Playing a Round with the Little Pro: A Life in the Game By Eddie Merrins — Simon & Schuster, Inc. • $14

When you’ve taught the likes of Hugh Grant, Celine Dion, Joe Pesci, Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite, you’re bound to have a few stories to tell. In his latest book, Eddie Merrins, the head pro at ultra-exclusive Bel-Air Country Club in L.A. for more than 40 years, offers juicy anecdotes about some of the hundreds of A-list celebrities he’s had on the tee. On Jack Nicholson, Merrins reveals:

He’s not one to count each and every stroke he takes. He might take a second serve on occasion. But he can still play pretty well, as evidenced by the fact that he won one of our member-guest tournaments at Bel-Air. When his photograph was taken holding the little trophy for winning, he had that patented Nicholson smile from ear to ear.

Interspersed are short swing tips, based on Merrins’ renowned “Swing the Handle” theory, endorsed by Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman and other PGA legends. Merrins also incorporates engaging details of his years as UCLA men’s golf coach and his PGA Tour career, competing against the likes of Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen and Byron Nelson. Each section is served up in bite-sized chunks, rarely more than two pages, making “Playing a Round” a quick read, or one you’ll want to thumb through a few pages at a time. For more information or to purchase merrins’ book or DVD instructional series, go to www.eddiemerrins.com.