Exploring the links between golf and poetry
Recently I decided it would be a good time to collect my poetry together in a single volume. If Golf Balls Could Talk is the result. I recognize that it takes a bit of courage to buy a book of poetry, let alone golf poetry. But your presence on this Blog is a good start. And, by being here, you must be a golf enthusiast, and so I think your courage will be rewarded.
Here is my four-line observation of what’s going on:
LIV or Not?
The PGA wanted LIV to die
Pressure on players they did apply;
But money talks is what they say
So LIV with live another day.
Leon S White, PhD
New Year’s Greetings
Greetings my golfing friends
From capable to bad,
Next season remember
To smile not get mad –
When a putt rings the cup
Or a drive goes way wide,
It’s the work of the golf Gods –
You’re along for the ride.
Leon S White, PhD
My own experience. How about yours?
TOO MANY
Guitars or putters,
If you’ve ever bought any;
Chances are good
That you’ve bought too many.
Leon S White, PhD
Note: My book Golf Course of Rhymes is currently selling for $7.28 on Amazon (a 25% discount). Haven’t seen that before. Stories of golf and golf history illustrated with poetry going back to 1638. Put in two years of research; an interesting read if the link between golf and poetry is of interest.
My last Blog post looked at Tiger’s impressive return from the true golf fan’s point of view. Below is a more cynical view of Tiger’s latest comeback.
Wood$
Tiger’s play –
The best in years;
Golf’s retailers –
Leading the cheers.
Leon S White, PhD
Last year I published a book called Opposites in Golf. The 32 poems in the book were all based on the idea of taking a word (in my book the word was related to golf) and then going on a poetic search for its opposite. The idea was originated by the great American poet, Richard Wilber. Wilber passed away a few days ago at age 96.
One of Wilber’s shortest opposites poem may also be one of his best,
What is the opposite of two?
A lonely me, a lonely you.
In my book, I also included a two line poem,
What’s the opposite of flub?
To hit it flush with any club.
When I first began to write opposites poems, I sent a few to Mr. Wilber. He wrote back, “Tennis has always been my game …but I see enough golf … to understand you very well, and to know that a number of words like putt and tee are waiting to claim your attention.” And they did and here’s one of them,
What is the opposite of tea?
It’s coffee we would all agree.
But avid golfers might start yelling,
Insisting on a different spelling.
For them,
A tee is wooden; its top is round
To place a golf ball above ground.
Remove the tee and then alas,
A tee’s opposite must be grass.
May Mr. Wilber’s memory be an abiding blessing.
I thought I’d give this week’s Post a little class by linking it to a real poet.
The Shakespeare Connection
Just as Shakespeare
links to bard,
So does “Swing easy”
To “Hit it hard.”
Leon S White, PhD
Shakespeare wrote “All’s Well that Ends Well.” In psychology there is a precept called the “peak-end rule” which states that the way an experience ends determines the happiness we ascribe to it. In golf, the effect of the rule might be described as,
Par The Last
Bogey after bogey,
You’re failing the test,
Par the last hole . . .
And you forget the rest!
Leon S White, PhD
Please come back next week for another poetic observation on golf.
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.
Last week I mentioned my book, Opposites in Golf. It consists of a series of 32 poems. Each takes a golfing term or expression and then embarks on a poetic adventure seeking its opposite. Here is an example.
ROUGHLY SPEAKING
What is the opposite of rough?
Smooth an answer, not too tough.
But golfers might say, “Wait a minute,
Rough, we’d rather not be in it.
The fairway that is our suggestion.
The opposite of rough, no question.”
Leon S White, PhD
Please come back next week for another golf poem to remember when you are in the rough!
Golf Course of Rhymes 
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