For some an uplifting and almost spiritual experience

GOLF BOOK CLUB: The Kingdom of Shivas Ironsby Michael Murphy

THIS BOOK is not for everyone. It will do one of two things: it will utterly captivate you, or it will bore you to tears.

The Kingdom of Shivas Ironsappeared on book shelves ostensibly as the sequel to the much-lauded and acclaimed Golf in the Kingdom but the fact is you don't need to have ploughed through the original book to find this follow-up (over a quarter of a century afterwards) either captivating or boring, as the case may be.

For sure, this will appeal to those who want to experience their inner selves.

It is a deep book with some complexities and, even if you’re somewhat confused on whether the work is autobiographical or fictional, or if it is a book on golf or mysticism, anyone who actually manages to reach the final page will certainly have found it an uplifting and almost spiritual experience.

In this book, Murphy revisits the Scottish linksland where golf had its roots – although the journey also takes him to Russia and finally back to the Monterrey peninsula in California – and, in Shivas Irons, the mystical figure who appears only to certain people, the author seeks to explore the inner game of golf and also to examine the scope for human potential to change and grow.

Indeed, there are times in the book where the reader could feel lost and unsure of what is unfolding, which is part of the author’s technique to get you to examine your inner self and perhaps even to transform your life.

The book is the story of Murphy’s return to Scotland, where – with his companion, Buck Hannigan – he investigates reported further sightings of Shivas Irons. Was, for instance, there a sighting as Costantino Rocca stood over a putt from the Valley of Sin in the 1995 British Open at St Andrews?

Believe what you will, Murphy’s second journey is a quest for Shivas Irons and his wisdom . . . . and, to simplify things, a quest on how to get into the zone, to operate well beyond everyday levels.

In a way, Murphy’s work ties together tales which you imagine the sports psychologists in the locker-rooms at Augusta and Pebble Beach and St Andrews and wherever top tournaments are played are relating in their own way to top players in getting them to visualise shots and basically to believe in what they are seeking to achieve.

If you might wonder if he really does hit 450-yards drives, as outlined in the book, Murphy’s narrative – eminently readable for the most part – comes across as honest and believable as he makes the reader seek to discover their inner self.

It will most likely appeal to those with a keen interest in the sport, but his use of characters in the book who actually dislike the sport broadens its appeal base.

Questions for readers

1Do you believe this book examines the connections between golf and human potential?

2Does Murphy and his relationship with Hannigan succeed in underlining the importance of friendship?

3At one point in the book, Murphy makes the observation that golf "with all the sports psychology now, and course management, and attention to practice rituals, and emphasis on the inner game" had become "a more conscious exercise".

You agree?

4Was it necessary for Murphy to revisit Scotland a quarter of a century after Golf in the Kingdom?

Does this book make you search for a deeper inner meaning?

5How would you rate this book out of a top mark of 10?