A New Year’s Golf Resolution In Poetry

A New Year’s Golf Resolution In Poetry

Some years ago, I found this New Year’s golf resolution in a scanned golf magazine in the Google archives. The poem dates to 1900, and the author is “anonymous.”

I find it interesting how little the game has changed. The anonymous poet wants to stop looking up, slicing, topping the ball, and over swinging. Those all are things on my own list — and probably on the list of every weekend golfer everywhere.

The text of the poem follows

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

SWEAR off pulling, swear off slicing,
Swear off ever looking up;
Swear off doing all but shooting
For the center of the cup.

SWEAR off topping, over-swinging,
As you stand upon the tee;
Swear off doing all but holing
Out in three.

– Anonymous, circa 1900