In an article “The Humor of It” written in 1934, Bernard Darwin discusses the positive roll humor can play in the psychological side of golf.  His point is that we are generally way to harsh on ourselves when things don’t go well on the golf course and we can be prone to behavior that is downright comical if we reflect on it objectively well after the fact.

If only we could just see the humor while in the midst of it, we would probably save ourselves much of the ensuing calamity that is likely to result.  He quotes the great female English champion Joyce Wethered who was speaking of “her recipe for developing a measure of philosophy against all the horrid things that are about to happen”.  She said, “I have been able to laugh at myself for the absurdity of such intense feelings and the perversity of one’s thoughts”.

There is wisdom in this advice.  What golfer, in reflecting on how their temper ruined a round after an unforced error on the course, would not have benefited from seeing the humor of it, thereby limiting the damage and maybe salvaging the round.

(Click here to read Bernard Darwin’s Essay “The Humor of It”)

The Humor of It

Playing The Like 1934

Bernard Darwin On Golf

(Compiled by Jeff Silverman)