There’s something quietly powerful about listening to someone who has lived nearly a century tell their story to reflect. In Getting There! Regis Sauger doesn’t offer flashy drama or exaggerated feats. Instead, he gives us something far more valuable, a sincere, grounded, and often humorous look at how ordinary choices shape an extraordinary life.
From humble beginnings in Michigan, Sauger takes us on a remarkable ride through decades of personal and professional evolution. The book reads like a string of memories told from a chair on the porch, but don’t mistake its simplicity for a lack of insight. The wisdom in these pages comes wrapped in golf anecdotes, family moments, business lessons, and surprising encounters with everyone from gamblers to generals.
Sauger’s lifelong career in golf provides the book’s backbone. We follow him from his boyhood mischief (sneaking golf balls out of muddy creeks to resell) to his success as a course designer and professional. But this isn’t just a book for golfers. The golf stories are the setting, not the point. What matters more is how each course is built, each match played, and each lesson taught becomes a metaphor for life itself.
For example, when Sauger writes about the delicate balance of water drainage on a green, he’s really talking about problem-solving, attention to detail, and the patience to see a project through. When he describes overcoming financial setbacks and dishonest partners, he’s reminding us that integrity doesn’t go out of style. These reflections are delivered plainly, but the message lingers.
One of the most endearing parts of the book is Sauger’s openness about his failures and missteps. He doesn’t sugarcoat the losses, whether they come from personal choices, business endeavors, or his wife’s tragic cancer-related decline. This is not a case of hero complex. It was just a man telling the truth about what it took to continue.
What makes Getting There! especially enjoyable is Sauger’s voice. It’s conversational, light when it needs to be, but always sincere. He doesn’t try to sound like a polished writer—he sounds like a real person who wants to tell you what worked for him, what didn’t, and what he learned from it all. That authenticity is a gift.
It’s also refreshing to read a life story that doesn’t try to tie everything into a neat bow. Sauger admits he’s still learning. Even at ninety, he’s still trying new things, starting a nonprofit for kids with special needs, and reflecting on what it means to leave a legacy. He doesn’t act like he has all the answers—but he’s figured out a few things worth passing on.
