The Eternal Summer: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Hogan in 1960, Golf’s Golden Year by Curt Sampson; Unabridged MP3 Audio Book; Narrator Dennis McKee

Was there ever a year in golf like 1960? It was the year that the sport and its vivid personalities exploded on the consciousness of the nation, when the past, present, and future of the game collided. Television, still a new medium, provided a fresh window to the show and enabled this “rich man’s sport” to win over millions of new fans.

Here was Arnold Palmer, the working man’s hero, “sweating, chain-smoking, shirt-tail flying,” and winning, it seemed, every tournament with a last-second charge. Grim Ben Hogan, the greatest player of the 1950s, was Arnie’s opposite, a perfectionist battling the twin demons of age and nerves. And making his debut in the big time was a chunky, crew-cut college kid who seemed to have the makings of a champion, twenty-year-old Jack Nicklaus.

“Sampson is passionate about golf, and his attention to detail is superb. Dennis McKee reads the book as if he's in the gallery; he is soft-spoken and reverent….[McKee] is at his best when describing the golfers' styles and personalities. His portrayals of Ben Hogan's coldness and intensity, and Arnold Palmer's willingness to take every chance in order to win, are especially memorable.”—AudioFile

“If you don’t appreciate the summer of 1960, don’t call yourself a golfer. The Eternal Summer is what professional golf used to be and should be—colorful, exciting, and memorable.”—Golfweek

Curt Sampson, a former professional golfer, is the author of several books, including The Eternal Summer, Full Court Pressure, and The Masters. Sampson lives in Bristol, Texas, with his wife and two children.