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The GolfWRX Book Review: So Help Me Golf

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…in a bunker, wet sand, 218 yards from the green, blocked from going for the green by bushes, an oak tree, a lake, and common sense.

It’s those last three words that reminded me what Rick Reilly is all about. He was my favorite writer on golf through the 1990s, eclipsing even Dan Jenkins. I lived to hold Sports Illustrated in my hands, to take in his last-page column of the week. Back then, if you were really somebody, you had the final say in a digest, always on the last page. When Reilly left SI, I felt abandoned, and sought his writings elsewhere.

In 2022, Rick Reilly offers a collection of golf experiences, collisions, shell games, and even a phantasm on distant pages. So Help Me Golf: Why We Love The Game is the title of his amalgamation of stories collected over the years. If Harvey Penick had his Little Red Book, Reilly’s is something else. Perhaps not a book, perhaps not defined by a color, but important to the canon of golf’s literary humor.

In January of 2022, we lost the great Tim Rosaforte to early onset alzheimers. Rosaforte was renowned for having two or more, working cell phones with massive contact databases in each. He had an in with everyone that was, or was not, someone. I suspect that Rick Reilly has the same contact chops. He is welcome to drop in on DMs across the golf world. In So Help Me Golf, Reilly dances from Michael Jordan to his inveterate chums, with the grace and evident frustration of the professional in every Dancing With The Stars pairing.

No, no, no. I do not blame you for this. I blame me for hiring you. That’s Reilly, quoting the late and great, Severiano Ballesteros, on the subject of the caddy. The pearls of hilarity and wisdom that fill this volume, like pebbles in a jar, come from all across the world of golf. Reilly collected stories first-hand, second-hand, and sleight of hand for this collection. He celebrates the success and the struggle equally. He shares the adventures of the aggrieved and the rapturous. These pages and words are about us, as much as they are about them.

Yep, you don’t have to look far in this tome to find what frustrates Rick Reilly. He is candid, even as he tells a story about someone else. He likes Phil, until he doesn’t. He dislikes Tiger, until he stops. Along the way, Reilly reveals who he himself is, and what made him that way, until he changed. And what changed him.

Even as an established writer of celebrity, Reilly is not above taking a new tack, and borrowing from someone else. I’ve long enjoyed Tom Coyne’s golf travels, and devoured A Course Called Ireland and A Course Called Scotland. I even made an appearance in A Course Called America. Reilly offers a new take on challenges; all I’ll say are these two words ~ mini-golf & mulligans.

Writing isn’t just about having the words. It is about knowing whether to use them or not, and where to place them, once you opt-in. It’s a lot like golf in that way. Remember those three words and common sense that concluded my opening salvo? Imagine that Reilly were to place them anywhere else in the fragment. Would they have the same impact and punch? Of course not. Just like the quote from Seve is not the funniest Ballesteros anecdote that the writer included.

If you enjoy reading about Bryson, the Trashmasters, golf addicts, Two-Down O’Connor, golf food, and stuff that Reilly hates (plus many pages more on many other topics) this book is for you. A massive, online retailer suggests that the release date is May 10th of this year. I completed my review copy over the course of a week, on outbound and return flights of a recent trip, and had no need to listen to any of the flight attendant admonitions. All the instruction I lacked was written down, ahead of departure.

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

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GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

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A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down. 

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

 

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

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With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

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From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

 

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.

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