Subscription Lists
Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
by Tom Kelley
Sorry that I wasn't able to make my column the last couple of days. Yesterday was Memorial Day here in the states and I simply took a pass as a holiday. However, Friday was a little different. I was out of town and was not presented with the time to write my column. This past weekend was the annual, "hey-let's-go-to-a-really-good-golf-course-and-see-how-bad-we-really-are" trip. Translation? I made the trip to Wisconsin to visit my son so we could join six other golfers for a round at Whistling Straits.
Whistling Straits is near Kohler, Wisconsin. It jumped into the American golf scene big time a couple of years ago when the PGA Tour played the PGA Championship at the Straits Course, one of two courses at the location. What is odd is that the Straits Course is generally conceded to be the easier of the two courses. Yes, you saw that right. It is the easier of the two courses. I believe that the comment was made last year that the course record for the Straits Course is 65.
Ah, but for the other course, the Irish Course, the course record is 72. Our group played the course from the green tees which coincidentally carry a course rating of 72 and a slope of 137. That's a polite way of saying, "If you're only average you might want to rethink this round of golf." Last year my goal was to break 100. Around here they laugh at me saying I want to break 100 because I normally shoot in the 70s or low 80s. Last year I shot a 95. This year I wanted to break 90. I shot an 84.
What needs to be pointed out here is that what is familiar to us becomes easier. To a certain extent we just put it on cruise control and relax. Golfers do that. Then you have to actually play golf when an Irish Course suddenly looms before you. You carefully weigh club selection and even reconsider your swing thoughts because you don't want to miss the fairway. Miss the fairway and it's almost instant death. There are few good lies in the rough. And this is not your average rough. By the way, this paragraph hasn't been about golf, but about life.
Consider this. Every golfer has the opportunity to put fourteen clubs in his bag so he can tackle any situation. Every Christian carries tools for the same purpose. No, they're not your talents for then it would be solely works. Here are the tools you carry with you. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22, 23 There's not a course you and I tackle that those tools can't tame.
Rate it:
...He was the Minister of the Minorsville Christian Church located near Stamping Ground, KY.
...Becky and Tom have three children; John, single and in worship ministry in Nicholasville, Kentucky; Sean, married (Jennifer, elementary school teacher) with twins (Grace and Patrick, b.d. 10/31/04) and regional director of Papa John's Pizza in Central KY; Kara, married (Vince Taylor, prison guard) and working with Hospice East in Winchester, KY.
...Tom went to be with the Lord on November 13, 2009 after a lengthy battle with cancer. If you have been touched by Tom's writings please send an email to Tom's son at jkelley@catalystchristian.net
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.