The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever By Mark Frost

The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever, by Mark Frost, is based on a true story of the golf match between the teams of Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, and Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward in the year of 1955. This match was an exhibition match put on by two wealthy men who had bet on which team would win. The two men who made the bet, Eddie Lowery and George Coleman, picked two players in the world to play against the other’s two best players in an 18 hole best ball golf match. Bryon Nelson and Ben Hogan were the two most dominant professional golfers at that time, and Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward were both up and coming amateurs. The two professionals had no idea what they were getting into when a crowd of at least two-thousand showed up to watch the match. The two young amateurs took the professionals to the last hole where Ben Hogan, one of the professionals, drained a ten foot putt to clinch the win. This match is known as “the day the game of golf changed forever.” Though the two amateurs were not able to pull out the win, the match showed that amateurs were still able to play at the same level as professionals.



I really enjoyed reading this book, and I think it is one of the best books that I have ever read. I love the game of golf, and I was able to really connect with what was going on in the book. Mark Frost did a very good job in painting a picture of the match so the reader can feel as if he was at the match when in occurred. Frost portrayed the match in a vivid sense telling of each and every shot that was made that day.



I thought it was interesting how Mark Frost set up the chapters in the book, The Match. After the match began, in the story, Frost split the story up into the present and the past. After he wrote a chapter about the match, Frost would tell about the career of one of the players in the golf match. It was very interesting how he did that because by separating the parts of the match, I was able to learn much about the golfers competing in the match. His decision also provided a break from the exhilarating action that was occurring in the match.



In my reading of the book, The Match, I learned so much about how the game of golf was played back in the 1950s. Now, the game of golf is played with much newer equipment which allows the players to rip the ball over 300 yards. Today’s game also allows for players to still be able to reach the green with a chance for birdie even if they hit the ball into the woods. Back in the 1950s, the new equipment that we have today was not available. The players were forced to play the ball down the middle of the fairway every time they teed the ball up. If the ball was not in the fairway, the player would have to have a great third shot to have a chance for a par. This book showed me firsthand how much the game of golf has changed over the years.



I would definitely recommend the book, The Match, to anyone who enjoys the game of golf or to anyone who would like to read about a tremendous story. The two young amateurs changed the game of golf forever because of the heart that they had for the game that they loved. The only question that I had, while reading the novel, was either of the two amateurs, Ken Venturi or Harvie Ward, ever won a major championship. The book talked about the amateur championships that they won but never if either of the two one a major. This book is a fairly easy read, and I once again encourage everyone to read this fantastic book.