Like faith, golf requires us to lose our "old nature." We first must learn
the proper grip. Our old nature tells us to grip the club tightly, so we
have total control. In golf, though, a tight grip keeps us from meeting the
ball squarely and it sails off in a wayward direction.
Human nature tells us the harder we swing, the farther the ball will fly.
But this doesn't work in golf. Using our strength to muscle the ball will
only advance it a short distance. Golf requires a light touch and an easy
swing.
The most common mistake golfers make is looking up during their swing to
see where the ball is headed. This causes them to top the ball, or
completely miss it. We have the same problem in life. We're so busy looking
ahead, we don't focus on the present.
Our urge to look up is especially strong when we're facing a hazard, like
water or sand. We're constantly looking ahead for trouble. But if we keep
our head down and focus on the present, we're less likely to lose a ball in
the water.
When we get close to the green, we're also likely to peak during the swing.
Sometimes, we're so blinded by things we want, we don't pay attention to
doing what it takes to get them.
On these chip shots, our nature tells us to stop our club when it hits the
ball, so it won't go over the green. Faith requires us to follow through
with our swing, or the ball will come up short. It reminds us to follow
through with decisions, rather than being afraid of the consequences.
Golf is a frustrating game, but we can't give in to these frustrations.
Golfers must calmly accept adversity. They must humble themselves and
nothing is more humbling than raking a sand trap after wasting three shots
to get out of it.
Our nature is to blame others for our problems, but in golf, there's no one
else to blame. Golf also teaches us courtesy and respect for others. We
don't talk during someone's shot or do anything to distract them. The golf
course may be the last bastion of courtesy.
It may also be the last bastion of sportsmanship. Golfers are on the honor
system, keeping their own scores. Golfers are so honorable, they call
penalties on themselves.
Golf also demands honesty. It goes against our nature to count every stroke
and finish every putt. But we can't improve until we face what we're
shooting now. Fudging our score is like cheating on a test. It's the reason
golf pencils don't have erasers. Golf gives us many opportunities to cheat,
but we're only cheating ourselves.
As in faith, there are elements of grace in golf: the fortunate bounce, the
ball that skips across the water, the line drive that is stopped by the
pin. We need grace on the golf course because it's so difficult and
contrary to human nature.
Golfers have devised their own form of grace — they're called "mulligans."
God wants us to use only one of these do-overs per round, lest we cheapen
grace.
Happy golfing.
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