Al Barkow has been the editor-in-chief of Golf and Golf Illustrated magazines, chief writer on the original Shell's Wonderful World of Golf television series, and writer of countless articles on the game for such publications as Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, The New York Times, Golf Monthly (UK), Golf World, and Travel & Leisure. He has co-authored numerous golf instructional books with professionals that include Ken Venturi, Billy Casper, and Dave Stockton. He has written previous histories of golf, including Golf's Golden Grind: the History of the Tour and Gettin' to the Dance Floor: an Oral History of American Golf, which in 1986 won the first annual United States Golf Association International Golf Book of the Year award. Barkow also appeared for some ten years as a television commentator for Inside the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour programs seen on ESPN. A native of Chicago, he was a member of the Western Illinois University golf team that won the NAIA national championship in 1959 and also competed in the US Amateur Championship in 1971 as well as other national and regional golf competitions. He currently lives in Clifton, New Jersey.