to anyone whether they play golf or not.