Ali Scott authors “I Love Golf When”
By RICHIE HALL
If you’re a young golfer, you remember certain milestones.
Your first round under 100. Your first birdie. Your first big tournament win.
There are also milestones that are intangible, but certainly no less important. Incoming Guerin Catholic senior Ali Scott celebrates all those milestones – whether or not they involve scores – in her book, I Love Golf When.
Scott published I Love Golf When at the end of last year, telling The Reporter that it “took a year to make.” She wrote and illustrated the book herself; Scott said most of the time was spent drawing, which she said was her favorite part.
“I love drawing. It’s a pastime for me, it’s a hobby for me,” said Scott.
The text of I Love Golf When discusses milestones such as “the excitement of a long putt, the pride of a first par and the thrill of a winning shot,” according to the description on the back of the book. Scott begins the book illustrating putt-putt tournaments with family and friends, then moves on to other key achievements in a young golfer’s career, such as lowering her score, staying calm in tricky situations and winning tournaments.
“I wrote this book to inspire other kids to get into golf and experience the same joys and milestones that I got from golf,” said Scott.
I Love Golf When is designed for ages 2 to 11, but readers of all ages will find something to enjoy. A glossary of golf terms appears at the back of the book, and Scott said even her uncle learned new things about golf while reading.
“You’re always happy and you have that excitement of, ‘I really did it. I really got there,’ said Scott. “It’s addicting to some people and that’s why so many people like it. I got that little tiny ball from 350-something yards on a par 4 in this little tiny cup. I really did it. It’s amazing and you need to really think about it sometimes and experience those joys and really look at the big picture of, ‘I did something that most people cannot do.’”
The book also looks at the moments where a golfer overcomes adversity in a round. Those examples include staying calm when their ball is on the edge of the water and rebounding from a double bogey to make a birdie, all while playing through the rain.
Scott believes everything can be a milestone in golf, especially when the ball is on the edge of the water or a bunker.
“That happens to me a lot when my ball goes almost at the edge of the bunker and it doesn’t go in,” said Scott. “The water, like in the book, it becomes a challenge and you can get joys from that challenge. There’s joys in the score that you can find. There’s good things they can find from a little challenge and getting a good shot.”
I Love Golf When has gotten a good reception so far, with the book selling well. Scott said she’s been “really surprised and happy” about how much people are enjoying it, especially young children. Scott said her uncle bought a copy for his kids and they enjoyed it.
“They wanted to re-read it all the time,” said Scott. “I’ve seen a lot of other kids and their parents say, ‘They love to re-read it and all that kind of stuff. It makes me really happy that all of this has had a good ending.”
The book is available at the Bridgewater Club in Westfield, and Scott is hoping to see it in other stores.
“The dream for me when it comes to selling this book would probably be being in big stores, like Dick’s Sporting Goods,” said Scott. “That’d be super amazing, seeing the book in those major stores, like the PGA Superstore, Dick’s Sporting Goods and more.”
I Love Golf When is available on Scott’s website, www.ilovegolfwhen.com. You can also order it on Amazon.