You’re Still Away is a deeply honest, often funny, and unexpectedly moving exploration of golf―not as a game to be conquered, but as a lifelong relationship to be endured, tested, and ultimately embraced. Part memoir, part psychological inquiry, the book follows a mid-handicap golfer and longtime golf journalist who has spent decades studying the best players in the world―while never quite figuring out his own swing. From walking inside the ropes during the dominance of Tiger Woods to grinding through humbling weekend rounds with friends, he occupies a rare middle ground: close enough to greatness to understand it, but far enough away to remain one of us.
What emerges is not a story of transformation or triumph. There is no miracle breakthrough, no late-career plunge to scratch. Instead, You’re Still Away asks a more compelling question: how do you love a game that refuses to love you back? Through encounters with tour pros, coaches, sports psychologists, and his own endlessly flawed golf adventures, the author uncovers a different kind of expertise―not in how to master golf, but in seeing the rewards when you don't. Why do we warm up perfectly and play terribly? Why do we repeat the same mistakes we swear we’ve learned from? Why does hope persist, even when evidence suggests it shouldn’t?
The answers extend beyond the course. At its core, this is a book about expectation, failure, identity, and the quiet, stubborn act of continuing to try. It challenges the idea that improvement is the only goal, arguing instead for something more sustainable: finding meaning in the pursuit itself. For anyone who has ever walked off the 18th green frustrated yet already planning their next round, You’re Still Away offers both recognition and relief. You may never arrive―but that was never really the point.
Coming in spring 2027 from Back Nine Press, but you can pre-order now!