by Craig Stark #126, 11 August 2008

A golf guru named Count Yogi??? Yes, it's true. Harry Frankenberg, aka Count Yogi, died in 1990 at the age of ... nobody seems to know for certain, but probably north of 80 years. In the intervening years, thanks in part to family friend Tim Nicholls, who markets CY books, videos, etc., interest in him has blossomed, some would say to cult-level status, dwelling on the very edge of obscurity.

If you're a golfer (or know one), you doubtless understand that golfers are forever looking for "the secret" - some technique or other that will, once and for all, cure what's amiss with their games. Present them with a "forgotten" - rather, "suppressed" method that legend maintains was astonishingly successful back in the day, and intrigue begins. Count Yogi promised this and more, but apparently the road to acceptance among his peers was paved with discrimination. Here's an interesting perspective from the golftuitiononline forum:

" ... and his [Yogi's] ethnicity was mixed, including both Jewish and Native American heritage. The PGA excluded those considered non-Caucasians from membership and touring pro status until the early 1960s. Count Yogi was apparently among those affected by this bigoted policy, and his teaching methods also clashed with the PGA-approved theories, only adding to his lifelong battle with that organization.

"He adopted the Count Yogi moniker in the 1950s, using it as a stage name for the trick shot shows he performed. At times, Count Yogi posed and played in a Hindu robe and turban for publicity photos. True to form, the PGA tried to discredit him in a letter sent to club pros discouraging them from allowing Yogi to stage exhibitions and clinics at their venues. Ironically, Walter Burkemo, the Detroit club pro who won the 1953 PGA title, was one of Count Yogi's greatest friends. Burkemo was among those who tried unsuccessfully to get the PGA to lift its tournament ban against Yogi. Undaunted, Count Yogi toured the United States for decades, and also worked as a golf pro for Bob Hope and later Mickey Rooney when they owned or fronted for golf courses bearing their names. Knowing what it was like to be unfairly excluded, Count Yogi befriended and supported Muhammad Ali after the heavyweight champ was stripped of his title for opposing the Vietnam War and military draft. As we all know, Ali returned to boxing and regained the title belt, lost it, and then regained it a record third time. A film clip of Ali greeting and bantering with Yogi appears in the video documentary, "King of Golf, Vol. 1." Count Yogi's own activities were halted for several years while he recovered from injuries sustained when a Los Angeles municipal transit bus struck his car. When he resumed teaching, one of his pupils was rock musician Graham Nash, whose game flourished under Yogi's tutelage. Late in life, Count Yogi completed a short instruction video summarizing his golfing approach.

"Apart from the expensive playing lessons - CountYogiGolf.com - also sells books, videos and training materials. The site is run by Tim Nicholls, a devoted friend of Count Yogi's, who inherited his mentor's archival collection of golf memorabilia."

If this interests you, you'll understand why anything Count Yogi is hot now, even the common, humble paperback, Five Simple Steps to Perfect Golf, which routinely sells for $50 and up.

You'll see 100 profit-producing books like this every 3 months in BookThink's Quarterly Market Report of Common, Profitable Books, each one presented in a clear format with bibliographic essentials and links to photos. Here is the actual entry for Five Simple Steps to Perfect Golf, #92 in QMR, issue #5:

TITLE: FIVE SIMPLE STEPS TO PERFECT GOLF
AUTHOR: Count Yogi
ILLUSTRATOR: n/a
EDITOR: n/a
PLACE: New York
IMPRINT: Simon & Schuster
COPYRIGHT DATE: 1986
ISBN OR LCCN: 0671628798
ISBN-13: 978-0671628796
BINDING: Softcover
LINK: Count Yogi Golf - Platform to Perfection Golf System

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