Thought for the Week, June 9 2023

If life were a round of golf

 

Folk travel to our part of the world for many reasons. A strong attraction for some is the golf courses.

 

We have world class options that keep people coming back again and again. It’s a game, I’m told, that is hard to master.

 

Winston Churchill said: “Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.”

 

Others see it as a paradox.

 

William Wordsworth said: “Golf is a day spent in a round of strenuous idleness.”

 

Raymond Floyd said, presumably because of a bad day on the course: “They call it golf because all the other four-letter words were taken.”

 

However, for many, it is a passion and a great source of friendship; a community within the community.

 

There is an accepted etiquette on the greens and in clubhouses. You must play by the rules, you must be considerate of those in front and behind. Like all sports, it can bring out the best and the worst in people.

 

PG Wodehouse said: “To find a man’s true character, play golf with him.”

 

Whatever lies beneath the surface in all our lives, we can learn from golf. I think it’s a good lesson to watch the wind and hold your grip - after having to look down, look up, look ahead.

 

“Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint.” – Romans 5.3,4

 

Almighty God, as we play through our 18 holes of life, we pray you will give us a drive that's long enough to reach our goals and straight enough to keep us out of trouble.

 

Reverend Chris Holden, The Fishermen's Mission.