The USGA has named Par Excellence: The Biography of Sir Michael Bonallack, OBE, as the recipient of the Herbert Warren Wind Book Award for 2018, in recognition of its high standard of achievement in golf literature.
Established in 1987, the Herbert Warren Wind Book Award recognizes and honors outstanding contributions to golf literature. Named for the famed 20th-century American golf writer, the award acknowledges and encourages outstanding research, writing and publishing about golf. Presented by the USGA Golf Museum, the Book Award is the top literary prize awarded by the USGA.
Author Donald Steel will be recognized at the USGA’s Annual Meeting and Service Awards in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, Feb. 23.
“Donald Steel’s biography of Sir Michael Bonallack is yet another noteworthy accomplishment in his remarkable career in golf,” said Rand Jerris, USGA senior managing director of Public Services. “A true renaissance man, whose achievements span from print journalism to course design to elite competitions, Steel exemplifies the world Herbert Warren Wind profiled so affectionately – a place where dedicated amateurs give completely of themselves to the game we all love.”
A combination of engaging prose, thorough research and appealing design makes Steel’s book an important addition to golf history – particularly as the first book on such a prominent and significant personality of the game, Sir Michael Bonallack. In the biography, Steel explores the proud, centuries’ old Bonallack dynasty through the lens of golf’s golden couple, Michael and Angela Bonallack. Romantically weaving a narrative of Bonallack’s far-ranging golf contributions, Steel takes his readers on a journey from Bonallack’s playing glory, to his role as secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, and ultimately to his knighthood and election as captain of the R&A. Through it all, the book puts family first, just as Michael and Angela have always done in their six decades of marriage.
In addition to recognizing golf literature, the Herbert Warren Wind Book Award also seeks to broaden public interest in, and knowledge of, the game of golf. Wind, who died in 2005, was a famed writer for The New Yorker and Sports Illustrated who coined the phrase “Amen Corner” at Augusta National Golf Club. He is the only writer to win the Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honor.
The USGA is currently accepting submissions for the 2019 Herbert Warren Wind Book Award. To be eligible, a book must be an original full-length work about golf, written in English, and must have been published between November 2018 and October 2019. For more information, contact Hilary Cronheim at the USGA Golf Museum at museum@usga.org.
