Dream Shot. A Novel

by Robert C.S. Downs

Dream Shot follows Pete Collins, a 70-year-old retired teacher chasing a long-held dream—to pass the PGA’s Playing Ability Test and become a teaching professional. On the surface, it’s a story about golf, but at its core, it’s about confronting aging, revisiting buried passions, reconciling with one’s past, and redefining purpose.

As Pete plays his make-or-break round, he reflects on love, loss, ambition, and the complexities of life through the metaphors the game so poetically offers. With moments of humor, humility, and triumph, Dream Shot is a richly layered narrative about perseverance, grace, and the transformative power of following a dream—no matter when.

What people are saying:

"DREAM SHOT is spellbinding, a moving story about a golfer and his ultimate quest to become a teaching professional." —Dave Hollinger, University of Waterloo Men's Golf Coach, Canada's University/College Golf Coach of the Year 2011

"Robert C. S. Downs delivers a masterful blend of memoir-style fiction and sports narrative in Dream Shot, a novel that transcends the game of golf. With lyrical prose and deeply reflective insights, Downs paints an authentic portrait of a man grappling with aging, legacy, and the desire for a final personal victory. Readers don't need to know the difference between a fade and a draw to be swept up in Pete Collins’s journey—one that’s as emotionally resonant as it is technically grounded. The book captures the internal battles we all face and shows how the quiet pursuit of a goal can become the most meaningful game of all. It's not just a story about golf—it's about life, one swing at a time." John F.