USGA Herbert Warren Wind Award

The Herbert Warren Wind Award honors outstanding contributions to golf literature. (USGA/John Mummert)

Established in 1987, the Herbert Warren Wind Award recognizes and honors outstanding contributions to golf literature. Named for the famed 20th-century American golf writer, the award acknowledges and encourages outstanding research, writing and publishing about golf. Presented by the USGA Golf Museum, the Wind Award is the top literary prize awarded by the USGA.

The USGA is currently accepting submissions for the 2025 Herbert Warren Wind Award. To be eligible for the 2025 USGA Herbert Warren Wind Award, a book must be an original work about golf, written in English, and published between November 1, 2024 and October 31, 2025.

USGA Herbert Warren Wind Award Winners

1987 — Al Barkow, "Gettin' to the Dance Floor"

1989 — Phil Pilley, "Golfing Art"

1990 — Robert Trent Jones Sr., with Larry Dennis, "Golf's Magnificent Challenge"

1991 — Bobby Burnet, "The St. Andrews Opens"

1992 — Rhonda Glenn, "The Illustrated History of Women's Golf"

No award was given in 1988 or from 1993-96

1997 — Davis Love III, "Every Shot I Take"

1998 — Lawrence Donegan, "Maybe I Should Have Been a Three-Iron"

1999 — David Owen, "The Making of the Masters: Clifford Roberts, Augusta National and Golf's Most Prestigious Tournament"

2000 — Stephen Lowe, "Sir Walter and Mr. Jones"

2001 — Bradley S. Klein, "Discovering Donald Ross: The Architect and His Golf Courses"

2002 — Mark Frost, "The Greatest Game Ever Played"

2003 — Phil Pilley, "Heather and Heaven"

2004 — James Dodson, "Ben Hogan: An American Life"

2005 — John Strege, "When War Played Through: Golf During World War II"

2006 — James W. Finegan, "Where Golf is Great: The Finest Courses of Scotland and Ireland"

2007 — Kevin Cook, "Tommy's Honor: The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son"

2008 — David Malcom and Peter E. Crabtree, "Tom Morris of St. Andrews: The Colossus of Golf 1821-1908"

2009 — John de St. Jorre, "The Story of Golf at The Country Club"

2010 — David Barrett, "Miracle at Merion: The Inspiring Story of Ben Hogan's Amazing Comeback and Victory in the 1950 U.S. Open

2011 — Don Van Natta Jr., "Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias"

2012 — James Dodson, "American Triumvirate: Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan and the Modern Age of Golf"

2013 — Jeff Silverman, "Merion: The Championship Story"

2014 — James R. Hansen, "A Difficult Par"

2015 — Roger McStravick, "St. Andrews: In the Footsteps of Old Tom Morris"

2016 — Kevin Robbins, "Harvey Penick: The Life and Wisdom of the Man Who Wrote the Book on Golf"; Peter Lewis, "Why Are There 18 Holes?"

2017 — Dr. Lane Demas, "Game of Privilege: An African American History of Golf"

2018 — Donald Steel, "Par Excellence: The Biography of Sir Michael Bonallack, OBE"

2019 — Kevin Robbins, "The Last Stand of Payne Stewart"

2020 — Roger McStravick, "St. Andrews: The Road War Papers"

2021 — Derek Markham, "A Matter of Course: The Life of William Herbert Fowler, 1856-1941, Golf Course Architect"

2022 — James Roth, "Bless•ed One"

2023 — Ashley Brown, "Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson"