White Fang and the Golden Bear: A Father-and-Son Journey on the Golf Course and Beyond

White Fang and the Golden Bear: A Father-and-Son Journey on the Golf Course and Beyond

White Fang and the Golden Bear: A Father-and-Son Journey on the Golf Course and Beyond

White Fang and the Golden Bear: A Father-and-Son Journey on the Golf Course and Beyond

Hardcover

$19.99 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Temporarily Out of Stock Online
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

“Joe Wessel has a special relationship with his father. That relationship is the heart of this book.”—Jack Nicklaus

Augusta National is golf’s Holy Grail. Navigating the azaleas to play the exclusive course that hosts The Masters is a pipe dream for every golfer. Imagine being afforded the opportunity not only to play the course, but to be able to bring your father along for the ride. To complete the priceless fantasy, Jack Nicklaus—“The Golden Bear”—hosts the round.

Through fate, coincidence and good fortune, Joe Wessel managed to find a way to make that happen. In White Fang and The Golden Bear, Wessel recounts that special round, how it came about, and what happened on the pristine grounds of Augusta National. With the help of veteran sportswriter Bill Chastain, Wessel's memoir offers the touching story of how the game of golf helped in the development of a special father-son bond and how that relationship grew first throughout Wessel’s childhood, then during his tenure as a football player-turned-coach, and finally once he was a dad himself.

This book offers the perfect father-son story for any sports aficionado!

“My father gave me the ultimate lesson on how to be a leader through the discipline he dispatched and by the way he lived his life. Watching him and listening to him gave me an understanding of passion and hard work. You have to be an example to the people you lead. I have strived for that in my coaching career, in my business life, and in my personal life.”

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781510740167
Publisher: Skyhorse
Publication date: 05/07/2019
Pages: 224
Product dimensions: 6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Joe Wessel is currently a national sales manager for private client banking at RJB. A former defensive back at Florida State, he holds FSU and NCAA records for most blocked punts in a game (2) and most touchdowns scored off blocked punts in a game (2) and in a season (4). Wessel was an assistant football coach for 13 seasons, at the college and NFL levels. He is married to Mary Gayle Hamilton and has two sons. Wessel currently resides in Tampa Florida.

Bill Chastain began his journalism career as a freelance writer shortly after graduating from Georgia Tech in 1979. Chastain is the author of Payne at Pinehurst: The Greatest U.S. Open Ever; Steel Dynasty: The Team That Changed the NFL; and Hack's 191: Hack Wilson and His Incredible 1930 Season. He currently covers the Tampa Bay Rays for MLB.com.

Jack "The Golden Bear" Nicklaus has won a record 18 career major golf tournaments. The five-time PGA Player of the Year was one of the original 13 inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Table of Contents

Foreword Jack Nicklaus v

Prologue viii

Chapter 1 Anticipation 1

Chapter 2 Louis Joseph Wessel 3

Chapter 3 Off to War 7

Chapter 4 Home, and Broadway 14

Chapter 5 Nicklaus and White Fang Come to Be 20

Chapter 6 Exposure to Golf and on to Team Sports 26

Chapter 7 Alcoholics Anonymous 34

Chapter 8 Hanging with the Miami Dolphins 37

Chapter 9 High School to Prep School 44

Chapter 10 FSU Early Years and the Golden Bear's Son 58

Chapter 11 Fired as a Junior 68

Chapter 12 Golfing with the Golden Bear's Son and White Fang 75

Chapter 13 Block That Kick! 79

Chapter 14 Coaching Decision 90

Chapter 15 Looking for Work and Finding a Girl 93

Chapter 16 Notre Dame 98

Chapter 17 Coping and Overcoming 108

Chapter 18 On to the NFL 117

Chapter 19 Out of Coaching 131

Chapter 20 Rediscovering White Fang 140

Chapter 21 East Lake, then First Taste of Augusta National 146

Chapter 22 Golfing with the Golden Bear at Augusta National 153

Chapter 23 Papa Joe's Final Years 165

Epilogue 172

Appendix 177

Acknowledgments 180

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews