A “winning” (Parade) and “well-conceived” (The New York Times) account of one teenager’s solo trek to play golf in each of the lower forty-eight states—“two parts coming-of-age story, one part golf travel adventure, and one part survival test” (Golfweek).
Shortly before his freshman year of college was set to begin, seventeen-year-old Dylan Dethier—hungry for an adventure beyond his small town—deferred his admission and, “like Jack Kerouac and Ken Kesey before him, packed his used car and meager life savings and set off to see and write about America” (ABC News/ Yahoo). His goal: play a round of golf in each of the lower forty-eight states.
From a gritty municipal course in Flint, Michigan, to rubbing elbows with Phil Mickelson at Quail Hollow, Dylan would spend a remarkable year exploring the astonishing variety of the nation’s golf courses—and its people. Over one year, thirty-five thousand miles, and countless nights alone in his dusty Subaru, Dylan showered at truck stops, slept with an ax under his seat, and lost his virginity, traveling “wherever the road took him, with golf as a vehicle for understanding America” (The New York Times). The result is a book that “would be considered fine work by any writer, let alone one so young” (Maine Edge).
“I loved 18 in America and the connection I share with Dylan Dethier to both the game of golf and our country. Anybody who has swung a golf club can tell you that it’s more than a game -- it becomes a personal challenge that helps you discover yourself. Dylan writes about his adventures with wisdom beyond his years.”
"This is a superb book about golf -- but it's also a superb book about growing up, fitting in, friendship, food and the great American road. I barely know a birdie from a bogie, but it didn't matter: I still devoured Dylan Dethier's memorable tale of innocence lost and wisdom won."
“18 in America is a golf adventure that will appeal to anyone who has ever played the great game. At its heart, though, it is the story of a young man growing into adulthood, taking chances, making mistakes, finding out what feels right and what feels wrong. I salute Dylan Dethier for stepping off the good school-good college-good job treadmill and taking a year to find out who he really is, for writing about his amazing trip with such honesty and insight, and for being willing to reveal his flaws as openly as he revels in his triumphs. It is rare to find a book—especially a golf book, especially a debut written by someone so young—that smoothly blends pure fun and astute life lessons. 18 in America will inspire golfers and adventurers both young and old. I enjoyed every page.”
“An enterprising and inspirational golf journey unlike any other.”
