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Have You Met Him

Thanks for visiting again or for the first time. As you may know (from reading this Blog) I’ve recently published a book called If Golf Balls Could Talk – Collected Golf Poems (available on Amazon). Here is a poem from the book that tells a familiar story:

 HE TALKS A GOOD GAME

He talks a good game
You know the guy

He judges each swing

With a critical eye. 

He talks a good game
Awash with advice

He’s off to the races

When he sees you slice. 

He talks a good game
He studies the pros

He is eager to tell you

All that he knows. 

He talks a good game
Can he turn a phrase

He talks a good game

But it’s not how he plays. 

He talks and he talks
With eyeballs that glisten
But even the duffers
No longer listen. 

If you’ve met this guy, you are welcome to share the experience in the comments section.

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New Book on Amazon: If Golf Balls Could Talk

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.

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The PGA, LIV Battle

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

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New Year’s Greetings

large_556_golfball_christmas_happyholidays

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

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Too Many

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 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.

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Wood$

TigerWoods1997

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

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With Thanks to Richard Wilber

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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.

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The Shakespeare Connection

shake

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

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Par The Last

Hole in One

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.

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Trapped

the-old-course-experience

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.

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