With three Masters jackets in the closet and PGA, British, and U.S. Open trophies on the shelf, Gary Player, among golf"s most genial and authoritative personalities, has a record that speaks for itself and a contagious respect for the game. All of that is on display in The Complete Golfer"s Handbook, which is really less a handbook than a comprehensive introduction to golf--and it"s attractive enough to leave on the coffee table. First published in Britain in 1999, the Handbook is a lushly illustrated and informative guide to golf"s essentials--its history, rules, equipment, etiquette, strategies, and various forms of competition, along with some insight, given Player"s second career as a course designer, into what makes a fair and challenging golf course. Good stuff, to be sure, and there"s not a player anywhere, regardless of handicap, who won"t pick up a nugget or two. But Player is Player; on the links he always played to his strengths, which he built through physical and mental preparation second to no one"s. The Handbook offers Player himself demonstrating his quintessential warm-up system, practice drills and games, and conditioning exercises--all the routines a savvy golfer should partake in before ambling to the first tee. Following Player"s physical fitness methods won"t bring you a green jacket, but will certainly improve your game, outlook, flexibility, and endurance. Of course, if by some fluke you do manage to win the Masters, Player will have you so fit when you try the jacket on for size that you"ll actually be able to button it. --Jeff Silverman