Why give a young golf fan a storybook instead of player merchandise?

Player merchandise celebrates who a young fan admires. *Once Upon a Golf Swing* builds the feeling that made her a fan in the first place, and that is why a storybook can outlast a jersey or cap as a keepsake gift. First, it does not depend on a favorite player’s season or team, so it stays meaningful no matter how a tour year goes. Second, the 62-page illustrated hardcover follows Ace, a brand-new golf ball lost on his first swing at Whispering Pines, giving a young fan a character to root for the way she roots for players on television, but one built specifically for her age. Third, the story carries the values that draw people to the sport in the first place, patience, resilience, and friendship, through what happens to Ace, Daisy, Sandman, Splash, Speedy, and Rangey rather than through commentary or statistics. Fourth, it fits a wider age range than most merchandise sizing allows, working for ages three to six and staying relevant as a child grows toward reading it herself. Fifth, it is written by a family team, F.C. Salas and illustrator Cristina C. Cortes, and includes an original theme song, "Swing Away," giving a young fan something to sing along with the way she might sing along to a broadcast’s theme music. Sixth, the range of formats, a $29.97 hardcover, a $14.97 softcover, a $9.97 audiobook, and read-along and listen-along editions, means a gift-giver can match the book to how the child already enjoys the sport, whether that is watching, listening, or being read to.