This is a straightaway shot. Green is straight ahead of the Tee. No dogleg. It has a creek running down the right side and it is tree-lined on the left. At 439 yards it is definitely not set up for a hole-in-one, but a pretty straightforward hole. No real tricks to it, just hit it straight and long and set yourself up for a 180 yard approach shot.
Well our Tee shot was pretty straight. Still favored the right side, I just have a thing with liking water. Left us with about a 187 yard shot to the pin. I am going to try the 4 iron, should be about the right club especially with the breeze behind it.
4 Iron would have been the club had I hit it well, but... the miss-hit didn't give me quite the distance I needed. Left me about 68 yards out and so a wedge it will be.
Good contact and lots of loft. That puts me on the green for a par putt.
Need to fill my divot and fix my ball mark on the green.
Definition of divot and ball mark.
Divot Definition: Most shots from the fairway with an iron will scrape off the top of the turf where the ball was resting. "Divot" refers to both the turf that is scraped up, and the scarred area in the fairway where the turf had been. A good divot will start just in front of where the ball was at rest - meaning that your club struck the ball first, then the ground. If the divot starts behind the ball, you have miss-hit the shot (this type of miss-hit is often called hitting the ball "heavy" or "fat").
Ball Mark Definition: The indentation that a ball makes in the surface of the putting green upon landing. (Pitch mark is the synonym.) The softer the surface of the putting green, the more likely a ball mark is to result, and the more like that ball mark is to be larger.
Ball marks should be repaired using special tools made for that purpose in order for the green to properly heal.
The cool thing about fixing your divots is that generally the course will provide you with a sleeve of sand. You use the sand (sometimes mixed with seed) to fill in the divot and aid in the healing process.
Well that certainly brings up life. Divots and sin. Sin and divots.
Sin is just like a divot only not involving grass. Sin affects many things. It affects our friends, our family, our life, our character and our relationship with Jesus. Much like a divot, sin affects those things around it.
Sin separates us from Christ. We can't be in sin and have fellowship with the creator. And don't fool yourself....we ALL sin.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
The great thing is forgiveness.
Forgiveness is available to EVERYone.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 John 1:8-10 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
Jesus will forgive us of our sins and remember them no more!
Hebrews 8:12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Psalm 103:12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Forgiveness in Christ and His grace to us is amazing! It's AWESOME!
But just like that golf ball getting struck by the club...there is a divot...scarred earth. There are consequences. You may have forgiveness, but that doesn't free you from facing the consequences.
A lot of times when we sin, we don't count the cost. We say,"well just this once, nobody will know." But in doing that we make a "divot".
Whether that is...
in friendships
in trust
in integrity
in character.
We leave some scarring behind that only time and healing can fix. In golf they give you a sandy/seed mixture to speed up the repair of the scarred earth.
In life, it is true repentance and accountability.
When we sin consequences must be paid.
Lives must be repaired...trust must be rebuilt...relationships mended.
Aren't we glad that He paid the ultimate price and offered us forgiveness through it?
Instead of sinning (creating a divot, where by everything around us is affected) and then repenting and looking for accountability, why don't we all just get some accountability right now.
Find strong Christians that hold us up to the standard set for us, and work more on pursuing Christ, rather then waiting till we mess up. Being accountable right now, building each other up and encouraging each other right now, could save us from a huge "divot" down the road.
You choose how you play your game....
1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
...Well that was certainly nice to salvage a Par after the second shot was a miss hit.
Moving on to 16. The game is almost over and it has definitely been a learning experience so far...
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