Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Hole 7, Par 5, 534 yards...

Hole #7



Hole #7 on this golf course is the #1 handicapped hole.

That means that when the course was handicapped (rated for difficulty), this was the hardest or most challenging.

Holes will be ranked from 1-18 on the course.
1 being the most challenging to 18 being the least.

Although when I play I can barely tell the difference...they are all challenging. Every time you tee off the fun, or should I say the challenge, begins. Focusing on hitting the ball well, planning your shot, focusing and following through... and on top of that...having fun as you play.

This particular hole has a very long and tight fairway (bringing back the "ball eating trees" similar to those on hole #3).
Then comes the decision of whether to "lay up" (hit a short approach shot to make sure you make it over the hazard in front of you on the next hit) or to go for it and hope you ate your Wheaties that day.

The hazard on this hole is located 90 yards in front of the green. It is a creek that runs across the fairway, but it also has a huge cliff. The elevation goes up 20 feet at the cliff. And finally that brings us to the green which is surrounded by the best sand traps this course has to offer.

This will be a fun yet challenging hole.

The interesting thing about golf is that every swing you take goes on your score card. Every stroke ultimately adds up in the end and determines how well you performed. The one with the least strokes, wins the round. The reason I reflect on that here is there will be many opportunities for mistakes and thus strokes to be added to my scorecard on this beauty of a hole!


As we go through life we mess up. We make mistakes. If life were paralleling the game of golf with every mistake we would be adding strokes to our score card.

Not a great thought. But we all mess up from time to time. We don't make wise choices or decisions and we sin.

If anyone ever tells you they never mess up or they never make mistakes, walk away quickly so the lightning doesn't strike you.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

We have all sinned. We have all added strokes to the scorecard of life. With that sin comes punishment.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That scripture tells us that our wages (what we earn) for sin is death. BUT... the gift of God is Eternal life in Christ Jesus. So all we have to do is accept that gift, take it and receive eternal life!

That is so awesome.

If we receive the gift --> we get Eternal life. So why don't more people take hold of that gift and open it?
Maybe it is ignorance, defiance, stubbornness, or pride.

So in golf to get a clean score card or get strokes removed on a round you have to start over or cheat. To get the strokes (sin, mistakes) removed in life, you have to look to Christ, repent and He will forgive. Wow what a blessing. In life it is not the one with the least stokes (sins) that wins the round (Eternal life), it is:

Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Let's do our part to reflect Christ and show that same kind of forgiveness to others on a daily basis.

Well that hole was fun. We got hung up in the trees on the tee shot, so we naturally laid up for the approach. We were on the green in 3 and two putted for par.

So far this course has been challenging and frustrating at times but all in all, it is just great to be out on the course.

On to hole #8...

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