Welcome to I Tried It, a GOLF.com series about golf items — apparel, gear, accessories, etc. — that we’ve recently taken out for a spin. We’re here to give our honest, no-frills takes on the latest and greatest golf or golf-adjacent items. So, scroll down to read about what we love about golf’s newest (or new to us) products.

***

I didn’t expect to get emotional reading a young-adult golf novel, but The Philly Phenoms got me deep in my feels.

Written by Nate Oxman, a Philly-area writer and schoolteacher with deep ties to Merion Golf Club, the book follows 10-year-old Lee Lomax — equal parts gritty, goofy and determined — as he tries to coax his dad, a fallen-away golf talent, back into the game. What starts as a story about backyard putting contests turns into something deeper about family, loss and self-belief.

Lifestyle

What struck me most about the book was the purity of golf seen through a kid’s eyes — no mechanics, no launch angles, no money — just imagination, fun and passion. The fictional Ridley Creek Country Club, clearly inspired by real Philly clubs, feels like a second home. And the way Oxman weaves in a 9/11 charity match adds an emotional weight that caught me off guard.

Sure, it’s written for younger readers, but the themes — redemption, resilience, chasing second chances — land well beyond that. There’s real heart in these pages. And anyone who grew up around a muni or spent summers trying to impress their dad with a wedge shot will find something familiar.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely — especially for the junior golfer in your life. 

Check it out below.

The Philly Phenoms

Ten-year-old Lee Lomax is trying to scratch a severe golf itch. Like many kids, Lee idolizes his dad, Sam, a talented golfer who has put his game on hold to focus on his family. But Lee is relentless and vows to spend his summer at Sam’s blue-collar country club in the Philly suburbs, hoping it will entice his dad to do the same. Enter the despicable Hal Rustin, who wants nothing more than to see the Lomax family booted from the club. Sam might have no choice but to step in. In The Philly Phenoms, we follow Lee Lomax as he searches for a fix for his golf obsession. He circles a special charity match, held on the first anniversary of 9/11, as both the potential cure and the opportunity of a lifetime for the Lomax family.

$16.99 from Barnes & Noble

The post This book is perfect for your golf-loving junior player appeared first on Golf.