Author Christopher Ransom wrote a novel about a flawed character who found redemption through the golf course. This author of numerous books played 80 rounds a year, often with the same people, and learned a lot about human nature—work life, relationships, health challenges, and sexual misadventures. Ransom found that everything comes out on the golf course; it was enough for a book. They were regular guys with regular problems at a regular course, according to Ransom. His protagonist, Casey, wanted to connect with a son he never knew he had and with the young man’s mother, an ex-girlfriend from decades past. To have a relationship with them, Casey would have to confront his lifestyle, health, and specifically his drinking. To write this journey, Ransom had to get sober himself. Golf inspired his book and the book inspired his personal change.

PT: What role does golf play in the protagonist’s redemption?

CR: It was the same role it played in mine. This book is my love letter to golf and what golf has done for me. Along with my family and friends, golf helped turn my life around. It didn’t have to be golf. It could have been knitting, jogging, volunteer work, or any number of things. When I returned to golf after being stagnant and riddled with anxiety, I realized that golf gave me several things—exercise, sunlight, social time, and mental space. Also, golf gives you immediate feedback on your physical and mental state. Golf is a reflection of yourself; when you’re feeling loose and carefree, you usually play better. When you’re angry or stressed, you play worse. I was once so hungover on the golf course that my hands were shaking and I couldn’t set the ball on the tee. I was unhealthy. Golf helped me lose weight and stop drinking.

The first time I played after I detoxed, 12 days after my last drink, I went out and shot an 82 on the most difficult course. Best round of my life. A couple of weeks after that, I got my first hole-in-one. And 33 days after that, I got my second hole-in-one. Two

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