How many times have you heard or read “It’s easy to get out of a trap” or “Bunker shots are easy.” Here is my view,
Trapped
If you’ve found that your ball
Came to rest in the sand;
Were the rules more obliging
You’d remove it by hand.
Leon S White, PhD
Hope you will come back next week for another break from the prose of golf.
Golf Course of Rhymes 
Hi Leon
Hope you can help me.
I collect golf poetry and recently came across part of a poem by William Douglas-Home (dramatist / politician and younger brother of former British Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Home) apparently called ‘The Eighth at Brancaster’. Brancaster is a shortened name for the Royal West Norfolk Golf Club, Brancaster. The poem reads:-
I know a hole beside the sea
Where every golfer wants to be
In Summer, when the tide is in
And redder than the distant pin.
Like some great golf ball in the sky
Superbly struck and lofted high
The sun comes up, while curlews cry
And piping redshanks scurry by ….
I couldn’t find any further reference to the poem and was wondering if you could possibly point me in the right direction?
Thanks in anticipation.
Alex Stowell (England)
Dear Alex, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the poet and could not find any references to him or to the poem in my historical materials. My only suggestion would be to contact the golf course, Royal West Norfolk Golf Club, and inquire as to whether they have a club historian or someone who may be familiar with literature that mentions to course. They might even have a copy of the poem, if you’re lucky. But, thanks for contacting me and for looking at my Blog. I hope you will continue to come by from time to time. And since you say you collect golf poetry, I wonder if you have taken a look at my book, “Golf Course of Rhymes?” It continues some interesting old poetry. Best regards, Leon S White.