In thinking back over these lessons again, I've realized how golf not only applies to the sport itself but to all of life. Here are six lessons I’ve learned from the golf course:

-Patience and Perseverance: Golf takes a lot of patience. It isn't one of those games that you just "pick up." Getting good at hitting that little white ball hundreds of yards takes a lot of practice. You have to make a lot of bad shots on the driving range before you hit any good shots on the course. There is no way around it; long hours of patient practice are required. Sure, someone might get lucky and hit one good shot here and there, or maybe even have a good round when things are just "clicking." But, to be able to hit the same good shot consistently requires lots of patience and perseverance, even when you feel like throwing your 9-iron in the lake.

The book of James talks about something similar: "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (1:4). Following Christ and living a victorious Christian life takes patience. Like golf, life comes with its ups and downs. We all hit those bad shots or experience set back – a lost job, sickness, relationship issues - and feel like giving up. But often, it is the challenges we face that help us grow spiritually. It’s tragic that our response to hardship is often giving up and walking off the course of life frustrated.  Discouraged by one bad shot or one bad round, we fail to persevere and miss out on the joy that comes with reaching greater maturity in Christ.

I admit that there were many times – after I hit my ball into the woods rather than the fairway or the bunker rather than the green – I wanted to give up. But to be good at golf means you keep practicing after wayward shots, and growing spiritually means following Christ even when you feel like giving in.

-Humility: Golf humbles even the best players. Seriously, watch a few shots of a professional PGA tour event, and you'll see. Even the pros miss putts.  Growing up, whenever I felt pretty good about myself or my game, I only had to take another shot, and I'd find myself scrambling to save par (+0) or, worse yet, bogey (+1, which in golf, you want to avoid positive scores). 

1 Peter 5:6 says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." That's a good reminder. God has a mighty hand, and we do not. God is mighty, wise, strong, and powerful. We are not. Yet, how often do we try to go through life doing things our way rather than God's way? Too often, we think we know better, and when we live that way, usually all we have to do is make one more decision, and we are struggling to "save par," fighting to salvage the situation we made a mess of.  

Golf helps keep the ego in check, which we all could use a little bit of. Thinking we are smart enough or good enough to do life our way usually results in us losing our footing and making a mess of things. It's much better to stay humble and follow God's lead.

-Focus: Being good at golf requires tremendous focus. You must have focused practice to know how to hit the right shots at the right time. You have to pay attention to what is going on as you are playing, such as how the wind or the ball's lie affects the shot. You have to forget about your last bad shot so you can hit your next good one. Learning to focus is one of the most important lessons for any golfer.

In Colossians 3:2, we are urged, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." This verse is about focusing on our walk with Christ. Setting our mind is the act of directing our attention towards God and not on things that distract us from him. This verse reminds us that to be successful spiritually, we must turn our attention from the shiny things that tempt us and rather keep our attention squarely on Him. Too often, we allow our attention to go elsewhere, losing focus only to make an errant shot and forgetting the God who made us.

-Integrity: Golf is built on integrity and honesty. Many of those days, when I got up early, I played alone. No one was out there to know that I wrote down a score of four when I got a five because that short putt "should have gone in." No one was there to make sure I took my penalty stroke when my shot went out of bounds and into someone's backyard. No one was there but me. I was the only one holding myself accountable.

Proverbs 10:9 says, "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out." When we walk God’s way, the way of integrity, we honor God and tend to do better in life. When we cut corners, cheat, fudge, and mark fours rather than fives, things tend to go wrong. A lack of integrity impacts our lives with family, friends, coworkers, and anyone whose trust we are trying to keep.

This year, a professional golfer was disqualified for turning in an incorrect scorecard after he "lost count" of his missed putts and recorded a six rather than a seven. He was caught by a rules official and was disqualified. Unfortunately, many people often get disqualified in life because of a lack of integrity and cutting corners.

-Temptation: Hole 17 at my home course was the signature hole. It was a short 260 yards from the tee to the green, a hole that could be reached in one shot. Well, it could be reached in one shot, except for the lake that was in front of the green. The course was designed to force the average golfer to take two shots to get to the green. One shorter shot off the tee, landing the ball before the lake, and then a shorter pitch shot over the lake onto the green. But, despite that lake, I was always so tempted to try and get there in one. And every single time, I ended up hitting my ball in the water. I probably played that hole hundreds of times, and I do not ever remember getting to that green in one shot. Unless I played the course as designed, I ended up in the water, forced to take a penalty stroke, and usually getting bogey or worse.

Proverbs 7:25-26 teaches on temptation saying, "Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.  Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng." The idea of hitting over that lake in one shot and being on the green putting for eagle (-2) was a temptation that always brought me down.  Life throws temptations our way daily, but giving in always eventually leads to a penalty stroke. 

-Community and Fellowship: Golf is often an individual sport, as you typically keep your own score. But golf is usually played with other players, most commonly in groups of four. My favorite rounds growing up were when I was playing with my neighbor John. We were together for most of those long days on the course, playing from dawn to dusk. One of the benefits of playing with others is that you learn from them. You see how they play and handle certain situations. You swap tips, and everyone gets better.

Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us of the importance of gathering together in fellowship. It reads, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Life, like golf, is meant to be done together.  When we are around other believers, the Christian life is better, and our walk with Christ is strengthened. Too many Christians try to live alone, stunting their growth and walk with Christ. How much better and more enjoyable would life be if we all learned the lesson that life, like golf, was meant to be done in community.

These are only six of the lessons that I learned while playing golf. I have many more. These lessons I first learned as a teen in my rural hometown have not just made me a better golfer, but they have taught me more about following Christ. Patience, humility, focus, integrity, avoiding temptation, and community are all things needed to succeed in golf. But more than that, they are also needed in the Christian life.