The Foursome: A Novel Paperback – April 17, 2001

Troon McAllister has now developed the golf novel using Eddie Caminetti as a fun, interesting and interesting character...with lots of unexpected actions on his part.The novels (The Foursome and The Green) are pretty accurate in their discussion of golf and its rules...with far less rules errors than in the typical golf novel. The Foursome was a quick and enjoyable read, and there was even a moral to the story!

I just finished "Barranca," after previously reading (in order of publication) "The Green," "The Foursome," and "Scratch." If you're curious about this series, here are my rankings and my quick thoughts:1) "The Green" : This is by far the best Caminetti novel. It's the original and feels the most sincere and energized. It also has several terrific golf tips if you're looking for them, but mainly it has the most natural-feeling characters and the least preachy (and by far the most suspenseful) plot of the series. It also has the most golf, which is the clear strength of the series overall.2) "Scratch" : This is the third book and is the funniest of the series, almost as much of a page-turner as "The Green." It mocks the consumerism of the golf industry, particularly the golf-ball market. Its courtroom scenes--which take up a large portion of the book--are often hilarious, and there's still plenty of action on the course to enjoy, though less than in "The Green."3) "The Foursome" : Preachy from almost the first page, this book (the second of the four to be published) definitely revolves around golf and is interesting. But the members of the foursome are so morally flawed--purposely so--that I couldn't decide whether to root for or against them, which removed much of the suspense as the golf went on. The golfers are clearly being taught a lesson in a plot which, though it mostly takes place within a cocoon of golf money matches, is much less light-hearted than those of "The Green" and "Scratch." Though humor exists, I felt too much of a hard edge behind the humor to enjoy this book as much as the two better books.4) "Barranca" : Be warned that this book has barely any golf content at all. In fairness, it's not really billed as golf-related to begin with, but the presence of Eddie Caminetti as a character (though absent for what felt like most of the book) more or less forced me to read the book in order to finish the series. The plot is essentially a long, good-natured elaboration about how international relations are bound both to economics and to the media coverage of events. There is plenty of skewering of cable-news networks and the interactions of the endless bureaucratic organizations within the U.S. government, and the plot isn't terrible... but it's the only book in the series that felt like a slog to wade through, almost from the start. It's also by far the longest book. It's definitely the black sheep of the series and can easily be skipped, especially if you're drawn to Eddie Caminetti largely due to his golf adventures.

I absolutely loved The Green. Let me start with that. If you have a friend that loves golf, watches golf on TV, get them the first in this series. Quickly. And then think about getting them this one, the Foursome. It was just as beautifully written as the first. The author has a gift for language that I envy, and the voice of the narrator is strong throughout, though the narrator isn't technically involved in the story until the very end.All of that being said, I had a few issues with this book, one being that Eddie went from being a great golfer and better con-man in the first book to being a bagger-vance-save-people-through-golf guru here. And yes, there were hints of that in the first, but that's almost the whole plot.Still, if that were the only issue, it'd be fine. Seeing Eddie again was worth it. "You won't win" might be my favorite line. However, the bigger issue is that I didn't dislike the main foursome enough until almost two thirds of the way through the book. The were presented as decent guys, friends, people that loved the game. So watching them unravel made me uncomfortable. I just wish I knew their flaws initially.I think I'll like the book better on a re-read, and I still believe that anyone that loves golf will love this book.

This was my 1st read from Troon .Loved it .All his books on golf are great read .A must for all golf fans

I love this author's work. Between Troon McAllister and Rick Reilly, I've read the best golf stories in the world.

Very good read. A fitting second novel in the series.

I loved "The Green", as you will note if you look at my review and I was really looking forward to reconnecting to some of the characters from that book and enjoying the writing of another humorous golf adventure. Unfortunately, just like no one "owns" a golf game, Troon McAllister demonstrates that no one "owns" the formula to writing a successful sequel. The story starts out promisingly enough as you learn some of the foibles and fables of those that make up this particular foresome who are about to take their annual golfing vacation. This year they are off to Swithen Bairn, the most exclusive golf resort in the world where if you don't think you have had the vacation of a lifetime, you don't pay. The cost for the week is on the order of $18,000, so the promotional come on is not given lightly. As the intrepid four begin their vacation they are drawn into a match with "the owners", one of whom is Eddie Camminetti of recent Ryder Cup fame from "The Green". As the week plays out the struggle between The Foursome against The Owners and with each other takes some twists and turns that are less than pleasant until you feel you are trapped in some horrendous Twi-Light Zone and that all is missing is the soothing voice of Rod Serling. What was fun and funny turns ugly and mean and the story, to my thinking rather loses its way until it is tied up at the end with an Epilogue that is not worthy of the author. The story had possibilities, but they got lost somewhere on the back nine of the second match and never recovered.

A good vacation read. I enjoyed reading it twice, 15 years apart.