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 peek 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. Game on...Happy golfing🏌🏌