James Dodson, who once taught writing at Hollins University , in Virginia, has more recently written and Vintage has now published, a book with the grand title AMERICAN TRIUMVIRATE. Those of us with an interest in US antebellum political history will naturally read that title and expect a discussion of Calhoun, Clay, and Webster. But the subtitle is more informative: SAM SNEAD, BYRON NELSON, BEN HOGAN, AND THE MODERN AGE OF GOLF. Also an interesting subject. The New York Times tells me this "is a fascinating biography of three gifted, unusual men...." It also brings to my own mind some family history. My mother and her brother, when they were kids, used to make up stories to amuse each other about a fictional character called Sam Snead, a Paul Bunyan type figure. They simply adopted the name "Sam Snead" because the sound of it amused them and fit this purpose. Some time later, as I understand the tale, Mom was with my still-much-in-the-future Dad, and the...