"Golf's Ultimate Eighteen" by Steve Eubanks has a familiar ring to it

It seems like I’ve seen the book “Golf’s Ultimate Eighteen” before.

Just last year, David Barrett released “Golf’s Dream 18s,” where the author takes the world’s best golf holes and creates several fantasy courses (check out the review).

Author Steve Eubanks took a little different slant on a similar concept with Golf’s Ultimate Eighteen. He asked some legends of the game to pick the best golf holes in the world (number by number) to come up with the ultimate fantasy course. It’s also similar to the series of books called, “50 Places to Play Before You Die” by Chris Santella, except for the fact that Santella detailed entire courses not just individual holes (find its review here).

In Eubank’s book, get a glimpse into the minds of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Raymond Floyd and others. For instance, Palmer profiles the opening hole at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, site of his dramatic 1960 U.S. Open victory.

All the great ones are found here … the par-4 seventh hole with the church pews bunkers at Oak Hill Country Club, the No. 8 Postage Stamp at Royal Troon Links and the most dynamic par-3 in the world: the 220-yard monster 16th hole at Cypress Point.

The finishing holes are pretty predictable, but certainly worthy: the 17th “Road Hole” on the Old course at St. Andrews and No. 18 at Pebble Beach Golf Links, the scenic par 5 along Stillwater Cove.

My biggest complaint about books like these is simple. Why not pick holes people can actually play? Most of them are located on private courses. I’ve played three of them - the fifth hole at Pinehurst No. 2, No. 11 at Ballybunion and the 18th at Pebble. Even with all my connections as a golf writer and rater, not even I can get on a number of these courses … Augusta National and Cypress Point. The only other hole in the book at my disposal would be No. 17 on the Old course. It’s like dangling a toy in front of a kid at Christmas and chanting “You can’t have it. You can’t have it!”

Enough with my childish fit. The 128-page book is an excellent read and well designed, thanks to more than 100 eye-popping photos and the charts of each hole. For the golfer in your family, it’s the perfect birthday or holiday gift. It retails for $34.95 and can be purchased at sellerspublishing.com.