Golf is very different from other sports. Some of these unique aspects are easy to recognize if you take the time to think about it. If I asked you to make a list I'm sure most people would come up with some similar ideas: played on a large piece of land, field conditions constantly changing, fourteen metal sticks being lugged around, no direct contact with the competition, would all classify as examples.
One unique characteristic that may not cross your mind(unless you're a tournament player), is time.
No I'm not referring to pace of play that is a hot button issue right now, I'm referring to how much actual time can be spent playing the game. Like anything else, if you want to get better, it takes time and effort. Although some players may improve more quickly than others, it is typically a slow uphill process.
Even after I was gifted some ability, development has taken time and dedication. Every single type of bad shot is within my arsenal. Through dedication, time, struggle, and effort I've improved slowly and gradually.
My first lesson in this came when I was a sophomore in high school. The ever growing passion to compete and practice had run into a roadblock. When the school year approached in the fall it only meant one thing to me, less golf. The majority of my days and time were spent thinking about or trying to better my golf game. The issue I was presented with was that school now started at 8 a.m., finished at 2 p.m., while football practice started at 3 p.m. Once practiced finished there only remained about two hours of daylight, which was not enough to satisfy the itch I had to hone my craft.
The solution that fall would be to drive to the school(learner permit) at 5 a.m. and walk to the golf course on the other side of town. Ninety minutes of practice in the morning helped satisfy my itch but it wasn't always enough, I usually would make the walk back across town after football practice was over for another 90 minutes of practice.
They were long days, but they helped forge dedication to getting better. They didn't stop there.
In college at Henderson State my class schedules and the South Arkansas weather permitted me more time to practice. It was common place to start team workouts at 6 a.m., followed by classes till noon, then practice at the golf course until no daylight was left. The "grind brothers" as we termed ourselves spent many nights in the dark with a spot light following golf balls around the back nine of Degray Lake State Park Golf Course doing anything they could to get better. It worked.
"Grind brothers" seeing their work be rewarded
This lesson that getting better requires effort, change, and dedication has been a staple in my life. It continued into professional golf and has permeated in almost everything I do. That lesson has applied for me in work, friendships, family, and my walk of faith.
In December of 2018 I joined the Newton Christian Reformed Church
Since turning professional my yearly routine has followed a simple schedule.
Follow the warm weather.
I've generally split time 50/50 between Iowa and South Florida while competing, working, and trying to get better. Being a 20-something snowbird has had its pro's and con's, but it has I'd say proven to be successful in terms of improving my golf game during the past five years. Over the past couple seasons however, I've noticed a difference in myself. Unlike my 18-year old self who wanted only to be constantly on the move and traveling, a desire has arose within me to stop packing my bags for a move across the country twice a year.
Even once I started to long for this, I still had no idea where I wanted to be. As a newer Christian who was without a church "home", part of what I really wanted was a place to belong, to learn, and be a part of. Through a golf friendship, I was invited to attend a small church in an old brick building in a small town. What I found was not just a place that I could attend Sunday service, but a place that is full of people who are truly helping me get better.
During the winter of 2018-2019 as I went away and migrated to South Florida, I knew it could be my last season working in the ocean side town of Hobe Sound. The family I'm now apart of at Newton CRC is where I want to be, and that boiled down to a tough decision I made three weeks ago at the season opening week in Hobe Sound.
My Florida caddy bib has been retired.
I will miss these people and many more
The main question and comment I've got over the past couple weeks is "have you quit playing?". My answer is a resounding no. All I'm doing is what I know will make me better. Being active and serving with a faithful church is what is going to help me accomplish just that.
Even after I received the free gift of Jesus Christ as my savior, sanctification takes time and dedication. Every single type of sin is within my arsenal. Through dedication, time, struggle, and effort I'm improving slowly and gradually.
Since becoming a Christian towards the end of my college days my life has changed dramatically. Some of my old friends might question how and be skeptical of this change. It only makes sense as they were around when I was lost. In my journey of getting better God is continually working on renewing me. I have messed up along the way, especially early on, but my closest relationships will attest to some of the visible changes in my life.
- The college kid who used to love getting drunk and going to parties is getting better and now hardly touches alcohol.
- The boy who was full of lust, addicted to pornography, and searching for relationships where he could use girls only for his pleasure is getting better, running from sexual immorality, striving for purity and saving himself for a wife.
- The heart full of pride that only wanted his name above others on a leaderboard, is getting better and now cheers for competition.
- The busy body who viewed slowing down as weakness is getting better and now sees value in rest.
- The skeptic who once viewed Christians as archaic, weird, and harsh, has had his eyes opened and can now better see the truth.
- The person who questioned the purpose of life and once saw it as meaningless now better sees his purpose and sees the touch of a Creator everywhere he turns.
The list could go on.
The next step to getting better that I can best discern in my life is to stay close to the church body I feel God has led me to. If we know each other, you may be asking, "whats next for you with golf then?".
Competitive golf is still very much my craft. It is what I know, it is what I've spent fifteen years in study and in practice, it is still something I have a deep passion for. As I spend a winter in the snow for the first time in a decade, I will be open to how God wants me to use this craft. I will be open how I'll continue on this journey, all the while learning more about who He is, and continuing on the journey of getting better.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
