The Foursome

When Joe Aronica, founder/CEO of a successful aircraft company and member of a golf foursome at a snooty golf club in Danuba, Conn., receives an invitation from Eddie Caminetti (returning from McAllister's debut novel, The Green) to come play at a place called Swithen Bairn (promising ""The most memorable golf vacation you've ever had...or you don't pay""), he overcomes the skepticism of his longstanding foursome and convinces them to spend their annual golf outing there. Chauffeured by limo to a windowless private Gulfstream jet, the group is whisked away to a tropical, perfectly manicured golf course that uses orchid-filled planter boxes for tee markers. Caught up in the surreal ambience, the foursome gets hustled into a money game with Caminetti and his team of ""owners."" When they lose, they badger Caminetti to give them a chance to get their money back. Soon, the gambling escalates to staggering proportions and the pressure strips bare the phoniness of their Rotarian personas, threatening to destroy their friendships. The writing in this book is serviceable, but McAllister never quite delivers the satire the plot promises. The once-a-week madras Bermudas gang may find the book mildly amusing, as it does flash some knowledge of the sport, but the book is no match for The Green, and even golfers may be put off by the author's reliance on the hip jive--""not even God can hit a 1-iron""--of the golfing cool. (Apr.)