The Gift of Reading For a Golfing Father.

Maybe it's the color drawings that look like regular golfers I have known. Maybe it's the thick paper that reminds me of my old grade school projects. Maybe it's the simplicity of the tasks and the guidance offered, but I have always loved the Private Lessons section at the back of Golf Magazine. Four years ago, a collection of the most insightful lessons culled from the magazine through the decades was published. This year, new material has been added in the revised edition, ''Private Lessons: The Best of the Best Instruction.'' (Abrams Books) It's a hefty tome, more than 300 pages and shaped like a textbook, but inside are the handy, digestible tips with the accurate, familiar illustrations. The lessons are separated into chapters with titles like course management, the mental game and specialty short game shots. If searching for a golf-related Father's Day gift, ''Private Lessons'' will be more helpful than a dozen golf balls - and last considerably longer as well. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]