With forewords from Gary Player and Mike Clayton, the inspirational life story of Brian Twite OAM, Just Magnificent – Lessons from a Life in Golf, reveals Brian's 'getting of wisdom' and his timeless fundamentals of golf and life.
The book is about Brian’s love of golf and the wisdom he has accumulated over his early years as a teaching professional in the United Kingdom, and his last 60-plus years at The Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne.
Brian’s teaching lineage goes right back to Jack Lovelock at Kings Lynn, Harold Atkinson at Abbeyfield, and the famous Arthur Lees at Sunningdale Golf Club before he was recruited by a group of Metropolitan members to come to Australia in 1955. Brian outlines the classic principles and art of teaching he learnt in his youth which he has refined over time and still teaches today.
While Brian is a renowned storyteller, this is the first time he has told the stories of his inner game – how he grew up, became an exceptional golfer, a devoted club professional and a gifted teacher. In the process, Brian reveals what has inspired him, what makes him tick, and what keeps him teaching today. By further sharing his lessons and his golfing fundamentals, Brian hopes he can help even more golfers be the best that they can be.
With the help of biographer Gillian Ednie, who started her lessons with Brian as a teenager, stories about Brian’s impact from family, friends, and pupils to famous golfers, such as Gary Player, have also been included.
Originally intended as a gift for his 90th birthday, the project began with a just few audio recordings of Brian’s personal life to be shared with his family. However, as his bigger life story unfolded the project developed a momentum of its own. It soon became apparent that many important stories and his legacy, as a teacher and an elder in the golf club, had not been recorded and were in danger of being lost. Just Magnificent – Lessons from a Life in Golf can now be shared with his much-loved family, friends and wider golfing community.
Gillian is a full-time biographer. She started her biography business, Your Biography, in 2008. Her first biography, Nothing's Impossible! The Alan Rea Story was published in February 2009 with team members Dan Ednie-Lockett and Ev Beissbarth. The group have helped many people prepare and publish their life stories ever since. Gillian studied literature and history at university, and later obtained a Master of Administration to support her career as management consultant in the health care system. Gillian has worked in most areas of health care, and it was through her research into spiritual health, specifically pastoral care and chaplaincy services, that she discovered the multiple health and wellness benefits of biography for clients and their families. She is also a former Oceania Regional Coordinator of the Association of Personal Historians (APH); a world-wide professional association for the personal history and biography industry. In 2017 Gillian became a foundation board member of Life Stories Australia Inc, the Australian association for biography and life story professionals, and is bound by it's Code of Ethics. Gillian's love of memoir and life story, together with her love of golf, have inspired two of her books including Just Magnificent - Lessons from a Life in Golf by legendary golf professional Brian Twite.
Brian Twite has worked as a professional golfer for the past seventy years. He is a great story teller and sharer of golf teaching and wisdom, but this is the first time he has shared his personal story.
