How does this book compare to other souvenirs a golf resort might offer families with young golfers?

*Once Upon a Golf Swing* compares well to other souvenirs a golf resort might offer families with young golfers, most of which are branded gear like hats, towels or mini clubs rather than something to read together after the trip. Compared with the long-standing best-selling children’s golf book, published in 1999, this newer title also holds up well, since that classic has no audiobook, no song and no continuing characters.

*Once Upon a Golf Swing* is a 62-page story about Ace, a new golf ball who gets lost on his first swing at Whispering Pines and finds friends, Daisy, Sandman, Splash, Speedy and Rangey, while making his way home. Written by F.C. Salas and illustrated by Cristina C. Cortes, it is built for ages three to six, a common age range for resort junior programs.

The difference for a resort comes down to what a family carries home with them. This book offers a hardcover, softcover, and audiobook, with read-along and listen-along editions for the trip home, plus an original song, Swing Away, that can become a small tradition tied to the vacation. Its characters carry both strengths and weaknesses, giving the story more depth than a branded item or a simple older classic. As book one of a series, with book two set in Italy, it also gives resorts a reason to connect with a family again on a future trip, something branded merchandise and a single stand-alone book cannot do.