Preferred Lies: A Journey into the Heart of Scottish Golf

Andrew Greig, poet, novelist, and lapsed golfer, came within moments of death before his surgeon performed a last-ditch operation and saved his life. Inspired to pick up his clubs again after a thirty-five-year on-and-off again hiatus from the game, Greig traveled eighteen courses on his road to recovery---from the northernmost tip of the Orkney Islands to the celebrated fairways of St. Andrews. It was, more than anything, a journey toward reconnection with being alive.

Greig’s book tells one man’s story of connection to an ancient game, and the story of a father’s relationship with his son and the rite of passage into manhood. It is a book of reflections, not only on the pleasures of the game but also on friendship, family, and ghosts from the past.

“A masterful meditation on golf and healing.”---Steven Pressfield, author of The Legend of Bagger Vance

“Andrew Greig takes familiar turf and turns it into something keen and wry and profound, like the Scottish links he loves so well. Required reading for any lover of the game the way it was meant to be played.”---Steven Pressfield, author of The Legend of Bagger Vance

“What golfer won’t go to the links of Scotland to play a few rounds after a close call with death? Andrew Greig’s Preferred Lies makes his return to the courses of his youth charming, funny, and profound, as he plays the courses of Scotland, one shot at a time, back to good health. A wonderful book about how golf is one sure way to heal the body and the heart. “---John Coyne, author of The Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan

“Andrew Greig’s mindfulness invokes a bounty of verities: That play is the best medicine for a heart aching with poetry and a mind chattering with anxieties. That peace cannot be found in the pounding polarity waves of hope-disappointment or joy-sadness. That while we may not be able to change what we see, we can choose how we see it. That real freedom, the most feared option of all, is always present, ours for the taking when we are done with searching everywhere else and decide to operate as our own sacred selves. To the worldly mind, seeing ourselves as gods-in-embryo is heresy, a lie. With a hearty salute to Andrew, it is exactly the lie I prefer and recommend, along with this book, to all.”---Printer Bowler, author of The Cosmic Laws of Golf

“Poignant, wise, and funny, as well as exquisitely written; a book about loss, exultation, pain, and---ultimately---healing.”---Iain Banks, author of The Algebraist

“A wonderful and wise book.”---The Irish Times

“Greig’s purely struck prose is not the only strength of this book . . . he has excellent taste in golf courses. A beautifully written memoir.”---The Guardian (UK)

“Poet and novelist Greig breaks the mold. Greig helps us remember our own perfectly struck golf shots, but he keeps his distance, recognizing the intimacy of the moment.”

---Booklist (starred)

Andrew Greig, poet, novelist, and lapsed golfer, came within moments of death when his surgeon performed a last-ditch operation and saved his life. Inspired to pick up his clubs again after a 35 year on-and-off again hiatus from the game, Greig traveled to 18 courses on his road to recovery, from the northern most tip of the Orkney Islands to the great courses of St. Andrews. It is, more than anything, his journey toward reconnection with being alive.