Where Golf Meets Storytelling: Inside Gene Walden’s First Children’s Book

Best-selling author Gene Walden spent more than two years creating the story and illustrations for Matchup at Adventure Land Golf: The Epic Quest of Two Fearless Boys. It is his first children’s book after writing about 30 non-fiction books. He has been an award-winning writer, reporter, and columnist, and a contributor to the Wall Street Journal and Investor’s Business Daily. A graduate of Indiana University, Gene makes his home in Minnesota.

A competitive golfer, he wanted incorporate his love of the game with his passion for writing. Matchup at Adventure Land Golf educates as it entertains, subtly weaving in the rules, terms, traditions, and history of golf as the characters traverse the 18-hole course. While it’s a story of rivalry, courage, and enduring friendship for kids 5 to 10, golf lovers of all ages will discover a lot to enjoy in golf’s newest classic.

Gene sat down with Writer’s Life Magazine to tell us about his new work, what inspires him, what the game of golf means to him and all about the two boys that became the antagonists in the book. Here is what he had to share.

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Tell us a bit about your background and career.

I’ve been a professional writer my entire career, first at Indiana University as a reporter on the Indiana Daily Student, followed by stints for newspapers in Richmond and South Bend, IN, and Minneapolis. While I’ve covered nearly every type of story, from police and politics to sports and celebrities, my primary proficiency ultimately became personal finance. My first book, Winning with Your Stockbroker, published in 1989, was featured by The New York Times atop its list of “best business/finance books of the year.” From there I wrote a series of books on stocks, including seven editions of The 100 Best Stocks to Own in America, which was a perennial best-seller, and several spin-offs, such as The 100 Best Mutual Funds, The 100 Best Small Stocks, 100 Ways to Beat the Market, Marketing Masters, If Not Stocks, What? – you get the picture.

In all, I’ve written approximately 30 books, nearly all on business or personal finance. Along the way, I was a magazine editor and a columnist or contributor to a variety of Twin Cities and national publications, such as airline magazines, The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Consumer’s Digest, Money, World Trade and others. I also wrote the content and helped design websites for dozens of financial companies, including several Fortune 500 firms.

My newest book, Matchup at Adventure Land Golf, is a rhyming children’s picture book that I both wrote and illustrated. It is a sharp deviation from the past, but I wanted to do something different that I would enjoy, and something timeless that could last past the next market cycle. I was not concerned about the rhyming writing style. If you can make topics like stocks, bonds, retirement planning and quantum analysis sound interesting, readable, and relatable – which was my specialty – you can probably write nearly anything. The illustrations, on the other hand, were a different story, as I will discuss in a bit.

Tell us more about your new book, Matchup at Adventure Land Golf; The Epic Quest of Two Fearless Boys.

As the name implies, Matchup is a children’s golf adventure odyssey. Think Dr. Suess meets Indiana Jones, with a hint of Wizard of Oz. Two little boys, Jordan and Zay, compete for the Adventure Land Golf Ice Cream Trophy through 18 action-packed holes around the world and beyond. They play through parched deserts, steep mountains, the Moon, melting icebergs, dodging bulls, bears, bees, bats, baboons, buffalo and hundreds of other animals along the way. The boys begin the tournament as bitter rivals but, forced to work together to overcome the challenges of the treacherous course, they slowly morph into fast friends.

However, the ice cream trophy is still on the line! With a crowd of fans, media and golf world dignitaries gathered around the 18th green to witness their final putts, an unexpected twist sends the match into limbo, spinning the rivalry between the two young friends “into a drama for the ages over how this match would end.” Spoiler alert: the finale has been known to bring tears of joy. Matchup educates as it entertains, subtly weaving in many of the key terms, traditions, and history of golf along the course.

It’s a big book, 8.5- by 11-inches, with 146 pages and about 120 original illustrations. It’s definitely an epic odyssey. While it’s geared to kids 5 to 12 of all genders, races, and cultures, golfers of any age will find a lot to enjoy in Matchup at Adventure Land Golf.

What was your impetus for writing your book?

On a trip to Colorado, I had a chance to play Estes Park Golf Course, where a very large herd of friendly elk resided. There were 600-pound horned elk sitting contentedly on the fringe of the greens watching me putt (past their fresh droppings). Others crowded the fairway, compelling me to hit safely around them. At one point, I looked toward the green and there were dozens of elk all around me, and beautiful snow-capped mountains in the distance. That’s when it hit me! What an awesome setting for a children’s adventure book! I could envision a tournament where two cute little kids played through wild animals and beautiful settings. That was about five years ago.

Who are the two little boys featured in the book?

In developing the book, I needed two models I could use to basically form the shapes and angles of the two players as they played the course. The concept was to take hundreds of photographs of the two young golfers and redraw, recolor and graphically adjust each picture to convert them into cartoon figures that I could insert, as appropriate, into the background settings that I had created. Finding the first boy was easy – my grandson was nearly four years old when I started working on the book, he liked to golf, and he lived nearby in Minneapolis, so he was the first choice. The other boy lived in southern Michigan where I still have many friends from my days covering the area for The South Bend Tribune. He is the great nephew of my best friend from the area.

The boys had never met until the book was published. In October of 2025, we had a book launch and signing fundraiser in Cassopolis, Michigan, where I donated all my royalties and local businesses covered the printing costs to raise nearly $5,000 for a local food shelf. That’s where the boys first met. They couldn’t wait to meet each other. They played, they wrestled, they hit some golf balls and then came inside to sign some books along with me. By the end of the day, they were best friends – and they can not wait to see each other again next summer.

Aside from writing the book, you also illustrated the entire thing – tell us about your artistic side.

My career goals had always been geared toward writing. In fact, until recently, I had never given a thought to drawing even a single picture, let alone a book of 120 large, complex, color illustrations.

I had been toying with a book on current affairs, but after writing a few chapters, it dawned on me that the only people who would be interested in reading it would be those who already agreed with my point of view. So, I thought maybe the best way to make a positive impact with a broader audience would be to deliver the message in a fun, simple rhyming children’s book with lots of beautiful pictures to keep things interesting.

After my encounter with the elk at Estes Park Golf Course, I knew exactly what I wanted to write. And over time, the concept germinated and grew in my mind. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. First, I wrote a draft of the story. That didn’t take long. Then I started in on the illustrations, which ultimately took more than two years of 16-hour days and frequent all-nighters. While I had never drawn or painted so much as a basic outdoor scene with grass, trees, sky and animals before, I did have a strong graphics background, creating brochures and building websites. Once I figured out how to create the illustrations using my own unique style, I started showing the book around to my friends. Without fail, the first question everyone asked was, “Wow, who did your pictures?” That’s when I knew I could pull it off.

And two-and-half-years after I began, Matchup finally rolled off the press.

Who are some people that have inspired you along the way?

As I was writing and illustrating the book, I showed it to about 30 friends and family members of all ages, and I received a lot of great feedback, as well as encouragement. At lunch after golf one day, about seven of my buddies ganged up on me to persuade me to dump one of my chapters and replace it with something else, and it was absolutely the best decision I could have made.

In terms of writing style, Kurt Vonnecut and Truman Capote probably had the most influence. But for Matchup, I think Dr. Suess is probably woven into the DNA of all of us, so that was an influence – especially the rhyming – but I would say my style and subject matter are not really similar. I just tried to think outside the box and make the writing fun. Once I began the writing, I started to think in rhymes, dream in rhymes and even talk in rhymes. It consumed me. And with a story of more than four thousand words, there was a lot of rhyming to do. That was a blast, probably the most fun I’ve ever had as a writer.

In terms of illustration style, again, all my own. Art is not something I had ever studied. I’d say two of my biggest influences would be Van Gogh because there were no limits with his work, and Andy Warhol, because he introduced some photographic elements into illustrated artworks, which I do in the book.

The most influential artist of all was probably the late Bud Chapman, the most famous golf artist of all time. He painted dozens of stunning golf settings with famous pros like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nichlaus, in familiar settings, such as Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, etc. So obviously, there are similarities in our pictures since they’re both golf-related, but mine have animals and little kids, while his only had grown men and no animals. But before I did my illustrations, I researched all of Chapman’s paintings to make sure I didn’t copy one of his settings. Since he used famous landmarks, I stayed away from that and was compelled to create new reimagined settings of my own.

Ironically, Chapman lived near me in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, and I met him at his house on Lake Minnetonka in the 1980s to interview him for a magazine article. Wonderful guy. At the time, I was a huge fan of his work, but never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself essentially following in his footsteps – or even drawing a single illustration – ever – let alone an entire book of golf art.

What does golf mean to you? Do you play often?

I played golf quite a bit as a teenager and young man, but once my children were born, there was no time for golf. About ten years ago, I took a job for a large investment firm doing the economic and investment content. Once on board, the president asked me if I golfed, and would I like to join their golf team. From everything I’ve ever learned about business, if the boss asks you to golf, you golf! So, of course I said “yes,” and started practicing religiously. Our team won the big annual company golf tournament that summer, and I’ve been golfing regularly ever since. Over the years, thanks to some talented teammates, I’ve tucked away a few more two-man and team championships – and dream of more to come.

What are the lessons you want readers to take away from reading your work?

It’s a long book – 18 holes – with a lot of opportunities to impart some subtle lessons – some in words, others in pictures.

On the surface, it’s the tale of two young golfers who are oblivious to danger, and who use their wiles to survive a string of adversity and adventures. So, it’s a lesson in working together to overcome adversity. It’s also a lesson that bitter rivals can become friends by finding common ground.

It is also a celebration of golf – highlighting its biggest stars, its traditions, its history, and the sheer joy of the game. In one scene, the boys ask another boy they meet on the 12th green why he likes the game of golf. He answers:

“What’s not to like,” said Dan. “It’s loads of fun— the flowers, the fashion, the fresh air, and the sun. Plus, when I’m on the tee and swinging free, I don’t think any kid can hit the ball as well as me.”

Visually, there are some more lessons. It highlights the beauty of wildlife and nature. It also shows two little boys, one white, one African American, slowly putting aside their differences to become fast friends. Along the way, they meet an African guide, an Egyptian woman on a camel, an Aboriginal man in the Australian outback, a little boy of Asian descent, a little girl of Hispanic descent and the ghost of an old Scottish golfer speaking Gaelic. So, the illustrations paint a picture of diversity and inclusion, a game that anyone can enjoy. And in the game of golf, where African-American golfers are still rarely represented at the major PGA tournaments – bringing a love and appreciation for the game of golf to a diverse audience of children may be the book’s most pertinent purpose.

Tell us about a funny experience the boys have in the book.

The boys do have a few light moments when they’re not dodging wild animals or traversing treacherous terrain. Their greatest feat was probably the 4-mile hole-in-one they each made, from the top to the bottom of Mt. Kilimanjaro, through monkeys, baboons, gazelles, giraffes, zebras and elephants.

The most light-hearted moment might be on the 16th tee where they meet three men who bear a strong resemblance to golf greats Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and the late Arnold Palmer:

“As the boys hiked up to the 16th tee, three amigos appeared out of thin air, who introduced themselves as the King, the Tiger, and the Golden Bear.

‘Hey boys,’ said the King, ‘glad you came along our way. Can either of you tell us: What day is today?’

‘I believe it’s Friday,’ Jordan replied with a grin.

‘How long did it take you men to get all fifteen holes in?’

‘We’re right on pace,’ beamed the Tiger. ‘Just started on Monday, so with three holes to go, we should be finished by Sunday.’

Then the Bear pulled out a nickel and said, ‘Here you go, son, split it between you and go have some fun.’”

What are you working on now and what can we expect from you next?

My next children’s book should be coming out soon. The title is When Teacher Sysinki Says ‘Nenky’ and it takes place on the teeny, tiny planet of Nenky Do Dinky, in the sleepy little town of Nenky Van Winky. While there are no wild animals and no golfing in this one, it does rhyme, and there are lots of little kids who look very similar to the kids in Matchup. The story centers around the magical word “nenky.”

When Teacher Sysinki Says ‘Nenky’ is already converted into a fully-animated video, with narration and music, that you can view for free on our website, www.SpinSpeedBooks.com.

The printed version of the book should come out in Spring or Summer 2026.

I also recently launched a content website for golfers, www.GolfCrossFitness.com, although it is currently a bit of a work in progress.

Where can people find out more about you and your work?

You can see dozens of illustrations and a couple of narrated chapters from Matchup at www.SpinSpeedBooks.com.