“It’s a good day when you’re looking down at the grass instead of up at the roots” is a common saying, meaning that it’s better to be alive than to be dead and buried. American professional golfer Arnold Palmer (1929-2016) was quoted in the Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution on November 13, 1992, after a bad round of golf:
 
“It wasn’t all bad. I’m still looking down at the grass instead of up at it.”
 
“Any day you’re looking down at the grass instead of up at the roots, it’s a great day for golf!” was posted on the newsgroup rec.sport.golf on October 21, 1996. “Any day I’m looking down at the grass instead of up is a good day” was posted on Twitter by JBRecording on July 8, 2010.
   
       
Wikipedia: Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer (September 10, 1929 – September 25, 2016) was an American professional golfer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport’s history. Dating back to 1955, he won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and the circuit now known as PGA Tour Champions. Nicknamed The King, he was one of golf’s most popular stars and seen as a trailblazer, the first superstar of the sport’s television age, which began in the 1950s.
 
Newspapers.com
13 November 1992, Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution, “Glenn Sheeley’s Sportscene,” pg. E2, col. 1:
Golfer Arnold Palmer, 61, had this to say after recently shooting a high round: “It wasn’t all bad. I’m still looking down at the grass instead of up at it.”
     
Newspapers.com
15 November 1992, San Francisco (CA) Examiner, “Golf” by Mark Soltau, pg. C-13, col. 6:
Arnold Palmer, after shooting a high score: “It wasn’t all bad. I’m still looking down at the grass instead of up at it.”
   
Newspapers.com
20 November 1992, The Capital Times (Madison, WI), pg. 1E, col. 1:
QUOTE/UNQUOTE
Golf legend Arnold Palmer, after shooting a high score:
“It wasn’t all bad. I’m still looking down at the grass instead of up at it.”
 
6 December 1992, Orlando (FL) Sentinel, “Stewart’s victory declares, ‘I’m back’” by George White, pg. C14:
Arnold Palmer may not shoot the great scores anymore, but he still has the great lines. This one-liner came after a particularly frustrating day of torture this year: “It wasn’t all bad. I’m still looking down at the grass instead of up at it.”
       
Google Groups: rec.sport.golf
Tiger wins DISNEY tourney!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cbowser
10/21/96
(...)
“Any day you’re looking down at the grass instead of up at the roots, it’s a great day for golf!”
   
Twitter
Light Outdoors
@lightoutdoors
A beautiful day, birds are singing, sun is shining, and I am looking down at the grass instead of up at the roots. A good day indeed!
8:13 AM · Mar 23, 2009·Twitter Web Client
     
Twitter 
Erika Schnatz
@erikaschnatz
Customer quote: it’s a good day because i’m lookin down at the grass instead of up. I love my job. Lol
12:39 PM · Jun 9, 2009·Twitter SMS
   
Twitter
JBRecording
@jbrecording
Any day I’m looking down at the grass instead of up is a good day.
10:09 AM · Jul 8, 2010·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
Mitchell Wallick
@Mitchthedrugdoc
Any day looking down at the grass instead of up at the roots is a good one. Don’t rush your grave. Stop addiction now. www://careflorida.com
1:36 PM · Aug 9, 2010·Twitter Web Client
 
Google Books
End of Life Care in the ICU:
From Advanced Disease to Bereavement
By Graeme Rocker and Kathleen Puntillo
New York, NY: Oxford University Press
2010
Pg. 299:
I am thankful for the care that I received and now two years later, I am still able to look down at the grass instead of up at the roots.
 
Google Books
Life on the Backside of Sixty
By Walter Ganzer
Lulu Press (Lulu.com)
2015
Pg. ?:
Most times when I hit the checkout lines at the stores the first thing the cashier says is “How are you today?” and my usual reply is “Can’t complain, I’m looking down at the grass, so it’s a good day.”
   
The Daily Meal
KISS’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley on Taking Their Rock & Brews Restaurant Nationwide
January 20, 2017
By Marcia Frost
(...)
“I’d much rather look at the world the way I do and, for me, any day that I wake up and I’m looking down at the grass instead of up at it is a good day. I’m blessed.”
(Spoken by Paul Stanley.—ed.)
 
Boulder (CO) City Review
Take charge of your health
By Hali Bernstein Saylor Hali’s Comment
January 15, 2020 - 4:12 pm
An old joke says it’s always a good day when you wake up and can look down at the grass instead of looking up at it.